By Shannyn Schroeder
For Your Love
Under Your Skin
In Your Arms
Through Your Eyes
From Your Heart
The O’Learys
More Than This
A Good Time
Something to Prove
Catch Your Breath
Just a Taste
Hold Me Close
Hot & Nerdy
Her Best Shot
Her Perfect Game
Her Winning Formula
His Work of Art
His New Jam
His Dream Role
from your heart
SHANNYN SCHROEDER
ZEBRA BOOKS
KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com
All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.
Table of Contents
Also by
Title Page
Copyright Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Epilogue
Teaser chapter
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ZEBRA BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2018 by Shannyn Schroeder
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.
If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the Publisher and neither the Author nor the Publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
Zebra and the Z logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
ISBN: 978-1-4201-4649-3
eISBN-13: 978-1-4201-4650-9
eISBN-10: 1-4201-4650-5
Chapter One
Sixteen months ago
Kevin O’Malley stood against the bar at O’Leary’s Pub and watched the party unfold in front of him. Although he’d known the O’Learys his entire life, they were becoming family. He still couldn’t believe that his older brother Jimmy had fallen in love with Mouthy Moira.
He tilted his bottle of beer to his lips with a smile. Watching Jimmy and Moira over the last six months or so had been jarring. Jimmy, who had always been the rock of their family, the man who took care of everyone, who told everyone what to do, was knocked off his game by a redheaded bombshell.
And they were so fucking happy that Kevin was a little jealous.
The jukebox blared music in the back room and people were dancing. Jimmy and Moira greeted every guest and thanked them for coming out in the cold to celebrate their engagement.
O’Learys and O’Malleys filled the entire bar and most were more than halfway to drunk. Their families knew how to throw one hell of a party. Unfortunately for him, he had a breakfast meeting in the morning and showing up hungover wouldn’t bode well for his career. He’d worked too hard over the last few years to throw it away for an engagement party.
Not that any of that would stop him from messing with Moira. As she turned the corner toward the dance floor without Jimmy, Kevin saw his chance. He set his beer down and ran up behind his soon-to-be sister-in-law.
“Moira, baby. You owe me a dance.” Before she could respond, he had his arm on her waist and led her to the dance floor.
“Why do you feel the need to fuck with me?” Moira said with a clenched jaw.
“What? I have precious few chances remaining to prove you chose the wrong O’Malley brother.”
His quip did what he’d hoped, and she burst into snorting laughter. She relaxed in his arms and allowed him to lead in a dance.
“In all seriousness, I’m glad he has you.”
Moira pulled back in his arms and studied his face. “How drunk are you?”
“Not at all.”
“Sincerity from Kevin O’Malley? Hell must be freezing over.”
“Tell anyone and I’ll deny it till my dying breath.” He paused and said what he wanted her to know. “You make him extraordinarily happy, and there’s nothing more any of us could ask for him.” He pulled her close again for the remainder of their dance.
In his ear, she whispered, “Does this mean you’re finally calling a truce, and you’re going to be nice to me?”
Now it was his turn to laugh. “No way, babe. Messing with you is one of life’s greatest pleasures. It’s bound to only get worse once you’re family.”
She shook her head slowly. “That’s what I was afraid of.”
Their dance ended, and he released her so she could return to Jimmy. Kevin went back to the bar and scanned the crowd to see if he could find some female company that he wasn’t related to.
As he looked over his choices, his gaze landed on a tall brunette. Her long brown curls bounced wildly down her back, drawing attention to her luscious ass. It definitely looked like a firm handful.
He shifted to order a couple bottles of beer to use as a means of introducing himself. Before he got the bartender’s attention, the woman turned and he caught a glimpse of her face.
Kathy Hendricks.
Kevin’s mouth went dry at the realization. He hadn’t seen her in almost four years. Not since she’d blown him off.
But before that, they were hot together.
Suddenly Moira was once again at his side.
“Don’t even think about it,” she said.
“I wasn’t anywhere near you.”
“Not me. Kathy. You leave her alone.”
Her stern comment had him turning away from the bar to fully face her. She wasn’t kidding. This was no playful warning. “Kathy and I have history.”
“Yeah. You did a number on her.”
“What?”
Moira stared at him for a full minute. It was the quietest minute he’d ever had with her. “You really are clueless,” she said.
“When it comes to whatever you’re rambling about right now, yeah.”
“I don’t know how it happened, but when you were dating Kathy, she was totally falling for you.” He started to grin until she
