Chapter Eighteen
Liam
The most depressing fact about summer was that it only consisted of eight weeks. Oonagh’s birthday was in the middle of August, which heralded the end of our summer drawing near. The celebration was under a week away now and my time was starting to run out.
For nearly four weeks, we’d lived in our own bubble. Oonagh told her parents she was devoting some time to catching up with friends, when in reality, we spent every free moment with each other. Gone were the days of a trip to Mr. Wilson’s shop. I took her out on dates, flying her to Paris last weekend for a romantic getaway. It was somewhere I’d always wanted to visit with her since her postcard the year she travelled with her uni friends. She’d written I wish you were here with me followed by a heart, and I’d wanted that with every fibre of my being. Every day with her made me fall under her spell a little bit more as she integrated herself fully into my life.
Oonagh rearranged my kitchen every time she cooked, and strange items started to appear in my apartment. Cushions on the sofas, colourful cooking utensils, rugs to wrap us up as we watched television. Some nights she shared stories of her jobs around the world, showing me photographs on her phone. One man always stood beside or behind her. He definitely didn’t give me the brother vibe that she claimed he held in her life. His eyes were usually on her instead of the camera.
Music tended to greet me when I came home, followed by a kiss that left me weak at the knees and aroused. More often than not, Oonagh ended up bound to the bed with my tie that she tended to loosen while kissing me. The bed that now had faery lights around the headboard. Every day heralded a new addition to our apartment that had morphed into a home when I wasn’t looking.
“Dermott was in today for a meeting,” I told her, trying to manoeuvre her to the bedroom. “He asked when our engagement party was.”
Oonagh froze, her body tilting back at the waist. “What did you say?”
“I told him we’d have our party near the end of the summer since your birthday is next week.”
She chewed the side of her mouth, her eyes filled with questions and doubts. “One last date?”
There would be no last dates, considering I had every intention of keeping her this time. “Something like that.”
I nuzzled her neck, flicking my tongue against her pulse because I knew it drove her crazy. What drove me insane was the fact she hadn’t taken my ring off. The possessive asshole inside me liked that ownership claim on her hand.
“Dinner…” Oonagh sighed, canting her head to the side.
“I’d rather eat you,” I whispered, my lips hovering over her mouth .
Four weeks ago, she would have blushed at the suggestion; now, her eyes bored into mine in challenge. I’d ignited a fire in Oonagh, and she met every dare with enthusiasm, adding a few of her own into the mix.
Her phone pinged in the kitchen and her eyes moved in the direction of the noise. “Mum has been messaging me all day about the party.” She sighed, dropping her head to my chest. “She’ll start ringing if I don’t reply.”
I wanted to throw her phone into the River Lagan and watch it sink right now. “Fine,” I huffed. “I’ll take this suit off while you’re organising your birthday.”
Oonagh stood chatting to her mum, her hip braced against the counter when I wandered back in. My heart stumbled over its beat. Seeing her in my life was so natural now that I couldn’t remember a time when I didn’t find random bras hanging in unexpected places.
My arm slid around her waist, tugging her to me as I pressed a trail of kisses down her neck. The rumble of someone talking on the other end of the phone told me her mother was on a roll.
“Seriously, Mum, I wish you’d asked me before inviting people. I rarely speak to some of the ones I went to uni with, and I’m sure the guys from work have better things to do with their free time than come to a birthday party.” She rolled her eyes at me as I moved in front of her.
Widening her legs, I stepped between them, lifting her up to lower her back on the counter.
“No, I’m not being ungrateful, I’m just not twelve anymore. ”
I pushed Oonagh’s top up to expose her bra and set to work on her breasts. She had curves that made men make stupid decisions. I knew that definitely applied to me. I released the first one from its lace prison, sucking and lavishing her nipple with my tongue as my hand massaged the soft mound.
“Um…” Oonagh’s hips tilted. “Yeah, I hear what you’re saying but you don’t seem to be listening to me.”
My teeth bit gently down on her nipple to stimulate it the way a nipple clamp would. Oonagh moaned, her spare hand finding my hair.
“No, I’m fine, just clearing my throat.”
My lips twitched at her blatant lie to her mother.
She tried to prise my hand off her other breast, but there was no way I was giving up on my quest. Oonagh struggled up on her elbows to glare down at me. I peered up at her with her nipple between my lips and my tongue flicking until it hardened. Her gaze darkened as she stared at me, her eyebrow arching and head tilting in warning.
Challenge accepted.
A dark grin crossed my lips and my hands smoothed over the fabric of her yoga pants, fingers slipping into the waistband to slowly pull them down.
Oonagh shook her head at me, cautioning me. “Yeah, I’m still here. I don’t care how many people Niall has invited. You know I prefer Halloween.”
My head disappeared between her legs, my mouth attacking her full force.
She squeaked, her legs clamping on either side of my head .
“What? No, I’m not distracted. Can we talk about this later?”
My shoulders widened her legs to allow me access. Oonagh knew I wouldn’t stop until she was screaming my name. The way her stomach muscles tightened and her legs trembled, she wasn’t far from doing that.
“Hmmm. Yeah, I’ll have a look at your list. When will I be back home? Um…”
I popped my head up. “Tomorrow?” I mouthed to her.
“Sure, I’ll come down tomorrow to give you a hand.”
Speaking of hands… My finger hooked inside her pussy to find that sweet spot that made her purr.
“Oh, shit!” Oonagh’s hips bucked up into me. “NO! No, Mum, not you. I have to go, chat later.”
Her phone slammed onto the counter and her hands grabbed my face, dragging me up to her. “For that you better make sure I come twice.” She pulled me down to kiss me like her life depended on it.
I didn’t stop until she screamed my name three times, her fingers nearly dragging my hair out. There were definitely benefits to sharing my home with someone, and I was developing a taste for them.
***
“Oh, my God, what are you doing here?” Oonagh squealed, the man from the photographs on her phone hauling her into a hug that set my back molars grinding together. I didn’t know who the fuck he thought he was, but he needed to get his hands off her ass before I broke them for him. A blonde female stood on the periphery with me.
Was I possessive? Yes.
Did I give a fuck? No.
“Liam, this is Martin. We went to uni together and spent most of our careers picking the same assignments.” Oonagh’s smile lit her face up as she introduced us. “Martin, this is my oldest friend Liam.”
We stared at each other. She was too innocent to realise that he wasn’t picking the assignments, he was picking her. His jaw tightened as he evaluated me. Her ring was in my pocket and it killed me that she wasn’t wearing it since her mum wasn’t aware of our fake soon-to-be-real engagement.
“Pleased to meet you,” I grated out, holding my hand out to him, and using the other to pull Oonagh back beside me where she belonged.
His gaze followed the gesture, his hand slowly meeting mine in a handshake that felt more like the start of a contest.
I didn’t have to say anything. Oonagh’s body language shouted loud and clear for anyone who wanted to listen that she belonged to me. Her hips aligned to mine and her thumb tucked into my waistband. This type of familiarity only came when you were sexually comfortable with someone.
“And this is Angie, she’s one of the nurses in our unit and my best friend,” Oonagh continued.
A genuine smile manifested for Angie since she didn’t pose any threat.
“You must be the Liam I have to fight for best friend title.” She grabbed my hand and squeezed it between both of hers, smiling at Oonagh .
“I gotta go and check the work down at the lighthouse station, but I’ll be back later.” I dropped a kiss on her forehead before heading outside to my car.
“Liam,” Oonagh stopped me before I opened the car door, her fingers interlocking with mine. “I know this sounds strange, but can I have my ring back? I feel naked without having it with me.”
“I’d prefer if you wear it,” I said, tucking an unruly strand of hair behind her ear.
A sad smile tipped her lips up. “Do you want to explain it to my mother?”
One shoulder lifted in a shrug. “Those who take the biggest risks claim the greatest rewards.”
“You’re being a dick again.”
“I thought we agreed that you loved my dick.” I winked, and instead of a blush, a smile that contained feminine awareness crossed her lips.
“I do own him until the end of summer.”
My body leaned into hers, my lips close to her ear. “You keep satisfying him and you could end up owning him for life.”
I kissed the side of her neck and felt the shiver that rippled through her. Reaching into my pocket, I retrieved the ring and placed it into her hand, closing her fingers over it.
“See you later, baby.”
This time, it was Oonagh who placed a soft kiss on my lips.
It occurred to me while driving home that what I felt for her now was different to what it’d been before. Previously, I’d been happy to sneak around and grab stolen moments with her. Now, I wanted to claim her in front of the entire world and damn the consequences. My friendship with Niall was nothing compared to what I felt for his sister. He’d kill me for being with her, but I’d die a happy man.
***