Chapter 24
CHAPTER 24
MAEVE
T he click of the lock echoed through the bar, and I released a deep breath, sinking into the huge leather couch and allowing my shoulders to finally relax.
We’d done it.
Our opening night had been a resounding success.
It was two A.M. The band had gone, the last of the customers had left for the night, the glasses had been collected and put through the washer, and the cash registers had been counted.
We held a new record for the highest takings in one night, and our staff were delighted with their tips. Everybody loved the bar’s fresh look and drinks. The place had buzzed with excitement from the minute we opened the doors to when we called goodnight, and I couldn’t wait to do it all over again the next weekend and the one after that.
This was my life now, and it wasn’t where I thought I’d ever be, but I never wanted to be anywhere else but at my husband’s side, not while there was breath in my body, and even after that.
The soft strains of Van Morrison’s voice singing the opening lines to “Crazy Love” warbled over the stereo system, and my gaze lifted to see Callum standing before me with his hand outstretched, smiling down at me. “We never got to dance, wife.”
I placed my fingers in his and he pulled me gently to my feet. One hand curled around mine and he brought my knuckles to his lips to kiss them while his other hand grasped my waist.
A giggle escaped my throat as he twirled me gently, then dipped me backward before pulling me up into his hard, strong chest and touching his mouth to mine.
My heart exploded.
The moment hit so perfectly that a big ball of emotion enveloped the back of my throat. I couldn’t hold back the tears from welling in my eyes. “I love you,” I whispered, looking up at my beautiful husband.
He answered, his voice choked too, “And I love you. So fuckin’ much, baby. Whatever happens, promise me you’ll never doubt it.”
My heart clenched at the urgency in his tone and the vulnerability in his expression. I rolled up on my toes and kissed his mouth, tugging his lip gently between my teeth.
With a growl, he slanted his head and covered my mouth with his while strong hands pulled me closer. Our lips moved in perfect sync, as well as our bodies. My arms slid up past his neck, and I entwined my fingers behind his head, keeping him in place while he kissed the bejesus out of me. My skin prickled as fingertips brushed over my nipple until it puckered under his touch.
Soft lips skated over the back of my neck, causing goose bumps to run down both arms like tiny little flickers of air. “Let’s go upstairs,” Callum rasped.
I nodded, snuggling into him as he moved me to his side, slid his arm across my shoulders, and pulled me into the nook where I belonged. Together, we walked around the bar, turning off the music lights as we went, until eventually, we hit the back stairs to the apartment.
When we got to the top, Callum unlocked the door and tugged me inside before locking it again. He lowered his head and took my mouth again, his hands going to the back of my dress, finding the hidden zip and pulling it down. A groan left his lips as my bra-less breasts spilled free. His hands went to my hips, and he walked me to his room and deftly slipped off my dress.
Gently, he pushed me onto his bed, the intensity in his eyes making my skin heat.
I bounced on my back, my arms going above my head, and I watched Callum’s knee hit the mattress. He crawled up until he was eye-level with my white lace panties and pulled them down my legs until I was bare except for my silver strappy high-heeled sandals.
“Fucking beautiful,” he said huskily, his eyes on me. Then his hands went to the back of his shirt, and he pulled it over the back of his head, leaving his chest bare. His fingers went to his fly, and he undid his pants, pulled the zip down, and kicked them off until he was left in just his shorts. Finally, Callum slipped them off. He tossed them behind his head, and we paused to take in each other’s naked bodies.
My husband was magnificent. His chest was covered in a fine sprinkle of dark hair that narrowed into a line, extending down his six-pack and into his groin. The sinew under his skin was lean and powerful. He was muscled, but it wasn’t bulky. His lean strength came from lugging crates of bottles and kegs of beer and from sparring with his brother in the gym.
Callum O’Shea was so beautiful he took my breath away.
“I want to taste you,” I murmured. “You said I could.”
“So I did,” he said huskily, his mouth tipping up. “Be a good little wifey and get on your knees for me.”
My pussy clenched at his words. Moisture flooded between my thighs, and I lifted to my knees just like a good little wife.
Callum stretched out on his back, head to the pillow, and raised his hand to bunch my hair in his fist while he looked up into my eyes. “There’s no right or wrong way. Just do what you feel and go with your instincts. I’ll love everything you do. Just watch your teeth.”
“Okay,” I breathed, eyeing his big, hard, beautiful cock. “Will I fit all that in?”
He released my hair and watched as it fell in waves over my shoulders. “Use your hands at the same time, baby, but remember to just enjoy it. This is a treat for me. I’ll take anything you wanna give.”
I traced my finger down the thin trail that ran down the middle of his flat stomach, power surging through me as Callum let out a long moan. I felt the kick of his thick cock against my fingers, and my thighs clenched with need.
There was something so erotic about me being in control and having him at my mercy. He was mine to do with what I pleased, and the mere thought made my pussy flood.
I leaned down and breathed over the smooth, fat head.
“Suck me, wife,” he quietly ordered. The hint of authority in his voice made desire coil inside my belly. He reached down and gently touched my face. “Open your mouth.”
I took him gently inside, gazing up into his face for some kind of hint I was pleasing him.
His eyes blazed with pleasure, and I relaxed, moving my hand to grip the base of his cock.
“Tighter, wife,” he demanded. “Harder.”
I gripped him tighter, and again he groaned. “That’s it, baby, just like that.”
My pussy clenched with his praise.
With his hand still on my jaw, I bobbed my head up and down his length, then I sucked him deep into the back of my throat. Callum let out a shout, and his hands came to my head, holding me firmly in place. “Jesus fuck, wife. You’re sucking me so fucking good.”
After a few seconds of getting used to the feeling of him so deep in my throat, I began to move my mouth up, then down, sucking hard as I went.
“That’s it,” he breathed. “Take it all like a good wifey.”
The ache between my legs was so strong it was almost unbearable, and I moaned around his cock.
“Fuck yeah,” he rasped.
Spurred on, I did it again. The vibrations made my husband’s cock twitch. I looked up again to see his eyes fixated on what I was doing with my mouth.
“Fuck, wife. Look at you sucking my cock so pretty.” His jaw clenched, and he began to thrust gently. His hand went from my face to my hair. He took a handful in his fist and bunched it again, watching my expression as he fucked my mouth harder. One hand went to his thigh, and I gently began to scrape my nails over his skin as he thrust against my face.
My free hand snaked up his legs. I gripped his ass, pulling him in deeper, and I moaned around Callum’s cock, my nostrils filling with a laundry scent mixed with the hint of clean musk that was all him.
“Fuck,” he bit out, his hips rearing back. “Baby. Gonna come.”
I looked up into heated dark blue eyes, and despite the ache of my slightly bruised lips, I beamed. “Really?”
His hands went to my armpits, and he hauled me up his body. “Climb on.”
Swinging one leg over, I settled on top of him, my hands sliding up through his awesome chest hair.
“Fuck me, wife,” he ordered huskily. “Do it hard.”
I lifted my hips, reached down, and took him in my hand. Then, finding the special notch made only for my husband, I held it there and slowly slid down onto him.
Callum’s head stretched back, the muscles straining in his neck, and he let out a long, deep moan, muttering, “Hottest little cunt I’ve had.”
I’d never been on top before, and I loved the new sensations the position evoked. I was so filled up with Callum that I ached with how big he felt inside me. Slowly, I tensed my thigh muscles, lifted, and slid all the way down, taking every inch of him inside again while letting out a tiny whimper.
Callum’s fingers dug in my ass, and he urged me on, lifting and circling his hips, almost dance-like in time to my rhythm. His thumb hit my clit, and I threw my head back, letting out a cry at the pleasure pulsing through my body. Blindly, I reached out, trying to find purchase in the slats of his headboard, and gripping onto them for leverage, I began to fuck my husband.
“Jesus fuck, yeah,” he rasped. “Give me that tight little pussy.” His fingers dug harder into my ass, and he began to thrust up into me, meeting my gyrating hips as they circled, urging me on as I bounced up and down on his cock.
The walls of my pussy clenched, and I knew I was about to come.
Callum must have been aware of it, too, because his thumb circled my clit harder, and he pressed down, all while telling me how hot I was and how much he loved me.
The orgasm ripped through me, and I cried out. Callum pulled my body close while continuing to thrust up into me and latching onto a nipple with his mouth. I shook from head to toe, soaking up the sensations that lit me up like a firework. Eventually, as I came back down, I felt Callum’s cock thicken inside me, and he released my nipple and moaned. His hips bucked, and warmth flooded my pussy as I felt him come deep inside me.
“I just saw stars,” he breathed into my neck. “And it was incredible.”
Leaning back, I went to slide off, but his fingers dug into my hips, keeping me in place. “Not yet, wife. Stay where you are. Let my cum do its work.”
My breath caught in my throat.
“Keep it where it is,” he went on. “Need to keep you filled up if we’re gonna get those babies. Gonna have to do that every fucking time if we want you knocked up.”
“I thought we were going to wait?” I murmured.
His eyes met mine. “Wait for what? We’re married, and we’re in love. Let’s fucking do this.”
My heart bounced with glee. I shouldn’t have liked it, but my husband’s words wrapped around me like a blanket and made me warm.
Who would’ve thought that Callum O’Shea would want ginger-haired babies with me, nerdy Maeve Monroe?
How could my life be so utterly beautiful?
“Get comfortable,” he said softly. “Gonna keep you here until I get hard again. Then we’ll go for round two.”
Leaning forward, I rested my cheek against my husband’s lovely hairy chest, with no tufts to speak of, and heaved out a satisfied sigh when I felt his fingertips draw lazily on my bare back.
Then, I promptly fell asleep.
Sighing contentedly, I snuggled deeper into the soft blankets, and my mouth curved into a smile. A feeling of completeness settled in my soul, and I breathed my husband’s fresh laundry scent into my lungs. My body ached deliciously, and I stretched languidly to work out the kinks.
We’d made love again during the night, and it was awesome. Callum was a talented man, and as much as I hated the thought of how he learned those talents, I was glad I was the one to reap the benefits.
Cracking one eye open, I smiled at my husband's face, just inches from mine. He was dead to the world, though it was to be expected after our busy day and the opening night. Callum said the party couldn’t have gone better, and I agreed, seeing as everybody had a blast. People would be talking about the Lucky Shamrock’s reopening for weeks, which was exactly the buzz we wanted to create.
Sliding out of bed, I slipped my robe over my shoulders and padded into the bathroom. It was still early, and I was determined to leave Callum resting for a while. All the work he’d been doing had exhausted him, and then I’d exhausted him again during the night and again a few hours later.
I giggled at the memory and picked up my toothbrush to clean my teeth. I did my business, then tying up my hair, I jumped in the shower and lathered the sexcapades off my body from the night before.
Within fifteen minutes, I’d dried off, thrown on some clothes, and was inspecting the contents of the fridge.
I hadn’t had time to go grocery shopping because of how busy we’d been. Maureen had cooked our dinners, which we’d eaten in the bar during our breaks, so we’d stayed fed, but my mother-in-law couldn’t feed us forever, and a girl couldn’t live on pizza delivery alone, especially with my ass.
I decided to go over to Martha’s for coffee and a selection of sugary treats, which I’d then bring home and wave under my husband’s nose, subsequently waking him up to the scent of lemon heaven bars, caramel macchiato, and, well... me.
Awesome.
Pulling my boots on, I slipped my coat over my shoulders and wrapped my scarf around my neck while softly singing the words to the “Honeypie” song from the night before. Then I grabbed my keys, skipped down the stairs, and headed over the street.
The cold had set in, but Main Street was still quite busy for a freezing December Sunday morning. Hambleton had a thriving Church community, and many of the congregation came to Martha’s before Sunday Service, so my short walk there was taken up with greetings, smiles, and friendly nods.
I loved this town. It was so darn friendly. I’d heard stories about the old mayor and his cronies being wrong ‘uns, but I couldn’t imagine it. Everybody had been so nice to me.
Still smiling like a loony, I reached for the handle of Martha’s. Pushing open the door, I walked inside and automatically glanced around the room, pausing when I saw Shannon sitting at a table under the window with a dark-haired woman who had her back to me.
My sister’s stare landed on my face, and I immediately felt the coldness in her expression. It chilled me to the bone, even more so than the iciness of the air blowing in from the street.
“Maeve!” she called, beckoning me over.
The brunette woman sitting with Shannon craned her neck to look at me, and my stomach dropped when I saw it was Saskia.
I had no idea why, but suddenly, I was a bundle of nerves.
Shannon’s expression was one I’d seen many times. She was about to do something bitchy. I was still riding the high of the opening night and our lovemaking, and I simply wasn’t interested in my adoptive sister’s silly games.
“I don’t have time.” I pointed toward the counter. “I need to order—” but Shannon was already out of her chair and across the room. Taking my elbow, she propelled me forward.
“I know what you’re going to try and do,” I cut out, trying to free my arm. “And it won’t work.”
“You need to listen for your own good,” she told me as we approached the table. “Believe it or not, I am trying to look out for you this time.”
“I very much doubt that, Shannon,” I clipped. “Why change the habit of a lifetime?”
She motioned to the chair next to hers. “Just listen, Mae. We’re not your enemies. If you don’t care about what we’re about to tell you, it’s fine, but if it was me, I’d want to know. Sit down. Do you want a coffee?”
“I just want you to get your shite-stirring out of the way so I can order and get back to my warm bed and my naked husband,” I retorted.
I saw her flinch slightly.
To the rest of the world, she was cool, calm, and collected, but I knew her better. She was rattled. Whatever she was about to tell me was making her nervous, which didn’t bode well for me at all.
She took her seat and nodded toward some official-looking papers strewn across the table. “Read those.”
I sighed exasperatedly. “Just spit it out, Shannon.”
She took a sip of her coffee and sat back in her chair. “Okay, here it is. Da blackmailed Callum into marrying you.”
A gasp tore from my throat.
I gritted my teeth through the ache of my heart ripping open. My knees felt weak and wobbly, but somehow, despite my sister’s shameful words, I managed to stay upright. My stomach churned sickeningly, intensifying to the point I thought I was gonna puke.
The sounds quietened. Every conversation—even the soft music playing in the coffee shop—faded to silence until all I could hear was ringing in my ears.
I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or slap Shannon fucking Doyle across the face for saying such wicked things to me.
In the end, I didn’t do any of that. Instead, I croaked, “Go on.”
“Da paid for Lorcan’s cancer treatment,” Shannon murmured. “So Lorcan signed over the bar to pay it back. Dad offered Callum a reprieve—twelve months to raise three hundred thousand dollars, plus, he knocked fifty K off the debt, but only on the condition he married you.” She nodded down at the paperwork on the table. “It’s all there. They even signed a fucking contract for you.”
Black spots clouded my vision, and my fingers hit the table to steady myself. “It’s not true,” I whispered. “Callum wouldn’t do that.”
But as I threw out my denial, I knew I was being a fool. And the reason for that was because of the words Abe unwittingly spoke to me two days before. The same words still floating around in the back of my head, haunting me from the moment he said them.
‘ Often, when two people are forced to be together, the resentment alone could pile on enough pressure for everything to implode .’
Slowly, I closed my eyes, unable to speak through the burn hitting the back of my throat.
Don’t cry, Maeve. Keep it together. Don’t you fucking cry.
“Callum never wanted you,” Saskia told me quietly. “I know he’s probably told you all kinds of bullshit about me, but he was with me the weekend before he married you.”
“He said he hadn’t touched you in months...” My voice trailed off, and I blinked.
Yeah... I really was a damned fool.
I’d believed every lying word out of his beautiful traitorous mouth, and while I buried my head in the sand and ignored what was in front of my face, I’d also taken my heart from my chest, wrapped it up in a big bow, and handed it over to somebody who didn’t give a shit about it.
The signs had always been there. Callum O’Shea had never given me the time of day before, but I was so set on living my fairytale that I’d ignored all the red flags.
I gave him the hidden pieces of myself that I’d buried deep since the day my parents died. I gave him my trust and my hopes and my dreams; I gave him parts of me I could never get back, parts of me I didn’t even want back because now they were tainted.
I gave him my truth, my vulnerabilities, and my insecurities.
I gave him everything I had, everything I was.
I trusted him.
“I’m sorry,” Shannon murmured. “I didn’t want to be the one to tell you.”
My tear-filled eyes drifted to hers, and I whispered, “Liar.” Then, my stricken gaze lowered to the table where the papers lay, and I reached out to pick them up.
I couldn’t read them, maybe because my mind had gone blank with the knowledge that everything I’d believed in never really existed.
Folding the papers, I shoved them under my coat, making sure to keep them secure.
“What are you doing?” Shannon bit out.
“I don’t know where you got these from,” I retorted. “But I’m going to use them to confront our da.”
Her face twisted in a mixture of fright and horror. “You can’t do that,” she cried. “He’ll go barmy.”
“Should’ve thought about that before you stole his paperwork,” I snapped.
“I didn’t steal anything,” she protested, gesturing toward Saskia. “She did it.”
My eyes sliced toward the other woman.
Saskia’s cheeks may have been stained red, but her expression was one of pure victory. Her lips were set in a smirk, and she brought her nails up to study them as if she was spending a day at the fucking beauty salon.
“Where did you get them from?” I demanded.
Her mouth twisted tighter.
My eyes narrowed to slits. “Right. I’ll go to our lawyer. Kennedy Stone can deal with you. She’ll press charges against your lying ass.”
Something flashed behind her eyes—fear maybe—and she blurted out, “I found them on Callum’s desk. He didn’t even try to hide them.”
Something pinged at the back of my brain, and suddenly, the truth slowly dawned on me. “That’s why you were in the office. You were snooping. There’s no way Callum would leave that shite out on his desk. You went through his personal stuff, didn’t you?”
Her eyes stared straight into mine, but she couldn’t hide her guilty expression. It was so obvious that it may as well have been tattooed onto her damned forehead.
Weirdly, I almost smiled at the thought of Saskia getting one over on my dear husband . It wasn’t like he didn’t deserve everything he got, and as the saying went, you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes. Patrick. Callum, Shannon, and Saskia—they were all as bad as each other. Every one of them was a liar with an agenda.
But it seemed the player got played.
Awww... Shame.
“Look, Sis—” Shannon began.
I skewered her with a glare. “Don’t you Sis me.” My eyes traveled over her face before sweeping down her body. “You wouldn’t know sisterhood if it smacked you in the face. You’re a nasty, mean, spiteful little girl, and if I never see you again, it’ll be too soon.” I leaned forward and bit out, “Give yourself a round of applause because you’ve finally done it. You’ve got rid of me for good. You’ve wrecked my marriage, and you’ve destroyed my family. They’re all yours, Shannon—take it all, but don’t think for one minute that you’ve gotten one over on me. I’ll win at life, but you’ll still be the same vile little bitch you’ve always been.” I looked her up and down one more time. “I hope it was worth it.”
“Maeve...” her hand reached out to stop me, but I shook it off.
She knew in that instant that she’d fucked up big.
“This time, you’ve gone too far,” I informed her coolly. “Do you think your da’s going to let you get away with this stunt? You went out of your way, not only to fuck me over but him, too. Except this time, it’s his business dealings you’ve interfered with, and you know your da takes his business very seriously.”
Her face paled.
My hard stare cut to Saskia. “You have no idea of the shitshow she’s gotten you mixed up in, but you will. The man you’ve fucked over,” I jerked my chin at Shannon, “her da. He’s a fucking crime boss. Patrick Doyle will hunt you down like an animal. Nobody can protect you from what’s coming.”
Saskia’s eyes widened as they cut toward Shannon accusingly. “Patrick Doyle?” she questioned, her tone shocked.
My so-called sister’s eyes lowered, and her pale cheeks reddened.
I turned for the door, pulled my shoulders back, and walked out of there like a queen, even though underneath, my heart was in tatters.
I was slowly dying inside. I could feel every ray of light in my soul fading away and every bit of warmth seeping out of me.
For a while there, I’d had love, and it was everything I’d dreamed of.
Loving Callum O’Shea had changed me on a fundamental level and rocked me to my core. It had turned me from a girl into a woman with needs and wants, and I’d blossomed under its beauty.
I’d blossomed under him.
But now it was gone, and I knew I’d never feel that beauty again. Love like that was a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and I’d never get it back.
Really, I should’ve known better; I mean, it was me we were talking about. Of course my happiness wouldn’t last because good things just didn’t happen in my life.
I should’ve known loving Callum O’Shea would eventually lead to my ruin.