She hesitated for a moment, unsure if she was ready to speak with him. Then she realized that although she’d been hurting because of him, she was actually doing well. Of course, Tommy had a lot to do with that.
For a bit, she responded and went to her computer to Skype.
Moments later, Rory’s beautiful face filled her screen. Her heart stuttered. She missed him. In the next breath, though, she realized her longing for him had little to do with attraction. He was her friend. Her closest friend. And now she hurt because he’d kept such an important part of himself from her.
She shoved those feelings aside because he was obviously reaching out for a reason.
“Deirdre, love. I knew you had lied about your mobile.”
She smiled. “I can’t talk to my family yet. How are you?”
“Good, I think. The better question is how are you?”
“Better than I was a week ago. Your news hit me hard, but I’m trying to understand.” She waited, unsure of what questions to ask or what to say.
“I’m phoning to let you know I told your family we broke up.”
Her eyes popped wide because her immediate thought was that they would think she’d done something.
Rory’s hand came up. “I told them it was me who broke it off. They were so upset that that was as far as I got in my confession.”
He hadn’t told them about being gay? She absolutely had to avoid them now. She licked her lips. “Have they gotten better since telling them?”
He shook his head. “Let’s just say you might want to really break your mobile.”
He suddenly looked so sad her heart broke all over. “What happened?”
“Last night, I finally sat with Brendan. I thought he’d be the best to tell first. He punched me, which I guess I had coming.”
“Oh no.” Deirdre covered her mouth.
“He hit me in your defense. I can’t blame him. Once I got the remainder out—told him about Michael—I was met with stunned silence. Then nothing.”
So he was all alone. She wanted to throw her arms around him.
“This morning, your dad called and told me to not come to the pub.”
This was worse than she’d envisioned. This reaction was why Rory had kept himself so private.
“Are you all right?”
He swallowed hard, his throat visibly moving before he answered with a smile. “I’m with Michael.”
The look in his eyes and the smile on his face made her happy. “Can I meet him?”
Rory smiled. “He’s asleep just now. I kept him up late. Next time I’d love for you to meet him.”
Deirdre glanced at the time. She needed to get going or she’d miss her bus and be late for work. “I’m sure my family will get over it. You’re the best employee they have. It would be stupid to fire you.”
“How are things with you? Is your American all you hoped for?”
Heat crept up her neck thinking about Tommy. “I like him quite a bit.”
Even though Rory was her friend, she wasn’t ready to talk to him about having sex with Tommy.
Rory stared at her a minute, making her uncomfortable. As if he could see straight into her mind. “He’s a lucky man, love. Don’t you forget that.”
“I have to go to work now. Do you want me to call my family? Would that help?”
Rory shook his head. “Not yet. They need time.”
“Wait.” The sudden thought hit her that he’d only talked about her family. “How did your family take the news?”
“You know them. Everything in stride. My mom swore up and down she’d always known. My dad went to the pub. Probably to commiserate with your dad. They haven’t disowned me, if that’s what you’re asking. Although my mom did bemoan the fact you wouldn’t be the mother of her grandchildren.”
Deirdre laughed. Mary Margaret had been so in love with the idea of Deirdre and Rory being a couple that she spent more time thinking of their future than they had. Rory’s mom had never hidden the fact that she wanted them married with babies.
“I’ll call you soon.”
He nodded and disconnected.
Deirdre rushed to gather her things and practically ran down the block to the bus stop. Luckily, it was her regular driver who paused at the stop when he saw her coming. She’d often heard bad things about the people of Chicago, but she’d found quite a bit of kindness. She stepped on the bus and thanked the driver for waiting for her as she slid her money in.
As she sat in a plastic seat, Deirdre replayed her conversation with Rory. She loved her family and they loved Rory. She’d known they’d be upset about the breakup, but part of her had hoped that everything would return to normal. She wanted to believe she didn’t come from a family of bigots, but at the moment, she wasn’t so sure.
The bus neared the bakery and Deirdre stood. One perk of working so early was that traffic was light and the commute smooth. She waved to the driver as he reached the corner and she got off. Walking around back, she gave herself a talk about putting Rory, her family, and this evening’s events out of her mind for the remainder of her workday.
She pulled open the back door and inhaled the warm, heavy scent of bread. Ridding her mind of Rory and her family might not be an issue, but her entire being was consumed with thoughts of Tommy. Her mind raced with thoughts of what he might do to her. Her skin tingled, remembering his touch. Her cheeks warmed as she thought about running her hands over his naked body.
She blew out a breath as she hung her jacket. This might be her longest day of work yet.
* * *
Tommy loved Sundays. They were the perfect day. He rarely ever had work. For the most part, Kai had the studio closed. If they had a client who needed the extra time or they were overbooked, they might do the occasional Sunday, but since Saturdays tended to be long, they liked the day off.
Often, they had hockey practice or a game, but today, he was one hundred percent free. He could lie in bed all day. But he wouldn’t because lying here made him think of Deirdre and he didn’t want to walk around with a raging hard-on all day. So he climbed out of bed, took a shower, and got dressed. Looking around his room, he figured he might as well clean up and do some laundry. He stripped the bed and thought about how he could make tonight special for Deirdre.
He wasn’t an overly romantic guy, but he knew women liked the special touches. So fresh sheets, some candles, maybe music. Through the wall, he heard Sean talking, probably to Emma. He shoved the sheets and blanket into the washer and knocked on Sean’s door.
He answered wearing nothing but boxers. Phone still stuck to his ear, he asked, “What do you need?”
“Can you spend the night at Emma’s tonight?”
“Why?”
“I have Deirdre coming over and want some privacy.”
“Then you shouldn’t be living here.”
Tommy heard Emma continuing to talk on the phone, but he couldn’t make out the words. Sean’s attention diverted for a second. “What? No,” he said to Emma. Then he turned back to Tommy. “She wants to talk to you.”
Tommy took the phone. “Hey, Emma.”
“Why are you asking Sean to spend the night at my place?”
“Because Deirdre is coming over to spend the night. I think she would be more comfortable if we had privacy. You know how it is down here.”
“No, Tommy, how is it down there?”
He knew then that he shouldn’t have said anything. He’d heard Sean and Emma going at it more than he’d like to admit. It wasn’t like they were quiet when they were having sex. He had no idea if Deirdre would be a loud lover. He doubted it because she was naturally quiet, but he wanted to give her the option to be loud.
Emma laughed in his ear. “That’s what I thought. At least you have the courtesy to not tell me that you know what I sound like in the middle of an orgasm. What’s so special about this girl?”
“You ask a lot of questions.”
“Tell me about it,” Sean said.
Emma sighed. “That’s sweet. Tell my boyfriend to pack his bag.” She paused. “And tell him not to bring his dirty laundry. Mine is done already.”
Tommy laughed. Sean would try to get Emma to do his laundry. He walked back into Sean’s room to find his brother sprawled on the bed. Tommy tossed the phone at him. “Emma says plan to spend the night but don’t bring your dirty laundry.”
“Shit. Then you better get to work. If I gotta leave for the night, you should do my laundry. I need clean clothes.”
Tommy grabbed the basket from the corner of the room. “Fine. I’ve got the machine going now. Your stuff will go in next.”
“Wait.” Sean yanked off the boxers he was wearing and threw them at Tommy.
Tommy ducked and the underwear sailed over his head. “It’s a good thing you play hockey. You suck at basketball.”
He turned and kicked the underwear on the floor across the room toward the machine. Even though the privacy here was almost nonexistent, he liked having his family around.
While the clothes were in the wash, he cleaned the rest of his room, which wasn’t all that dirty since he mostly just slept there. The whole process of cleaning and planning to go grocery shopping was too domestic and did little to burn off the nervous energy caused by thinking of Deirdre.
He and Sean usually fought over who had to go to the grocery store. It was a wonder they’d made it to adulthood. But today, he didn’t care. He needed to keep his head on straight. While shopping, he picked up some more condoms and tried to think what else he might need. He’d thought of candles earlier, but knew he didn’t own any, so he grabbed a couple of scented things. Then he grabbed a bouquet of flowers. Girls liked flowers.
Fuck. He didn’t know what it was about Deirdre that made him act sappy. Here he was, badass tattoos covering his body and worrying about flowers and candles. He shook his head at himself. He thought about Kai, who was about the biggest badass he’d ever known, and realized that Norah could turn Kai into a puddle of mush with a look.
Tommy’s heart raced. The realization hit him hard. He was falling for Deirdre, just like Jimmy and Sean had warned him he would. He paid for his purchases in a daze. What the fuck was wrong with him? If he fell in love with her, she would break his heart, just like Nikki had done when he was a teenager.
But when he was with Deirdre, thoughts of the future and her going home never entered his mind. He just wanted to be with her, so he put the worry away. Tonight was about having a great time. When he got back home, he put his room to rights with fresh sheets and dumped Sean’s clean laundry on his bed. He’d agreed to wash it for his brother; he’d said nothing about folding it.
Tommy spent the rest of his afternoon sketching some ideas for tattoos and some random pictures. Well, maybe not so random. If he’d still been painting, he would have done those on canvas, but since he hadn’t touched paints in forever, they would probably remain sketches. He tried not to watch the clock. He knew Deirdre would be home because the bakery closed early on Sundays.
Sean walked by and told him to have a good time tonight. Then Tommy was alone. The basement felt horribly empty. That feeling was the one that chased him home after being in his own apartment for a few years. He hated the lonely silence.
Tossing his sketch pad on the dresser, he went upstairs, knowing he’d find his dad on the couch watching TV. It would at least pass the time. Luckily, it didn’t take long for the doorbell to sound. Tommy answered, happy to see Deirdre standing on the porch.
“Hi. We didn’t have definite plans, so . . .”
He tugged her through the doorway. “We have definite plans.”
“I mean we didn’t have a time or whatever.”
“I’m glad you took the initiative to just come over. I was sitting here thinking about calling you.” He took the bag from her shoulder. “Spending the night?”
Her eyes flicked wide. “I don’t have to. I wasn’t sure.” She lifted her shoulders.
“No. I’m glad. I want you to stay, but I wasn’t sure about your aunt.” Having her live with Mrs. O’Leary across the street very much made him feel like a teenager sneaking around. They were both adults and should be able to do and stay wherever they wanted.
Deirdre smiled up at him.
“Let’s put your bag downstairs. Did you eat dinner yet?”
“I’m not hungry. I had a late lunch.”
He led her into the living room. As they passed his father, Tommy said, “You remember Deirdre, right, Dad?”
Seamus waved a hand. “Like I recall all their names.”
“Don’t be a jerk.” He squeezed Deirdre’s hand as they continued toward the back of the house.
In the kitchen, she asked, “All their names?”
He couldn’t read her tone, so he stopped. “Don’t pay any attention to my dad.”
She just continued to stare at him.
“You know I’ve had sex before. So, yeah, I’ve brought women home.” Stepping close to her. “But not since you. I guarantee that.”
Then she burst out laughing. “I almost had you. But you were so sincere that I couldn’t hold it. I know all about fathers who’re jerks and say inappropriate things. I know you had a life long before you met me.”
He couldn’t believe she’d been acting. He was so worried about her being upset that he hadn’t even considered that she’d play a joke on him.
“Take me downstairs, Tommy.”
He didn’t have to be told twice.
They got to his bedroom, and for the first time in forever, he was at a loss for what to do. Luckily, Deirdre had no such doubt.
She stepped close and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I haven’t changed my mind about this. I’m not scared. I’m nervous, yes, but that’s natural, isn’t it? Before you got your first tattoo, weren’t you nervous?”
“Shit. I hope you won’t be in that kind of pain.”
She smiled again. “I wasn’t talking about pain. I was referring to the anticipation. Fear of the unknown. And then it happens and it’s never as bad as you created it to be in your mind.”
“Really, you’re not helping. Now I’m thinking you’ve decided this is going to suck and you’ll be back to regretting it.”
She rolled her eyes, but then leaned in to kiss him.
Worry and doubt flew out the window because, when he was with Deirdre, everything was right. His hands naturally went to her waist and inched up her shirt. When he reached her bra, he felt lace. He pulled away with a grin. “I think I’m feeling sexy underwear.”
She blushed in that way she always did. “I thought you deserved some perk for putting up with me.”
“No complaints here.” He lifted her shirt over her head and stared at her lacy, pink bra. It was so pale, it nearly matched her skin. He kissed his way down her body and unsnapped her jeans to see if the panties matched.
As he slid the jeans down, he sighed at the matching set. He was fine with whatever a woman wore because it never stayed on long, but that she’d done this specifically for him meant something. He stripped down to his underwear and pulled her toward the bed.
She slapped her forehead. “I forgot the condoms.”
“I’m prepared. But we don’t need one just yet. Relax.” He pushed her back on the mattress and lowered himself over her. He resumed kissing every inch of her milky, soft skin. Rubbing his nose along the crotch of her panties, he inhaled deeply. Her arousal was evident and he didn’t bother to wait.
He slid her panties off and licked her. Two more swipes of his tongue and her hips were rocking.
“Tommy.” She was breathless.
“Let me make you come.” Taking her lack of response as permission to continue, he did. He licked and sucked until she was moaning and her taste flooded his mouth.
While sh
e came down from her first—but he hoped not last—orgasm for the night, he rolled on a condom. He settled between her legs and rubbed against her, his cock so hard it begged for friction.
Her eyes reopened slowly.
“Good?” he asked.
“Lovely.”
He reached under her and unclasped her bra. She helped by shimmying out of it so he had access to her breasts. He sucked her into his mouth and continued to rock against her without entering. When her breath quickened again, he asked, “Ready?”
“Yes, please,” she answered with a nod.
He slid into her slowly, a fraction of an inch at a time. Braced on his forearms to keep most of his weight off her, he struggled to maintain control when every nerve and muscle screamed at him to plunge deep.
Then Deirdre took control and thrust her hips up to take him. The shock of being suddenly buried in her caused him to relax his arms and his weight came down on her.
Fuck. He was in trouble. How the hell was he supposed to make this last?
He propped up on his forearms again while her body accommodated him. Her eyes were wide and she looked pissed.
“I can’t have fucked it up. I’m just lying here.”
He coughed out a laugh. “I’m trying to control myself to make this last.” He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. “You’re warm and tight, so fucking sexy right now. I want this to be good for you.”
He felt her shift beneath him and then she was holding his face. He reopened his eyes to look at her. It was almost painful to look into her bright and honest eyes.
“This is more than good for me. It’s perfect.”
In that moment, Tommy knew that falling in love with Deirdre wasn’t likely anymore. It had already happened.
Chapter Thirteen
Deirdre didn’t know quite what she’d expected for having sex the first time. Slow, rhythmic meeting of their bodies like in the movies or a frantic rutting like animals. But she hadn’t envisioned feeling Tommy inside her and having him stop. She’d been afraid that he was changing his mind about the whole thing. But it was sweet how he was so concerned about how she felt.
This was already so good. The explosive orgasm he’d given her with his mouth was amazing. But this—feeling him in her, stretching her, his weight pressing on her, his pelvis bumping hers—she wanted to keep this feeling going. She was greedy and wanted more of it.
Through Your Eyes Page 17
