Chapter 43
forty-three
CIAR
When Ciar opened his front door, the first thing to hit him was the noise. The quiet he’d gotten used to and hated had vanished with the loud conversations and laughter of his closest friends.
He stood still for a moment, enjoying the change. Christ, but he’d missed everyone. He had Imogen, and being a father was better than anything he could have ever hoped for himself, but going from a close-knit group that texted, called, or hung out daily to limited contact had been hard.
His fault, but still tough.
When he rounded the corner to his kitchen, his eyes were immediately drawn to Gray, who was dancing around with a laughing Imogen clinging to her side. With that image alone in his mind, he could have died a happy man.
Bébhinn saw him first and clapped her hands. “Ciar, come say hello to Blair.” Dagr was holding up a tablet with the screen showing the image of his tiny, fiery-headed friend.
He signed, “I miss you. How is Wales treating you?”
Blair grinned and waved. “Hey, Ciar. I’ve made two people cry over their ineptness and discovered a new species of Snowdon Hawkweed. I’m killing it. No surprise. Take care of Gray and Baby Boy Murphy for me.”
He could only nod, afraid he’d give away how badly he wanted to do just that. While the rest of the group talked with Blair, he made his way to Gray’s side, her cheeks already blushing with his attention.
He took Imogen from her arms and kissed his daughter’s cheeks before handing her to a wide-eyed Daniel, leaving Gray with nothing to do with his hands but touch him.
“I missed you,” he said while backing her into one of the high kitchen counters until he felt her small bump press against him. He nuzzled her neck and lifted her hands, wrapping them around his neck.
“I’m going to kiss you now.” He punctuated his words with a kiss to the corner of her mouth. “Will you let me?”
The moment “Yes” slipped from between her lips, he was on her, sliding his tongue past her teeth to stroke her own tongue.
She gasped once before deliberately driving him crazy with her tongue. She grasped his neck to hold him close while his hands slipped from her waist to her ass.
He heard Mags tell someone, “Make sure the angle is right for Blair.” Gray stiffened where she was fused to his front. That wasn’t the only thing stiff. His dick clearly remembered the heaven that was Gray’s body and wanted a reunion. Badly.
“Ciar,” Gray whispered, pushing her hands against his chest. “We’re putting on a show.”
“I don’t care,” was his answer as he tried to retake her mouth.
“I do,” she whispered, pinching his side for good measure.
Forcing himself to let her ass go and step back, he glanced at their audience. Mags tilted the tablet screen downward that Bébhinn still held, and then, to his horror, Mags ducked into the camera’s line of sight and signed, “Oh my God. He’s totally hard. What an animal.”
It was safe to say that Gray was no longer the only one blushing. Maybe he’d overvalued having friends. Daniel, Jonathan, and Dagr were laughing and giving him either a thumbs up or mimicking jacking off.
“Pricks,” he mouthed. Leaning down, he gave Gray one last smacking kiss before backing up and reaching for Imogen, who instantly held her hands out for her daddy.
Once tickles and nuzzles were given, his daughter was struggling to get out of his arms and was windmilling toward Gray, whose cheeks were pink with delight as she took his daughter into her arms for her own snuggles. To say he was shocked was an understatement.
Gray bopped Imogen’s nose and asked, “Does my sweet Immy want her dinner and bed?” Imogen’s answer was to gurgle happily and latch on to Gray’s long waves and bring them to her mouth.
She glanced his way and shrugged. “I spoke to Tina before you got home and asked after Imogen’s nighttime routine.”
For the first time, Ciar felt peace in explaining himself to Gray after returning from Japan.
There was no better partner than Gray. Even after months apart, Gray had never not been his cornerstone.
She was the one who would make them a family, and if telling her what she wanted to know ensured she would stay, then he would.
There was also a chance that his revelations would have the opposite effect, and she would leave him anyway.
The food arrived fifteen minutes after he and Gray put Imogen to bed. Bébhinn and Dagr stood in the doorway of his daughter’s room to “ensure Ciar didn’t do anything to make them late for dinner.”
Their bullshit aside, it was the best night he’d spent with everyone since the Colorado trip last summer. He sat next to Gray at the dining table as everyone passed food around and talked about what was going on in their lives.
Blair stayed with them for a while, but she needed to check on one of her “babies” before she could get ready for a date.
The girls all quizzed her about the guy, discussing his physique in way more detail than surely was necessary.
They missed the look that Daniel and Jonathan exchanged.
Neither of the cousins looked happy about the news, which didn’t make any sense.
He caught Dagr’s eye, who had also noticed the look, and raised his brows and shrugged. The call ended, and the talk turned to Dagr and Bébhinn’s wedding. Now he understood why the date had been pushed back. They were waiting until baby Murphy was born.
The wedding would be at St. Mary’s. Family and close friends only, with no groomsmen or bridesmaids.
Just the two of them standing before a priest vowing forever.
Bébhinn believed that without her father to give her away, she wasn’t sure she could handle too much pomp surrounding the walk down the aisle without him.
He looked at Gray more than once as they described the simplicity of their nuptials. He wanted that. Well, he would marry Gray anyway she wished. Big, small, fancy, or simple, Dublin, Scotland, or even America, it didn’t matter.
An hour later, Daniel, Jonathan, and Mags took an Uber to their townhouses, and Dagr and Bébhinn to their home.
“I’d better pack. Help me?” he asked Gray, who was leaning against the counter, stretching her lower back, causing her baby bump to push against her sweatshirt.
“Okay.” She smiled shyly.
They walked through the living room to the back hallway leading to their suite. “Today’s been something, huh?” she asked.
“Understatement. Finding out about our son, I feel…overwhelmed but in the best way. I also got to have my hands and mouth on you three times. Definitely a good day,” he teased.
“You’re a shit, Ciar.”
She admonished him as she walked down the hallway to their bedroom.
He looked around their home, pleased with how well the contractors followed his plans, many of which were from memory of the conversations he and Gray had had during many late-night conversations.
He’d tried to remember every detail she’d wanted.
The ground floor had a large living area, with one spacious end devoted to offices that shared a bank of windows. The living room and kitchen were large and open, perfect for entertaining and ideal for cozy family time by the fire.
The gym and small spa were upstairs, as well as Imogen and Tina’s spaces. He’d had the contractors build another bedroom with an ensuite bathroom meant for company, but it was clearly going to be their son’s room.
Their suite had a spacious sitting room, two huge walk-in closets divided by a large bathroom with each side mirroring the other, a his and hers situation.
It was clear that Gray hadn’t explored the building while he’d been gone because her eyes were wide as she took everything in.
“I didn’t have anyone in to decorate any part of the place.” He cleared his throat nervously because everything was glaringly plain.
“I tried to get the colors right on the walls, wood floors, and bathroom tiles. I’ve been hoping for a miracle and that you’d be here to decorate it the way you always spoke about.
“And here you are.” Before she could correct him, he held up his hands in peace, “I know it’s not all worked out yet, but I know you won’t be able to stand the unfinished rooms for long.”
She tried to hide her smile but finally relented. “It does need a few things, and…Imogen’s room is not at all how I would want it,” she admitted softly.
He swallowed three times until his grin went down his throat. Gray was feeling a definite need to take charge of the place, and he was more than willing and ready to hand over the reins.
He always kept a bag partially packed with toiletries, so it didn’t take long to add the necessary clothes. Meetings in Japan were typically far dressier than even London, and he wouldn’t disrespect his client by not looking the part.
“I have a car picking me up at one to drive me to the airport. I hate leaving you here alone on your first night.”
She shrugged and sat on the edge of his bed. “I’ll be fine.”
Ciar took off his shoes and socks. When he started unbuttoning his jeans, her eyes widened.
“What are you doing?”
She started to stand, so he touched her shoulder to keep her still. “I have three hours before I need to leave. I’m getting comfortable. Slip your clothes off. Let me give you a massage. It’s been a long day.”
“I remember what your massages are like, Ciar. They always ended up with you—” she cut herself off.
“With me what?” He finished pulling his jeans off while he asked. Her gaze dipped to his tight, black briefs that did little to hide how badly he wanted her.
Dragging her eyes up his body, she smirked. “With you inside me. The proof is looking me in the eye.”
He dragged his t-shirt over his head and looked down. “Let me take these off then,” he said, hooking his thumbs in the band of his briefs and tugging. “It’s really looking at you now.” He was fully erect and leaking precum, so desperate for her, his stomach clenched, and his muscles contracted.
She licked her lips, and little pants of air tripped over the lips of her slightly open mouth. “Let me massage you with my hands, and my mouth, and with this,” Ciar fisted his erection and pumped slowly.
“Maybe we should talk about things first.” She bit her lip, though it was clear her body didn’t want to talk at all.
He didn’t want to talk either. Not about what she wanted to hear, at least. “When I get home. I promised you I would. Give us tonight.”
“You know,” she started, pulling her sweatshirt over her head and dropping it to the floor, giving him a stunning view of her silk-covered breasts and small, rounded belly, “if you don’t keep your word, I’ll leave.”
She cupped her breasts and pinched her nipples through the thin fabric, making him groan at the sight of them puckered and hard.
Reaching behind her back, she unclasped her bra and let it fall. Her heavy breasts and pink areolas had him salivating. When he started to step forward, she stopped him.
“Not yet. You made me watch you strip, and now I’ll return the favor.”
On her feet now, she pulled down her yoga pants, lacy thong and all, and kicked them to the side. When she sat back on the bed, she opened her knees wide, almost making his knees buckle.
He didn’t wait. He stepped between her legs and was about to lift her to move her further on the mattress when she stopped him again.
“Gray,” he growled. “It’s been so long.”
“Just as long for me.” She placed her hands on his rigid thighs, caressing him until her hands were clasping his ass.
“Oh Christ, baby, no,” he begged, as she leaned forward and licked the head and slit of his rigid sex. “I won’t last.” His hips were already short-circuiting, small uncontrollable jerks at the feel of her hot breath and tongue.
“You don’t need to,” she grinned. “I’m sure you’ll recover while returning the favor.”