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Daire jackknifed up in bed, a thunderous scowl settling onto his features.
“You think I’m gonna sit here and watch another guy touch you in front of me? Fuck that, Gavin. I don’t do threesomes, and I don’t fuckin’ share.”
My eyes popped open at his outburst. That was sonotwhat I was getting at.
“Daire.” I had to bite down on my lip to hold back my laugh as I reached for his arm, trying to calm him. “I didn’t mean that. I meant I don’t want toseeanyone else—or sleep with them—while I’m with you, and vice versa.”
“Oh.”
I couldn’t help my chuckle then. “But for the record, I’m not into threesomes either.”
“Better fuckin’ not be,” he grumbled, and leaned back against his headboard. “I kind of like my freedom.”
I shifted up the bed until I was sitting beside him. “No need to kill anyone. I just want you.” I laced my fingers through his. “It’s only been you for a while now.”
The room fell silent, and for a moment I thought I’d gone too far—until I heard him let out a steady breath. Was that relief? I hoped so, because that was how I felt knowing that he was finally mine. Well, for the time being, anyway.
I studied him closely as he sat there with his eyes closed. His angular jaw line, the dark shadow covering it, his full lips that had driven me wild last night, and his necklace glinting in the morning light.
“Who’s that on your necklace?” I asked.
Daire didn’t open his eyes as he reached up and touched the silver oval resting against his skin. “St. Jude.”
“A saint?” That was surprising. There were many things I’d associate Daire with, but a saint wasn’t one of them.
“Yeah. The saint of lost and hopeless causes.”
My heart broke a little at the idea that Daire saw himself in such a way. “Do you really think you’re a hopeless case?”
Daire opened his eyes, and this close I could see all the self-doubt and loathing he usually hid so well swirling there.
“Bit hard not to when the two people in the world who were meant to love you don’t.”
“Daire—”
“It’s okay—they wanted to travel. A baby kind of fucks that up. But if they didn’t want me, not sure why anyone else would.” He shrugged, trying to brush the comment off, but it was no use. That kind of damage, the kind that came from being abandoned by your parents, would leave indelible scars.
Scars it was clear he didn’t want to talk about, at least not now.
“You’renota hopeless cause, Daire. You’re one of the most loyal and protective people I know.”
He didn’t say anything to that, so I slipped down the bed and snuggled in under his arm, laying my hand over the top of St. Jude.
“Iwant you,” I whispered.
“I don’t know why.” He let out a sigh and shook his head. “What are you doin’ here with me?”
Understanding him a little better now, I reached up and cradled his cheek. “I live here.”
Daire’s lips curved, that rare,raresmile coming out just for me. “That’s not what I meant.”
“I know. But you don’t need to ask. You already know.” He frowned, and I leaned up to brush a kiss over his lips. “I’m here because Iwantto be here. And D?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
THIRTY-THREE
