by Colt, Shyla
“What? I never said he wasn’t hot, and when his temper flares and his muscles flex. Yumm. I know he’s yours, but a girl can admire from a distance.”
Aibhlinn giggled. “We need to get you out on more dates.”
“Easier said than done, believe me,” Sophia muttered.
“We’ve both been buried neck deep in our work for the past few years. It’s left much to be desired in other areas.”
“You’re right,” Sophia said. The wheel stopped spinning and she shook her hand, slopping off the clay. “Let’s get the hell out of here and do something fun.”
Aibhlinn stared at her. “Are you feeling okay?”
“No, I’m on the verge of a mid-life crisis. I’m not where I wanted to be in my mid-thirties, and it’s making me question everything. Work is all I know. Art is my passion, but it’s also my safe place. I need to break away from it, or it’ll kill my love for it.”
“Damn, Soph, that’s deep.”
“Been thinking on it for a while. I know you think you’re drowning right now. It’s a lot coming at you, but what’s at the end of the struggle for you is happiness. You got a ready-made family with the man we both know you’re going to love for the rest of your life. All the sludge you’re wading through now, won’t mean anything when you reach the end. So, we’re both going to make ourselves pretty, drink a little too much, and dance our asses off. It’s been too long since we had a girl’s night out and we could both use one. Then, you’re going to go hash this shit out with your boo.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Aibhlinn said, saluting her.
“Smart ass,” Sophia retorted.
The mood was light as they packed away her clay and moved on to getting ready for the night.
It’s amazing what a couple of glasses of top shelf whiskey and a nice beat could do for an overcrowded brain. She moved with Sophia in the middle of the crowded room and found comfort in the words, the base, and the joy that came from being out with your best friend. With a warmth in her belly and the guilt gone, she was a new woman. Sophia gestured toward the bar and she nodded, taking her hand as they wove their way through the crowd to the bar.
Sophia waved down a bartender. “Two waters please,” she shouted over the noise.
“Coming right up,” the blond Adonis with sparkling blue eyes said.
Aibhlinn nudged her with her elbow.
Sophia rolled her eyes. “Nope.”
“I thought you were trying to get dates.”
“That’s not attraction, that’s pandering for tips,” Sophia replied.
“You don’t know that,” Aibhlinn said.
“Humph. He’s not my type anyway.”
“And what is your type exactly?” Aibhlinn asked.
“It’s tough to describe.”
“Because you don’t have one,” Aibhlinn said, thinking of the eclectic group of men her best friend had dated over the years.
The bartender in question returned, and she gave a grateful smile as she brought the cool glass to her lips. She drained the glass, glancing around at the crowd. There was a good mixture of twenty somethings and thirty somethings. The lighting was dim without making you feel blind, and the security was on their job. The mix of popular, hip hop, and classic party music kept them on the floor and pleased the varied groups mingling.
“Don’t look now, but I think your man got tired of waiting for you.”
“Wait, what?” Ave said, glancing around. The sight of Enzo in a black button down made her lick her lips. The cut highlighted his broad shoulders, and the rolled up sleeves displayed the incredible ink that adored his tan skin and showed off his muscular arms. Something tightened low in her belly. Their gazes locked, and she was snared by the intensity of his stare. Her world narrowed to his cobalt irises; her heart thudded in her chest, and her palms grew damp. What’s he going to do?
Pausing for a moment in front of her, he wrapped his warm palm around her neck and pulled her flush against him.
As she opened her mouth to protest, his lips crashed down on hers. His tongue slipped between her lips, and everything she thought to say went up in the heat he generated. Her legs wobbled. She clutched the back of his shirt to stay upright and sucked on his tongue. He moaned and tilted his head. It took everything she had not to hook her leg over his hip and rock against the bulge she felt pressed against her stomach. Sex with him was a cosmic experience. The meeting of too souls entwined over the years. The secrets they shared bound them. The threads of their lives were interwoven irrevocably. Running wouldn’t change that.
They surfaced for air, and she whimpered, already missing the close contact so new and irresistible.
His chest heaved as he tightened his hold on her neck. “You wanted time and I gave it to you. Now, I’m claiming what’s mine and bringing you home where you belong. No more running or worrying. Asking what if won’t do anything but torture you. After all the shit we’ve been through, it’s not a question of what we can handle. We got this.”
She studied his face. There was no hesitation or doubt.
“You belong with me and Aoife in my house, in my bed with my ring on your finger, and I’m not stopping until all of those things are true. You want to take this slow. You want a long engagement. Fine. But I won’t have anyone questioning who you belong to. We’ve fucked around long enough, don’t you think?”
She nodded.
He nipped her lips. “Every time I tried to run from what was best for me, you held on tighter. How the hell could I do less for you? I don’t know what spooked you, or what’s going on in that big brain of yours, but I know I’m here to stay and standing firm, m’fhiorghra.”
The Gaelic endearment placed the final nail in her coffin. “You learned that for me.”
“I listen to everything you say, Achuisle. I’ve been holding on to these words for a long time.”
“Do you understand what you just said?” she asked shakily.
“That you’re my pulse, the very heartbeat that makes me live, and my soulmate. Aye. You are my other half. You complement me and make me a better man. I used to fear failing you. Now, I never want to let you out of my sight. I’ll be walking with you until you take your last breath, a chuisle. Let’s go home to our leanbh.”
She ran her fingertips down his jaw. “I always knew you’d be so good at this, once you decided to commit.”
“Only for you,” he whispered.
She blinked. “Who’s with Aoife right now?”
“Her Uncle Rhys.”
“I should’ve known,” she said, thinking of the younger man’s earlier texts, asking of her whereabouts.
“You ready to go home, now?” he asked.
She turned to Sophia.
Tears glittered in the velvet brown depths of her doe-shaped eyes. “Go. I’ll be fine. I’m leaving right behind you.”
“I don’t want to bail.”
“Girl, don’t make me kick your ass,” Sophia warned.
She snickered and returned her attention to Enzo. “Take me home,” she said, knowing it meant more than returning to his dwelling. She was in this thing until the end.
M’fhiorghra (Meer-Grah): my true love (literal translation of the soulmate concept)
A Chuisle (Uh Khush-leh): pulse
Leanbh (Lan-uv): child
Chapter Eleven
Enzo
elping her from the car, he led her to the backyard.
“Wait, we’re not going in?”
“No, I need to right another wrong,” he said, leading her to the large white tent he’d set up on the patio to ward off the cold weather and still allow him to get outside. He unzipped the flap and stepped back.
“What is this?” she asked.
“Humor me?” he urged, struggling to keep a calm façade when he was mentally sweating bullets.
Flashing him a smile, she entered. “Oh, it’s beautiful, like the lights of the fae,” she whispered, stepping inside and slowly turning in a circle. She craned her head bac
k, peering at the strands of white and blue lights he’d strung up throughout the tent. Soft blue blankets covered the floor along with large silver pillows.
“Everywhere I look, there’s something new,” she said. The awe in her voice made him grin. She ran over to the blue Tardis stand up from the show Doctor Who. The blue police box that was secretly a time machine was sandwiched between cut-outs of the actors who played the 10th Doctor and the 11th Doctor.
“This is amazing!” she cried. She spun and laughed. “And Amy, my favorite companion.”
“A feisty redhead…shocker she’s your favorite,” he teased.
“Oh, hush. She was amazing and you know it. Are we having a Doctor Who party?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.
“Not quite. Can you sit on the pillows?”
She nodded and walked over to sink in the cozy space he’d created for her.
Enzo paused… She was a goddess in a soft black sweater dress that grazed the top of her thighs along her knee-high black boots. “I did a lot of thinking while you had your time to yourself. I didn’t understand your hesitation. Then I realized, you’ve spent a lifetime waiting for me to get my shit into gear. We’ve had so many false starts. I take responsibility for that, and I apologize.” He knelt in front of her and took her hands. “You’re my girl who waited, and I want to spend the rest of my life making that time you spent worthwhile.”
Her eyes grew wide.
Releasing her hands, he picked up a dark blue gift bag he’d decorated to look like a Tardis. His hands shook as he reached inside and pulled out the small, plastic Tardis he’d filled with foam.
“Enzo?”
He opened the door and held out the makeshift ring box. “Will you be my companion and travel through life with me, Aibhlinn Leahy?” His face was hot, sweat dotted his forehead, and his stomach felt queasy. The antique ring set in silver had a circular shaped diamond surrounded by a row of diamonds.
“Oh my God, Enzo is that my Nan’s?”
He nodded his head.
“Y-you asked my mum for my hand?”
He nodded his head. “You deserved to have this done right—”
She threw herself into his arms and he fell back onto his ass, stunned. Her soft lips placed small kisses over his face and down his neck. It took him a moment to register the word she continued to say was yes.
“Yes?” he asked.
She pulled back and sat on her knees. “Yes.”
The blush of her cheeks and the glow of her eyes pulled him even deeper under her spell. “How I got such a beauty, I’ll never know,” he stated, leaning in to capture her soft lips. He lowered her onto the soft mound of pillows and blankets, amazed at the way she opened to him like a flower turning toward the sun. He slid his hand beneath her dress, exploring her warm curves.
She trembled beneath him as he ate at her mouth. “I’m never going to get enough of you,” he murmured between kisses.
She moaned. “Good, ’cause there’s a lot of lost time to make up for.”
“Such a smart mouth,” he said, slipping his thumb between her full lips. As she sucked him inside her mouth, his dick turned to stone. Her tongue circled him, and her eyes sparkled with amusement. “You think you’re funny, huh?” he asked.
She nibbled at him and nodded.
Pushing her dress up around her hips, he trailed his thumb down the damp seam of her panties. She shuddered. “Seems like you need a little lesson on who’s in control here.” He removed his thumb and circled her wrists with his fingers, holding them above her head. “You want me to show you?”
“Oh, yes,” she replied breathlessly.
He smirked. “You made me wait. Maybe I should do the same?”
She shook her head.
“No?” He trailed his fingers down the elastic of her underwear. Her eyes dilated and the scent of her arousal teased his nostrils. “You seem to be liking this just fine,” he said, gently rubbing up and down her slit, lingering slightly on her clit. The wet silk clung to his finger.
“More.”
“So demanding.” Easing her panties to the side, he thrust into her slick heat, and she came off the ground. His cock ached, but he pushed the desire to fill her with his cock aside. This first time was for her. “Your pussy is so tight, and hot.” He pulled his fingers out and thrust back inside. “We have to make sure you’re ready to take me.”
“I’m ready,” she whimpered.
“Just to be sure.” He circled her walls and continued his steady rhythm. Her hips picked up the dance and she gripped the blankets. He adjusted his angle, hitting the hard, round spot better known as the g-spot.
“Holy shit! Yes, Enzo, right there.” She was beauty personified as she climbed the invisible stairs to heaven and shattered into a thousand tiny pieces, gripping his fingers for everything she was worth. Her eyes glazed over.
He removed her panties, stripping himself down. He pushed inside of her, never allowing her to come down.
“So good,” she cried, digging her fingers into his back as she wound her long legs around him. The wet sound of their bodies, and heavy breathing filled the tent.
“Like that, m’fhiorghra?”
“Oh yes, a chuisle. Harder, faster, make me come.”
He gripped her hips tight and gave her what she wanted. “Who do you belong to?” he asked, gritting his teeth to keep from spilling inside of her.
“You.” She contracted around him.
He growled. “Then give it to me, baby. Let go.” He reached between them, stroking her clit, and she came—hard. He pulled free, spilling his seed onto her belly. He took a perverse pleasure in rubbing it into her skin. This way a part of him would linger. With his heart about to explode, he found the box that lay beside him, slipped the ring free, and placed it on her finger. “I’m yours now, and you’re mine, period.”
She nodded her head sleepily.
“Come on, let’s get you inside.” Dressing quickly, he gathered his precious gift, and thanked whatever god that still looked out for him. This woman was his living, breathing miracle.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” he asked, holding her hand as they stood outside his mother’s home the next day.
“No, but you can’t keep dodging work.”
“True.” He sighed.
They’d managed to rough out a schedule. At the moment, she was invested in a project with a local group of artists. She would watch Aoife while she worked from home, and once they felt comfortable, they’d begin the hunt for a nanny and figure out her hours.
“It’s like a Band-Aid, rip it off fast and it’ll hurt less.”
“You do remember my mother, right?” he asked.
She snickered. “Mine’s on cloud nine right now. Trust me, the engagement will counteract the baby,” she said, looking down at the baby he held in the carrier.
“We’ll see.” He rang the doorbell.
Rhys answered.
“Everyone’s here, man. You ready for the fireworks?”
“You’re enjoying yourself, aren’t you?” he asked.
“Immensely!” Rhys smirked, inviting them in as he kissed Aibhlinn’s check and closed the door behind him. “Mom’s in the kitchen and the guys are in the game room around the pool table. They’re between foster kids right now, so it’s just us.”
“Let’s go to Mom first,” he said.
They shrugged out of their coats, and removed a bundled up Aoife. She cooed at Aibhlinn and his heart melted. The hell he faced now was worth it. After he helped remove Aoife’s jacket, he placed a hand on Ave’s back as they walked through the living room.
He paused in the kitchen, studying his mother as she cleaned off the counter. “Give me a minute,” he said to her.
“Are you sure?”
He nodded, kissing her forehead. She walked back to the living room and he entered the kitchen. “Hey, Mom.”
His mother turned. “Enzo?” She frowned. “I thought you were bringing Aibhlinn wi
th you?”
“I did, she’s waiting in the living room. I need to talk to you first.”
His mother set down the towel. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Well… I have good news and bad news.”
“Bad news?”
“A few days ago I found out I fathered a baby. The mother has no interest in taking care of Aoife, so I now have full custody of her.”
His mother’s jaw dropped. “How could you be so careless?”
“Ma, I wasn’t. But things happen. Nothing’s one hundred percent, you know that.”
She looked up and sighed. “I know. I know. But this isn’t what I wanted for you.”
“I know, Ma. But it’s the best thing. I know it sounds crazy, but she’s a little miracle.”
His mother smiled. Tears made her brown eyes glisten. “And the good news?” she asked, sniffling.
“I need Ave to come in and help me with this part,” he said. “Ave,” he called out for her and she walked in and stood by his side. “You finally got your wish. I asked Aibhlinn to marry me and she said yes.”
His mother let out a squeal and jumped up and down. “Yes! Finally!” She rushed to him and he lifted her into a bear hug, laughing.
“What happened?” his father, asked busting into the kitchen.
“Enzo and Aibhlinn are getting married!” his mother cried.
“Congrats!” his father exclaimed, patting him on the shoulder as he kissed Aibhlinn on the cheek.
“Thank you. I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy,” Aibhlinn said.
“That’s great, but what’s with the baby?” Silas asked bringing up the rear.
“That’s mine. The mother didn’t want the responsibility, so she signed over the rights. Aibhlinn and I plan on raising Aoife Rose together,” he explained.
He could see the disappointment in Silas’ eyes.
His father’s smile was kind and his gaze was free of censure. Placing a hand on his shoulder, he squeezed. “We know better than most that families come to us in all different ways. Congratulations, son.”
His eyes prickled and he blinked to hold back the tears. “Thanks, Dad,” he said.