Page 28 of Hard
‘You’re sure about that?’
‘Positive.’ I cock a brow, tilting my head the tiniest bit to the side. ‘Oh. Oh. Well, maybe we could, you know, try again. Just to be absolutely sure. And I do think I felt my head spin when you did that thing with your tongue.’
‘What thing was that exactly?’
‘Maybe if we get into bed, I can demonstrate on you.’ My cock jumps between us as she takes my phone from my passive hand. ‘But first, so this doesn’t get awkward at any point later, I’m going to put my number in your contacts list.’ Without looking at me, she types in her number with her thumbs, almost immediately handing it back to me. ‘That way, when you leave, you won’t feel bad. You know, if I’m sleeping or something.’
‘How do you know I’ll feel bad?’ I try for a little levity in my tone, but I’m not sure if it’s a success.
‘Because you’re a good man. I can tell.’
I could respond in a dozen ways. I could tell her she’s wrong. Tell her there’s little chance of me calling her after tonight—that I don’t deserve her understanding. Maybe remind her of the last man she thought was good.The same one who frightened her downstairs.But I don’t do any of those things. Instead, I just stare down at my phone.
‘Call me,’ she says softly. ‘Or don’t.’ Her eyes sparkle with mischief as she stares up at me. ‘I might answer anyway.’
Chapter 10
KEIR
‘What are you all doing here?’
‘Fine way to greet visitors this lovely Sunday mornin’,’ Mac replies gruffly, tightening his hold on a wiggling Juno. He steps in through the open door with Louis, his curly dark-haired son, by his side.
‘Hang on. You can’t come in here. Sorcha’s still contagious.’
‘That’s exactly why we’re here, silly,’ Ella, his better half, says from behind his bulk.
‘We’ve come to catch Sorcha’s disease!’ Louis calls, darting under my arm.
‘Darling, maybe don’t say that to Sorcha,’ Ella calls after him.
I stand passively as the whole family shuffles into the house, though Ella pauses, pushing up on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek.
‘You look a bit rough. Good wedding, was it?’ Her words are heavy with meaning.
‘I’m just a wee bit tired,’ I answer a touch defensively.
‘Hmm, I wonder why.’
‘Daddy,’ Sorcha says excitedly as I reach the living room. ‘Louis has brought me some sweeties and a bottle of Lucozade.’
‘That’s nice of him.’
‘Mummy brings me Lucozade when I’m ill,’ he explains. ‘It makes my tummy feel all fizzy and better. The sweeties were my idea because sweeties always make me feel happy.’
‘Bribery, eh, Sorcha? Seems Auntie Ella wants to swap you goodies for your chickenpox.’
‘That’s silly!’ Sorcha giggles, pulling her skinny legs out from under her Disney blanket to move the stainless-steel salad bowl balanced on her lap to the coffee table. There’s no need for her to be hugging the salad bowl except as a means of reminding those around her—namely, me—that she’s feeling very sorry for herself.Like I need reminding.‘No one wants to feel poorly,’ she says brightly. ‘Or be all spotty.’
Thankfully—on that front, at least—she seems to have improved overnight. She’s still a bit pale and wan looking, but she’s stopped itching. But not bitching. She’s sick of her own company, and mine. And I can’t do anything right after abandoning her to go to a wedding last night.Like I don’t feel guilty enough for the whole fucking evening.
‘It is a little silly,’ Ella agrees, ‘but also a little bit sensible. See, the younger you are when you contract chickenpox, the easier it is. We thought it might be a good idea for little Juno here to get the illness over with while she’s still a baby.’
‘She’s not a baby!’ Louis scorns. ‘She’s a toddler and getting bigger every day.’
‘She’s not growing quick enough for his tastes,’ Mac adds in an undertone. ‘She can’nae play Legos wi’ him yet.’
That makes sense.
