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“But this is not a free pass,” she added, tone sterner now. “My house rules still stand. No sharing bedrooms. No closed doors when you’re hanging out together, andnoJonathan creeping into your bedroom at night, and absolutely no private parts touching—”

“Bacon and cabbage? Thank you, Jesus!” Johnny’s voice filled the kitchen and I spun around to watch him toss a gear bag on the floor and saunter into the room, looking freshly showered and devastatingly beautiful. It was actually painful to look at him in the summertime in those damn loose-fitting vests he wore—the ones that showcased every protruding muscle on his sculpted chest and arms. I could see his brown nipple when he turned sideways and I discreetly clamped my thighs together.

“I’m bleeding starving, Ma.” Grinning, he walked straight for us, smoothing a hand down my back before reaching for my plate. “You done with that, Shan?” I opened my mouth to tell him yes, but he was already inhaling what was left on my plate. “Fucking delicious,” he mumbled between bites, giving his mother a wink. “My stomach loves you.”

“Language, Jonathan,” his mother scolded, although she had a ghost of a smile on her lips. “How many times do I have to tell you?”

“Keep feeding me like this and I’ll do anything you want” was his mumbled response. Walking to the stove with my now-empty plate, he started to pile another heaping of bacon and cabbage for himself. “Any spuds going, Ma?”

“On the counter,” Mrs. Kavanagh said, rolling her eyes at him.

Nodding in approval, Johnny strolled back to the island and sank down on the stool next to mine. “Where’s my small man?” he asked, pausing to press a kiss to my cheek before reaching across the counter and loading five potatoes onto his plate. “What? I need the carbs,” he said with a wink when I arched a brow at him.

“Sean’s down in the office with your father,” Mrs. Kavanagh explained, watching her son carefully as he shoveled food into his mouth with gusto. “Shannon and I were having a chat about sex, weren’t we, love?”

Johnny coughed so loudly that I was sure he’d swallowed his food down the wrong pipe. “Sex,” he finally replied, clearing his throat several times.

“Yes, and the camping trip,” his mother replied. “And birth control methods.”

“Sex and the camping trip,” I blurted out anxiously, the words pouring out of my mouth like vomit. “And no grandchildren!”

He coughed louder this time, his face turning slightly purple. “Christ,” he finally choked out, eyes trained on his plate. “That’s a lot of information to take in on a Friday evening.”

“And we went over the house rules again,” Mrs. Kavanagh added, keeping a watchful eye on her son’s face. “You remember those, don’t you, love?”

“I remember Da asking me to do something,” Johnny announced, shoving back his stool. Grabbing his plate, he bolted for the kitchen door, calling out, “What’s that, Da?” before legging it out of the kitchen. “Yeah, I’ll be right there.”

* * *

“She’s putting you on the pill?” were the first words that came out of Johnny’s mouth when he slipped into my bedroom later that night.

“Shh,” I whispered, hurrying to close my bedroom door behind him. “Ollie’s right across the hall and he’s still on lookout patrol—and I don’t have a lock on my door.”

“That little turncoat,” Johnny muttered, rubbing his jaw. He was wearing a pair of red boxers and his hair was sticking up like always. “I offered him a tenner to turn a blind eye.”

“And your mother offered him twenty every time he reported you near my bedroom door,” I reminded him. “He’s almost up to the price of that new Lego set he wants, so he’s out for your blood.”

“That’s bleeding lovely, isn’t it?” Johnny grumbled, padding over to my bed. “First, Tadhg takes my dog as his bed buddy, and now Ollie’s taking my backup.”

“Oh, so I’m your backup now?” I folded my arms across my chest, watching as he dove onto my bed and rested his hands on his stomach. “Wow, Sookie must be a great spooner.”

“You’re my queen,” he purred, slapping his thighs. “So come here and let me worship ya.”

Giggling, I flicked off the light and raced over to my bed. Climbing onto his lap, I smothered a squeal when he slipped his hands under the hem of my nightie. “You’re so full of it,” I snickered, leaning down to brush my lips against his.

“So, what’s all this about birth control?” he asked against my lips.

“Your mam asked me if I wanted to go on something,” I told him, pulling back to gauge his reaction. “She offered to make me an appointment with the GP.”

“Oh.” His hands moved under my nightie to grip my waist. “And what did you say?”

I trailed my fingers down his abs and smiled. “I said yes.”

His eyes blazed with heat. “Yeah?”

“But you’re still not allowed in here,” I whispered, biting down on my lip to stop myself from moaning when Johnny bucked his hips upward and I felt all ofhimgrowing against me.

“No?” His voice was husky, his tone flirtatious. “Are you going to tell on me, Shan?” He pulled me down hard against his waist as he thrust upward. “Hmm?” He hooked his fingers into the waistband of my knickers and tugged. “Are you going to rat me out for being in your bed?” Releasing the elastic so that it snapped back against my flesh, he palmed my ass. “Are you going to do me wrong, baby?”

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