My Wild Irish Dragon by Ashlyn Chase Read Free Book Online

“We’re off this weekend. Why don’t you go and invite me too?”
    Perfect. Meeting guys from the other houses wouldn’t hurt him either. They never knew when a multiple-alarm fire might have them working together.
    * * *
    Chloe sensed a change in Ryan. He seemed confident—not that arrogant and conceited were different for him, but it was the type of confidence that seemed new. He was more self-assured. Less self-righteous. She found it a lot sexier than his bravado, unfortunately. If the man were any sexier, she might implode.
    After that day’s training, he didn’t follow her to the parking lot. Instead he said good-bye to the other guys and then went straight to his Jeep. When he drove off without giving her a backward glance, she wondered why. And why did it matter to her?
    Had she finally discouraged him? She should be glad—she hated worrying about letting a guy down easy. Her style was just to say, “See ya,” and go on her way.
    Maybe she was getting a taste of her own medicine.
    And she didn’t like it.
    As she drove home, she reminded herself why it was important not to get involved with him. They’d be working together. She knew any relationship was doomed anyway. Why start something she couldn’t finish?
    For the first time in hundreds of years, she cursed her grandmother. “Why the feck did you have to give me a diamond? Yeah, it’s valuable, and maybe you were trying to tell me I’m too valuable to be held down by a bad marriage. But why isn’t there a good one for me? Am I that impossible to live with?”
    She ended her rant by realizing she probably was. Her siblings could put up with her because they’d learned how…and they’d had to. Family was an odd thing in Ireland. Brothers thought nothing of beating the tar out of each other, but add anyone with outside blood to the mix and watch how fast the brothers bonded and turned on the interloper—together.
    Even marriage didn’t change that. She loved her brother-in-law, Finn, but if he ever raised his voice, never mind his hand, to Shannon, he’d find both Rory and Chloe on him in a pile of fast-flying fists.
    Irishmen and Irishwomen understood this on a subconscious level, even if they denied it. Blood—especially Irish blood—was much thicker than water.
    Apparently Ryan had a lot of brothers. She wondered if the same held true for him and his siblings. Probably not. From what she’d seen, Americans seemed to weigh the pros and cons of an argument—then express themselves verbally. They rarely started fistfights in the streets. The laws were pretty strict against that here.
    She chuckled as she remembered an argument between her apartment managers. She’d never witnessed anything so strange in her life.
    They’d seemed to be having a staring contest. The wife had folded her arms and tapped her foot. The husband, with his hands on his hips, had just glared back. It wasn’t until much later that Chloe had learned the two could communicate telepathically and were arguing their points in full view of everyone, with no one hearing a word.
    Maybe she’d ask for that tea leaf reading from the wife/witch after all. Something about Ryan just didn’t sit right with her. He wasn’t acting as if he’d given up. He was acting as if he’d won!

Chapter 4
    Chloe parked the Zipcar in the Prudential Center’s garage and strode home to her Beacon Street brownstone. She had planned to have dinner with Rory and Amber next door, but she was going to make a quick stop at home to change. If Morgaine had time for a reading, she’d call Amber and ask if dinner could wait a few.
    When Chloe unlocked the front door, she was surprised to see Morgaine standing in front of her apartment.
    â€œIs everything all right?”
    Morgaine tipped her head. “I don’t know. You tell me.”
    Chloe’s brows knit. “Excuse