Bosom Buddies Read online

  Ian hadn’t mentioned her outburst yet this morning, but it was there, hanging between the two of them like some huge albatross. It was all Conner’s fault. So, though this wasn’t mature, it should get some great reactions from her brothers, and it would make the petty side of Allie feel better.

  She looked at Ian’s old bed that she’d dragged from the spare room into the living room—Ian’s living room, which sat right over her living room. The living room her three brothers sat in, plotting to save her from herself—or more specifically, from Ian.

  The bed consisted of just springs and a mattress set on a metal frame that simply folded. She’d been able to manage moving it on her own, which was a good thing, since she was sure Ian wouldn’t have helped.

  Knowing he’d try and talk her out of her plan was why she’d sent Ian out for doughnuts, and he’d gone.

  Well, she didn’t want to discuss anything yet. She wanted revenge on her brothers.

  She sat on the bed and it squeaked merrily.

  Smiling to herself, she got on her knees and started to bounce. The creaks and squeals that accompanied the up-and-down motion made her laugh out loud. Not satisfied with that, Allie got up on her feet and started doing jumps that would have looked more at home on a trampoline than on a bed. She kept her hands raised over her head so she didn’t whack it on the ceiling.

  “Oh, Ian,” she threw in for good measure, though she wasn’t sure her brothers would hear that part. Still, it made her laugh. “Oh, Ian, don’t stop. Come on big guy, take me home. Oh, yes. Oh, yes.” She continued the yeses, each one a bit louder.

  The phone rang. She’d kept the portable in her hand.

  “Oh, yes,” she said in way of a salutation.

  “What on earth are you doing?” Anne hissed.

  “Just getting some exercise.”

  “Well, your three brothers are about to get theirs as well. They’re on their way up.”

  Allie stopped jumping and fell back onto the bed, laughing. “How annoyed were they?”

  “Did you ever hear of a shotgun wedding?” Anne asked ominously.

  “They don’t have a shotgun,” Allie reminded her.

  Anne’s voice didn’t have a hint of humor in it. “But your brother Conner has a handgun.”

  “He’d never use it because it would be too easy to trace.” Allie glanced at the door, waiting for the summons she knew was coming.

  Anne wasn’t through. “Cops in the movies have a throw-away gun, just in case. Maybe he does too.”

  Loud thuds banged against the door.

  Her brothers had arrived. “Oops, gotta go. Looks like I have company.”

  “Allie, I’d be careful. They didn’t look pleased.” Anne sounded truly worried.

  “Anne, thanks for looking out for me. I’ll be fine.” Allie hung up and walked to the door. “Who is it?” she called sweetly.

  “Open up, Allie.” Deep and commanding roars passed through the door.

  “Conner, is that you?” she called sweetly.

  “You know damn well it is, open the door.”

  Smiling, she did as instructed. “A girl can’t be too careful these days. Zac, Zeb, what on earth are you doing here?”

  The three men pushed past her. “Where is he?” Conner asked.

  “Where is who?” She gave them her innocent expression, one that was guaranteed to irk them even more.

  “Ian. The boys here want to meet him.” Three dark-haired heads scanned the room.

  Allie walked over to the bed and sat down heavily, setting off another chorus of squeals. “Sorry. He stepped out for doughnuts. I had a craving for them.”

  The word craving had three pairs of eyes boring holes into her. “Craving?” Conner asked.

  “Yeah, you know how I love them—especially those chocolate ones with the cream inside. There’s this great local doughnut store here in town who has the best I’ve ever tasted.” She shifted her position on the bare mattress.

  “What’s that doing out here?” Conner gestured toward the noisy furnishing.

  Allie looked him in the eye and grinned. “Well, Ian just bought a new one and I was going to try and get this in the spare room. As long as you boys are here, why don’t you give me a hand?”

  “What was all that noise?” Conner grilled.

  “What noise?”

  Zeb leaned over and pushed on the mattress, setting it to screaming. Er, eek, er, eek.

  Laughing now, but still trying to appear innocent, Allie said, “Oh, that noise. Well, it’s a noisy thing. Must have been kicking up a fuss when I tried to move it.”

  “Ask her about the screaming,” Zac said to Conner, breaking his silence.

  “What screaming? And since when can’t you ask me yourself?” Allie asked Zac.

  “You. Screaming.” Zac and Zeb both hated to waste words and had always left most of the talking to Conner, who wasn’t much of a talker either.

  Allie thrust her jean-covered leg forward. “Oh, I banged my shin and was hollering. Now that you’re through grilling me, are you two going to hug me or what? I mean, it’s been months.”

  She stood and looked at them expectantly. Allie found herself squished by first one big man, then the next. “Well, that’s better. So, what brings you guys to Erie?”

  “Didn’t Conner tell you?” Zac asked.

  “Tell me what?” Allie’s mirth evaporated. She had a feeling that she wasn’t going to like what Conner hadn’t told her. Her blue eyes met two pairs of innocent brown eyes—eyes that were staring at Conner.

  “I’m waiting,” Allie said to Zac and Zeb, purposely bypassing Conner.

  “You see, we’re moving to Erie. When Conner got reassigned, I decided to apply to a couple firms here in town. I got a new job,” Zac said.

  “And it would be lonely at home with all of you in Erie, so I’m coming up too. I mean, a writer can write anywhere,” Zeb said.

  Allie sighed and was about to lay into the three of them when the door opened. Zac and Zeb moved to her side, flanking her like two knights ready to battle.

  “Hey, got your doughnuts,” Ian said, then spotted their guests. “Maybe I should have bought extra, seeing as we have company.”

  Allie stepped from between her brothers, but they moved forward as well. “Ian Ryan, meet the rest of the McGraw clan. This is my brother Zac, and the mirror image on my other side is Zeb.”

  Ian set the doughnuts down and moved forward, hand extended. Neither of the men offered theirs in return. Allie elbowed them, but they didn’t budge. “I tried to teach them manners, but it obviously didn’t take.”

  “No problem.” Ian picked up the doughnuts. “You guys want one—some coffee?”

  “No,” came the three monotone responses. The three of them just stood there, staring at Ian with menace in their eyes.

  “You three—out,” Allie said. She was done. The three of them were going to learn that she was an adult, not some frightened maiden they had to duel to protect.

  “No.” Zeb was probably the most stubborn of the three, and that was saying a lot.

  She pushed at them. “Yes, get out, the three of you. Go visit Anne.”

  They all looked obstinate, and Conner said, “Not unless you come too.”

  “I’m not going anywhere the three of you are. Go settle into your new apartment. I’m going to start job queries tomorrow.” She gave them another shove.

  “What do you mean?” Conner asked.

  “I mean, this town ain’t big enough for the four of us. Hell, I don’t think Erie’s big enough for the three of you. I liked this city, I really did, but now I feel sorry for it, having you goons living and working in it.”

  “Allie, you don’t mean it,” Conner said.

  “You damn well bet I do.”

  “Don’t swear,” Zac b
arked.

  It was never going to end. Her brothers had taken over her parenting after their mother and father died, and they didn’t appear willing to stop—ever. “Oh, go soak your head. All of you. Out.”

  Ian stepped forward. “I think you gentlemen better go.”

  “Not without our sister,” Zeb said.

  “It appears your sister isn’t interested in going with you.” Ian’s face was a mask, and Allie couldn’t decide if he was amused or annoyed. This was the Ian she’d originally met, not the man she’d come to love. He was unreadable, even to her.

  Not willing to allow the four men to talk about her as if she weren’t there, she pointed to her chest. “I’m not interested in sharing a town with you, much less an apartment. Now get, or I’ll call the cops. And wouldn’t that look good, Officer Conner, to get reported for . . . for whatever they’d charge you with.”

  “Corporal, not officer. And you wouldn’t.” Conner might sound sure, but his eyes held a question.

  “Watch me.” She picked up the phone. “See, I’m dialing.”

  Obviously deciding she wasn’t bluffing, he said, “Let’s go. We want to see you in fifteen minutes, downstairs.”

  “I’ll be down when I’m ready to be down.”

  “Fifteen minutes, Al,” he warned as he ushered Zac and Zeb out the door.

  “Go suck an egg, Conner.” She slammed the door in their faces and turned to Ian.

  “What on earth started that, and why is the bed out in the living room?” He didn’t look very happy about the situation, but Allie still couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

  She shrugged. “That was my family, such as it is, and I decided to move the bed.”

  “Move the bed where?”

  “Oh, right here, like this.” She jumped back on the bed and started bouncing.

  Understanding dawned in Ian’s eyes. “You didn’t?”

  She continued to bounce. “I did. They make me so mad. I thought turnabout was fair play. Want to join me?”

  “Alexandra.” There was warning in his voice.

  “Come on, don’t be a spoilsport. They already think you’ve used me for your own vile carnal needs.” She made a hefty jump. “Of course, I’m not supposed to have needs. Or notice all the needs they’ve fulfilled over the years.”

  She bounced again. “Sneaking in before I was awake, thinking I wouldn’t notice they were out catting around. Well, I noticed, and if I want to have an affair, I will.”

  “Come off there.” He held his hand out.

  “No. Come and get me.” She bounced to the far end of the mattress, out of his reach.

  “Allie.”

  “Come on, yell it louder, they’ll think you’re screaming in the throes of passion. Like this.” She jumped hard. “Ian, oh, my goodness, do it harder, baby.” She jumped so hard that the only thing that saved her from a knock on the head was her hand.

  “Get off there.”

  She stuck out her tongue and grinned. “I won’t. Come on up.”

  “They’re going to come up here with a shotgun,” Ian warned.

  His words echoed Anne’s. “And having an affair with me isn’t worth the risk?” she asked.

  His face turned even stonier. “I don’t want to have an affair with you.”

  That stopped her, midjump. She sank to a sitting position on the mattress.

  The fun of taunting her brothers was suddenly over.

  “Oh.” She sprang to her feet and bolted for the door.

  Here was the talk they hadn’t had last night. The talk she’d wanted to avoid. Telling him she loved him had been too much. Ian didn’t love her and she hadn’t given him time to learn how.

  “Oh,” she said again, her hand on the doorknob.

  “Allie, that’s not what I meant,” Ian cried.

  She turned. “You don’t need to explain, Ian. I should never have said what I said yesterday. It just slipped out. I understand, really. We’re not right for each other. We’ve both agreed about that. And having brothers like mine has kept most of the men I like at bay, so I don’t blame you if they’re part of the problem.”

  “Love, not like. You said you loved me,” he reminded her.

  “I lied,” she said, no emotion in her voice.

  Ian realized that he’d botched it. He would have kicked himself, but he didn’t have the time. She was at the door, obviously ready to make a quick escape, and he needed both feet to race after her.

  His hand slammed onto the door so she couldn’t open it. “Running away, Allie?”

  “I’m not running. I’m leaving. There’s a difference.” Her face gave nothing away, but her eyes said it all. He’d hurt her. The thought tore at him.

  Ian caught her wrist and pulled her to the couch.

  Allie twisted, trying to break his hold, but she couldn’t. “Lay off the caveman stuff, Ian. I want to go.”

  He shook his head. This wasn’t how he’d planned things, but now was as good a time as any. “No. You’ve been running for a long time.”

  “I have not.” She twisted her wrist, but he wasn’t letting go—the sooner she realized that, the better.

  Ian smiled. “Honey, you ran away from home when you left your brothers and moved to Erie.”

  “I was being smothered there and had to get away,” she said.

  Proving his point. “And instead of standing up to them you ran, just like with Dr. Neighbors—you let him win by default.”

  Her face lost some of its haunted look as anger flared. “I did not. I was handling things.”

  Ian smiled. An angry Allie he could deal with, a crying one would break his heart. “By ignoring them and running away from facing them.”

  “I—”

  He cut her off. “Well, you’re not running from this. You can’t ignore the fact you said you loved me.”

  “I lied,” she said again.

  Ian shook his head. “You didn’t. That first day, you told me you never lie.”

  “Well, I guess I do sometimes. You know, if I was a liar and said I didn’t lie, it wouldn’t be out of character. Besides, what do you care? You just said you didn’t want to have an affair, so it doesn’t matter.”

  He gave her a tug, pulling her closer. “Like hell it doesn’t. I don’t want an affair. I want to marry you.”

  On a roll, Allie kept right on talking. “This probably wasn’t love anyway. It was probably just a case of raging hormones. You’re too like my brothers. You’re overbearing, by the book, a stick-in-the-mud, Harley-riding, wanna-be-a-bad-boy man.”

  “Are you through?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “No, I . . . wait. What did you say?”

  “Are you through?” he repeated.

  She shook her head. “Before that.”

  Smiling now, he released her wrist. “I said, I don’t want an affair, I want to marry you. Do you have any idea how hard I’ve been trying to get you to see me as someone you could love, someone you could marry?”

  “Ian, I said I love you.”

  “Before that. We both said we were too different, but I didn’t care. I wanted you, not just sex, but wanted you to love. Allie, I’ve been really working at this. The bed, the satin sheets, it struck me as a romantic, an unexpected thing to do.”

  “It was,” she assured him.

  She smiled, and suddenly, for the first time, Ian thought it might be all right. “We ended up on the floor,” he reminded her.

  “I like being on the floor with you.” That cold knot of fear that had tied Allie’s heart up began to dissolve.

  He wanted to marry her.

  Ian gripped her hand, as if he was afraid she’d still escape. “Then there was the Harley. That’s unexpected, maybe even a bit dangerous. I didn’t want you to see me as just a . . . what did you call me? A sui
t? I wanted you to see me as someone exciting. And you fell for a Harley rider before.”

  “I didn’t fall for him, I dated him, not his Harley.” She smiled.

  “And then there’re your brothers,” he said cryptically.

  “My brothers?”

  “I told them to act like they hated me. You never date guys they like, and I thought you’d never marry one. I thought if they didn’t like me, then it might give me an edge.”

  “You like my brothers?” she asked. “And they like you?”

  “Very much on my part, and Conner’s, at least,” he admitted sheepishly. “I know I’m not the type of man you envisioned yourself with. I know I’m not unpredictable or exciting. Actually, I’m rather boring and I’m certainly not the best of risks, not with my past . . .”

  “Ian.” He didn’t want an affair, he wanted a marriage. Allie hadn’t thought she was ready to marry anyone, at least she hadn’t thought it until she’d met Ian. Now she felt like some fairy princess whose dreams were coming true.

  “Let me finish,” he said. “I know that sometimes I feel the need to protect the people I love, and maybe I should have let you handle Neighbors in your own way, but I couldn’t stand to see you hurt.”

  “Ian,” she tried again.

  “But I still say that my taking care of Neighbors was no different than you stepping in and taking care of me, Ryane, and Anne. What I’m saying is, you might think this doesn’t have a chance of working, but I don’t think you know much more about relationships than I do. I’ve decided that I might not know much, I might not be the man of your dreams, and I might be a bad risk, but I’m willing to learn.”

  “Oh,” she said. She wasn’t sure if he was done and waited a second to see.

  “Is that an ‘Oh yes, Ian, I will marry you’ or an ‘Oh, Ian, I need to think about it’? Those are the only two answers I’ll accept. No is not allowed. You said you loved me, and I can understand that doesn’t necessarily mean—”

  She put a finger to his lips. “That’s a ‘Shut up and kiss me, Ian’ oh.”

  “Happy to oblige,” he said.

  Allie broke off the kiss. “You said you want to marry me, but I want the words as well.” She was greedy and knew it. But with Ian she wanted it all.