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Conor
Her soft lips on mine had taken me by surprise. Her insistent hands at the back of my neck. But even more so was how my body had reacted. A savage need, a roaring hunger flared to life in me like the devil’s firepit. The moan that’d come out of her, the siren’s call she had breathed into my mouth had almost been my undoing. It sounded like a woman’s moan and for a split second I had forgotten I was about to take advantage of a girl.
My hands were grabbing her shoulders to pull her closer before I knew what I was doing. It was only the feel of her tiny shoulders in my large hands, those fragile bird-like bones, that had reminded me that this innocent child was not mine to ruin. That if I gave in, it’d be a sin I could never wash off.
It had taken every single ounce of willpower to push her away. To break the spell. Even then when she asked why not?,I couldn’t answer. I was afraid she’d tear holes in whatever defence I spun as if they were mere spider webs. Afraid she’d find a crack in my armour.
It was only a matter of time until she’d weaken me beyond salvation, till I crumbled beneath her relentlessness. She was like a wave that broke and broke and broke against a stone wall; it was only a matter of time before it gave way. I was not sure I’d survive another kiss.
I dragged her across the parlour, determined to send her fleeing from Dublin Ink for a final time.
I should have known that something was going to stop me. Luck had never been on my side.
My fingertips stretched toward the door, brushing against the well-worn brass handle. I was so close to wrapping my hand around it.
The door swung open on its own accord and I had only a half second to jump back, to release Aurnia, to push her away and smile, smile, smile! when I saw who it was.
“Diarmuid!” I stepped even farther away from Aurnia. “Hey there, you. How’s it going? It’s been a while.”
Diarmuid halted inside the shop, his eyes narrowed in suspicion as he glanced between Aurnia and me.
“You don’t smile,” he said warily as he walked between the two of us.
With his back turned, I glared at Aurnia and jabbed my fingers at my lips. Her victorious little grin made me want to wring her neck. I was about to hiss a threat when Diarmuid suddenly glanced back over his shoulder halfway toward the kitchen in the back.
“You definitely don’t smile.”
Aurnia stepped forward, hands politely linked behind her back as she rocked back and forth on her heels like goddamn Dorothy. Only I could see the middle finger she raised as she said, “He’s just really happy about all that I’ve done for the shop so far.”
Diarmuid raised a surprised eyebrow. “Is that so?” he asked. “So things are going well?”
He disappeared into the kitchen and I shook Aurnia by the arm.
“No funny business,” I hissed as water ran in the kitchen.
Aurnia blinked innocently up at me and whispered, “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Mr Mac Haol.”
“Well?” Diarmuid asked as he returned to the living room with a glass of water. He glanced over some of Mason’s work at his desk before looking up at me. “Aurnia’s been behaving herself?”
I was in a shite position and I knew it. Worse, Aurnia knew it. I could feel her smile on me as I scrambled for a way out of this. If I told Diarmuid the truth, that Aurnia had not only tried to rob me, but had then gone on to vandalise my property, she would be taken out of my life. That would certainly solve one problem: the one being that she was far too young and I was far too drawn to her.
Shite. If he knew that she’d kissed me not two minutes ago…that I had been close to kissing her back…that I had wanted to kiss her back. That I wanted more. He’d definitely remove her. I’d never see her again. I might never see him again.
It would also send her further into the system, certainly to juvie at the very least.
I couldn’t do that. Not even to her. Especially not to her.
My only option was to lie. This is what Aurnia was expecting, exactly what she was hoping for. I knew I was walking into a trap, but it seemed that there was no alternative.
“Things have been…alright,” I tried.
Aurnia sat on the edge of the couch, one leg crossed primly over the other. She drummed her fingertips against her knee as she watched me, clearly enjoying herself.
“No major complaints,” I added in a grumble.
“Well, that at least sounds more like you,” Diarmuid laughed. “When I came in and saw you grinning like an idiot, I thought surely something must be terribly wrong.”
“Nothing’s wrong,” I quickly said before just as quickly adding, “Not that anything is terribly right either. Things are just…”
