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He looks down and smiles. “Not as nice as yours.”
Sullivan walks me through each step of making dinner, from washing the potatoes—apparently, they like boiled whole ones—to seasoning the steaks. He puts the steaks on a damn chef’s grill because of course they have one in their kitchen, and while they’re cooking, I step up behind his gigantic frame, wrapping my arms around his waist and placing my head gently against his back.
“Thank you.”
“Why are you thanking me?” he asks.
“For wanting to take care of me, but I’m also sorry I don’t know how to accept your help. Growing up the way I did, you learn not to accept help from anyone, as it comes with strings attached, and when it’s time to pay up, it’s never good.”
Sullivan removes the steak and turns to look at me. “There are no strings, Harper. All we want is you here with us. If you want more freedom, we can move you out to the pool house, but know Ronan won’t be happy, and you will have security at your door. If you want to work again, just say the word.”
I laugh. As if they will let me go back to The Range—they have said as much. “What is the point? I have been told if I go back, Cian will camp out in my room. Besides, I’m not sure I can let a stranger touch me again.”
“If you could do anything, what would you do?”
Sullivan stumps me with that question; I have never thought about it because there was no point. As I only had a basic education, any job I would be qualified to hold would earn me minimum wage. Working at The Range was a way to protect myself while making good money.
“Honestly, I don’t know.”
“You know Ronan bought The Range for you, right?”
My eyes widen. I knew he bought it, but for me? “Why would he do that?”
Sullivan laughs quietly. “If you haven’t figured it out yet, Love, we are all head over heels for you. He knows how much the place means to you, and your boss wanted out. Maybe you could run the place. It’s currently being renovated, and the security is being upgraded.”
“He did that for me?”
Sullivan nods. “Mostly, he did. We are also down a bar right now, and Ronan hates having meetings at the house. So it is also a place we can meet privately and talk business, and the fact the uncles can’t invite their bar flies works out well for us. If they do want to get laid, they can pay for it or go elsewhere.”
“I would be safe there?”
“You would, and you would also be a legitimate business owner.”
Could I manage The Range? Being the boss would mean I no longer have to sell my body. I never thought I would see the day I’d think those words, and I’m not even sure I believe them enough to say them out loud. “And he would let me run it by myself?”
“Who is he? If he won’t let you run it, I’ll kill him, then it’s yours,” Ronan says entering the kitchen.
“Technically, it’s already hers, and you would have to kill yourself,” Sullivan says.
Ronan chuckles. “So I take it Van spilled the beans. Yes, The Range is yours, and you can run it however you like, but security on premises is nonnegotiable. I sat down with Lady Maine and the other workers to ask what they thought was fair with pricing, as security isn’t free, and they all agreed it’s fair to raise the hourly rates slightly to cover the cost. Feel free to do whatever else you would like.”
“This is for real? Like real, real?!” I ask, and Ronan nods.
“Ahhhhh!” I squeal and launch myself at him. He catches me as I wrap my legs around him. “I will pay you back.”
“I anticipated you might say that, and I have a payment schedule outlined in my office. There are also papers you will need to sign.”
Leaning forward, I press my lips to his.
Ronan turns us around and places me on the kitchen island, deepening the kiss.
Sullivan clears his throat. “I hate to stop this, but dinner needs to be served, and with young girls wandering around, adult stuff is better suited to the bedroom.”
Ronan pulls back and smiles at me. “And you all call me Daddy? I think that title needs to be given to Van.”
“Actually,” Darragh says, and we turn to see him leaning against the entry to the kitchen, “Daddy is now my title, and where the hell is the food? We need to eat before I kill Cian. His singing is driving me insane.”
I chuckle as I slide off the counter. Sullivan places plates where my ass just was, and I wait for some snarky comment from Darragh, but it doesn’t come. Once the food is plated, we all carry it out to the dining room. Sadie and Eloise race in to pick their seats, and Darragh goes to help Cian, but comes back alone.
