Page 80 of On The Rocks

I huffed. “Oh, alright,” I griped, my lips setting in a line.

Callum shook his head again, obviously exasperated with me.

I didn’t care. This was just our way of communicating, and I knew he got just as much out of it as I did. I liked keeping Callum O’Shea on his toes; he needed it, or else he’d get bored. Maybe that was why he’d never settled down before. Maybe all those beautiful but vacuous women he screwed didn’t challenge him the way he needed to be challenged.

Turning my head toward the window, I smiled secretly to myself.

Maybe this relationship stuff wasn’t so difficult after all. Or perhaps it was just easier with Callum. I didn’t kid myself that it would all be moonlight and roses with us two, but we were growing closer—even intimate—and after tonight, I knew his feelings ran deeper than I could have ever hoped.

The way Callum dived into the fray and punched the idiot who touched me sent a thrill down my spine. He was like something out of one of my romance novels, and as much as I should’ve hated it, I didn’t. It made me even more attracted to him, if that was even possible.

Who would’ve thought that nerdy little Maeve O’Shea would not only land the best-looking boy in her circle but also the most alpha hot guy too. After a shaky start, Callum O’Shea was starting to mean the world to me. He made me go giddy, and I wasn’t usually the giddy type unless a hardback, foiled-covered, sprayed-edge special edition of my favorite book series was involved.

My smile got bigger, and my heart filled to the brim with so much emotion that I wanted to sing from the rooftops.

After so long, it was time for nerdy little Maeve Monroe to finally find herself some happy.

Yippee!

CHAPTER 17

CALLUM

Iopened my eyes to the creamy expanse of porcelain skin across my wife’s back. My hand slid possessively across her shapely hip, my mouth curving into a lazy smile.

Last night was a fucking shitshow, but it was also a fucking trip. I couldn’t believe the irony of warning Donovan all week about keeping his hands to himself, and then I went and beat the shit out of the sheriff’s son—a deputy, no less.

The memory of the weasel pawing my wife flashed behind my eyes. My smile faded, and my lip curled into a sneer as a burning heat swept through my insides.

When we got home the night before, we lay in bed and talked through her options. I knew she’d allowed Huntley’s son to get away with his bullshit because she didn’t want me to get into trouble with the law. As much as I tried to persuade her that it didn’t matter what happened to me, she insisted that she didn’t want to prosecute, Except it wasn’t over for me.

My wife was mine to look after, mine to touch, and mine to protect, and one day soon, I’d make it so that little fuckwad learned a lesson in respecting boundaries.

Maeve’s deep, rhythmic breaths began to even out, and I knew she was about to wake up.

Last night, after talking about what had happened, we’d fallen asleep together in my bed. My wife seemed nervous about being alone, and it felt natural for me to keep her close.

It was weird because I didn’t often sleep with women. I could fuck them until the cows came home, but sleeping always seemed scarily intimate. I never wanted to give the women I was with the wrong idea, so I usually maneuvered us into their beds, which meant I could leave with the excuse that I had an early start. The thought of having to endure the whole awkward morning-after conversation thing made me shudder, so it was better to duck out early.

Except I didn’t want to avoid that shit with Maeve. With her, Iwanteda morning routine. I wanted lazy Sundays where we read the newspaper at the table and drank coffee. Then I wanted to take my time and fuck her slowly before showering together, then getting ready to go to Mam’s house for one of her Sunday roast beef dinners or a big plate of colcannon and homemade soda bread.

Maeve’s breasts rose slowly as she breathed deep, and my cock thickened at the mere thought of being inside my hot little wife.

I hadn’t abstained from sex this long, ever. Not since before I became sexually active, so just the idea of touching Maeve sent my brain—and my dick—completely doolally. Although I’d told Maeve to expect a night of no sleep, it didn’t seem right for our first time to be after that goon touched her. But it was okay; I could wait. I mean, God help me, I’d waited this long, and if my dick exploded from lack of use, I’d still have my fingers and my tongue.

I bit back a groan at the thought of fingering my wife while I ate her out. My cock was so hard it was painful. I pressed on it,willing it to deflate. If the Mrs. woke up and saw it, she’d think I was a fucking idiot.

As if on fucking cue, Maeve came to with a start, letting out a cute but noisy snort.

I choked back a laugh, murmuring, “Morning, wifey.”

There was a pause, and then she whispered, “Oh my God.”

My hand squeezed her hip reassuringly. “You okay?”

“I think I’ve died and gone to heaven,” she breathed. “I just woke up next to Callum O’Shea.”

That time, I couldn’t hold back my mirth. I went up on one elbow and busted out laughing.

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