Page 52 of Dublin Brute

I get control of things on my end and rub her through the last tremors of her release until she’s spent. When she sighs and pegs me with a dreamy, half-lidded look of satisfaction, my heart swells.

That’s right. I did that. I put that smile on her face.

Easing my hand free, I lift my glistening fingers and suck them into my mouth. I close my eyes, and a shudder wracks me as her arousal coats my tongue and down the back of my throat.

Fucking delicious. “Remember when you said it must take a lot to feed my body?”

Nora arches a brow and gives me a coy smile. “I remember.”

I bend to claim her mouth so she can taste her release on my lips. “I’ll warn you now, my hunger can be insatiable.”

She chuckles. “Consider me warned.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Nora

After being utterly shattered by the most incredible orgasm of my life, I rub my palm over the shaft outlined at the front of Brendan’s pants. “How about I return the favor and release some of this tension?”

Brendan presses his hand over mine and chuckles. “No need. Having you come around my fingers and cry my name pushed me over. Other than being a bit of an uncomfortable mess, I’m grand—more than grand.”

I blink up at him in wonder. Really? He was that turned on by touching me?

That both humbles and terrifies me. This is real. It has nothing to do with his family or mine. It has nothing to do with him getting close to me for ulterior motives.

It’s as real for him as it is for me.

Which is both beautiful and heartbreaking.

It takes effort to pull a lungful of air into my tight chest. “Brendan, we really need to finish talking.”

Two fingers press over my lips. “Not yet, angel. Don’t spoil this moment with talking.”

When I don’t object, he pulls the throw blanket over me, nuzzles into my neck, and kisses a ticklish spot behind my ear. When he lays his heavy arm across my body and pulls me tight against him, I’m cocooned in the warmth radiating off him.

“This is better than talking.” He kisses my neck again and his entire body relaxes.

Branden Quinn is a snuggler. Who knew?

Despite knowing I have to rip the bandage off and cut ties, I can’t bear the thought of ruining this moment. I close my eyes and let the orgasm afterglow hold me in its spell a little longer. I’ll tell him—I will—just not now.

We deserve this much, at least.

I’m not sure how long I’ve been asleep, but when I wake up, Brendan isn’t lying beside me. Panic sets in for a moment and then I hear the toilet flushing in the bedroom. Sitting up, I set my feet on the floor and run my fingers through my hair.

“Hey, you’re awake.” Brendan saunters closer and leans over the arm of the sofa to kiss me. “I hope I didn’t wake you. I needed to piss.”

I fold the blanket and stand to set it on the back of the couch. “You didn’t wake me. I’m surprised I even fell asleep. I’m not usually a napper.”

Brendan’s mouth falls open, and he feigns shock. “Napping is one of my best events. How can you not like napping?”

“It’s not that I have anything against napping. I guess I’ve just always pushed through and ignored it when I felt tired. You know…busy, busy.”

“We need never speak of this again. I will train you in the ways of self-care. You will learn to love naps.”

“The man who gets his face punched in cage fights is going to teach me about self-care?”

He prods the scab on his split lip. “This is entirely on you. Normally, no one gets close enough to damage this pretty face. And as for the naps, I don’t care how many hours it takes with us snuggled in bed. I will teach you to love them.”

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