“It has to be quiet,” the woman added, following Keara. “Very quiet. I have three teenage sons. They cannot hear it.”
Oookay. Keara had no idea which vibrator was the quietest and they spent an interesting ten minutes testing each one to find out. The woman finally made her selection, then left.
Maeve returned to help with a little rush of business and then they closed the shop for the day. “Tuesday night is my bridge night,” Maeve told her. “Would you like to come? Tonight is at Fiona’s home.”
Shane’s mom.
“Uh, no. That’s okay. I don’t play bridge.”
“You could just come for the company.” Maeve eyed her.
“I’ll be fine here,” Keara said with a smile. “You go and have fun.”
“Well. If you’re sure…”
“I’m fine, Maeve.” Unfortunately, Maeve now seemed protective and worried about her. Just like her friends. “Really.”
So after a quick dinner, Maeve disappeared with a wave, leaving Keara alone in the apartment. It was the first time she’d been alone—meaning the entire building was empty, not just alone in the apartment with Maeve downstairs—and Keara was acutely aware of it. Knowing there was an alarm system protecting the shop helped. She locked the door at the top of the stairs behind Maeve and turned to the small living room.
She’d lived alone for many years and it had never bothered her.
The television provided welcome background noise and she flicked through the channels until she found an episode of Sex and the City. With a smile, she recalled Shane’s comment about her life in LA. She shook her head. Maeve may think her niece was living a sexually liberated single-girl lifestyle like that, but that was wishful thinking on her part.
Maeve. She sighed, her attention diverted from the show she’d seen before by worry about Maeve. Lots of older people had problems with memory. Was it considered a natural part of aging?
Keara’s parents had died the year she’d graduated from college, in a car crash on the freeway. She still missed them, although the pain of their tragic death had faded, but at this moment she longed for another family member to share this burden with. Her friends were great, but they couldn’t help her with this. Alone, responsibility for Maeve weighed heavily on her. Even someone to talk to, to ask questions of, would help.
Maeve had always been there for her, in the background, and although Keara hadn’t seen her much, they talked on the telephone occasionally, emailed and sent cards. Now Keara was going through a personal crisis, she’d turned to Maeve, only to find that Maeve had problems of her own.
Maybe. She still didn’t know how serious it was. But if Shane was worried too, enough to talk to her about it, it was more than just a vague uneasiness at a couple of forgotten conversations. And Keara had no idea what to do about it.
She hadn’t anticipated something like this when she’d decided to come stay with Maeve. Selfishly, she’d only been thinking about herself and her own problems and trying to get better, hoping that staying with someone would ease her twitchy nerves, and instead she just had one more burden, one more thing to worry about and…dammit, one more thing to feel guilty about.
Chapter Six
Dragging herself out of bed the next morning proved very difficult. Keara had just fallen asleep last night when Maeve got home, and although Maeve had been quiet, Keara’s paranoid ears picked up every little sound. She’d had to get out of bed to assure herself it was Maeve, and then she’d lain there staring at the ceiling for an hour, wide awake. She’d finally gotten up and read a book for a while, but when the alarm clock went off at eight she was dead to the world and awoke groggy and disoriented.
And eight o’clock wasn’t even early! Usually she was up at six thirty to get ready for work and drive the commute on the busy freeway to her bank branch.
She forced herself to have a shower even though it seemed like way too much bother, and for what? Nobody cared if her hair was greasy or her legs were furry. Then she poured herself a cup of coffee and went down to the shop where Maeve was already at work even though the store didn’t open until ten o’clock.
“Good morning!” Maeve greeted her with a sunny smile, which faded when she took in Keara’s appearance. “My goodness, you look terrible.” She stood up from behind the desk in her office and moved toward Keara, studying her face. “Didn’t you sleep last night?”
Keara shook her head. “No. I couldn’t get back to sleep after you got home.”
“Oh no! I’m so sorry, muirnín!” She clasped her hands together in front of her face.
“It’s not your fault.”
“But I feel terrible! I woke you and then you couldn’t sleep…”
“It’s okay, Maeve. That’s the way it is for me. You can’t change your whole routine for me.”
“Oh.” Her eyes gleamed with distress. “Well. What else could we do about it?”
“The doctor gave me a prescription for some antianxiety medication or antidepressants or something, but I don’t want to take them if I don’t have to.”
Maeve’s brows dipped. “No, I understand that. I agree it’s better not to take drugs if you don’t have to…but you must get some sleep, muirnín.”
“I know.” Keara sighed and sipped her coffee. “It’s so frustrating. The more I tell myself I have to get to sleep, the wider awake I feel. My mind just won’t stop going around in circles, remembering stuff, thinking how…”
“What?”
Keara waved a hand. “Nothing. Never mind. Maybe I should just take the pills.”
“You don’t need pills. What you need is sex.” Maeve returned to her seat behind her desk.
Keara choked on her coffee.
“Sex is the best cure for depression and insomnia,” Maeve continued. “Now don’t give me that look. I’m not pulling your leg. Sex releases endorphins into the bloodstream, producing a sense of euphoria and a feeling of well-being. An orgasm releases oxytocin, which helps with sleep. It’s the safest tranquilizer in the world. It also relieves headaches by releasing the tension that restricts blood vessels in the brain.”
Keara rubbed the back of her neck. She did have a headache.
“Well, I’m sure that’s true,” she said. “But I don’t have a partner handy at the moment, so…”
“Well, you don’t necessarily need a partner. There is self-gratification, too. Let’s go look at the vibrators out front…”
“No!”
“Why not? Keara, I’m serious. It could help you.”
“I’m just…” Wildly uncomfortable having this conversation with her great-aunt? “I’m not interested in sex right now. That’s the last thing I feel like doing. I’m…tired.”
“You won’t be so tired after sex,” Maeve insisted. “Even a couple of good self-induced orgasms will make you feel better. The more sex you have, the more you want, because of the hormones your body releases.”
“But…I don’t have anyone to have sex with. I don’t think getting myself all…uh…worked up and then being frustrated is going to help me feel better.”
“Hmmm.” Maeve sat back in her chair. “You may have a point there. But there’s no need for you to be alone. You’re a beautiful girl, smart and sweet…we’ll find you a date.”
“No!” Once again Keara coughed on her coffee. “That’s okay, Maeve. I didn’t come here for that.”
“Well I’m not going to forget it.” Maeve set her mouth stubbornly. She tipped her head. “If I think of someone for you, I’m going to introduce you. And in the meantime, please consider the vibrator offer. And don’t just brush it off. There’s solid scientific evidence that what I’m saying is true.”
“I’m sure there is,” Keara said with a gulp.
“Why do you think I’m still so lively at my age?” Maeve’s eyes twinkled. “Sex produces other hormones, too, like DHEA. It boosts your immune system, repairs tissue, and keeps your skin healthy. Maybe even gives you a longer life.”
Dear Go
d. Her aunt was certainly persistent. But truly, sex was nowhere on Keara’s radar at that moment. All she wanted was to feel better, to shake off the heavy blanket of depression that weighed her down, to not have that tight feeling of anxiety knotting her stomach all the time, and to just be able to sleep. Somehow she knew if she could just sleep better, everything would improve. She sighed as she went out to the storefront to open the store.
“Fiona’s invited us for dinner on Friday night,” Maeve said, following her into the store. “Isn’t that nice of her? You remember her and Declan, don’t you?”
“Yes, of course.” Keara paused. “Shane mentioned that Declan had a stroke a couple of years ago.”
“Yes.” Maeve sighed. “That was terrible. He seemed so young for that. But he has made an amazing recovery. He still has some weakness on the right side of his body and his speech is just a bit slurred, but his mind is sharp as ever, thankfully. He gets tired easily.”
“So he’s retired, then?”
“Yes. He didn’t go back to work. Fiona was happy about that, she wanted him to retire years ago, but he loved his job.”
“Did he sell the business?” Keara remembered that Shane’s dad had been a contractor, building high-priced homes all over the area.
“Yes. He was pretty devastated about that.”
“They still live in their house?”
“Oh, yes. Shane was determined they would stay there. His da spent months in the hospital of course, so Shane looked after his mother and the house, and he still helps them. They do love living in their house. Declan was always such a gardener, and though he can’t do as much as he used to, he enjoys planting things and puttering around in the yard.”
“That’s nice. I hope dinner isn’t too much trouble for them.”
“Fiona is still quite able,” Maeve replied, preparing the till with a float for the day’s business. “She wouldn’t invite us if it was too much for her. We’ll bring some wine of course and I said we’d bring dessert.”
“Maybe I can make something.”
Maeve eyed her. “That would be lovely, muirnín. I didn’t know you liked to cook.”
“I don’t.” Keara gave her a faint grin. “I pretty much heat up frozen dinners or eat out. But I’m sure I could put together some kind of dessert.”
“Well. If you feel up to it. That would be very nice.”
Much as she’d enjoyed Shane’s parents as a teenager, the idea of a big, noisy family dinner with the Dunstans just made her feel even more tired. Conversation seemed too much effort. Paying attention and thinking about what to say seemed exhausting.
Oh God. She was a sad, sad case. Really, she had to snap out of this. Maybe she and Shane were worried about Maeve for nothing. She seemed fine this morning. And if she could still play bridge, she couldn’t be that bad. Right?
As customers entered the store, Keara pasted on a smile and shoved away her worries.
Would Shane be there for dinner? That would just be great. The animosity he felt for her now wouldn’t make for a very enjoyable evening. Maybe she’d find out, and if he was going to be there she’d make some excuse not to go.
Maeve’s talk about sex and then thinking about Shane naturally led to thoughts of sex with Shane. Keara leaned on the counter, lost in memories. She’d been seventeen, Shane nineteen, home for the summer after his first year of college. They hadn’t had a lot of places to go to be alone, but they’d driven to the coast, found a private spot on the beach sheltered by large rocks, where they’d had many picnic lunches and…sex.
Hot, horny, teenage sex, exploring each other’s bodies, trying every new thing their innocent minds could think of. Keara closed her eyes, remembering long, sexy kisses, the first time Shane had touched her breasts and the wild passion his hands had ignited in her, the first thrilling time he’d slipped his hand into her panties, and the first time she’d seen his erection, bigger and harder than anything she could ever have imagined in her virginal fantasies.
“Excuse me?”
Keara jumped and turned startled eyes to the customer wanting to pay for some flavored massage oil.
“I’m sorry.” She rang up the sale, aching low in her belly, sure that her panties were wet. Just from remembering. Oh lord. Maybe she did need sex.
* * * * *
It had only been a few days, but Shane couldn’t stop himself from dropping in at the Irish Sex Fairy Shop again on his way home from work. Despite Keara’s declaration that she was fine, she clearly wasn’t. The little meltdown the other day hadn’t been nothing and she was thin, pale and jumpy. And he’d thought she was going to look after Maeve? Christ, she could barely look after herself from the looks of her.
And Maeve’s memory problems disturbed him too. Keara had already seen signs of it and she’d only been there a few days. It made him nervous. Just last month, an elderly lady living alone on the south side of town had set her house on fire with a candle she’d forgotten she’d lit. He did not want something like that to happen to Maeve.
As he walked up to the door of the store, something rose up inside him like…excitement. He stopped with a hand on the door handle. What was he excited about? And then he realized what he felt was an eager anticipation at seeing Keara again. What the hell was that about? Was he having some kind of regression to that summer they’d spent together? Because that had been a helluva long time ago. They were two different people now.
He yanked open the door with a scowl and stepped inside.
Maeve was nowhere to be seen, but Keara stood behind the counter reading what appeared to be a catalogue. A few other customers browsed—a couple looking at lingerie, two young men studying movies.
“Hi.” He approached the counter. Sparkly emerald green eyes shot up to his and the glossy catalogue in her hands jerked so hard it almost ripped. Christ, she was a jumpy female.
“Oh! Shane.”
“Yup. How’s it going?”
“Fine. Good. Great.”
He studied her still pale face. As a teenager she’d had cute sun-dusted freckles across her little nose, but now she didn’t seem to have seen the sun on her skin for quite some time. Dark circles still gave her a haunted look and if possible, she seemed even thinner. But damn, she was still gorgeous, that bright red-gold hair falling on her shoulders, her mouth soft and pretty until she’d straightened her shoulders and tightened her lips.
“Sure,” he said, not believing her. He lowered his voice. “How’s Maeve?”
One slender shoulder rose and fell. “She seems okay. I haven’t noticed any memory episodes at all for the last few days.”
“Did you talk to her about it?”
“No, I—”
“Shane! What brings you here again so soon?” Maeve swished toward him and enveloped him in a Shalimar-scented hug.
“Uh…” Shit. He glanced wildly around and his eyes fell on the display beside the till. “Just needed more…of these.” He grabbed another box of condoms.
Maeve arched a brow, one corner of her scarlet mouth kicking up. “Well. You’ve been a busy boy lately, haven’t you? Are you sure you aren’t getting serious about that girl?”
“No.” His mind leaped. “It’s not the same girl.”
“Ah.” She nodded, lips pursed. “I see. Well. Are you coming to your parents’ for dinner tomorrow night? They’ve invited Keara and me.”
Shane flicked a glance at Keara. “Uh…yeah. They invited me. I’m not sure…”
He could tell she was listening to his response. In fact, he could sense the tension that seized her as she awaited it.
“Will you bring your new girlfriend?” Maeve asked.
Jesus. What had he gotten himself into? “No. No, I won’t. I may not be able to make it.”
“Oh.” Maeve’s bottom lip pouted. “That’s too bad. But you do need to be having a social life.”
“I may have to work.”
“Oh.”
He sought out Keara again with his eyes. They might
have a chance to talk more at his parents’ place. Maybe he should go. He couldn’t invite Keara for coffee again or Maeve would really get the wrong idea.
The three stood there for a long, slightly awkward moment. Shane didn’t know what to say, wished Maeve would leave them alone, but she didn’t budge. He sighed.
Keara reached for the condoms. “I’ll ring these up for you,” she said, her voice sounding choked. A few moments later he walked out of the store clutching another bag of prophylactics. Damn, he was spending a fortune on rubbers.
Chapter Seven
Shane knew he wasn’t going to stay away.
He’d told his mom he might have to work, so might not be there for her dinner party, but that was just an excuse and goddammit, he couldn’t stop thinking about Keara and her big shadowed eyes and her small anxiety attack. Yeah, he was still annoyed at how she’d ignored her aunt all these years, but it was kinda hard to stay mad at someone so lost and fragile, someone clearly struggling with some wicked demons.
Shit. Now he wasn’t just worried about Maeve, he was worried about Keara. What was with him and his damn desire to protect the whole damn world?
He rubbed the back of his neck as he walked in the front door of his parents’ house. They still lived the in spacious three-bedroom ranch-style house on Blarney Stone Drive, shaded by palm trees and enclosed by, yes, a white picket fence, where he’d grown up. The house was nothing fancy but it had been his home all his life. His parents had once mentioned moving to one of the new seniors’ condo developments on the edge of town, but he always shut down that discussion. His da loved his yard, maintaining a meticulous carpet of lawn, and lush flowerbeds. His mom, retired from her nursing job, enjoyed cooking and entertaining. For a long time after Da’s stroke, there’d been no big gatherings at the Dunstan home, but more recently they’d gotten back into having friends over nearly every week.
His parents had always wanted a big family and it had been a disappointment to them to have been able to have only one child, and late in life. Which is maybe why Shane felt such a deep obligation to his parents, to be there for them.
Irish Sex Fairy: Ellora's Cave Page 6