Chapter Twenty-Three
Aidan
After driving farther north up the coast, we happen upon a quaint coastal hotel south of Galway and check in. The management has leaned heavily into the whole seaside theme. Seashells sit on the dresser, ocean-inspired art of boats against a vibrant sunset grace the walls, and every piece of furniture is painted cerulean, seafoam, or turquoise.
“They sent us champagne.” I nod toward the desk, where the neck of a bottle juts out from an ice bucket. Two tall glasses stand at attention by its side.
“You sweet-talk that woman at the check-in counter for this?”
“I have a way with the seventy-five-and-up crowd.”
She crows with laughter.
With the expert hands of someone who’s worked too long behind a bar, I remove the cage and cork so the bottle only hisses upon opening, and I pour two glasses. “What’re we toasting to?”
“Well,” June taps her chin in thought while closing the distance between us. Her mouth is so close I can almost taste her. “An incredible trip?”
“An irresistible navigator.”
She brushes her lips against mine, and I don’t care about the champagne or the toast. All that matters is that I’m wrapped around her finger.
“Mrs. McNally’s dresser,” she says.
“We should thank it for its service.” I pull her closer by her hip and take a quick survey of the room. “Maybe tonight we’ll make our way to a bed?”
“Guess we’ll have to wait and see.”
“Not sure,” I say in between a line of kisses down her neck. “Not sure I can wait.”
We ditch the glasses and dance over to the mattress in a tangle of limbs. Removing her clothes is a holy experience, and I worship each body part until we’re skin on skin. She has teardrop-shaped breasts with pert rosy nipples, thighs I want to glide my hands up and down all day, and a luscious patch of brown hair between her legs where I’d happily bury myself. Her fingers roam my chest, shoulders, and back with fervor. She presses her hips into my leg, and the warmth of her center makes my cock ache.
I trace my tongue across her collarbone and finally onto the pink peak of her breast. Her breath cuts the air when I pull it into my mouth, rubbing it in circles with my tongue while massaging the other between my fingers.
“You’re gorgeous,” I say in a ragged breath against her chest. I lay down a line of kisses from her breast up to her neck and to the corner of that coy smile. “Can I go down on you?”
“You can do anything you want to me.”
I travel down her torso and situate myself between her legs. I’ll never tire of this view. Her lips are swollen with anticipation, and her center already looks silky wet.
June tastes sweet and sour, like an irresistible piece of candy I can never stop sucking on. While I nuzzle harder into her, she gasps and groans with each new tilt of my head and flick of the tongue. Her legs shiver, and she whispers a guttural, “I’m close,” so I wrap my arms tighter around her thighs.
When she comes, both of her hands scrape through my hair, pulling me closer with every shockwave traveling through her body. It’s a glorious rush. I wait there, content to spend the rest of the night admiring June from that angle, and then I hear her breathy voice again. “Condoms. Shit, I don’t have any more.”
“Got some at the petrol station earlier.”
She props herself up on her elbows to look at me, her face full of mirth. “Aidan McCarthy, are you seducing me?”
“I sure as hell hope so.”
June watches with hooded eyes as I roll protection onto my cock, pure hunger resting on her lips. She acts like I’m the sexiest man alive, and all I want is to make her come undone once again.
As I slide into her, my mind goes blank. June’s warmth surrounds me, and every Yes, Aidan from her mouth gets me harder. She grips me close, pulling me as far inside of her as possible, and I rest my thumb between us to rub against her clit with each forward push.
“That feel good?” I ask in between breaths.
“It feels phenomenal .” Her teeth clamp down on her bottom lip until a loud, pleasure-filled groan escapes.
“I love hearing the sounds you make. So sexy.”
“It’s because of you. When you’re so deep inside of me like this, I can’t help it.” She moans again, and I latch onto her neck. “I love that.”
“I’m going to miss this so much,” I say.
“Me too.” Her voice cracks. “Gonna miss this so much.”
“Hey.” I pause and search her face to find her eyes shimmering, which takes me from turned-on to concerned. “Hey, I’m right here. I’m right here, June.”
“I know. I-I’m sorry.”
“What’s wrong?” I pull out and scoot next to her on the bed. “Did I do something?”
“No, it’s me. I just…” Her eyes catch mine, and she smiles, like that could conceal her obvious pain. “Stuck in my own thoughts.”
“That’s fine.” I toss the condom aside and lay down, my head propped in one hand and the other hand resting on her waist. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“I’m going to miss this.” Tears pool in between her lashes. Quieter, she adds, “I’ll miss you.”
An ache shoots through my chest because I know what she means about missing a person before they’re gone. I sense it, too. Tonight is one of our last nights together, and our last night alone. In a couple days’ time, she’ll board a flight back to New York. Back to her life. And what then?
I can’t wait around on this or leave us up to fate. I won’t.
“What if I visit you sometime?” I splay my palm on her stomach.
“I mean, I’d love that, but…” June traces an infinity symbol on my arm. “I don’t know.”
I catch a flicker of fear in her, enticing her to pull away. I’m not having it. “Why?”
“That sounds so serious. You planning a trip to see me.”
“All it means is I like you, and I hope to see you again.” I hold my breath, hoping I haven’t overstepped my bounds here. Hoping I haven’t misread this situation entirely. “Unless you don’t want to.”
“No,” June says. She rolls toward me, her brows forming a V-shape. “That’s not it at all.”
“Well, that’s fortunate for you. I am Cara’s best friend, so you won’t get rid of me that easy.”
June doesn’t respond and instead worries her bottom lip so hard she might bite right through it.
“Do you have a holiday coming up?”
“Christmas.”
“Before that,” I say.
“Thanksgiving? That’s in like a month.”
“And?”
“That’s so soon. Flight prices must be astronomical.”
“Don’t worry about that.” I reach out and trace my thumb across her cheekbone. “I’m not dreaming this up, am I? Us?”
“No, but—but why the rush?”
“I like you.” I don’t dare say the other L-word, but it sizzles in my mind and disappears like steam from a coffee cup. “You leave in two days, and I’m going to be devastated. Let this pitiful man buy a ticket to see you.”
“You should wait until prices go down.”
“I’ve already looked,” I confess. “I can manage them. C’mon.” I plant a kiss on her shoulder. “If you can give me a real, honest excuse why I shouldn’t purchase a flight right now, then I won’t do it. But if not, then missing each other won’t be so miserable when we’ve got this to look forward to.”
My heart pounds its way out of my ribcage as I wait for her to respond.
When she says okay , I almost don’t hear the word, but it sends a current of energy through me. I climb on top of her and burrow kisses into her neck. She releases a low laugh, and I wish I could play that sound on repeat. She appears happy, if a bit tentative. I probably came on strong with wanting to buy a transatlantic flight to visit her in less than thirty days, but she’s smiling to herself.
Our kisses go from playful to deep, meaningful, and passionate. We’re both still naked, and the feeling of June’s breasts pressing up against me reawakens my cock. Her leg links around me, the heat between her still feels slick, and I run my finger down her center. She hisses when I slide two fingers in and stroke her from the inside, and her eyes flutter closed.
Reaching to her side of the bed, she paws around until she grabs another condom. I love watching her roll it onto me, almost as much as I love how she climbs on top of me and lowers herself onto my erection with a satisfied grunt.
“Christ.”
“Now’s not the time for prayers, Aidan.”
With a smirk, I say, “With a view like this, it might be.”
I rest my hands on her hips, following how her body rocks back and forth against mine and using my strength to grind her harder on top of me. Her breasts sway with each movement, and I pull her toward me so I can capture one of her nipples in my mouth. I suck my way up her neck until we’re face-to-face, molded together and breathing each other in.
This doesn’t mirror the rushed, lust-filled heat of yesterday. We move in a sensual push and pull like ocean waves. This is desire—for each other, yes, but mixed with something else. Perhaps the hope to be careful with each other’s hearts.
June’s eyes lock on mine as her mouth falls open.
“I’m right here,” I say, hushed, coaxing her toward a climax. “I’m here with you.”
“Aidan.”
Her head nuzzles against me when she comes, shaking and quivering until she collapses. My own climax ramps up like rays of light shooting in every direction, and involuntary shudders of release work their way through my body. We hold each other in stillness, almost as if the night could last forever if we don’t move or say anything.
I think this woman will be the end of me.
After we clean up, neither of us has the energy to put our clothing back on. June rests her head in the crook of my shoulder, and I guide a few stray hairs behind her ear.
“I wish I could stop time,” she says against my chest.
“You’re in luck. We can.” I get up and dig around in my bag. When I hold my camera out to her, June smiles. “Stop time. This is how I do it.”
“I’m a phone camera person.”
“Here.” I settle in next to her on the bed. “It’s easy.”
She grips the Nikon, framing a shot of our feet poking out at the bottom of the sheets, the rest of the room in the background. I talk her through the aperture and shutter speed dials, and she clicks the shutter with a grin.
“Can I take a photo of you?” I ask.
“Sure.” She tucks herself further under the comforter. “Not for anything dirty, I hope.”
“No,” I assure her. “You look gorgeous, and I want to remember this moment too.”
As I point the lens in her direction, I preserve her perfection indefinitely—the graceful curves from her toes to her hips to her waist. I pull the camera away to inspect the image, and the sight of her makes me have to catch my breath.
“Okay, I might have lied. I might save this for something dirty.”
She shrieks and tosses a pillow in my direction. I dodge while lifting up my camera for one action shot. The shutter clicks at exactly the right time. Hair tousled. Wide smile from ear to ear. And most importantly of all, with me.
Selfishly, I’d love to keep June all to myself, but we ought to get back to Ballygrá. We can’t spend the next twenty-four hours together, just the two of us, as much as I might like to. Cara and Yaz return this afternoon, and Evvie’s arranged a dinner for June’s last night in town.
One more day. June leaves in one more day. The only shred of knowledge making that more bearable is knowing I’ll get to see her only a few weeks from now.
I take the drive back at a luxurious pace. No need to rush, as long as we get back by nightfall. We stop in some towns along the way to eat lunch and wander through bookshops and boutiques. I pull off to the side of the road for photo stops too, although it’s a toss-up whether June peeks at the scenery or puts her hands on me. The hire car has less room than my own, but I’m impressed with the creative things we can do in such a compact space.
We get back to my house and have a chance to shower, break in my bed, and shower again before heading over to Evvie and Roger’s. My mind has turned to mush. I make a dedicated effort to stop thinking of how June took the whole of my cock in her mouth half an hour prior, and how her tongue made magic as one of her fists worked up and down my shaft.
June knocks on the door, her hair still damp and skin still flushed in a post-orgasm glow.
“There you are!” Roger welcomes us inside. “No Cara and Yaz with you?”
“No, they said they’d come separate.”
“Hi love,” Evvie says, kissing June on the cheek and then me. “I invited your mam and da as well. They got here a few minutes ago.”
I haven’t talked to them much since our last chat when I ran out. With the wedding, I barely saw them long enough to say hello, but I noticed how they spent the night talking to other people. I don’t understand why they’d bother showing up here together if they want to go through with this separation.
“Lovely to see you again, June,” my mam says, pulling her into a hug. June greets both of my parents, and I can tell they like her by their ear-to-ear smiles. I ignore their covert side-eye in my direction—I’m sure Mam would kill to know precisely what we got up to these couple of days.
“What would you both like?” Roger asks.
“Don’t trouble yourself,” I reply. “Back in a sec.”
When June and I reach the kitchen, she turns to me. “When will Cara get here?”
“Anytime.”
“Right. Right, okay.” She gnaws on her lower lip. “Your mom’s sweet.”
“Wasn’t expecting either of them here. Not the both of them.” I grab two glasses from the cupboard and set both on the counter. “Acting as if they’re a happily married couple who’re gonna tell jokes and go to dinner with each other and pretend like nothing’s wrong. Unless they’ve changed their minds. If not, then they’re living a lie.”
“Yeah,” June says, rubbing her thumb on the mouth of the green glass. “Your parents are doing their best. I’m not trying to diminish what you’re feeling, but they’re showing up how they can for you, even if their relationship has become complicated.”
I grumble, not willing to admit that she’s probably right.
“They love you enough to put aside their bullshit and be here together. That’s special. Doesn’t make the situation any easier, but it’s something.”
Reaching down for her hands, I intertwine mine with hers to pull her in close. I move to give her a swift, soft kiss, but she reaches up to my chin and entices me with the promise of more. It’s the kind of time-stopping kiss that feels like a hello and a goodbye in one. Passionate, yearning, and bittersweet.
“June, can you—oh.” Evvie walks in on our intimate moment. “Would you help me with some of the dinner prep?”
“Sure.” A pinkish blush spreads across her cheeks while she washes up in the sink. “I’m not as impressive of a chef as Cara, but I’ll do what I can.”
“Thank you, love. Danny, message that daughter of mine and see where she is. Thought she’d be here by now.”
I text Cara as I wander back into the living room.
“…plays with shadows, I’m impressed. Every single one has such character. Ah, here’s the pro.” Roger has his point-and-shoot camera out again. “Was telling them ’bout your Instagram.”
“Oh?” I almost drop my seltzer. Roger’s twice my age, and he has an Instagram. And he’s somehow found me on there?
“You came up as a suggested profile the other day. Gave you a follow. Interesting stuff.”
“Thanks.” I’d prefer to talk about pretty much anything else at this point. Photography and my family don’t mix.
“Y’see this?” Roger holds up his phone to my da. To my surprise, he doesn’t scowl. Instead, his eyebrows jump up to his hairline, and he nods in such a way I think he might actually be impressed.
“Clicked through to your site, too. Looks grand. ‘Click here for booking information.’”
“What’re you booking?” my da asks.
“That’s—I’m still working on that. The template had that, but I should change the site, for sure.”
I’m saved by my mobile.
CARA: Here
CARA: I need you to come outside
CARA: Now
I count my lucky stars for the excuse. When I head out to the driveway, Cara’s leaning with her bum against the car, and Yaz stands right by her side. The scene looks off, tense. They’re not the types for big, dramatic arguments, but whatever’s going on, they don’t look happy.
“…too much of a coincidence. Who else by that name would work there?”
“I agree,” Cara says as Yaz recrosses her arms. “But, why ?”
“That’s why you’ll go in and ask her.”
“Everything all right?”
Yaz sighs and takes a step back, encouraging Cara to talk to me.
“No, not really.”
“Did something happen on the honeymoon?”
“Minimoon. And no. Just—here, you best look at this.”
I sidle up next to her as she pulls up an email on her phone. It’s a newsletter from a site that sounds familiar.
“That’s June’s place?”
“Yeah. Scroll down,” she says, impatient enough that she swipes down the message for me and presses the URL in the newsletter with heated conviction.
The headline reads: “DNA EXPOSé: FAILED DNA LAB RESULTS AND THE brOKEN FAMILIES LEFT IN THEIR WAKE.” I don’t know what I’m looking at, or why.
“Keep going,” Cara instructs. “Read that sixth paragraph, two sentences in.”
After finding the exact spot she mentioned, a familiar name stands out.
Juniper Martin, one of our employees here at The Edge, recently encountered her own genealogy grief after a faulty DNA test result from Double Helix Labs. Robert Edwinson, a former lab technician there, said mistakes such as this happen infrequently but can’t be ruled out completely. However, the rate at which he encountered them at Double Helix was ultimately one of the reasons he looked for employment elsewhere.
In ordinary circumstances, when labs catch these issues early, they’re easily undone. However, after first contact, they can create complicated scenarios.
Such is the case with Juniper who traveled across an entire ocean to meet her supposed half sister. “It’s my life, and it involves real people,” she said. “People who I do [now] care about.”
I read and reread those few paragraphs, paralyzed. June’s words from the other night ring in my head. You don’t know who I really am. She didn’t mean this , though. She couldn’t mean that she came all the way here to trick Cara.
To trick me.
“Did the lab reach out to you?” Yaz asks Cara.
“I don’t think so, but I didn’t pay much attention to my phone these past few days.”
“But why would she hide this?” I sputter, reexamining every interaction I’ve had with June since she arrived. I know her.
Don’t I?
“We need to get to the bottom of this,” Yaz says in a way that’s both diplomatic and unyielding.
Cara’s face turns hard, and she looks toward the house. “There’s only one way to find out.”