Chapter 44
forty-four
BéBHINN
Bébhinn had been home for a few hours, having left London early. Dagr’s father had spent the night, which meant there had been no more sexcapades.
Still, she’d had an amazing day and evening with Dagr and enjoyed meeting Ulf. His gruff no-nonsense reminded her of her father, and she’d felt instantly comfortable. She’d also been thrilled that he had known her father, even if only through conference calls.
Dagr had been waiting outside her bathroom last night after she’d gotten ready for bed. He apologized for his father’s unexpected visit and because he had to work.
“Your father is wonderful, and your job is important. Plus, it’s not like you could have told him no,” she laughed.
“I could have.”
“And paid dearly for it later.”
“Yes,” he admitted with a shrug and grin.
“I’m going to bed.” She stepped closer.
Dagr had her lifted and pressed against the wall. Her legs naturally wrapped around his waist.
“A kiss goodnight?” he spoke against her lips.
Her answer was to swipe her tongue between his lips. The goodnight kiss lasted ten minutes and had them as frustrated as they’d been when they left each other earlier.
Sleep did not come easily that night.
The following morning when her car was waiting outside his flat, Dagr was in the middle of a heated conference call with another attorney.
She knew he was frustrated that he couldn’t properly tell her goodbye, but her feelings were far from hurt.
Remembering the look of longing on his face still put a smile on her face hours later.
Dagr Griffiths made her very happy.
She and Gray were finishing the supper dishes after the four housemates decided to cook out so Bébhinn could tell them about the charity gala, especially what was happening between her and Dagr.
“I still can’t believe my texts cockblocked you,” Mags mumbled through her hands as she covered her face and shook her head in mock pain.
“Technically, his father did that, but my God, you guys, I only got to see and touch him from the waist up; his body is gorgeous.”
Blair signed, “I’m glad you didn’t take our advice and told your mom before you left.”
“Me too. She was great. I should have trusted her from the beginning. I hadn’t realized how long it had been since we’d truly shared something that wasn’t about Dad.”
“I can’t believe you were able to put your brothers off a family get-together until tomorrow,” Gray said as she handed Bébhinn the last of the dried plates.
“Sending Daniel, Patrick, and Ciar back out the front door was the best part of this evening. I’ve never met a bigger bunch of tattletales in my life,” Mags griped.
Her nephews and Ciar had waltzed out to their back garden while they were grilling, acting as though they weren’t trying to gather intel for her brothers. The girls finally told them to fuck off back to their house. Bébhinn wouldn’t lie. She’d taken immense pleasure doing it.
“Even without their dads pushing them to snoop, those three are nosy gossips,” Blair signed while making an exasperated growl in her throat.
They’d decided to go to the cinema and were leaving in fifteen minutes when someone knocked on the front door.
“If that’s the neighbors,” Gray groaned, “tell them we aren’t buying Girl Scout cookies.” Bébhinn loved that Gray’s mom and her mom both grew up in Oklahoma, so they both got the USA references.
Mags threw the door open and spoke to the visitor. The door blocked whoever it was.
When she opened the door wider, Bébhinn gasped while Mags announced, “Bébhinn’s boyfriend looks like an O’Faolain. I’m scared. Incest is illegal, right?”
Bébhinn almost choked on her own tongue. Dagr was outside. At her house. Unannounced.
Her legs got the memo to move, and she was shoving Mags out of the way and yanking the heavy wooden door in until Dagr, in all his blue jeans and black tee glory, was within touching distance.
“What are you doing here?” Realizing that sounded like he was unwelcome, she added, “I’m so glad you’re here.”
He stepped over the threshold without an invitation, probably realizing her surprise voided her manners. “I didn’t get to tell you goodbye.”
“He chartered a jet to tell you goodbye properly. Keep him, Bébhinn,” Gray hollered from the living room.
They stood for what felt like an hour staring at one another while her friends watched them like a zoo spectacle. He looked so serious, so ridiculously handsome, and such a welcome sight that she decided action over words was the better path.
Without warning, she stood on tiptoes and slipped her hands across his broad shoulders until they clasped behind his neck so she could pull his mouth to hers, and the instant he deepened the kiss, it became as explosive as last night.
Dagr lifted her against his chest, making it easier for him to devour her mouth.
Aware that they had an audience, she stifled her whimper as she slowly forced herself to pull back.
“Blair said she didn’t know the romcom we were going to see had a soft porn intro,” Mag quipped.
They both snorted in amusement. “Is this a hello or a goodbye?” Bébhinn whispered in his ear.
“Both. I couldn’t concentrate worth a damn since I watched you walk out this morning. I didn’t like you leaving me without a reminder,” Dagr answered.
“A reminder?”
His hesitation had her heart rate spiking. “That you’re—”
“That I’m?” Bébhinn lapped at his bottom lip, producing a groan from Dagr.
“Mine.”
“I approve,” she said softly. She didn’t mention that his cheeks were reddened in embarrassment because this was, hands down, the most romantic gesture. She took his hand and led him over to her friends for introductions.
Mags, of course, had to state the obvious. “I’m not saying you look like her brothers, but Jesus, it’s creepy as fuck.”
“You must be Mags.” He held his hand out for her friend to shake.
“Ahh, my perfect personality precedes me,” Mags said as she took his hand in a firm grip.
“I’m Gray MacGregor. I’m a fan,” she teased Dagr, increasing the blush.
“Nice to meet you. I’m sure I have your father to thank for whatever background check that’s been done on me.”
“Oh, for sure,” Gray laughed. “Her dad would also be responsible.” Gray turned toward Blair and pointed.
He turned toward Blair, too, and did something that made her fall for him even harder than she already had.
In BSL, Dagr signed, “Forgive me. I just learn. I am Dagr. Nice to meet you, Blair.”
The brilliant smile Blair gifted him, which she usually reserved for close friends and family, brought tears to Bébhinn’s eyes.
Slowly, and in the most basic of BSL, she signed back.
“You did well. I am glad you are here.” She turned to Bébhinn and signed quickly, “Tell him that if he wants, we can all sign everything to give him a crash course. He’ll be cursing like a sailor in BSL in no time.
Tell him not to get overwhelmed, that I am excellent at reading lips. ”
When Bébhinn repeated to Dagr what she’d said, he laughed and signed and spoke “Yes” at the same time.
“Seriously, though,” Mags began, “can we please do a DNA investigation at least? Just in case…”
“We are not related, weirdo,” Bébhinn countered. As introductions went, she was pleased that her friends seemed to genuinely like Dagr. It was nice to have them meet the person who was so important to her.
“How long can you stay?” Bébhinn asked.
“I put in an offer on the land for Dad this morning and put together a report on why my father would be a better candidate to own land so close to a sanctuary than Williams. I dug up some past lawsuits where Williams neglected specific land ordinances that should push the seller our way.
“I don’t have to meet Dad until tomorrow evening.” He hesitated before continuing, but finally said, “I presumptuously hoped you might put me up for the night.”
“Of course.” She smiled and nodded her head when what she really wanted to do was giggle and clap like a child who’d been given a pony for her birthday.
“No worries, Bébhinn, we’ll all keep our music loud tonight,” Mags announced as she stood.
Gray and Blair stood as well. “It was nice to meet you, Dagr, but we’d better get going if we don’t want to miss the movie,” Gray said before snagging her purse off the table.
She and Dagr followed them to the door. “Okay. You guys have fun.” Bébhinn was still reeling that Dagr stood at her back—and was staying the night.
Mags had stopped on the front steps and was looking at them strangely, shaking her head slowly like she was confused. “It’s like I’m looking at Bran and Raven or Patrick and River.”
“Totally a mind bender,” Gray agreed.
“It’s the hair for crying out loud! Quit making it sound like he looks like my brothers. Gross.”
“I assume I’ll find out tomorrow at lunch. You did tell me you were having a family lunch.”
“Oh God,” she whisper-moaned. “I can skip.” The thought of taking Dagr to meet all of them made sweat break out on the back of her neck.
“I need to meet them if you and I are going to—”
Mags interrupted, “Screw like rabbits.”
“Date,” Dagr said firmly.
Blair signed quickly, smirking at Bébhinn. “I missed that. Damn it,” Dagr cursed, “I’ve been working on sign for six weeks and I only got two words.”
Blair looked chagrined. Very slowly, she signed, “Sorry, Dagr. I will slow down.”
“Thank you.”
The girls’ Uber pulled up, and they piled in. Bébhinn shut the door as Dagr grabbed his duffel.
“What did Blair say that I didn’t catch?”
Her blush was instant. “She said not to worry about making noise on her account.” She chuckled as Dagr’s eyes widened in understanding. “Don’t let Blair’s precious pixie look fool you. Her wit is deadly.”
“You have great friends. I can’t wait for you to meet some of mine.”
“I’d love to. Are you hungry?” She stopped in the kitchen. He didn’t stop when she did, dropping his bag on the floor before stepping close enough to crowd her between his body and the counter.
She watched in wonder as he ducked his head and spoke against her lips. “Not for food.”
Like most of their kisses, raw passion and need exploded. She ripped her mouth away, gasping and asked, “Bed?”
“Now.”
Bébhinn took his hand and practically ran to her bedroom, kicking the door closed. Whatever was between them was the very thing that had been missing with Harry. She’d never felt so frantic to be intimate with someone.
He took over the moment her bedroom door slammed behind them, pulling her shirt off and then his. They kicked their shoes off and ripped their pants down. Breathless, they stood only in their underwear.
He closed the gap and ran his hands up her bare sides, stopping at her bra. “Are you sure this isn’t too soon for you?”
She appreciated the question, but it was unnecessary. “The cave would have been too soon. Now, not so much.”
It was all he needed to hear. He unhooked her bra and slid her panties down, where she could kick them off. He was on her as soon as she’d toed off the last remaining barrier. He had her in his arms, her legs around his waist, his mouth and hands touching her everywhere.
Her hands weren’t idle either. Since the moment they were interrupted on his couch, she’d thought of nothing but getting him naked. She leaned back in his arms to give him better access to her breasts.
“Feels so good, Dag,” she moaned. She tightened her legs, rubbing her slickened sex up and down the bulge stretching his boxers, causing him to groan around her nipple.
He watched her face as he let one of her nipples slip from his wet mouth and guided her body to slide down his until her feet touched. “Lie on the bed.”
The huskiness of his voice had her scrambling to obey. She was on her back, elbows propping her upper body. They were both watching and waiting.
“Bend your knees and let them fall apart. I want to see all of you.” He was slowly stroking himself through his black boxer briefs.
She complied, whimpering at how aroused she was having him see her like that. Finally, he shed the last barrier to the part of him that she wanted most. When his sex sprang free, saliva flooded her mouth.
He was thick and long with protruding veins and a leaking, swollen head. “Dagr. Please.” She wanted him so badly. Her hips began to slowly thrust up and down, her body’s way of enticing him closer.
“You want this?” he asked as he stroked his length.
“I want everything.”
He kneeled on the bed and crawled slowly over her body, kissing and licking as he went. He kissed her core as he passed, causing her to fist the sheets.
“Later, baby. I need inside you. Now.”
He stayed on his knees and grasped her hips to lift her high enough to align their bodies. He slid his sex along her wetness twice, hissing at the ecstasy the friction caused.
“Ready for me?”
“More than,” she groaned, lifting her ass even higher. Dagr looked like an ice-cold villain set on mayhem, with his white hair and almost clear eyes—he looked vicious in the best way.
There was no easing her into the invasion. He slid into her body in one go, causing them both to gasp at the surge of heat and tightness.
He stayed as deep as he could get while he fused their mouths, their warring tongues and teeth clashing until she had to turn her head to breathe.
He began to pump in and out, slow at first and then faster, frantic, hitting her G-spot over and over until a high-pitched whine erupted from her throat. The pleasure was too much and not enough.
“Dagr. Dagr. Dagr.” She repeated his name like a spell she wished would bewitch her forever.
His movements became less smooth, faster, and out of sync. “I’m close,” he practically roared. “Come for me again, baby. Now!”
Her body obeyed, as her back bowed and her thighs quivered. Dagr Griffiths marked her body inside and out.
She knew there was no going back for either of them after this.