Dirty Irish (Murphy Brothers) Read online

  I finished the last of my beer and let out a deep breath. The tension in my shoulders drifted away.

  Well, I supposed now that it was out there, no use hiding it.

  “You try finding a wife when you’re surrounded by rugby players, rugger huggers, or old men in the boardroom. Any girl I fancy, I don’t seem to have the time for. As evidenced by the bird who just broke up with me over coffee,” I muttered the last part, watching as Leah quickly filled my pint glass, not a jot of pity or smugness on her face.

  “That’s what the internet is for, isn’t it?”

  “You and I both know a lot of those sites are just for hookups. Which is all well and good, if I wasn’t looking for more.” I took another gulp of my pint and let the liquid haze that came from drinking this early in the day take over.

  She sighed. “What you’re saying sounds like every girl’s dream. Have you ever just approached one of those rugger huggers, as you call them, and said ‘hey I need a wife for the business, wanna head to the chapel?’”

  I laughed, shaking my head before taking another pull of my beer. If we were going to have this conversation, it would probably require a few more drinks. “I don’t want just some random rugger hugger.”

  “Then it sounds like you need a matchmaker. Or maybe a Cyrano who can feed you lines.”

  Realization dawned on me. It was as if a lightbulb went off in my head. I sat up straighter, and I slapped my hand on the bar. “You should be that person.”

  She put her hands up, her eyes widening as her entire body shook. “Whoa, buddy, I’m not marrying you. No offense, but you’re not my type.”

  “Well, thanks for that vote of confidence,” I grumbled, but I wasn’t knocked down yet.

  Now that this idea was in my head, there was no getting it out. My eyes lit up at the very thought of my marriage worries coming to an end. Even if I couldn’t have the girl in front of me, if she could find someone like her…

  Leah smiled, leaning on the bar top, her fingers tapping at the screen of the phone that lay beside my pint, the little clicking sound driving me mad.

  Fecking hell, it was like the woman knew she could get me wound up. But I had to keep my eyes locked on hers, letting her know I was dead serious.

  “But I can help you find a girl. Just give me your phone, and we’ll do some swiping.”

  “Oh, no, I need more than that.” I tapped my fingers against my whiskers, thinking of my next move. “If you’re working here and staying at Fallon’s, something tells me you could use more, too.”

  She pulled back, wincing as if my words just slapped her. “I don’t like where this is going.”

  A new thrill shot through me as I plopped my glass down, a wave of beer spilling over onto my hand, but I didn’t care. This was it. My moment. “No, this is perfect.”

  “What is?”

  “You become my assistant. Like a personal assistant. I need someone to help keep me in check with everything—Murphy’s Pub and rugby, plus finding a wife.”

  She shook her head slightly. “I don’t know…”

  “It would include the flat Fallon used to rent next door. Since Jack and Connor both have virtual assistants, it’s been empty.” I smiled, knowing exactly the thing that might get her to say yes.

  But still, I held my breath, waiting for her response.

  In for five seconds.

  Out for five seconds.

  Her eyes lit up, but she quickly looked down as if hoping that I didn’t notice her excitement. “That might be an option. We’d have to talk salary, and I’d have to crunch some numbers first. Plus, I can’t just leave the pub without notice.”

  “Sounds like you aren’t saying no.”

  “I’m not.”

  I grinned, my heart beating fast as elation took over, and I wanted to reach across the bar and hug the bird. Instead, I slid my fingers on the wood grain of the bar and took the pint glass back in my other hand. “Then I’ll have Fallon give you a tour of the flat tomorrow and you can start work for me on Monday?”

  “I’m not that easy, as you should know after your many attempts to get in my panties last time you saw me.” She smirked.

  I shook my head, keeping my face neutral so she’d know this wasn’t about getting in her knickers. “Ah, but now I’m not trying any of that, mo gra. I want you by my side as my assistant. The person who can finally help me get my shite together. It’s brilliant.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “How do you figure?”

  I leaned back, crossing my arms over my chest, noticing her brief glance toward where my shirt pulled against my biceps. Normally I’d take that as an opportunity to flex, make a move on the bird, but things were different with Leah.

  No, things would have to be different with every girl, if I wanted a wife. If I wanted the company to stay with the Murphys.

  “You know my brothers, or what Fallon has told you of them, at least, and you’re female. You also ran a successful business back in America, aside from the shitey business partner you’ve been talking about, so you know what you’re doing not just in the woman department, but the Murphy-managing part as well,” I rambled, hoping anything I said made sense.

  Truth be told, I was having trouble voicing much of anything.

  My head and my heart had been at odds since the will was read.

  “I’ll have to think about it,” she said quickly, moving down the bar to take another order.

  I wasn’t used to this many nos or attempts to avoid the question, and it was fecking maddening.

  “I’m going to message you my number and the address to the flat, so you have both. In case you decide to accept,” I called, which got us a few glances from the patrons.

  She patted the bar top, saying something to the people she was helping, then quickly moved back to me, her eyes slightly narrowed as she leaned in.

  We may have been in a dark pub, but the woman still smelled like fresh laundry and a hint of some floral perfume. If I weren’t afraid of what would happen to my heart and trousers, I might have complimented her perfume. Instead, I just smiled.

  “Think that’ll work for you, or you just want to accept my offer now?” I asked, wiggling my eyebrows.

  Breathe in for five seconds.

  “If I say yes and get you another pint, will you promise to try not to be a shite the rest of the night?”

  “Yes.”

  She grabbed a pint glass, filling it to the brim before setting it in front of me. “You get me something in writing, emailed to Leah Harlowe at Umail, and I’ll look over it to see if we can come to an agreement.”

  I smiled, every tension in me now exploding as relief washed over me, and I held up my glass. “I’ll have it to you after this pint.”

  Chapter Two

  Leah

  Technically, I couldn’t complain about staying in Fallon’s luxury guest bedroom with my own bathroom, something I didn’t have at my mom’s back home, where I was unfortunately staying just a few shorts week ago.

  When Fallon told me there was a job for me at Murphy’s, I expected some kind of office role, not bartending.

  But then Sean Murphy showed up with that adorable smile, handing me an offer to be his assistant.

  One who needed to find him a wife.

  If only I could say no to that damn bearded man with his chiseled, tattooed biceps and the way he spoke my name like he was saying a prayer. Something I’d have to ignore as his new assistant.

  I wasn’t the best matchmaker in the world, unless you counted the cheating done by my ex and my business partner. But if Sean was going to offer the flat and maybe enough money to help pay my sister’s tuition for classes back home in Chicago, I could think about his offer.

  That, and try not to daydream about how gorgeous he was. The man had swagger, but I saw the vulnerability of him wiping his palms on his pants and telling me about the girl who just dumped him.

  I had a thing for helping anyone out who needed it.

  Now I had to really wonder what would happen if I took the offer.

  I swore the Irish sun was even brighter than the American one, and there was no way in hell I could lie all day in the too-comfortable-to-not-be-expensive guest room bed.

  I got up, showered, and dressed in a pair of cigarette pants and a red gingham blouse I tied at my waist. The plus side of leaving the business was that I did get to refresh my wardrobe. My old business partner wasn’t going to fight me for the shop’s unsold inventory.

  Becky Geiger was more of the sky-high heels and mini dress type of girl than a vintage fashion lover. She’d just needed to invest in something so her daddy didn’t cut off her trust fund. Lucky for Becky, her favorite bartender in the city—unlucky me—dreamed of owning a boutique, which turned out to be her best bet. Even better when she found my then-boyfriend, Jimmy.

  I sucked in a deep breath, shucking off the bad thoughts of the past and what the two did behind my back.

  They could have each other.

  I went downstairs, expecting to see my chipper best friend and her gorgeous husband at the breakfast bar. I stopped when a different Murphy was there, the one I was just thinking about, and I couldn’t help the butterflies now bouncing around my stomach as I looked at that damn smile.

  Slowly, the hulking, tattooed beast’s eyes met mine.

  “Mornin’, mo gra. You look lovely, as always. Get dressed up for brunch?”

  “Brunch?” I asked, raising an eyebrow that, thank God, I had filled in.

  Wait, why did I care what my eyebrows looked like for Sean? He was just the guy I was hopefully going to work for.

  “Yeah. Connor’s in the dining room. Fallon wasn’t feeling too well, so he’s playing host. If you really want some comedy, follow me and watch him try to serve.” Sean winked, and there went the butterflies again.

  Mid-pour of the coffee pot, Sean leaned close, the heat of his body and manly smell of fresh cut grass and leather surrounding me. If I closed my eyes, I could pretend we weren’t in his brother’s kitchen.

  So, I may have lied a little bit about him not being my type.

  He was very much the kind of guy I’d go for—and the kind who would screw me over.

  “You’re not thinking about backing down from our agreement, are you? Helping me out with business and women?” His words were husky, as if he were asking me about another proposition. One that I couldn’t think about with him but still had me biting my lip.

  “You know, I should probably go check on Fallon to see if she’s okay,” I squeaked, mentally chiding myself for letting him get the best of me.

  “Sharing secrets with my brother-in-law?” Fallon’s voice had me jumping back as if I wasn’t just standing there next to Sean. Which she definitely saw and possibly thought was us talking about something far dirtier.

  I whirled around to find my best friend standing in her spotless modern kitchen, with dark circles under her eyes and wearing an oversize sweater, looking the exact opposite of put-together.

  Shit, she really was sick.

  “I didn’t hear you come in, Fal, but maybe you should go back to bed,” I said, scooting closer to her and away from the man who was still making my stomach do somersaults.

  She quirked an eyebrow, her eyes slightly squinted. “Are you saying I look like hell?”

  “A little rouge, a little lipstick, and you’ll be just fine, as my abuela used to tell me,” I said, putting my arm around Fallon’s shoulders, which garnered an eye roll, but I smiled.

  I loved this girl with every fiber of my being. She was like the second sister I always wanted. When Fallon showed up on my doorstep after my breakup, bearing whiskey and the Dublin offer, I knew that I could never say no to her.

  “You still didn’t answer my question about you and Sean. Anything I should know as to why you two are so awfully chummy?” she whispered as we followed the man with a body that fit into his jeans like they were made for that perfect ass.

  Dammit I had to stop staring at him.

  But really, I did wonder where he got jeans to fit his muscular thighs and the other parts of him. Good an excuse as any to gawk. Maybe we could discuss brands, and I’d look into starting a menswear line.

  If I ever had the capital and could get a business loan without a slimy business partner.

  “Just friendly conversation over coffee. Ran into him last night at the pub, and we talked for a bit,” I replied under my breath, swallowing hard and hoping my best friend didn’t notice I wasn’t telling the entire truth.

  She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye but didn’t say anything as we walked into their bright dining room with a table full of different breakfast foods.

  Connor sat at the far end of the table. His usually stoic face now wore a megawatt smile. “Leah, good to see you’re up. Heard you come in close to the crack of dawn.”

  Fallon took her seat next to Connor with me on her other side. Jack and his fiancé Grace were at the other side of the table, always the polished couple with him in a suit and Grace in a flowy dress.

  I’d have to ask about her favorite shops. That dress was beautiful.

  Sean’s chiseled biceps and toned thighs pressed against my side as he sat down in the chair.

  A low shiver ruffled through me.

  Calm. The. Eff. Down. The man is just trying to sit and eat.

  “From what Leah was just saying, she was up talking to Sean at the pub last night, so maybe he’s the one we should be questioning about an early morning,” Fallon said, grabbing a piece of soda bread and smoothing jelly over it.

  Flames licked at my face, and I grabbed my glass of orange juice, taking a big gulp. “He came in after a failed date and needed some sage advice.”

  “Another bad date? Really, Sean?” Connor asked, annoyance painted on his face.

  “Well, that bird didn’t work out, but someone else may…” Sean said, winking in my direction.

  Oh hell. What was he going to say? If my face wasn’t already on fire, now my entire body was burning.

  “Since it seems like Leah’d rather not live with newlyweds and needs a position where she can use her business experience, I offered her a job as my personal assistant, and she accepted. So, now, I can keep up with all things Murphy.”

  “Well, that’s one way to say it. And I never really said I’d accept. I’m thinking there needs to be a contract or some other fancy thing drawn up,” I said, grabbing one of the bowls and serving myself a helping of eggs. At least that was American. The black sausage didn’t look appetizing at all. Filling my plate also gave me something to do with my shaking hands and a reason to ignore the stares of the other couples.

  I didn’t know how serious he was last night, or that he had the power to just hire a girl without any sort of background check or hiring process. But now it was out in the open, with his brothers and my best friend watching.

  Fallon pinched my side, causing me to almost drop the eggs. I glared at her, and she raised her eyebrows as if to say, What are you doing?

  Sean smirked, holding his coffee cup mere inches from his lips. “No one else wants the job, so if you can work a phone, email, and the internet, you’re hired. You have four witnesses to know I’m not just giving you shite.”

  I choked on my own breath, holding in the gurgling sputter about to erupt. He couldn’t be serious, could he?

  Me, in an office all day. Never thought I’d be an assistant at a big corporation. Though I did have some very cute wiggle skirts and a collection of Peter Pan collared blouses that would make me a very sexy, Mad Men-esque secretary. Maybe I’d even get my own bearded Don Draper…

  I chided myself for letting my thoughts go crazy. I would be his assistant and help him find a wife. Nothing more.

  The more I thought on the idea, the more my mind drifted to my mom and sister back home. I was paying rent for the basement, even though Mom tried to refuse it, but I knew it was helping to pay for Sophia to take classes at the local community college. Freaking girl was way too good for southside public schools and the opportunity to take AP classes was what she needed to get into the Ivy league school of her dreams.

  If I could have a steady paycheck and not just shitty bar tips, then I’d be able to save up for Sophia and Mom. Have enough that they wouldn’t have to worry about paying for her education.

  Sure, I may have fucked up a lot in my life and choices, but if I could help my sister, hell, I’d do anything for her.

  Connor scoffed, setting down his cup. The rattling of the china knocked me out of my haze. “Well, finally, you have a brilliant idea.”

  His dark blue eyes slowly peered at me as if he was inspecting a difficult problem. Which I could have been for him. With my jet-black hair, dark makeup, and colorful tattoos, I usually got those types of skeptical looks from people. But his brother next to me had almost as much ink as I did, and he was head of the company, too. Or something.

  I actually wasn’t sure what the hell Sean did at the company besides play rugby and maybe have Murphy’s Pub as a sponsor. I’d have to ask him about that.

  “You got your work permit all filled out for the pub, right?” Jack asked.

  “Um…yeah…”

  What the hell was I getting myself into?

  “Then I would think you’re hired. Keep my brother in line, and I’ll get you synced up with our calendars,” he said, beaming as I let out a breath that I didn’t know I’d been holding.

  The three brothers rambled off a few things that I put in my phone as all of this new information swirled in my head over breakfast.

  When everyone was finished eating, Fallon and Grace exchanged a look that said something was about to go down. I had a feeling that something was Fallon interrogating me. So I figured better get it over with rather than trying to hide all day.

  When Fallon stood to start clearing plates, I leaped from my seat.

  “Let me help you with those,” I said, grabbing a few plates and following her into the kitchen, ignoring the hot stare of the men in the other room.

  Could this really all be happening?

  A job? An apartment of my own?

  A real salary?