Her muscles squeezed tight around him, the final act he needed to find his own release. Breathless, she leaned forward, her body pressed against his chest, while he stayed buried deep within her. Needing to see her, he brushed her hair from her face. As if understanding what he wanted, she tipped her head to look up at him, her eyes glossy and dreamy—the aftermath of amazing sex. He had fantasize about this moment for years, but that fantasy had been nothing like the actual act.
“That was better than in my dreams.” She slid off him and curled against his body.
“You’re telling me.” He wrapped his arm around her and held her close. “I’m never going to get enough of you. I love you, Jos.”
“I love you too.” Her eyelids drifted closed as her fingers played down along his chest.
He looped his arms around her, keeping her tight against him. This was the moment he had figured would be the end of one relationship and the beginning of another. Instead it felt more like a continuance—as if moving from one chapter to another. No break, just a perfect, smooth transition.
Chapter Seven
The day sped by quicker than Joslynn ever expected as they waited for any word from O’Connor. Chip’s phone had gone off several times, but each time it had been with information from his buddy in Pittsburgh. By three o’clock, her anxiety was starting to grow and nothing Chip could do was easing it. Grabbing her phone, she thought again about calling Kathy. Instead, an unanswered call caught her attention.
They hadn’t left the room and her phone had been at arm’s length the whole time. How had she missed a call? The only time she could think of was that the call had come through during her shower. She’d expected to shower alone, but Chip had joined her, quickly changing the plans for a quick shower to shower sex.
Looking down at the screen, she recognized the number. It was Mr. Esposito—Sal’s father.
“Chip.” She glanced over at him where he worked on her laptop. “He called.”
Rising from his chair at the small table, Chip crossed over to sit next to her on the bed. “Put it on speaker and play it.”
She didn’t want to hear what Mr. Esposito had to say but the message might hold something that could help them, so she pressed play.
“Our talk before the trip must have fallen on deaf ears. You’re under direct orders to follow every order given to you. Sal’s willing to give you another chance, but I’m not as lenient. If you’re not back at the hotel by three, he’ll proceed without you and the girl will take your place. This business is too important to let some selfish bitch destroy all we’ve worked for. Three o’clock or consider yourself fired and all contracts breached and voided.”
She dropped the phone onto the bed before she ended up throwing it across the room and rose from the bed. That asshole thought he could just order her to sleep with strangers and she’d do it. She might have been eager about the job, wanting to prove she could make it at a fast-paced firm, but it wasn’t worth her self-worth. Even if Chip hadn’t shown up in Ireland when he did, she wouldn’t have gone back to the hotel. She’d have found another way.
“It’s two-forty.” She dragged her hand through her hair, trying to determine if there was something she could do to save Kathy.
“You’re not thinking about going back, are you?” Chip came to stand next to her.
“No.” She turned to him. “Why haven’t we heard from O’Connor? What is he doing?”
“I don’t know but I’m going to call him about the message. It’s clear he’s talking about Kathy.” He pressed his lips to the top of her head.
Before she could say anything, his cell phone vibrated next to the laptop, catching their attention. “Maybe that’s O’Connor now.”
She could at least hope and with a little extra luck, he might have some good news, too.
Chip stepped away from her and went to the table. As she watched him, her own phone buzzed, alerting her to a text message. Pulling her gaze from him, she wandered toward the bed, expecting to find a message from Annie.
As she looked down at the screen, she was surprised to find Sal’s name above the message. Fucking bitch. Without an offering, I’ll lose this contract. If you’re not here in ten minutes, I’m coming for you. I know you’re with that freak.
“Chip.” Since she hadn’t been listening, she didn’t know who he was talking to, but whoever it was could wait. He needed to see this. At least he needed to know about the threat; she didn’t want him to see the freak part. Sal had always called him degrading names like that, but to her, Chip wasn’t anything like Sal claimed.
“O’Connor, hold on a sec.” Chip tipped the phone away from his mouth. “Jos, what’s wrong?”
“If I’m not at Sal’s hotel room in ten minutes, he’s coming here.”
Chip pulled her close and grabbed her phone from her hand, reading the text message. So much for trying to protect his feelings. Luckily, seeing the whole thing didn’t seem to faze him. “O’Connor, we got another communication, this time from Sal.”
“Where’s Kathy?” She looked up at him. If Sal was freaking out, that had to mean Kathy was gone. Was she safe?
“O’Connor has her at the station. It took longer to locate her, which is why we haven’t heard from him. She called home and her father has a ticket on a flight for her this evening. One of the officers will escort her to the gate and make sure she gets on the plane safely,” he assured her.
“I’m in the lobby.” O’Connor’s voice came through the phone’s speaker.
Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she realized she was still only wearing his T-shirt. She pulled away from Chip as he ended the call and glanced around the room for her jeans. “Need to get dressed.”
“Damn right. No one gets to see your beautiful body, except me.” He tipped his head toward the chair where her clothes lay. “Throw on your jeans, but keep my shirt on. I love how it looks on you.”
“You just like that he’ll know I’m yours if I’m wearing our shirt,” she teased, tugging on her jeans. “Do you think Sal will…” She let her words trail off. Sal was an asshole used to getting his way. If this was what he wanted, he’d go to any length to get it. Even coming after her. He’d never learned to face consequences for his actions. In the past, she’d thought it was because his father was trying to make up for not being there when Sal was young. Now she realized they were one and the same. Mr. Esposito knew what Sal was going and supported it. She wasn’t sure if the older man had done the same things, but she wouldn’t put it past him. The recent events had been enough to show her what a sleaze ball she’d been working for.
“How have I been so blind? I should have seen what kind of men I was working for—what kind of man I agreed to marry. Part of me knew Dad wouldn’t approve of Sal. It’s why I’ve been holding off taking him to meet my parents. I just never realized it was this bad.”
“Jack voiced his concerns about why you were hiding this man away from the family.” She turned back to the bed to find Chip sitting on the edge, lacing up his boots. “It was unlike you to keep something like this from Jack. He was concerned for you. Especially since whenever he mentioned Sal, you’d change the subject.”
“I didn’t.” She thought back to the conversations she’d had with her brother. “Shit. I didn’t realize I was.”
A knock at the door had Chip stand, his body stiff, fists clenched. Just by looking at him she could see the change in his demeanor. He no longer looked relaxed, but on guard. It was likely O’Connor was at the door, but on the off chance it was Sal, Chip would be ready. The question was, would she be?
Twenty minutes of Jos pacing the hotel room had Chip ready to bust. He needed to ease the tension within her but with them stuck in the room with O’Connor there was little he could do to distract her. Seeing her wound so tight made him edgy. It was a new experience for him. Anytime he had gone on a mission there was a game plan; he knew what their mission was and what steps they’d take to accomplish it. Now he
had to wait for Sal to make the first move. There wasn’t enough evidence or crime for the Garda to arrest Sal. If he attacked or tried to kidnap Joslynn, that would be enough for O’Connor and the other Garda stationed around the hotel to take him into custody.
“He should be here by now.” Jos glanced out the window again.
“Maybe he’s all talk.” Chip leaned against the wall, watching the door, expecting a knock at any moment.
O’Connor stepped away from the door where he’d been talking on the phone in hushed whispers. “He’s rabbited. Caught sight of one of my guys.”
“What?” Jos snapped.
“I’ve got guys tracking him.” O’Connor slipped his phone back into his pocket. “I need to get out there. I’ll be in touch. If you can get an earlier flight back to the States, take it. We’ve set up an alert on his name, so if he’d try to check in at the airport, we’d be notified. I can assure you he’s not leaving the country tonight.”
“I’ll call the airlines and see what can be done.” Chip moved away from the wall and held out his hand to O’Connor. “Thanks, man. I appreciate your help.”
“Anytime. Next time you’re in my homeland, let it be under better circumstances.” O’Connor shook his hand and glanced toward her. “Madam, it was a pleasure meeting you.”
“You, too.” She paused by the window as Chip saw O’Connor out.
“Jos.” Chip came up behind her, resting his hand on her shoulder. “This isn’t over.”
“It should have been.” She leaned back against his chest. “This should have been a simple operation that ended with him in cuffs. Now who knows where he is?”
“Maybe it’s better this way. Now we can deal with him back in Pittsburgh. Turns out they already have a warrant for his arrest.” He spun her around to face him.
“Arrest warrant? For what?” Her eyes widened as she stared at him.
“Attempted murder.” His hands slid down her arms, comforting her. “There’s a woman who had a similar experience with him a couple of months ago. When she refused to do what he wanted, he tried to kill her.”
“Months ago. Why is this just coming out now?”
“She’s been in a coma since it happened, and woke up only a few days ago. I don’t know all the details, but we can find out when we get home. What I’m trying to say is, Mr. Esposito isn’t going to be able to make these charges go away.” He pulled her against his body and wrapped his arms snug around her. “This will be over soon and he’ll never hurt you, Kathy, or anyone else again.”
Chapter Eight
The whole way home, Joslynn kept reminding herself that everything would work out. She was finally on her way home and Kathy should already be back with her parents. She’d follow up with the young girl in the coming days, but knowing she’d be surrounded by family was a weight off Joslynn’s shoulders.
Yet, knowing they’d left behind Sal in Ireland didn’t ease the tension within her. The nagging feeling that something was off was still eating away at her. Maybe it wasn’t about Sal. Maybe it was the fact they were going home and she’d have to tell Annie what had happened with Chip. Eventually, she’d have to tell Jack, too. At least, with him deployed, she didn’t have to face that when she got off the plane, too.
“Jos.” Chip’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts and back into the present.
“Yeah?” Snuggled against his side, she tipped her head to glance up at him.
“Talk to me?”
She pulled back enough so she could take him in completely. He wasn’t a fan of flying but after takeoff he relaxed, as long as the flight remained smooth. His words made her wonder if he was becoming anxious knowing they’d be coming into Pittsburgh International Airport soon. But, as she looked up at him, she found him calm.
“You’ve been lost in your thoughts. Are you okay?” he added as if understanding why she was staring up at him.
“I was just thinking about everything that’s happened.” She took his other hand in hers and linked their fingers. “Everything seemed dismal before you found me in that pub and now, even knowing Sal is out there somewhere, I can’t help but feel a little carefree. Well, maybe that’s not the word. I’m still concerned about telling Annie and Jack but being here with you is worth it.”
“Annie still thinks we’re coming home tomorrow. Why don’t we go back to my house and face her tomorrow?”
As much as she wanted to go home and get into her own clothes, rather than remain in this outfit she’d picked up at one of the shops near the hotel, she’d rather spend the night with him. “Okay.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, if you could return to your seats, we’ll begin our decent momentarily.” The captain’s voice came out the loudspeaker, causing Chip’s body to tighten.
“Hey.” She squeezed his hand. “We’ll be on the ground in a few minutes.”
“I know.” His tone was clipped but his gaze stayed locked on hers. “I’m looking forward to getting you back to my place.”
“Really now?” Teasing, she raised an eyebrow at him.
“You don’t know how many nights I’ve dreamt about having you in my bed.” He tangled his fingers in her long hair, tugging gently. “I bought that house with you in mind. When I was house hunting my realtor took me through it and I knew you’d love it. I could picture you in every space of that house and without thinking twice, I made an offer.”
“I wondered why you purchased it. You were looking for a condo near the city, so you could enjoy the views. Instead, you purchased a rural ranch. It was so unlike you. Annie even joked it was more my style than yours.”
“I didn’t think we’d ever get to this stage, but here we are.”
“Why?” The question came out more like a whisper. “Why did we wait so long?”
“Fear of rejection, fear of risking our friendship, the knowledge you deserve someone better, Annie and Jack. Take your pick, angel.”
“There’s no one better than you.” She brought her hand up to cup the side of his face. “Every man I met I’ve always compared to you. Every single one of them fell short.”
“I—”
“Don’t.” She brought her finger to his lips. “I know what you’re going to say, but you’re wrong. Your burns mean nothing. Your tendency to shut yourself away also means nothing to me. You know I prefer a quiet night home than going out. You also know I’m hesitant to let anyone new into my close group of friends. Some say I’m shut off, and that’s fine ’cause it works for me. I hold those I care about close and they’re the people that matter. Everything else is just window dressing.”
“Which makes me love you even more.” He sucked her finger between his lips and dragged his teeth along it. “With you I don’t have to pretend I’m someone else. You know me inside and out.”
She loved the way his mouth worked, his tongue teasing along her finger. It made her want to find somewhere private and soon. Leaning in close, she pressed her mouth close to his ear. “Keep that up and I’m going to want to see just what that mouth can do.”
“Angel, I’ll have you screaming my name so loud, you’ll be glad I chose a rural place. Otherwise you’d be too embarrassed to ever set foot outside again.” He took her hand from his face and brought it down into his lap. “Feel that. That’s what you do to me.”
“You have me all to yourself. There’s no one else I’d rather be with.” Through his jeans, she cupped his cock in her hand. “I’m going to take care of this and since I’m now unemployed, I have all the time in the world. At least until I find another job.”
As the plane touched down, his lips curled into a smile. “Without any luggage, we should be at my place in twenty minutes.”
She ran her hand down his length one last time. “The sooner the better.”
They made it back to Chip’s house in record time and, considering how her hand on his thigh continued to brush along the length of his cock, that was a good thing. Otherwise, he might have had to find a dark place on the side of
the road to get another taste of Jos. She made him feel like a teenager again, constantly on edge with need. Every cell within his body seemed to yearn for another touch of her but more than that, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever get enough of her.
“Chip…” Her voice was husky as he pushed open the front door. “I need you.”
He glanced over his shoulder as she tugged the T-shirt she was wearing over her head. “Fuck, Jos.” He wrapped his arm around her bare midsection and tugged her into the house. It had nothing to do with the fact she was standing on his porch in only a bra and jeans. Rather, it was his uncontrollable desire. He wanted to push her against the wall in the entryway and have his way with her.
Her fingers went to the top of his jeans, tugging on the hem slightly as she tried to get the button to pop open. “That was the longest plane ride of my life.”
“It was nothing like the one I took coming to find you. Every second seemed like hours as I fought to keep myself in my seat. I’ve never been one to sit and wait well but knowing you were in danger was my breaking point.” Even as he spoke, he slid his hand under her hair and unhooked her bra. He needed to see her perky breasts with her hard nipples waiting for his lips to claim them. As the material slid down her arms, he wasn’t disappointed.
“Bedroom, naked, now,” he said gruffly.
“Coming.” She slipped passed him, her hands already working on the clasp of her own jeans.
“I’ll be there in a minute. Need to let J.J. in.”
“Oh, J.J.” Her face lit up at the mention of the pup.
“Later. First I get your attention, then you can love on the furball.” Wanting nothing more than to follow her, he forced himself to head toward the back porch and his—no doubt—anxious German Shepherd. A week after he’d returned home J.J. had showed up on his porch, a skinny pup who, from the condition of his coat, had been on his own for a while. They found solace in each other and the pup had given him companionship that he had been lacking since his discharge from the military.
Irish Nights Page 4
