I wasn’t sure how long we stayed like that, but when he spoke, asking me if I was awake, I nearly jumped out of my skin. He laughed and kissed my temple.
“Sorry. Maybe I should go home and let you go to sleep now.”
I squeezed my arm tighter around him. “Please, stay with me. Ciara’s not coming back until Sunday. I don’t want to be alone.”
I looked at him and he was frowning. I’d practically begged him, but I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t imagine walking him to the door and coming back to this bed without him.
“You won’t ask me to wear one of your girlie pajama sets, will ya?”
I laughed and shook my head. He grinned.
“Good, then I’ll just send a quick text home, to let them know I’ll see them tomorrow.”
He bit his bottom lip as if he hadn’t meant to say it, and tilted his head to look at me. “I know it’s silly, but it puts my mother’s mind at ease to know where we are. After what happened to Declan . . .”
“That’s sweet of you,” I cut him off, kissing his cheek.
His eyes widened in surprise. “You don’t think I’m too old for that?”
I shook my head. “For other people, maybe. But your family has been through a lot, and I can understand how your mother must feel whenever you guys go out.”
He gave me a brilliant smile and pulled me in for a kiss. I wasn’t sure what I’d said, but I didn’t complain—I loved having his lips on mine.
I disappeared inside the bathroom to get changed, and when I emerged in the least childish pajamas I owned, he was lying on top of the covers with his hands behind his head and his long legs crossed at his ankles, as if he belonged there. It was a beautiful vision, something I wished I could see every night. He smiled when I walked in, and I felt the urge to cover myself, even though my flannel pajamas covered enough—even too much of my body.
“Nice jammies.” He sat up and got off the bed in a quick, swift movement. He stood in front of me and fidgeted with the hem of my top. “How am I supposed to keep my hands off you when you’re looking like that?”
I laughed, and pushed him away from me with both hands on his chest. Note to self: visit a lingerie store A.S.A.P.
“Stop it, or I’ll have you wear my sheep-patterned pajamas and will take pictures to hang around the university.”
He raised his palms in surrender and gave me his childish grin. “You don’t happen to have a spare toothbrush do you?”
“Left cabinet, top drawer.”
He kissed the tip of my nose, then spun and walked barefoot into the bathroom, leaving me with a racing heart and flushed cheeks. I couldn’t believe David would be sleeping in my bed tonight. It was exciting and terrifying at the same time, but I couldn’t wait to lie on the mattress with his arms around me, and my head on his chest. I got goosebumps just thinking about it, so I busied myself blowing the candles out and getting under the covers before David returned.
A couple of minutes later he opened the door, and the light coming out of the bathroom flooded the dark bedroom. I could see he was wearing only a pair of gray, tight boxers and a white undershirt; my chest tightened at the sight. I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to sleep a wink with that hunk in my bed. When my eyes stopped the perusal of his not-much-clad body and returned to his face, he was smirking and my cheeks immediately flushed hot.
“Now if you’re done ogling my drool-worthy body, would you mind switching the table lamp on so I can turn this one off and come to bed without stumbling or hitting my toes on the dresser?”
“Drool-worthy, huh? You’ve got such a big head, David.”
I flipped the switch and he turned off the bathroom light, taking two long steps and slumping on the bed beside me.
“I can sleep on top of the covers if you can’t stand to have my hot body too close to you.” He turned his head toward me with a cheeky grin.
I slapped his arm, giggling at his silly comment, then rolled on my side and draped my arm across his taut abs, absentmindedly tracing my hand over them. Wow. I’d never thought he was this fit.
“Thank you for staying, David. Not many men would have been this understanding.” I talked into his chest, and he shivered a little.
“It’s okay. I’m in no hurry. We’ve got all the time in the world.” His voice was a low rumble that reverberated through his chest against my cheek. Something hot and unexpected flushed inside me from my head down to my toes. What was that?
David turned his head, his eyes dark and smoldering. “You okay?”
He was concerned, and the fact that he was worried about how I was feeling when he could have been mad or at least upset for not getting any tonight after getting all riled up, kicked the last memory of Peter out of my system. It was as if, all of a sudden, nothing had ever happened. I wanted to be with David. I knew he’d never hurt me, not even if he tried. It would never be like it was with Peter. It would be my real first time.
I inched closer to his face and kissed him, then rolled on top of him, catching him by surprise. His body reacted to my bold move, and I couldn’t help smiling against his lips. His hands went to my hips and he tried to push me off him.
“David, please,” I whispered against the corner of his mouth. I knew he didn’t want me to get off him—I could feel it—but he was probably trying to be a gentleman. I didn’t want him to be one right now, though.
“Claire, I’m a guy: I can’t control my instincts with you on top of me.” He let out a groan when I moved slightly, causing his body to react. I was feeling bold tonight, but I liked knowing I had this effect on him, that I wasn’t the disappointment Peter had convinced me I was. I could make a man want me, after all. I wasn’t such a complete disaster.
“You’re not him, David, and I want you to be the one help me erase all those bad memories, and to create new memories with you. I want you to be the only one that really matters.”
He heaved a sigh and moved his hands along my hips, resting them on my butt. “We don’t have to rush into this, you know? I can wait.”
“But I can’t. Not anymore. Not with you looking so mouthwatering.”
He laughed. “Mouthwatering? Nobody has ever called me that.”
I brushed my lips across his cheek, stopping by his ear. I had no intention of letting him change the subject.
“Please, David. Don’t make me beg you,” I breathed huskily into his ear, and he let out a gasp. He put both hands on my shoulders and pushed me slightly off him to look into my eyes.
“Just promise you’ll stop me the moment you feel uncomfortable.”
“I know I’ll never feel uncomfortable with you.”
He searched my face for a few seconds, probably waiting for me to change my mind. I nodded, just to put his mind at ease, but he still didn’t look persuaded. When I crashed my mouth to his, he took the hint I wasn’t going to ask him to stop and he finally put aside his reservations, taking me to heaven with every single touch.
Chapter Twenty-six
David
After what she told me about that bastard, the last thing I’d wanted was to go any further tonight. Even though my body had a mind of its own, I would’ve been content with holding her until she fell asleep, and watching her all through the night. I couldn’t believe someone who’d been so lucky as to have this precious woman in his life could ever treat her like that, intentionally ruining her first-time experience and using her as if she were an object. If I’d been her first, I would’ve gone out of my mind planning something ultra-special for her, a night she would have remembered for the rest of her life and that would give her butterflies whenever she’d think about it, in a month or in a decade.
When I’d climbed into her bed, she’d looked so sweet and defenseless, and my protective instinct had kicked in, making me wish I could get inside her mind and erase all those bad memories that had caused her to panic and shake when she was telling me about that night.
Then she’d climbed on top of me and, man, it ha
d felt just so right I hadn’t been able to stop my body from responding. She’d put on some weight in the last few months, and she filled her clothes much more nicely now, but she was still light as a feather when she was lying on top of me.
How was I supposed to say no when she all but begged me and turned into a sexy version of the shy, nerdy girl I’d gotten to know so far? So I’d made a deal with myself: tonight would be about her. All about her. I’d make sure she’d consider this her real first time, even though she’d blown out the candles and there was no romantic music playing, like I would’ve probably planned on doing to make it special.
I’d never been so selfless before, but I found I didn’t mind one bit. All I wanted was for Claire to feel good, to know what it really meant to feel loved. I cherished every inch of her body, from her head to her toes, loving her exactly the way she deserved to be loved. I kissed my way down her velvety skin and up again, and was rewarded with soft, sexy moans. Every now and then she’d whisper my name, making me realize I’d never liked the sound of that word more than when it came out of her lips.
When our eyes locked as we were both struggling to catch our breath, the smile on her face told me he’d never made her feel like this, and I knew I’d accomplished my mission. This would be the only one she’d ever remember when she’d think of the first time she was made love to.
I rolled onto my back and pulled her close to me. Her arm draped across my waist again and she rested her cheek on my chest. I was just about to ask her how she was feeling when she spoke against my skin, her warm breath freezing the words in my throat.
“Now that we’re calming down, tell me about the tattoo. I didn’t want to interrupt you before, but I’m curious to know if it’s what I think it is.”
I laughed. Michelle had been the only person who’d seen the tattoo on the left side of my chest, and I’d become so used to it by now, I barely even remembered it was there.
“I’ll tell you about mine if you tell me about yours,” I said, placing a kiss on her forehead when she looked up at me. She chuckled. I’d stopped briefly by her hip when I’d noticed the kite tattoo with initials on two of the four triangles that made up the diamond-shaped drawing, but just as she’d presumably done when she’d seen my tattoo, I hadn’t wanted to stop and talk about that, knowing we’d have time for that later.
“My sister, my mum and I loved to build kites and fly them. After my mother died I wanted something special that would keep them with me forever, and this was the perfect symbol. I picked the hip because it was a place nobody would see. I didn’t want people to ask questions. I wanted it to be my private memory of them.”
“Oops. I’ll pretend I didn’t see it then.”
She chuckled and placed a soft kiss on my chest. My blood rushed south in a millisecond. And here I was, thinking once I’d known what her skin tasted like my hormones would somehow get a grip and stop acting so wildly around her. It seemed I’d underestimated what she could do to me.
“It’s okay. You can be the only one who knows about it,” she said, with an adorable smile. I rubbed her arm and she relaxed against my body, every curve fitting perfectly against me. “Your turn, now. Let me guess: the wings are angel wings, I suppose? And the D stands for Declan?”
“You’re a smart little thing, beautiful girl.”
She traced her finger over the two feathery angel wings, then on the D right in the middle of them. I shivered at her touch, the tip of her short nail following the inked lines. Goosebumps erupted over my skin, and I knew it wasn’t because I was coming down from the high and the heat of passion.
“I’d meant to get a tattoo in memory of my brother since he died, but I could never come up with the right thing. Everything seemed lame. Until Kathy told us about him being her angel, and I just knew I’d found the perfect tattoo.”
“That’s sweet.”
I shrugged. Michelle had never thought it was sweet. She’d actually thought it didn’t look very masculine.
“Maybe we should get a matching tattoo that would be only ours, that would symbolize our love,” I said with a serious expression on my face, even as I was fighting to contain a grin.
Her curls tickled my nose with each shake of her head against my chest. “Thank you, but I don’t intend going through that pain ever again.” I laughed and she pinched my hip. “Besides, I don’t need a reminder on my skin of how much I love you. Your name is permanently etched on my heart.”
“Aww, did you read that in a book or something?”
She slapped my chest, and propped herself up on her elbow, glaring at me. I had to admit she was kinda hot when she was trying to be scary. I gave her my best good-boy grin, and batted my lashes for good measure. Her glower faltered a little when our eyes locked, and before I knew it, her lips were on mine and we were rolling in the sheets.
Lying in the silent room, the only sound our ragged breathing as we held on to each other, waiting for our heartbeats to return to normal, I thought I’d never felt better in my life.
“Do you want me to grab your pajamas, before you fall asleep? I don’t want you to be cold,” I spoke against her temple, before burying my nose inside her soft ginger curls.
“I’ve got a hot body next to me, and I’ve no intention of falling asleep yet. I want to cuddle for a while, if that’s okay with you.” She stroked my chest, playing with my chest hair, and I let out a long sigh of contentment.
She’s a cuddler! Thank you, sweet baby Jesus; I owe you big time.
“Sounds good. I’ll keep you warm, don’t worry.” I closed my eyes and enjoyed every single attention, thinking this was just as perfect as it could be. We were perfect.
* * *
I woke up with a start at the sound of my phone ringing on the nightstand. Claire smiled at me, already wide awake, and while my brain struggled to form a logical thought, I felt a little self-conscious knowing she’d been watching me while I was asleep.
I looked at the display and rolled my eyes. “Sorry, I have to take this.”
My sister started the interrogation as soon as I picked up, and for a second I contemplated hanging up on her. I loved Kathy dearly, but when she reversed the roles and acted as if she were the eldest of the two, I really got annoyed. She couldn’t have picked a better weekend to come down with her fiancé and find out I hadn’t spent the night at home. I was sure Maggie had updated her on the situation, and to say that my sister was mad at me for not telling her about Claire was putting it mildly.
“Bring her home for lunch today. We all want to meet her.”
I let out an annoyed huff. “You’ve already met her, Kathy. Twice. Stop being such a pain now, will ya?”
“Don’t be an idiot, David. When I met her, I barely spoke to her. If she’s going to be a part of our family, I want to get to know her better. Besides, it’s only fair you introduce her to Mum, since you spent the night at her place.”
“What are we, sixteen? Geez, Kathy, I’m almost twenty-eight, I don’t need my family to give me their blessing on a girl before I sleep with her.”
Claire kicked me in the shin, and I jumped up in surprise. I looked at her with a frown and she tapped the side of her head, mouthing an Are you crazy? with wide eyes and flushed cheeks. I shrugged. I didn’t think my sister or any of my family members still thought I was a virgin, and that I’d spent the night playing chess with Claire. Even if we hadn’t done anything, which we had, they would’ve imagined we had anyway.
“Gosh, David. Is she with you now? Is she hearing you talk like an arsehole?”
I laughed and turned toward Claire. “My sister is asking if you’re hearing me talk like an arsehole.”
Claire smiled and the worried frown on her face slowly eased.
“And she also thinks I should bring you home to our family lunch so you can meet my family.” I lifted a finger signaling Kathy was talking in my ear, then looked at her with a grin. “She wants to warn you about the dangers of being my girlfriend, and be sure
you know what you’re doing.”
She smiled but I could see in her eyes she was torn. Meeting the parents wasn’t exactly how I’d planned to spend the day, and I was pretty sure it wasn’t how she’d planned it either. She probably didn’t want to seem rude but maybe it was too soon to be official, even though, if I had to be honest, I had no problem bringing her home. She was the one, I was sure, so now or in two months would make no difference. She’d be part of our family—better take the chance now while Kathy was in town. At least Claire already knew Kathy and Colin, and she’d briefly met Maggie. My parents were the most easy-going people on earth, and I was sure they’d love her.
“What do you say? Want to meet the family?” I switched my phone to my other hand so that my good hand was free and could take hers. I intertwined our fingers and squeezed reassuringly.
She nodded, and I thanked her with a smile and a kiss on her knuckles. I ended my call with my sister and pulled Claire to my chest, showering her with kisses and making her giggle.
“Don’t worry. They don’t bite—well apart from Kathy maybe.”
Claire giggled against my chest, and I decided I needed a little reminder of last night, so I dipped my head for a kiss, which she returned very willingly, pulling me down on the mattress with her.
* * *
The moment we walked through the door, Kathy was already coming toward us with open arms. Since she’d gotten engaged, she’d made it her mission to make sure I found my soul mate. Hopefully, once she saw how I felt about Claire, she’d understand she didn’t have to worry about it anymore. I had no doubt this redhead standing behind me, as if afraid my family members would bite, was the one.
“Hi Claire, it’s so good to see you again.”
Kathy wrapped Claire in a bear hug, and I smiled at the way my girl blushed. She’d fussed on her appearance so much about meeting my family, thinking she wasn’t good enough and all that kind of crap, and even though she’d already met Kathy twice she was still uneasy.
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