AOIFE
IT WAS a little after midnight when I was roused to the sound of my bedroom window creaking open and then closing shut.
My heart accelerated in my chest when muffled footsteps followed, and then I felt the mattress dip beside me.
Remaining silent, I rolled onto my back, and turned my head to look at my boyfriend.
Because I just knew that it was Joey.
Fully clothed and body rigid, he lay on top of my covers, with his hood up, and his hands resting on his stomach, as he glared up at my bedroom ceiling.
He was breathing in excessively deep and slow, letting me know that he was dealing with something in his mind, and instead of running to Shane, he had come here.
To me.
In the darkness, with only the hue of the moon shining through my window to illuminate us, we laid side by side. My body cloaked in warmth, and his in coldness.
Mirroring our lives.
Without speaking a word, I reached out and took one of his big hands in mine and lifted it to my mouth.
He needed to process.
He needed to make the next move for himself.
I couldn’t do that for him.
Pressing four soft kisses to each of his scarred knuckles, I cradled his hand to my chest and waited.
After what felt like an eternity, he exhaled a pained breath and entwined my fingers with his.
He turned his head to look at me, so I did the same.
“I needed Tommen to be better for her.”
“Shannon?”
He nodded stiffly.
Heart sinking, I covered our joined hands with my free one.
“She looked at me like it was my fault.”
“Your mam?”
Another stiff nod.
My heart squeezed.
I knew that he didn’t need me to bombard him with questions, much less did he want my pity or comfort, so I just stared at him, watching as his clear, green eyes focused on my mine.
“She hates me,” he finally came out with, his words a pained admission. “You should see the way she looks at me.”
Pain encompassed me and I rolled onto my side, facing him. “What do you see when I look at you?”
He flinched. “That’s not the—”
“What do you see, Joe?”
“You,” he whispered brokenly. “I see you, Molloy.”
“You see love,” I corrected softly, releasing his hand to cup his stubbly cheek. “You see acceptance.”
He swallowed deeply, but didn’t reply.
“We’re mirrors, Joe,” I told him, taking his hand and placing it on my cheek. “Everything you feel for me is reciprocated. It’s mirroring back at you.”
“Molloy.”
“Your mother might be foolish enough to disregard you, but that will never happen from me,” I whispered, shifting closer until our noses were brushing. “I will never reject your love.”
He exhaled and whispered, “I’m really fucking drowning here, Aoif.”
“Don’t worry, Joe. I won’t let that happen,” I replied, nuzzling his nose with mine. “I won’t let your head go under.”
“Promise?”
I leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips. “I promise.”
“I love you.”
“I love you back.”
“I’m going to get this right, Molloy.”
“I know you are, Joe.”
“You’re really sticking around, aren’t ya?”
“Afraid so.” I smiled in the darkness. “For the ring. The white dress. The white picket fence. The whole nine yards.”
“Jesus,” he chuckled. “Don’t push it.”
“I always push it, Joe.”
“Understatement of the century, Molloy.”
“When we get engaged—”
“We’re not getting engaged.”
“I want a ring the size of my fist.”
He snorted. “Good luck with that.”
“And when we get married—”
“We’re not getting married.”
“I want a big house in the country, with a huge four-poster bed, and one of those giant flatscreen televisions hanging on the wall.”
“And where am I going to find the money for that?”
I beamed at him. “I thought you said we weren’t getting married.”
“We’re not.” He turned to face me. “We can’t because I’ll be in prison for robbing a bank to pay for that fist-sized ring you have your eye on.”
“And when we have babies —”
“We’re not having babies.”
“They’ll be blond and green-eyed and just like their dad.”
“You’re insane.”
“I’m in love.”
“I’m not having babies, Molloy,” he whispered, giving me a lonesome look. “I can’t be a father.”
“Joe.”
“It’s a hard limit for me.”
“Okay.” Giving him a reassuring smile, I said, “No babies. We’ll have a fur-baby instead.”
“Hm.” Turning back to stare at the ceiling, he inhaled a deep breath. “You might want to lower the bar with the mansion in the country, too.”
“Why?” I laughed. “What have you in mind?”
“Don’t know,” he admitted. “I never think about that kind of stuff.”
“The future?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“Well, you better start thinking about it,” I teased. “Because you’re in mine, and I always get what I want.”
“Yeah.” He squeezed my hand. “I know.”
“So, do you want to keep talking?” Springing up, I reached for the hem of my t-shirt and whipped it off. “Or should we get naked and screw?”
“Jesus Christ.” Chuckling softly, Joey mirrored my actions and pulled his hoodie and t-shirt over his head. “Where did I find you?”
“Your dreams.” Reaching for the waistband of my knickers, I quickly shoved them down my thighs and clambered on top of his lap. “Hey, stud.”
“Hey, queen.”
“Queen?” My eyes danced with delight as I reached for the waistband of his sweats. “Now you’re talking my language.”
Lifting his hips, he pushed sweats and boxers down, freeing himself and giving me a close-up of his big damn dick. “I’ve never had this.”
“What?”
“This,” he whispered, kicking off his clothes, and hooking an arm around my back to pull me close. “Us.” Pressing his lips to mine, he reached a hand between us and aligned the head of his thick cock against me. “You.”
“Well, good.” Shivering, I lowered myself down on him, reveling in the wonderful way he stretched me to the point of pain. “Because I’m completely yours.”
My eyelids fluttered when he rolled his hips upwards, pressing deep inside of me in the best kind of way.
“I’m completely yours, too.” The words were a quiet, barely spoken admission, but they meant so much to me because I knew it all but killed him to expose himself to me. “I always have been.”
“I know, Joe.” Cheeks flushed and body burning in heat, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my forehead to his as I rocked on top of him. “God, I could have you inside me forever and it wouldn’t be long enough.”
“I know what you mean,” he bit out, cheeks just as flushed as mine, as he gripped my hips and thrust into me in a delicious rhythm. “I want in you constantly.”
“Have you ever had that before?” I asked, breathless, as our bodies rocked and thrust together. “Mm…”
He shook his head and pressed a kiss to my lips. “Just with you.”
“Don’t leave me again, Joe.”
His thrust faltered. “Molloy.”
“Mm…don’t.”
His hands tightened on my hips as he deepened his thrust. “I won’t.”
“Mm…good.” Blowing out a breath, I bit back a moan and buried my face in his neck. “Because I’ve got serious wifey feelings for you.”
“Jesus, baby.” Flipping me onto my back in one swift movement, he was back between my legs, pushing inside me. “Don’t play with me.”
Breathless, I spread myself open for him to have me. “I’m not playing, Joe.” Taking his hand in mine, I pressed it to my chest and looked up at his flushed face. “I feel everything for you.”
“You can have whatever you want from me,” he whispered, thrusting deep inside of me. “It’s yours.” Dropping down on an elbow, he leaned in close and crushed his lips to mine. “Because I’m only doing life for you.”
