Page 30 of Troubles

The moment I turn to hand her a cup of coffee, she meets me with a warm cloth, rubbing away the ink trails from my shoulder and chest. She’s so gentle with me. Trading coffee for the cloth, I rub at the marks and have them just about taken care of when Jimmy stumbles out of his room to plop down at the table. In his fucking boxers.

“Making the eggs? There tea or just feckin’ coffee?” I want to smack him upside the head, but he at least gets us back on track. “Mornin’, Lis.”

And, of course—fucking of course—Finn shows his face only when the smell of bacon fills the flat. Grabbing his plate, he pulls a chair up next to Lis. “You the reason I couldn’t sleep?”

“What? No…” Lisbeth stutters as her neck flushes pink.

“Thought that was you I heard screamin’ all night.” Finn winks, thinking he’s being funny, but Lis is uncomfortable and I’ll be kickin’ his arse soon. I’ll kill him.

“Finn.” Jimmy lifts his head from the table, shooting him a warning.

“I’m going to go…um…” Her words get lost in the embarrassment swirling around her as she escapes up to my loft.

“Christ, Finn. Are you fuckin’ stupid? Why would you do that?” I growl, hands clenched, muscles quivering. “She—fuck—no fuckin’ class. Might want to look at yourself—see why you’re not near as slick with the girls as you think you are. Fuckin’ arsehole.” I pace the length of the small kitchen trying to keep calm. “Out. I need you out of the flat today.”

“Jimmy’s on at the bar, I’ve all day to hang out wit’ you.” Finn grins, oblivious of just how close I am to throwing him out of the flat right now.

“No. Out,” I grit out as I turn my back to them. “Get the fuck out, and don’t come back ’til tomorrow. Fuckin’ bastard. Don’t think I won’t kick your sorry arse.” Their grumbles follow me as I launch my body up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Finn will feel bad and apologize once Jimmy gets it through his thick skull what he did to fuck up, but for now, I can’t be near him.

Crawling across the bed to her, I wrap my fingers around her wrists and I settle myself in front of her. “Lisbeth. Don’t let him…”

“It’s fine. I’m fine. Maybe I should just go. Study at my place.”

“He’s goin’.” I rub circles with my thumbs—caressing that spot—bring one wrist and then the other to my lips, planting a soft kiss on each. “He’ll be gone all day. Stay. Please. Jimmy’s goin’ to work. We’ll study and get you sorted. Please—let me do this. Let me help you.”

“Your accent changes depending on what’s happening.” The smile creeps up her lips.

“What?”

“It does. When you’re mad,” she leans in, “when you’re drinking,” her warm hands slide up my legs, “and when you’re…” She squeezes high on my thighs, her thumbs pressing in right by my cock.

“When I’m what?” Every time she moves, the subtle scent of her perfume teases me.

“When…” Her eyes go straight for my crotch, making my cock twitch.

“When I fuck ye?” I want to push her back and bury myself in her for the rest of the day. I want to hear my name on her lips. I want to make her scream, the way Finn was talking about. I want her to forget he said that shit. “They’re still downstairs, love. Much as I want to, I don’t want to share you. Not with them here to listen.”

We’re wrapped up in each other’s breaths, hands twined through her hair, pulling her in. My lips sweep across hers; she darts her tongue out, licking my bottom one. Fuck. Her name comes out on a groan as she palms my cock, and rakes her teeth across my lip. Biting me. Squeezing me. She’s pushing this. She knows we’re not totally alone and she’s still going. Working me up, making me hard.

The sound of the shower starting fills the loft as the front door slams. I pitch forward, shoving her into the mattress, silently pulling at her clothes and we spend the rest of the day completely wrapped up in each other. Finn stays away and Jimmy must find someone to go home from the bar with.

The flat is ours alone.

We spend hours studying for her exam until she knows her material inside and out. When Lis finishes packing away her books and papers late in the evening, I set her bag by the front door.

I grasp her hand and lead her back up to my room and study the subject I’ve been yearning for all day. Her. What makes her sigh, gasp, and tremble. What makes her blush and beg for more.

Her test is early Friday and I wake to the mattress shifting as she tries to leave. Wrapping my hand around her hip, I pull her back to me. “Aidan, I need to go.” God, I don’t like the feeling of her leaving my bed.

“Just five more minutes.” I drag her so she’s lying almost on top of me, her heart aligned perfectly with mine—beating with mine.

“I have to go home and clean up—change before my test,’’ she murmurs into my chest dragging her fingers across my stomach. “And I don’t want the weirdness from yesterday, again. I didn’t mean to spend the night?—”

“They didn’t come back, either of them. Take a shower here. I’ll get you coffee and something to eat on your way.” Squeezing her tight to me, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, I untangle us and leave the only place I want to spend my day.

After Lis leaves with a bagel in one hand and her coffee in the other, I try calling Lorna but get nothing. No answer. Nothing Saturday. Nothing Sunday. Late in the day Monday, just as I catch Lis’ eye through the window of the bistro, Lorna phones. The tears are heavy in her voice and there is no way—no way—I can have this conversation in a bar. Closing my eyes, I back away just barely registering Lis’ expression as I turn and head to my car for what can only be a heart-wrenchingly emotional conversation.

“Aidan—please come home.”

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