Page 76 of Her Irish Treasures
AIDAN
Curled against me like a warm,soft kitten, she breathed peace into my skin. Warmth into my stone-cold heart. Light into the deepest, darkest corner of hell that made up what was left of my soul. She smoothed my rough edges, de-razored the concertina wire, and took a jackhammer to all the concrete.
Without saying a word or even lifting her fucking pinky finger.
She hummed against my throat, a pleased little sound that made my dick throb beneath her. Which only made her wiggle deeper into my lap.
My eyes sealed shut so I could focus on every inch of her against me. “I’m starting to suspect that I was set up.”
She laughed, her breath tickling my throat, her lips wandering over my skin. “How’s that?”
“I hoped that you’d fuck me if I bribed you with coffee and chocolate croissants.”
She breathed into my ear, her tongue flicking over those whorls. “You’ll never have to bribe me.”
My fingers dug into her back. I fought down the intense wave of lust threatening to obliterate me. Insisting that I rip the robe off her. Bare her flesh for my teeth and tongue. Drag her kicking and screaming to the most insane, intense climax—
“Yes.” She punctuated that single word with a playful bite on my earlobe.
My entire body shook beneath her. Not because of her assent.
She’d heard. She’d seen what I wanted to do. Inside my head.
She’d managed to worm her way inside my own personal hell.
A vicious wave of regret crashed over me. I’d failed to protect her. I’d failed to keep her wholesome and light and clean.
Then a wave of mindless panic threatened to send me leaping to my feet, dumping her on the floor.
She’ll see. She’ll know.
She’ll know the truth about me.
The selfish, jealous bastard who’d destroyed a legendary fellowship for a heartless woman. Who’d left his friend trapped in horrific darkness to try and save his treacherous lover. Who’d paid for that sin in blood and flesh for centuries to no avail.
All the deaths I caused. The pain I delivered and suffered.
She knew the general circumstances about how we’d lost Doran. But the reality of being spit back out to die over and over… The crushing defeats… The agonizing suffering that my actions had caused. Not just to me, but all of us.
Doran might have forgiven me.
But—
Her fingers stroked over my face, butterfly kisses over my eyes and nose, stroking away the cobwebs of dread. “There’s nothing for me to forgive. I love you, Aidan. Here and now. That was another lifetime ago and it wasn’t even me. Why would I keep punishing you for something that happened hundreds of years ago?”
“It wasme, though.” My voice cracked, raw granite crumbling to dust. “I betrayed us all.”
“Balor—”
“No! Damn it all to hell. Me. I did it. I broke Doran’s heart. That was fuckingmeand no one else.”
She sat up sharply, squeezing the back of my neck to hold my attention. Her eyes blazed with a torrent of emotions, too many for me to name. “You think so little of Doran Stoneheart?”
My eyes flared with surprise. I couldn’t track where this was going. I’d expected her to flinch away, shudder in horror, and withdraw to leave me eternally alone as I deserved. Block me from her bed and her heart.
Again, as I fully deserved.
Not challenge what I thought of Doran, the greatest hero to ever walk this earth. Let alone glare at me like a little spitfire.
