Page 4 of Legacy Of Ashes

Saoirse stops in the doorway. I see her gather herself, pulling on that regal mask before approaching.

"Dad?"

His eyes flutter open. When he sees her, tears spill down weathered cheeks.

"My... little... princess."

She sits beside him with grace that would shame queens, but her hands shake as she takes his. The tremor lasts seconds before she controls it. Most people would miss it.

I don't miss anything about her. Never have.

"I'm here now," she whispers. "Everything will be fine."

I stand near the door, officially present but giving them space. Impossible when every cell in my body focuses on her. The elegant line of her neck. How her skirt rides up when she leans forward. The way her lips part when she concentrates.

Christ, I'm losing my mind.

"Conall," Tiernan's voice cuts through my spiral.

"Yes, sir?"

"Tell her... about the business."

Saoirse looks at me, and I see calculation behind those stunning eyes. She's not just here for daddy. She's here for the empire.

"Your brothers handle day-to-day operations," I say. "But long-term strategy..."

"Needs leadership," she finishes. "I understand."

More than understand. She's already thinking three moves ahead. Dangerous and brilliant—a combination that makes my blood sing.

Tiernan drifts off, exhausted. Saoirse stands, smoothing her skirt. The movement draws my eyes to her legs, and I imagine them wrapped around my waist.

Fuck. Professional thoughts, Devlin.

"I'll be in my old room," she tells Niamh. "Call if anything changes."

She walks past me, and her scent hits like a drug. Not the vanilla body spray from before. Something expensive that makes me think of rumpled sheets and morning sex.

"Thank you," she says quietly. "For keeping him safe."

"Always."

The word hangs between us, loaded with twenty years of unspoken want. Her pupils dilate, lips parting slightly. For a heartbeat, I think she might?—

"I know." She recovers, but something shifted. "We need to talk. Tonight."

"About security?"

Her smile turns wicked. "Among other things."

She leaves, and I stand there hard as a rock, watching her ass in that skirt. Twenty years of iron discipline, and she shatters it in minutes.

My phone buzzes. Security check-in. I pocket it and return to Tiernan.

He's awake, watching me with knowing eyes.

"You... see her?" he asks.