Chapter 23
TWENTY-THREE
Joey was grilling fish while Marianne relaxed in the hammock, drinking wine and watching them cook. For all their other insecurities, cooking for a chef didn’t seem to bother them at all. It was a welcome change for Marianne. People had always used the excuse that they couldn’t possibly cook for her as she’d be disappointed, so she’d frequently ended up entertaining others on her nights off. So tonight felt like a real treat.
“That smells amazing.” She swung in the hammock and looked out at the darkening sea. Joey’s cottage truly was in a beautiful spot. Marianne’s rented cottage was spacious, and she’d been gradually painting it to be more cheerful, but she missed being this close to the water. Which seemed ridiculous on an island where you were never more than a fifteen-minute walk from the sea. But she loved being lulled to sleep by the waves at Joey’s place.
“Hopefully, it’ll taste just as good.” Joey turned, spatula in hand, bare feet sticking out from their faded jeans. They’d swapped out their usual sweater for a well-worn plaid shirt with the sleeves cut off, and their hair was brushed and shiny and hung down to their collar with a bounce. Marianne was taken once again by how attracted she was to them. She’d always been drawn to outgoing, sophisticated women; Joey O’Hara was none of those things. But she no longer wanted to ignore the connection, physical and emotional, she felt in their presence.
Grinning, Joey waved the spatula. “Are you still here?”
“Oh, yeah, just enjoying the view.”
Joey turned and looked out over the bay. “I never tire of it.”
They were so oblivious to how good looking they were. Marianne had seen tourists subtly flirting with them after a shellfish safari. Sometimes not so subtly. But as far as she had seen, Joey always escaped as quickly as possible and avoided them until they left on the ferry.
She tipped herself out of the hammock and approached Joey from behind as they stood distracted by the view. She slid her arms around their waist and their whole body tensed.
“What are you doing?” They turned, but didn’t pull out of her embrace. “I thought we weren’t doing this?”
“I genuinely can’t help myself. You’re irresistible.”
Joey twisted away then. “Don’t be silly. Plenty of people have resisted. You’ll manage.”
“But what if I don’t want to, Joey? You feel it, too, I can see it. What if it’s too good to resist?” She moved closer but kept her hands to herself.
Joey turned back to the grill. “The fish will stick.”
Marianne retreated to the hammock and wondered if she’d messed it up. What if Joey didn’t want anything to do with her, attraction or no? She wasn’t exactly an ideal catch with a small child and a faltering career. She watched Joey as they cooked. What did she even want from this? Immediate gratification, or something more?
Joey’d been very clear their life was here on Inishderry, and she didn’t plan on staying forever. Did she? She thought of Denny’s wonderful life here and her own satisfaction in the kitchen. But it wasn’t an option in the long term.
Joey dropped the spatula and came to sit on the bench next to the hammock. “I do feel it, more than you’ll ever know.” Their eyes were wide and dark in the flickering lights. “But I don’t want to get hurt. And I don’t think you could avoid hurting me.”
Marianne rolled out of the hammock and sat down next to Joey. “The way I feel about you makes me want to protect you from hurt, not to cause you any. I think we’d be good for each other.”
She’d never had to try this hard with anyone before. Amira had chased her down, and in all her previous relationships she’d only had to show some interest, and it was reciprocated. But she didn’t fear that Joey didn’t feel the same way. She could feel it in their every look, the energy they gave off when they were close.
She shivered now as she took their big hands in her own and felt them tremble. She lifted a hand to her lips and kissed along every finger, Joey’s rough calluses dragging against her skin. Joey groaned, reflecting how Marianne felt.
She stood in one quick movement and pulled Joey upright. They didn’t resist. She ran her fingers through their silky hair and pulled their head down just a little, so she could reach their lips. At five feet nine, she’d been taller than every partner she’d had, and she reveled in the novelty. Joey pulled back for just a moment, then they dipped their head and kissed her, hard.
Sensation flooded Marianne. She’d thought her interest in physical satisfaction had long since deserted her, but Joey brought everything flowing back. Literally. She staggered back toward the house, pulling Joey with her. She nearly tripped on the doorstep, but Joey’s hands around her waist caught her and almost lifted her into the house.
She broke away long enough to pull Joey to their room, pushed the door open with their weight, and shoved them down onto the bed. She stripped quickly and looked into Joey’s eyes. They were filled with a mix of desire, admiration and…was it terror?
She held herself back. “Are you sure?”
“Oh, God, yes.” Joey groaned, and she straddled their leg, naked, feeling the rough friction of their jeans and the solid muscle beneath just where she needed it most. Resisting the urge to get off by humping Joey’s leg while they watched, she leaned in for a kiss. Joey responded, but she pulled away, trapping their lip with her teeth. The look in their eyes was the biggest turn on she’d ever known.
She reached down and slowly started to unbutton the plaid shirt, starting at the top. Joey placed their hand over hers and she paused. “Please. I need to touch you, everywhere.”
Joey’s head rested back on the pillow, but they didn’t break eye contact.
She finished undoing the buttons and pulled Joey’s shirt loose from their waistband. Then she pushed it back over their shoulders. Joey’s body wasn’t ripped. A softness to the curves hid the muscles beneath. Muscles sculpted by heavy work, not hours spent in the gym. She ran her hands across their chest and her reaction to their body produced a patch of moisture where she rested on their leg.
“Fucking hell, you’re beautiful.” She leaned in, running her tongue along smooth skin and across Joey’s hard nipples. The noise they made sounded like the one she was making inside. Joey was probably as close to the edge as she was, and they hadn’t even got started.
She pulled back for a moment to get her breath and take a good look at the sight of Joey half naked. She swung her leg away, feeling the rush of air on her soaking wet center.
She reached for Joey’s belt buckle, but their hand came down to cover hers. She pulled her hand away. She wanted Joey to trust her. “You do it, then.” She looked deep into their eyes, trying to convey the emotion she was feeling, too. Joey needed to know this was more than a fuck. What it actually was would need to wait to be picked apart later.
Joey undid the buckle and the buttons on their jeans with one hand. Then they used both hands to slowly push them down over their hips. They raised themself from the bed and lowered them past their knees. Their boxers stayed in place. That was okay, Marianne could work around them.
The wait, as much of a turn on as it was, had made her feel slightly more in control. She helped Joey slip the jeans over their bare feet and they sat up to slip their arms out of the shirt. She knelt on the bed in front of them, not wanting to rush things.
Joey shivered. It was warm in the room, so Marianne suspected it was from the exposure, rather than the temperature.
“Are you okay?”
Joey nodded and reached for her, pulled her back across their lap until they were sitting chest to chest. Joey’s kiss was tentative, then became more confident as they devoured Marianne’s mouth. Mari’s whole body shot straight back to the edge and she pulled herself away so she could regain control.
She pushed Joey back onto the bed and rested her elbows either side of their head while she adjusted her position until she was between Joey’s legs. Joey dipped their head and took one of her nipples between their teeth and her knees almost gave out. But she wanted this to be so good for Joey. She widened her legs until they were spreading Joey apart and then slid a hand down to the waistband of Joey’s boxers. Their head shot up.
“Relax.” She looked into their blue eyes until the wariness subsided and they bit their lip. She smiled and slipped her finger just under the elastic and ran it along their stomach, feeling the abs tighten beneath the skin.
Joey ran their hands up her rib cage and grasped her breasts fully in each hand, their rough thumbs running over her already sensitive nipples. It was exquisite, but Mari was on a mission. She ran her fingers lower, inside the tight underwear toward the heat she could already feel.
Joey groaned and tipped their pelvis, lifting them both off the bed. Marianne’s nipples were abandoned while they slipped their boxers off in one motion, flinging them across the room. “Is that better?”
They ran their thumbs back over her nipples until she shuddered as she whispered, “Much better.”
She ran her fingers down to the heat and into the warmth of Joey’s center. Their hips bucked with enough force she nearly ended up on the floor, but she held on, pushing her breast to Joey’s mouth with her free hand. Joey engaged enthusiastically, and the wet warmth of their mouth accompanied a sharp nip that echoed between her legs.
She ran her fingers down wet folds as Joey’s clamp on her nipple tightened. She swept back up and circled their clit.
The sensation became too much, and she swept her hand up into Joey’s hair, stilling their head. They lifted their unfocused gaze to her, and Marianne’s heart swelled as big as her clit. She kissed their swollen lips and pulled away. “Can I go inside?”
Joey made an unintelligible noise from the back of their throat, but the accompanying nod was enough for Mari. She slid inside easily with two fingers and Joey tensed. She curled her fingers and slid in and out a couple more times before Joey grasped her shoulders and rocked forward with a groan, clenching around her fingers so tightly she thought she might not get them back.
Joey eased the iron grip on her shoulders and fell back onto the bed. “Sorry,” they gasped.
Marianne dropped down onto their chest. “Why are you apologizing? That was hot as fuck.” She listened to Joey’s breathing as it slowed.
“I was trying to last longer. It’s been a while.”
She raised up until she could see their flushed face. “Hey, we can do this again. As much as you want.”
Joey pushed up and kissed her. She relaxed into it and Joey lifted her gently onto her back before deepening the kiss. Marianne ran her hands through their hair and pulled them tighter to her. Joey slid a strong hand down her thigh and back up to where her leg joined with her body. She was in no mood for teasing and reached down to guide Joey inside. She was soaking and Joey entered her quickly. They shifted onto one elbow and slipped back in and out, and Marianne groaned.
“More?”
She nodded, unable to form words. Joey eased back in, and she felt herself stretching to accommodate them. She had a need to take as much of Joey as she could. She tilted her head back and her gasps turned into moans. Joey pulled away, took her hand and held it to her clit before they entered her again. They worked up a steady rhythm and Marianne lay back, experiencing every sensation until she’d built to a level where she needed release. Just one stroke across her clit and her climax slammed into her. Through it all, she was aware of Joey watching her as she peaked and screamed through her orgasm.
As her breathing slowed, Joey shifted them both so they were laying face to face. They cradled her face as she tried to settle her heartbeat.
“My turn for an apology. Was that a little loud?”
Joey’s flushed face broke into a grin. “If my dad says anything, I’ll tell him we were watching a horror movie.”
Marianne covered their face with kisses. “We should probably get some sleep.” She turned on her side and pulled Joey tightly against her.
When she woke in the early hours, Joey’s arm was still draped over her. She turned carefully and lay watching them in the moonlight spilling through the window. Their long lashes gave their resting face a soft look and her heart felt full watching them sleep next to her. Joey O’Hara was intoxicating, and she had no idea how she would ever break this habit.