“No. I have a couple of girlfriends who share a flat up in Cabra. I’ll stay there while I figure things out.”
My plan to live on the north side seems to ease some of his anxieties, but not all. “What if your father doesn’t let you leave?”
“Sean, I’ll be fine. The important thing is that I know who my father is and what he’s capable of.”
Sean runs his fingers through his ebony waves and exhales. “I don’t like this one bit.”
“That’s you being overprotective.”
“No, it’s my instincts screaming that you need to stay here until we figure something else out.”
“I can’t. Tag’s been decent about me being here, but I agree with him. I’m kerosine to the open flame of your already dangerous lives. Nothing can change the fact that my last name is McGuire, and having me here threatens to pull Dublin into an all-out war.”
Tag hasn’t been welcoming, but I get it.
His father is dead. His girlfriend is pregnant. And he’s in charge of keeping people safe.
I see the affection in Sean’s gaze and understand why he pulled back. This is hard enough as it is.
One week wasn’t enough, but one month or one year wouldn’t be either.
“We had a good run, Mr. Quinn, but it’s time I face my life and start picking up the pieces.” I extend my hand, and he grips my palm and pulls me forward.
He takes what I intend as a platonic parting and claims my mouth for a kiss. His tongue runs along the seam of my lips, and I submit without hesitation.
It’s embarrassing how easily I succumb. I make a mental note to at least attempt to play hard to get, but even as I do, I resign myself to the truth.
There’s no resisting Sean Quinn.
The kiss is aggressive and his hand slides under the front of my shirt. He palms my breast, and I groan, arching into histouch. “I thought we were parting as friends. You’re not playing fair.”
“Didn’t you hear? I’m a very bad man.”
But having a very bad man in my corner has been a very good thing. I end the kiss and try to stop wanting things I shouldn’t. “I’ll let you know when I’m back and settled. Maybe you can take me for a ride on your bike.”
“Or you can ride me on my bike.”
And just like that, my core is weeping for him and I’m sliding my hand over the bulge in his jeans. His hips flex and he presses his cock against my palm.
“Oh, shit. Sorry.”
The two of us break apart and I find Finn standing in the doorway holding a red and blue box. “Sorry. Your rice was ringing, Piper.”
My what?It takes a moment for my mind to catch up with what he’s saying. “Oh, thanks.”
Sean steps between us and points at Finn. “You saw nothing. You say nothing. Got it?”
Finn hands Sean the box and holds up his hands. “How could I see anything? I wasn’t even here.”
Finn rushes out of the living room like his ass is on fire and Sean hands me the box with my cell in it. “Will he tell Tag? Will this come back to bite you?”
Sean shakes out his hands and exhales. “No. Finn’s a smart kid. He won’t piss Tag off or fuck me over. He’ll keep what he saw to himself.”
Good.I don’t want Sean to suffer because of our crash of fate any more than he already has.
I pull my cell free from the rice and brush off the layer of white dust. “I guess it finally dried out.”
“I guess so.”