Once Bitten: A Steamy Sexy Chance Romance (A O'Reilly Clan Novel Book 1) Read online

  Once Bitten

  An O’Reilly Clan Novel

  ~*~

  Daisy Allen

  Copyright © 2017 Daisy Allen

  Once Bitten: An O’Reilly Clan Novel

  By Daisy Allen

  All rights reserved.

  This book may not be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission from the author. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. All characters and storylines are the properties of the author and your support and respect is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  For my family

  who always believed that

  one day would come.

  Part One:

  KARA

  Prologue

  “And I NEVER want to see you again!” I screamed at him through the open car door.

  “That’s NOT going to be a problem!” He snickered, not even bothering to look in my direction.

  I slammed the car door shut as hard as I could, the sound echoing in my ears and he skidded off, leaving me standing in the dust cloud, holding my shoes, borrowed prom dress dragging in the dirt.

  I vowed to hate him for the rest of my life.

  I didn’t think it was going to be a hard vow to keep.

  I was wrong.

  Chapter One

  Present Day

  “Is that all, Larry?” I asked my boss, hoping his gargantuan list of things for me to do was done.

  He grinned at me, “why so eager to leave? Have you got a hot date for tonight?”

  I feigned being impressed. “Yes! How did you know? I need to get home and get ready; microwave dinners and Netflix don’t just wait for anyone,” I finished sarcastically.

  Larry snickered and handed me a piece of paper. “Well, then you don’t mind staying to book these plane tickets for me...and for you.”

  I moaned and dropped my head on the desk.

  When I started this PA job with Cabot Industries four years ago, I thought all the business travel was going to be so glamorous. It was actually the reason I’d applied for the job in the first place, ‘must be time flexible and able to travel at a moment’s notice’ the advertisement had requested.

  It sounded like heaven.

  Now it sounded like five hours cramped on a plane next to a grumpy boss, desperately trying to finish business briefs

  before endless meetings and living off egg sandwiches and orange juice for four days.

  “How long this time?” I asked, hoping the answer was in days and not weeks.

  “Not long, only 7 nights.” Larry answered, knowing how to play down the business trips to me by now.

  “And where to?”

  Larry grinned at me again. “I thought you’d never ask. Look at my notes.”

  I glanced at them, warily. Larry’s ‘surprises’ were usually not all they were cracked up to be.

  I skimmed the printed page, until I saw the destination. I jumped out of my seat, papers flying off my lap.

  “NO WAY!” I screeched at the still grinning Larry. “You are KIDDING!”

  Larry sobered, his face suddenly glum. “Yes, I am kidding.”

  My entire body deflated and I sat back down into the chair. What a sick joke. I took a breath and tried to ask again calmly, “ok, so where are we really going?” I tried to keep my disappointment for when I was back at my desk.

  Larry looked at me for a moment, and then his face broke apart into a huge smile and chuckled.

  “I’m kidding about kidding, you daft idiot. I’m not THAT cruel. Yes! We’re going to Paris! For a week! And we need to be there in two days. So go. Go book us tickets.”

  “OH MY GOD!” I jumped out of my chair again, even more excited than before. I’d wanted to go to France my whole life. Paris, in particular. Country life was quaint and all, but I craved the hustle and bustle of big cities. That was the reason I had moved to Manhattan in the first place. Big city, fashion capital and the best food in the world - I’d always felt Paris was the home that was waiting for me to return.

  I ran over to Larry’s side of the desk and gave him a big hug. “You’re the best boss EVER! Thank you!” I babbled.

  He returned the hug and then made a face and pushed me away. “Yuck, girl cooties. Hey, this is like your dream holiday, I guess I don’t even have to pay you.”

  I grinned. “Not on your life. I need shopping money.”

  I grabbed my notes from our meeting and skipped out to my desk, on cloud nine. “Paris!” I happily exclaimed as I dialed the travel agent. “I LOVE traveling for work!”

  Chapter Two

  “Tommy, I’m home.” I called out as I burst into my apartment, arms full of the bags of work I’d brought home. “You’re not going to believe what’s happened!” I threw the bags down and ran to the bathroom, as was my usual routine.

  “Guess where I’m going with Larry in two days! PARIS! Can you believe it? For a WHOLE week. He’s got back to back meetings for the first two days, then nothing for a few days before he has some more meetings before we go home. So he thought we might as well stay there! He’s even giving me an advance on my pay for the week. Shopping, baby!” I yelled through the door.

  “Tommy?” I called out again, walking out into the living room. He wasn’t there.

  “Anyway, so I work a half day tomorrow, and then I’ll come home to get some sleep and we’re catching the red eye flight on Wednesday. So you’ll have the apartment ALL to yourself for a whole week. But Grandma’s going to come over every few days and visit you so you don’t get too lonely, ok?” I rambled as I strolled to the kitchen, thinking he was there. He wasn’t.

  That was weird. Maybe he’d gone out for a walk.

  I stripped off my work clothes as I shuffled to my bedroom, always ready to change into something more comfortable the minute I got home. The black skirt I wore almost every day was tight around my thighs, and my white shirt barely contained my breasts. The outfit wasn’t comfortable but I knew I looked good in it and it gave me the confidence I needed when I talked to some of the important people I had to on behalf of my boss.

  I was pulling the shirt off when I saw Tommy on the bed.

  “Oh, there you are, baby,” I reached over and gave him a pat on the head. “You’re such a good kitty,” I cooed at my cat, Tommy. “Did you hear what I said about going to PARIS! Isn’t it amazing?” I ran my hands over the soft fur of his back.

  He purred and closed his eyes, ignoring my chatter.

  “But like I said, you don’t have to worry, Grandma is going to come and feed you every other day, and probably spoil you, I’ll come back and you’ll have a nice round belly.” I looked at myself in the mirror. “A little like mine,” I puffed out my stomach and patted it gently. Eh, I’d start exercising after Paris.

  I pulled on a long t-shirt and padded back out to the foyer, grabbing my work bags and headed out to the living room.

  Tommy followed me, probably hoping I was going to take a detour through the kitchen for some cat food, but settled down for a nap next to me on the couch when he saw me take out my laptop.

  We’d settled into a pretty comfortable routine in the four years we’d lived together. I’d inherited him from the previous owner who’d promised me that he only showed up every few days for a quick bite, a drink and then he was off exploring the city again. Bu
t Tommy had a stomach for leftover gourmet food, apparently, and once he got used to the yummy tidbits I’d bring back from my work dinners out, he became a more permanent guest. Now I couldn’t go a few minutes without talking to him, while ignoring the niggling thoughts that at 33 I’d already become a spinster cat lady.

  “Who cares, if I‘m a spinster, eh, Tommy?” I tickled him under the chin and he yawned. “I have work, I have you...and next week, I’ll have a new stamp in my passport.”

  I worked until Tommy nudged me with his cold nose, reminding me that his stomach was never to allowed to get too empty. My stomach rumbled in agreement and I picked him up and went to the kitchen. I knew what was in the fridge even before I opened it, but it I was an optimist at heart.

  “One limp carrot dipped in mustard, and a week old boiled egg sprinkled with moldy parmesan cheese, coming up. Yummm,” I said to my cat, closing the fridge, “but what are YOU gonna have?”

  I opened a can of cat food and tipped it into Tommy’s bowl before grabbing my phone and speed dialing the Vietnamese restaurant downstairs.

  “It’s Kara,” I spoke into the phone when someone finally answered, “just the usual, Mai. And hold the soy sauce. I’m bloated enough as it is. Thanks, see ya in 15.”

  I unlocked my apartment door and sat back on the couch waiting for the food, listening to the racket downstairs drifting in through my 5th floor window. Tommy jumped back onto the cushion next to me, licking the last of his dinner off his lips. It’d been a long time since I’d gone out for a crazy night on the town. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d gone a whole day without doing any work.

  I checked my phone. No missed calls, no messages, from anyone. Too bad Tommy didn’t have opposable thumbs, I thought.

  I’d chosen this life, I reminded myself. And as much as I did hate the travel sometimes, it was still the most exciting work I’d ever imagined I’d be lucky enough to find.

  Larry was a great boss, he was kind and generous, and made sure I always had what I needed and paid me more than my peers. But at night, he went home to his wife and family, and I came home to my laptop and Tommy.

  And spring rolls! I reminded myself, as a knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.

  “It’s Mai, Kara.”

  “Come in,” I called out. The door opened and a gorgeous, petite Vietnamese woman came in, carrying a bagful of food.

  “Hey Tommy,” she cooed to my cat, “I brought you a little something.” She opened a small container with some steamed fish and waved it in front of his face. “How are you doing, babe? You’ve been ordering in a lot more than usual lately.” She said to me as she sat on the edge of the couch and watched me go through my food containers, breathing in their delicious scent and drooling.

  “Not for the next week, I’m going to Paris,” I told her, breaking apart a pair of chopsticks.

  “NO EFFING WAY!” She said, and jumped off the couch. “About time you went somewhere you could bring me back a decent souvenir. I keep telling you, I don’t have room for any more magnets. And that’s saying something considering I have an industrial size refrigerator!”

  I stuck my tongue out at her before digging into my papaya shrimp salad like a starving person.

  “When are you back?” She asked, going into my kitchen and grabbing two plates.

  “I’m away for a week, but my Mom’s gonna drop by and take care of Tommy as usual.” I took a sip of the hot green tea and watched her tip out the food onto the plates and arrange them as if we were sitting downstairs in her restaurant.

  “That is amazing, have the best time, ok? And um...” She stopped, trying to find the right words.

  “Wha-at?” I asked, warily.

  “When you come back...maybe...you’ll have time to meet my cousin?”

  “Er, no.”

  “Why?”

  “Is he a multi-millionaire who can buy me a private jet to take me to Vietnam just to eat Phở whenever I want?”

  “You DO eat Phở whenever you want!” She gestured to the take out box with the noodles and broth.

  “You know what I mean.”

  “No! All I’m hearing is ‘I want to be a middle aged spinster eating out of cardboard boxes and setting unattainable expectations on men, slurp slurp’.”

  “Well, then working in that loud kitchen has obviously affected your hearing,” I pouted and went back to my food.

  She grinned at me and threw a napkin at my head and headed for the door. “Fine, we’ll talk about it when you get back, I’ll just hold your orders until you agree.”

  “Bitch!”

  “Whatever! Just don’t fall in love with any millionaires before you get back,” she taunted me before she closed the door behind her.

  I snorted, the green tea going up my nose, “fat chance of that happening!”

  ***

  The phone woke me up 20 minutes before my alarm was supposed to go off. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I murmured into my pillow as I fumbled in the dark for my phone charging on the night stand.

  “Humphhhhhmmmwhatmm?”

  “Cheery.” Larry replied.

  “Yeah. Bye.” My finger hovered over the hang up button.

  “No, wait, I called for a reason. Firstly, everyone’s ok.” He spoke slow and calmly.

  I sprang up, suddenly alert. “What’s wrong?”

  “Well, like I said, everything’s ok...but Mel and I are at the hospital. With Dean.”

  I sucked in my breath, their son Dean was always getting into trouble.

  “He’s ok, but he had a pretty bad fall and they’re running some tests on him now and, well, we don’t know what’s going on yet.”

  I wanted to freak out, but for Larry’s sake I tried to keep calm by asking questions. “How’s Mel doing?”

  “She’s...doing as well as a mother who has a son who’s getting a photo of the inside of his brain to check for bleeding could be doing.”

  “And Dean?”

  “He’s Dean. He thinks this is all a fun game.” Larry sighed.

  I couldn’t help but grin. I had had my own share of scares while baby-sitting Larry’s 9 year old son. The bigger the fall, the happier he was. I utterly adored him and this was just about the worst kind of call I could get, and Larry knew that.

  “Aw, Larry, he’ll be fine. Your son’s inherited your hard head- ”

  “Hey!”

  “- and he’s going to be good as new in a few days. Don’t worry too much until there’s something to worry about, ok?”

  “Thanks, Kara.”

  “So...I should cancel our flights?” I asked, not without a little disappointment.

  “No, that’s the main reason I called so early. I won’t be going, of course, but you still will.”

  “Oookay...”

  “Yeah, I didn’t get a chance to tell you this but Paul Ascot, the new CEO, has just remarried, which you know. What you probably don’t know is that he now has a stepson. Who he wants to take on a role with the company. So he’s going to take my place on this trip. And he’s going to need a LOT of help from you.”

  “Huh.”

  I could just tell Larry was trying not to grin. He knew how I hated breaking in new people. “I heard he’s a real piece of work, too.”

  “Double huh. Maybe we should wait until Dean’s better...and you can go...?”

  “Nice try. You’ve seen the schedule, these meetings need to happen ASAP. You’ve got this, you know the numbers better than I do, just think of it as babysitting a younger, less handsome me.”

  I snorted. He really was the most amazing boss, to be joking around even with his son in hospital.

  “Ok, fine. I still get my advance, right? I’m going to need a lot of money to spend to stay away from Mr. Piece of Work on our days off.”

  “Yes and my undying gratitude.”

  “Humph, I should have that already.”

  “You do,” he said earnestly before switching back into business mode, “so, I need yo
u to book tickets for him and cancel mine. And then I need you to drop off the file you printed out for me to read on the plane to his place on your way to work. He’ll meet you at the airport two hours before the flight to check in. I’m texting you all the details now.”

  “OK, boss. You don’t worry about a thing, I’ll take care of it. You just be there for Mel and Dean, ok?”

  “Ok. And bring me back an éclair.”

  “I promise I’ll eat one for you.”

  ***

  The phone buzzed as I stepped out of the shower. There hadn’t been any point in going back to sleep and I wanted to be ready to call the travel agent at 7am on the dot, when she was available to take calls.

  I wrapped the towel around me and grabbed the phone, walking back to my bathroom. I scrolled through the five messages from Larry with all his instructions, until I found the one with the details for the plane and hotel bookings.

  “Name...name....name.” I skimmed the message, looking for the information, “come on Larry, yada yada..what’s the na- ”

  I froze.

  And I read it again. And again.

  “Finn O’Reilly.” I said it out loud.

  No. It couldn’t be.

  I shook my head. Surely, there was more than one in the world and as far as I know, his mother hadn’t remarried.

  But you wouldn’t know, would you? The voice in my brain nagged me. You don’t know anything about any of them since that night.

  But this, this was just a coincidence, I told myself.

  “Yeah! Come on,” I forced myself to laugh. “There’s no way it’s the same person. No way in hell.” I busied myself with getting dressed and ready for work, pushing back even the hint of the thought that it might be him.

  Life couldn’t possibly be that cruel.

  Chapter Three

  “Yup, Larry, I’m on the way now. Yes, I’ve got the file. And the latest report from research. Yes, the one YOU forgot and I had to remind you about. I’m here, so go! And give my love to Mel.” I hung up the phone, rolling my eyes at my boss’s control problems.