Leaning forward, she licked and sucked his neck and whispered, “Always,” in his ear. He’d already grabbed her hips, moving her against his erection at a breath-stealing rhythm.
Rowan used her position to trace, rub, suck, and kiss every bit of his exposed flesh until he was begging her to take him into her body.
“Condom, baby, please,” he begged.
She grabbed a box of condoms, and while watching his expression, she ripped the foil packet open with her teeth and proceeded to roll the rubber down his sex. His chest was pumping with his aggressive pants, turning her on even more.
He was tired of waiting and lifted her body with one hand, positioning his dick with the other, allowing her to sink slowly down. “Jesus, Hugh, you feel so good.” He filled her body to an almost uncomfortable fullness, but God, she didn’t mind the pain for the pleasure.
She leaned forward, where they could feel their hearts pounding against each other’s chests. She let him make all the effort, working her body over his, setting a pace that took her breath and thoughts.
“Come for me,” he demanded.
He thrust up hard and pulled down on her harder, sealing their bodies together. He shouted, she cried, and they both pulsed against one another with an intensity that she would have claimed impossible if she wasn’t currently experiencing it.
As she slumped against his body, she whispered against his neck. “Forever, Hugh.”
“Forever, Row,” he whispered back against her hair
30
It was time to go home, and…Hugh was definitely avoiding her.
That morning when she woke, he was already gone from her bed. A quick glance around the room showed his bags were gone, too. Becky came early to get in one more massage treatment and stretching. Except for several scabs and bruising on her shins and a bandage around her left wrist, she felt back to normal.
She got dressed and Becky helped pack her things. Everyone was gathered in the facilities open living room. She spotted Hugh, whose eyes were trained on her the moment she stepped through her door. She started in his direction but was intercepted by Jo and her sisters who surrounded her.
Raven handed Daniel to Jo. She moved Rowan further away from everyone, obviously wanting a private moment, and hugged her sister tight, whispering, “We’re going home, Row. There was one point that I lost faith I’d ever see you again,” she whispered softly against her neck. “I didn’t even tell Bran or River, but I wondered…I wondered if I might not see you again. In this life,” she sniffed quietly. “I wondered how I’d make it without you. I’m so glad I didn’t have to find out.”
River, who was hugging her baby bump into Rowan’s other side, must have heard what Raven said.
“We would have gone on, Rave, even without Rowan. We’re Byrnes, after all, but I would have missed you every moment of every day had we not found you.” She briefly touched her cheek before smiling at Raven and her. “I would have confiscated all your clothes and put them in my closet. I couldn’t let your lovely wardrobe go to waste. Oh,” she grinned, pinching Rowan’s side, “I also would have told Raven you lost your virginity in college and didn’t tell us.”
Raven gasped, and Rowan choked on an inhalation. She and Raven surely wore identical looks of horror. “What the hell, Riv? You total and complete bitch,” Rowan hissed. Trying to keep any unwanted attention off their conversation.
“You had sex and didn’t tell me?” Raven asked through gritted teeth.
“How in the hell did you find out? I didn’t tell anyone!”
“You told Nan, and I listened in on the conversation,” River admitted, completely remorseless.
“You listened to one of my private conversations? Are you flipping kidding me?” Rowan ground out, using her hip at the same time to bump her sister off her. “That was a dick move, Riv.”
River only shrugged. “You were acting weird, and I thought it was more than Mom and Dad. When I heard you crying on the phone, I listened. Nan straightened your ass up, and you weren’t sulky anymore, so I never said anything.”
“Rowan, I can’t believe you didn’t tell us, and River, thatwasa total dick move,” Raven finished, shaking her head in exasperation.
“I would have regrets, but now Rowan can regale us on the plane about her first time in all its romantic detail,” she smirked before her face turned serious. “Gross college sex stories arestill way better than kidnapping stories,” she finished quietly, blinking back tears.
Rowan realized that River only brought up the embarrassing story to lighten the mood. They were all deeply affected by what had happened to Rowan, and the relief of being together continued to wash over them. Instead of changing the subject like a normal person, River chose the ‘go big or go home’ route.
“It was one time. One gross mistake.” Rowan smirked at her sisters, willing to go along with River’s segue. “Hugh knows the whole story.” She dragged out ‘whole’ just to rub it in their faces that they didn’t know everything about their little sister.
The O’Faolain men had moved closer to the sisters while they chatted, probably concerned when they saw tears. O’Faolains disliked Byrne tears. When her sisters looked at Hugh with angry scowls he froze, then scowled back.
Rowan laughed at her sisters before walking to where Jo stood, cooing at Daniel in her arms and speaking with Katy. “You’re going to Tulsa for a while, Jo?” she asked. Her good friend was continuing to be evasive about what had happened between her and Thomas.
She knew from her family what an integral role Thomas and his team played in figuring out who was behind the abduction. She couldn’t wait to give the giant Scotsman a hug and then punch him in the balls, because there was no way Jo would have walked away from him without a good reason.
