Duncan: The Lucky Irish Series - Book 1 Read online

  DUNCAN © 2019 by Anna Castor

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any written, electronic, recorded, or photocopied format without the express permission from the author or publisher as allowed under the terms and conditions with which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution, circulation or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly. Thank you for respecting the work of this author.

  Duncan is a work of fiction. All names, characters, events and places found therein are either from the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to persons alive or dead, actual events, locations, or organizations is entirely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Coordinated by Hot Tree Self-Publishing

  Edited by Hot Tree Editing

  Cover design by Soxsational Cover Art

  eBook design by Inkstain Design Studio

  CONTENTS

  1-Kayla

  2-Duncan

  3-Kayla

  4-Duncan

  5-Kayla

  6-Duncan

  7-Kayla

  8-Duncan

  9-Kayla

  10-Duncan

  11-Kayla

  12-Duncan

  13-Kayla

  14-Duncan

  15-Kayla

  16-Duncan

  17-Kayla

  18-Duncan

  19-Kayla

  20-Duncan

  21-Kayla

  22-Duncan

  23-Kayla

  24-Duncan

  25-Kayla

  26-Duncan

  Epilogue-Duncan

  Excerpt from Donovan

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  The freshly mopped tiles in the grand hall had Kayla looking down while she shuffled carefully toward the elevators. Suddenly her cautious shambling was over when she bumped headfirst into a broad, muscular back.

  “Hmpf.”

  The irritated sound of her victim wasn’t lost on Kayla. Taking a quick step back, she apologized. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you.”

  At first her eyes were drawn to a pair of black boots and traveled up a pair of worn dark blue jeans. When her gaze reached a black T-shirt, she wondered why this man wasn’t wearing a coat, as it was only March. She smiled at this observation, as the temperature here in Texas was most definitely different from what she was accustomed to in New Jersey.

  “Well now, you’re sure getting a real good look.”

  Oh my God. Was this man for real? He made it sound as if she was ogling him. This guy had some nerve to point that out, even when her eyes still lingered on his broad chest. She looked up to a chiseled jaw, a crooked nose, and the lightest green eyes she’d ever seen. She’d detected the slightest hint of an accent—Irish maybe? She wasn’t sure, but it gave his dark voice a certain sexiness.

  After what had happened over a month ago, meeting a man was the last thing on her to-do list. She needed to be on her A game today and certainly not flirting with some playboy who thought he could have her falling for his, by the look of it, signature panty-dropping smirk.

  Kayla had always enjoyed flirting, but she needed no distraction from a tall, muscular, and beautifully rugged man. Yes, she could tell by his stance and attitude, he was definitely a man who was used to getting his way. He oozed cockiness, a confidence that would normally attract her. But not now, not when her life was upside down and she needed to stay focused.

  Feeling his gaze upon her, she involuntarily shifted on her favorite black pumps. She wished he would take her silence as his cue to move along, but alas, Kayla was not having the best of days. It all started this morning when she had overslept and had only woken up because of the deaf old cat belonging to her neighbor, Miss Jackson. The poor old thing didn’t know how loudly he was meowing, for obvious reasons.

  The twinkling light green eyes looking down at Kayla announced that he was not discouraged by the lack of enthusiasm she was giving him. No, if anything, he studied her as if he was considering her a challenge, his newest conquest even.

  He was easily six foot four with bulky muscles peeping from under the tight sleeves of his black T-shirt. Kayla thought he might be a fighter of some sort, with his strong physique and crooked nose that looked like it had been broken once or twice. His dark hair was shaved close to his scalp, and if it wouldn’t be weird to do to a stranger, she would definitely graze over it with the palm of her hand just to feel the smooth, short hairs tickle her palm.

  “And?” he asked in a dark voice, obviously attempting to keep the conversation going, although it was pretty one sided.

  Kayla shook her head, trying to reboot her mind.

  “And what?” she asked with a sigh, so over this conversation. She had no time for this; she needed to be at Mills Security in five minutes. Turning her attention to the two elevators, Kayla was disappointed to see that the closest one was on the tenth floor. Great, at least it was moving down. Hopefully this guy wouldn’t go to the same floor as her.

  “And do you like what you see?” he clarified, interrupting her thoughts.

  “Why? I’d think you wouldn’t need any confirmation. Your head is big enough as it is.”

  Booming laughter followed her statement. Kayla was irritated that he had the nerve to laugh. The rise of her right brow and a stern look were all that was needed to shut him up.

  She was glad she still had it in her. Even after all that had happened, she still wouldn’t come across as a pushover.

  One of the two elevators passed the sixth floor on its way down to the ground floor, and Kayla intentionally kept her gaze on the doors instead of Mr. Boxer. The name suited him with his crooked nose, scarred right eyebrow, and strong physique.

  “Well, I’m beginning to wonder if I’ve lost my touch, as you refuse to even look my way.” His tone had lost its playfulness, and Kayla glanced over her shoulder to see if his expression matched his words.

  His smirk was gone. Well, at least that was something. And to give him the final blow, Kayla turned back to the elevator doors and continued to ignore him. She was sure she heard a growl from Mr. Boxer, but then the elevator dinged and its doors slid open.

  After pushing the button with the floor number she needed, she strolled to the back of the elevator and rested her backside at the bar across the fully mirrored elevator. Mr. Boxer prowled across the small space to stand beside her, his eyes on her the entire time. The other people in the elevator hastily made room for him.

  This was all too much for Kayla. Why was she still standing there instead of moving when he decided to stand so close to her? Her skin heated under his abrasive gaze, and she was perplexed by her reaction to him and his forwardness when his leg softly touched her thigh as he leaned in to her.

  The old Kayla would have given him a cold stare or a warning threat, which would’ve sent him running scared out of this elevator, but she couldn’t seem to do that just now. Was it because she was intrigued by Mr. Boxer, or had her recent experiences numbed her?

  She was disappointed in herself either way. Hadn’t she learned by now that she needed to distance herself from men who looked at her as if they wanted to eat her alive?

  Duncan was slowly beginning to lose his mind and certainly his patience. As if he was standing next to fuckin’ Elsa from Frozen. Yeah, he knew of the movie where the character could only live by herself and couldn’t play nice with others. He’d had to watch over half an hour of the awful movie during a date a few weeks ago. Why Cheryll had chosen a kids’ flick to chill next to a rough-and-ready
former MMA fighter, he would never know. After enduring all he could, he fled her apartment like a bat out of hell.

  Some girls had to be reminded he wasn’t boyfriend material and wouldn’t come over to do a sing-along during a kids’ movie. If he had stayed, he would have had to return his man card and his balls in the process. Though perhaps his balls would be freezing off soon because of the icy glare this sassy chick was giving him. He was amazed his normal charm wasn’t getting him anywhere with her—no, not exactly amazed. He was rather intrigued.

  At first, when she bumped into him and looked him over, she eyed him as if she wanted him just as badly as he wanted her. He could see the way she had to work for her cold exterior. Now she was blushing and giving him the stink eye in the same moment; how was this even possible? She was a contradiction and a challenge, and he never backed away from a challenge.

  After this encounter, he could use a punching bag, or perhaps he would go to his family’s Irish pub, Lucky, for a stiff drink, to work off some of this frustration. The angelic light blonde beauty was eyeing the elevator rushing by the floors and checking the time on her watch with a big frown on her slightly freckled face. Duncan could see she was eager to ride up in the elevator. Her wavy hair kissed the top of her butt cheeks, and when she had walked across the elevator, he glimpsed a body that could easily star in other kinds of movies, the adult kind.

  “What are you doing?”

  Duncan could tell she was trying to stay calm and not shout at him, but it was said in such a loud whisper that everyone in the elevator looked up from their phones to watch them. Her eyes narrowed, and her plump lips seemed so inviting that he had to fight the urge to run his thumb over them. She looked hot in her black pumps, tight black skirt, and fitted dark woolen coat, which made her light blonde hair stand out even more.

  What was she wearing underneath the coat? Why was she even wearing a coat, as if it were snowing outside? Duncan’s mind went back to Elsa and he chuckled. For all he knew, she had made it snow even if it was sixty-five degrees outside.

  “I’m sorry, but there’s not much room in here,” he said, hoping she would drop it because she was right, he didn’t have to stand so close. He was sure the whole elevator population of eight thought he was some creep who was trying to get into her personal space.

  Yep, that was most definitely true. He couldn’t fight the urge to discover how she smelled, and he was surprised when he was treated to a hint of some kind of wildflowers. He wanted her, and he had to know if this particular wildflower would indeed be a breath of fresh air compared to the women he had been with in the last couple of years.

  As an MMA fighter, he had enjoyed the perks that came with winning most of his matches. There had been more than enough ladies who wanted a piece of the champion, and Duncan must admit he wasn’t picky. He could say he’d had the time of his life, fighting and fucking. But even he had the wit to understand that it was all fleeting, and the fame and glory wouldn’t last. Certainly not now that he was retired at thirty-one and had become a dojo owner.

  This intoxicating woman next to him in the elevator looked Duncan straight in the eye, craning her neck because of his height. He was one tall motherfucker, but she fit perfectly next to him. She had surprisingly brown eyes where he expected them to be blue.

  Enough with this shit. “I want to get to know you.”

  She looked as surprised as he was when those words came out of his mouth. Why did he go and say that? Duncan wanted to get her to the nearest place where he could take his time with her, have his fill of her, and then be done with her. Hopefully it would put his mind at rest, because he didn’t recognize himself with the way he was failing to even get her attention. Getting to know her was never gonna be in the equation. Or was it?

  “As tempting as you think you might be, no thank you,” she said and batted her long eyelashes at him while smirking. When she took a small step away from him, he couldn’t be any more irritated at the loss of her closeness.

  Damn it all to hell, she was one stubborn chick.

  As Duncan was thinking of a quick reply, the ding of the elevator interrupted his thoughts. A couple of office workers entered the elevator, and he could see the approving looks toward his wildflower. His? Duncan chuckled at the thought. He must have lost his mind somewhere on the ground floor where she bumped into him.

  The elevator was getting close to where his brother Donovan had his office, but he wouldn’t let her get away from him, even if it meant he would follow her the whole damned day. When she made a move toward the doors, he glanced at the display and noticed the elevator would indeed be stopping at his brother’s floor.

  That would be something else if she was going to meet with his brother. Fuck. No, that would be a disaster waiting to happen. Donovan was even more of a player than Duncan, and he would hate to deck his brother if he looked at her the wrong way. Donovan was the poster boy for the one guy he didn’t want her to meet. But perhaps she would be as immune to his charms as she seemed to be to Duncan’s.

  He grinned at the thought that maybe she would put his brother in his place. But then he remembered she did the same with him, and the grin fell from his face.

  Time to see what she was doing here at Mills Security.

  When Kayla walked out of the elevator, she noticed Mr. Boxer following her in the elevator mirror. It shouldn’t surprise her, and it definitely shouldn’t give her an extra sway in her step knowing he was walking behind her. Her four-inch heels clicked on the tiles as she strolled up to the reception desk where a voluptuous brunette in a tight, fitted red dress was typing away at her computer.

  The receptionist’s dark brown hair was pinned up in a knot, but some loose curls bounced next to her hazel eyes and high cheekbones. Her red lips pursed into a straight line, and she didn’t acknowledge Kayla’s presence even after noticing her stepping out of the elevator moments ago.

  “Good morning. My name is Kayla Walsh, and I have a meeting with Donovan Mills.”

  The brunette was still typing with her long fake Ferrari-red nails and sighed rather obviously. Oh no she didn’t!

  When the receptionist finally looked up from whatever she was doing on her computer, her face transformed from clearly annoyed into a big fake smile. “Good morning, Duncan. How are you? Is Donovan expecting you?”

  Huh? Who is she talking to? Duncan? Kayla looked over her shoulder, and sure enough, Mr. Boxer was standing there smiling at the brunette. What is he smiling at her for? Kayla hated the pang of jealousy in her stomach. Wait, is this snooty woman flat-out ignoring me? Kayla normally would speak her mind, but she decided against it because she really needed this job.

  With everything that’d been going on in the past month, she’d put a dent in her savings account. After recovering for several weeks, she’d had interview after interview this past week now that she no longer had to cover up the bruises. She’d been getting antsy, often lying awake at night wondering if she could make rent next month. Normally she would ask her family for some temporary help, but she couldn’t reach out to her family. Not yet.

  “Hello, Jenna. No, he’s not expecting me. As you might have noticed, he’s expecting this beautiful lady. Kayla Walsh, was it?”

  Kayla hated that Mr. Boxer was acting all chivalrous. He was not supposed to come out of his annoying, flirtatious, manwhore box. He was supposed to keep irritating her so she could keep up the act of not being affected by him.

  She knew if she softened toward him, he would find a way to get to her. Kayla decided she needed to keep to herself, and she didn’t need this man making a play for her, even if the attraction resembled a smoldering fire that was one single puff away from a blazing heat.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there. I’ll tell Donovan you’re here, but I’m sure that you’ll have to wait until he’s done meeting with Duncan.”

  Kayla’s smile mirrored Jenna’s, and for the not-so-observant passerby, it might seem like the two women were being frien
dly. For Kayla and Jenna, it was clear they would never be friends, not in this lifetime.

  Why their encounter took this route, Kayla had no idea, but she wouldn’t let Jenna get to her. She gave Jenna a look that said she was not to be toyed with. “Yes, please call him and let him know I’m ready for him.”

  Jenna’s eyes narrowed, shooting daggers at her. To make matters worse, Duncan muttered that he was “over this shit” and walked toward an office door, which Kayla assumed was Donovan’s.

  “Duncan! Wait! You can’t go in there. I have to call Donovan first to—”

  Before Jenna could finish her sentence, Duncan opened the dark wooden office door without knocking, and Kayla could see a tall, built man in a tailored suit with raven hair who was briskly zipping up and fastening the belt of his trousers. He looked so similar to Duncan that Kayla was sure the men had to be related.

  In front of Donovan Mills sat a woman with straight strawberry blonde hair that surrounded her face and fell over her shoulders. She was wearing a tight black minidress with black pumps, the kind with a red surface underneath. Kayla spotted a diamond bracelet on her right wrist and a matching necklace, as well as impeccable makeup. Even if she was a little flushed, the strawberry blonde maintained a certain air about her to show she wasn’t fazed by being interrupted while giving oral sex.

  She had big green eyes and high cheekbones with freckles that trailed down over her pert nose. Her facial expression was one of a smug woman who got what she wanted. When Jenna gasped in shock, the sultry woman smiled at the sound and traced a finger over her bottom lip. “Oops.”

  “Duncan, ever heard of knocking?” Donovan was clearly not amused, but he held his head up high and his shoulders straight. He was unapologetic in his attitude, as was the strawberry blonde in front of him. She was still sitting at her chair, her eyes pinned on Kayla.

  “I’ve had enough of this! I quit!” Jenna pulled out the bottom drawer of her reception desk and took out her purse, which she slung in a determined swing over her shoulder as she strode off toward the elevators.