Page 45 of Troubles

She looks to her untouched pint still sitting on the bar. Her shoulders droop again as she pushes it away.

“Lisbeth, there’s not a thing you have to do. Nothing. But whatever you decide to do, that you want to do, I’ll be there with ye. If ye need a reason to be out of town, we’ll go. Anywhere you want. If you decide to go, I’ll go too—if you want me there.”

My hands slide down past her hips, gripping tight, I pull her close. “And you’re perfect, love. Fucking perfect. Not another word about your arse. I love you the way you are, and wouldn’t want you to change a thing.”

She slides her hands around to the back of my neck, scraping her fingers through my scalp, pulling me down to meet her lips. “Thank you.”

This time the words are spoken against my lips and become a sweet kiss. Until I feel her teeth nip at my bottom one, driving me insane.

I grip her tighter, spinning so her back is to the bar. I have her caged in, just arching her back over the bar. Every inch in contact from our thighs to our lips, holding her, taking the kiss deeper. The groan that escapes me, and the press of our bodies leaves no doubt that I need Lis.

I need to be alone with her.

Finn needs to fucking get here in a hurry.

“Hate how we left things last night. I wanted to wake up with you this morning.” I press my hips into her as I trail kisses from behind her ear, down to her delicate collarbone. “Want to wake up with you every day, love. But I’ll wait, if that’s what you want. I’ll wait for you as long as it fucking takes for you to be ready.”

The scent of her lotion is intoxicating. The feel of her curves, electrifying. But the sound of her gasps and sighs and moans whispering across my ear is absolutely dangerous. I’m lost in her, absolutely consumed.

“Is this why you wanted me here so fast?”

Finn is leaning on the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, watching us. The shitty smirk on his face says he’s been here longer than I thought.

I grab Lis’ hand and pull her out into the bright sun. We stand there for a beat, my thumb drawn to her wrist. While I’m looking around, deciding where to go, Lisbeth steps in front of me, sliding her hands up my chest, resting her forehead between them.

“Are you done here? Is Finn?—”

“Finn was supposed to be here anyway, I just couldn’t be still this morning, so I opened the bar. I took a couple days off—planned on spending them with you.” My words come out low and gravelly.

She tugs me down the street toward her flat. “Come on. Gracyn is home, but we need to talk. She’s—I talked with her this morning. God—that’s why I came to the pub. I was going to grab us some donuts and then come find you. Your car was there, so—And then Rob and Maryse?—”

She starts and hops through her thoughts too many times for it to make any sense. I pause at the steps leading to her door. Lis turns, up one step to face me. It’s just enough height on her that I have to lift my chin to meet her eyes.

“Why did you come to find me?” She pulls on my hand trying to move me up the steps looking back and forth between my face and the door. I shake my head slowly. “Tell me, Lis. Why were you coming to me?”

“Yes. I wanted to tell you yes.” She shifts closer to me, her cool palms on either side of my neck, her thumbs barely brushing my ears. It takes a minute, but then, with a whoosh of relief the tension that’s been with me since last night, drains out of my shoulders.

I pull her body flush against mine and kiss her deeply. “You mean that? Truly?”

“Yes, I need to help Gracyn find a roommate, but I want to do this—I want to be with you.”

With my hands on her hips, I squeeze, digging my fingers into the sides of her arse. “Go pack a bag, not a lot, just for a day or two. I’m taking you away—stealing you and keeping you with me always.”

I fight with myself to let her go for even a minute. She said yes and God help me, I’m afraid it’s a dream.

“I’ll be back in an hour. You’ll be ready, then?” My mind is whirring through the things I need to do—through the places I can take her. Much as I love the vibe and pulse of New York City, I want something quieter, more intimate. I nip at her bottom lip, the one she bites when she’s thinking hard about something, and I back away.

“Where are we going? What do I need to bring?”

Nothing. You don’t need to bring a fucking thing. “Beach, whatever you need for the beach.” I take two steps back to her and kiss her like I can’t stand the idea of being apart. Because I can’t.

Her laughter follows me as I run back to the pub to grab my car. I add finding a nicer vehicle to my list of things to do. Not for today. I only have an hour, less than that really.

On the way to my flat, I call a client from a couple weeks ago. He’d told me of a quiet little beach town on the Connecticut coast. He offers to have his assistant book us in for the next two nights. The confirmation for the Madison Beach Hotel pings through on my phone as I log in to my Airbnb account to take care of renting the townhouse Lisbeth likes.

I shove clothes in my bag—shorts, swim trunks, a couple t-shirts. My phone pings with an email as I debate bringing my trousers and a nice shirt. Just in case. Christ, we really don’t need to bring a fucking thing. Room service is all we need.

I take the steps to Lis’ flat two at a time, reading my email as I go. Three sharp knocks to the door, and I wait. And wait. Gracyn’s voice filters through the door, “Lis—can you get that?”

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