Page 143 of Beneath the Quiet

“Just keep thinking happy thoughts and put one foot down at a time, and you’ll be fine. I’ll reward you with a kiss when you get down.”

I tighten my hands on the rope, and a trickle of sweat runs down my back.

“Happy thoughts, happy thoughts.”

I keep muttering as I start the climb down, wondering for the hundredth time why I said yes to doing this.

Ah, yes. Because he asked me to come with him to Cork right after he’d given me one of the hardest orgasms of my life, pounding into me from behind in his shed the other night. My core clenches when images of his rough, callused hands on my hips flash before me. I think I still have the bruises as testament, but I don’t mind.

I never do with Aidan.

I almost slip on the rock.

“Crap.” My heart gallops away in my chest. “Focus, Maeve.”

It’s been almost a month since we started dating, and we’ve already slipped into our relationship with ease. Not a day goes by when I don’t see Aidan or Katie, and I was even invited over for their family dinner with Rosie and Seamus last week for the first time. We still have our Tuesday fling dates, and we’re going to keep having them for the time being.

Since I didn’t want to start our relationship by withholding information, I’ve told him about the chicken and the fact that the Gardai believes that Joe is looking for me.

He didn’t take it well, but he’s dealing with it.

And not leaving me out of his sight much, even insisting on driving me to and from work every day, no matter how hard I insist that I can take care of myself.

I can’t say I mind the last part. The longer it takes for the Gadai to catch Joe, the antsier I get.

And if it gives Aidan the same peace of mind as it gives me, then I’m more than happy to help him find it.

We haven’t talked about me staying over for the night, and I’m not going to push for that, either. While what we have isn’t new, we need to give Katie as much time as she needs to get used to seeing her dad with me. So far, she’s taken it much better than I could have hoped for, being her usual optimistic, easy-going self.

I tighten my grip on the rope and take a peek down to find Aidan grinning cheekily up at me. I’m relieved he’s no longer so far away from me, and as he reaches up and settles his hands on my hips as I climb the last couple of metres down, a trickle of utter delight settles in my belly.

“Thank you.”

I slide down his body and tilt my head to avoid hitting him with my safety helmet.

He squeezes my hips. “You’re welcome. How do you feel?”

I take a moment to think about it. “A little unsteady, but since I’m still in one piece, I’m okay.” I fumble with the clasp under my chin until Aidan dashes my hands away and takes care of it for me. “And, strangely enough, I also feel a little…high. An adrenaline rush kind of high, I mean.”

His grin widens as he lifts off the helmet. “That’s what climbing does to me, too. I come here a lot during the colder months when the land needs to settle down for the winter.”

I run a hand through my sticky hair while I let him unbuckle the harness covering my body.

“Have you always been a climber?”

“Most of my adult life, but I fenced in college to keep fit. When Tierney and I started out, we went climbing together or camping.”

“Camping? As in, camping outside in a tent? In nature?”

His eyes light up. “Yes. We’d make a fire, eat our food, and stay up way too late, watching the stars come out.” He pulls me in for a quick kiss.

“I’ve never been camping.” I shrug and push my hair up in a messy bun. “It wasn’t really possible for Nellie and Jack to take me many places while growing up.”

He picks up our water bottles and hands me mine before he leans up against the climbing wall. “That’s a shame. Would you like to go camping?”

I smile at him and take a sip of water. “Yes.”

He reaches out his hand towards me, tucks it down the waistband of my jeans, and yanks me closer to stand between his legs. Surprised, I let out a girlish giggle, and I reach up on my toes to wrap my arms around his neck.