by Liz Gavin
She took her time studying his face, then she cupped it in her hands. “I do. I’ve learned to trust you. You’ve proven to me that you’ll always support me and my decisions. And it scares the shit out of me.”
He shot his eyebrows up. “Why?”
“Because I think I’m falling for you, Aidan Gallagher.”
12
Moira
After a sleepless night dreaming about a future with a certain tempting Irishman, who had stolen her heart, Moira was tired, but in a good mood. She looked forward to going home and meeting Aidan again. She admitted to herself he had become a welcomed fixture in her life. Her kids adored him. She liked him.
Okay, she more than liked him, but she wasn’t ready to use the dreaded L word yet. She settled for the F word instead.
She was fond of Aidan.
Throwing the sponge in the sink, she scoffed. Who am I kidding?
She would (L)ove to (F)uck his brains out.
There. She had used both the L and the real F word in the same sentence and hadn’t burst into flames. They still didn’t describe everything she felt for Aidan, but that was as far as she would go.
For now.
Glancing at the clock on the opposite wall, she frowned, but resisted the urge to panic. She still had plenty of time. If Tristan got to Chez Nous in the next thirty minutes, she would have plenty of time.
Officially, he wasn’t late.
Right?
Moira stared at Ana’s scribble for the fifth time. She had no idea what her friend had written on the order slip. When Ana approached the counter, Moira showed her the paper. “What did table seventeen order? I can’t make out your handwriting.”
“Yeah, right.” Ana dismissed her.
“What the heck? I’m not joking. What did you write here?”
Ana knitted her eyebrows. “Shit. You’re serious. You didn’t recognize Caipirinha? Let’s pretend the bartender doesn’t know Brazil’s internationally famous drink, right?”
“I’ll never hear the end of it now.”
“You won’t. Your head must be in the clouds, worse than I thought, for you to make that mistake. Spill.”
“There’s nothing to talk about.” She pretended to get ingredients from the fridge behind her to hide her face from Ana.
It didn’t work.
“I see! Your head isn’t in the clouds, after all. But your mind is in the gutter. Oh, I like that.” Ana swept her eyes around her, then leaned over the counter to whisper. “Horny Moira is a welcomed change. Good for you, lovely.”
“Would you drop it?” She shoved the pestle against the wedges of lime, crushing them and clicking the metal tool against the glass walls of the carafe.
“Ordinarily, I would not. I don’t want you shattering this thing and cutting yourself, so I will drop it.”
“Thank you,” she growled.
“For now.
As she rolled her eyes, the clock came into view, and her heart dropped to her stomach. Tristan was almost late.
“Can we talk about it now?” Ana asked, when Moira finished crushing the lime and added sugar to the mix.
“You will not let go of it, so I might as well talk. Lately, it’s been hard keeping things platonic with Aidan.”
Ana’s jaw dropped. It would be cute if it were not comical. “You mean to say you kept things platonic up to now? Wow!”
Moira had the perfect retort to get Ana off her case. “Not much different from you and a certain Noah Cartwright.”
Grabbing the tray where Moira had arranged the glasses of Caipirinha, Ana swirled and replied, without looking over her shoulder. “No idea what you’re talking about. Later, babe.”
Moira didn’t savor the small victory. She was too worried for that. She fished her phone from the pocket in her apron, unlocked the screen, and called his number. It went straight to voicemail. Shit.
The restaurant phone rang, and she said a silent prayer as she picked up. “Hey, Moira. What’s up?”
“Tell me you’re parking,” she growled at Tristan.
“I will be in about fifteen.”
Moira lost her cool and offered her boss a long list of colorful, well-chosen cuss words in Portuguese. She didn’t think he spoke the language well enough to get all of them, mainly the obscure ones. But she hoped he would get the gist.
He did. “My bad. Sorry.”
“Puta que pariu! Shit, man! You’re already fifteen minutes late, dude. I’ve got to take Dani to the doctor.”
“I know. I’m sorry. Listen, you’ll make it in time. I promise. I’m on my way. Just wanted to let you know I was running late. I’ve got to go.”
No pending orders hung on the edge of the counter waiting for her to prepare them, so Moira figured she’d better gather her things and be ready to hit the road as soon as Tristan got to Chez Nous. She paced the corridor that led to the back door, stretching her neck every five minutes to peer outside. She had never noticed how high the damn window on that wall was.
When she spotted Tristan’s sports car pulling up to his reserved spot, she stormed out of the backdoor and stomped past him on the way to her car. She slowed down to say goodbye to Tristan with a scowl. She started her car and backed out of her spot before he climbed out of his car.
She rolled down her window and shouted, “’Bout time, man.”
She peeled off, tires screeching, pedestrians jumping backwards. Moira felt like a fucking stunt in an action movie. She didn’t care, as long as she made it to Dani’s school and the doctor’s office in time.
And didn’t kill anyone in the process.
When Moira and Dani arrived home, Aidan welcomed them with dinner. And after they ate, Felipe helped Aidan clean up and wash as Moira and Dani got a quick shower. They watched television and the kids went to bed around nine, a little later than usual, but that had not been a usual day for Moira.
Antsy, Moira was definitely not herself tonight.
“We should do it,” she blundered, making the poor man snap his neck around to stare at her. She sat on the couch as he knelt in front of the television hooking up a new video game console he had bought for the kids.
He dropped everything and crawled to her, kneeling between her legs, bracing his forearms on her thighs. “Do you mean what I think you mean? Are you trying to give me a heart attack, woman?”
She chuckled. “Not in the least. I need you alive and well for what I have in mind.”
“I’m all ears.”
She brushed her mouth over his. It would be so easy to deepen the kiss and lose herself in her Irish boyfriend’s arms.
She had finally admitted it to herself.
Good. Now own it, Moira Romano.
She substituted her lips for the tips of her finger. He captured her index, pulled it inside his mouth, and licked it. She moaned, eyes glued to the sensual movements of his lips, the way his cheeks hollowed when he sucked her finger. She had never pegged her index as an erogenous zone.
She was wrong.
Or maybe it was Aidan. He turned every part of her body into a sweet spot.
“God, you’re good.” She hated to stop him, but she couldn’t allow things to go too far. She pulled her finger out and rested her forehead on his. “I’m sorry. I can’t do this here with the kids next door.”
“Absolutely. I got carried away.”
“Just so we’re clear, I meant to say I want to do it with you. You heard right. I’m ready. I’ve been ready for a while to have sex with you.”
Aidan’s smiling expression got dark, and the ground vanished from under her. Had she waited too long? He’s words chilled her.
“I don’t want to have sex with you.”
Stunned, she gaped at him.
She had waited too long. Aidan had moved on. That would teach her something.
“Did you hear me, Moira?”
“I did. I waited too long, and you have lost interest. I get it.”
A phantom smile curved his lower lip, and she frow
ned. What the hell?
“I never said that. I informed you I do not want to have sex with you.”
“Same difference,” she deadpanned.
When she motioned to stand up, he didn’t move from his kneeling position between her legs, making it impossible for Moira to get off the couch. Her temper flared, as did her nostrils, and she scowled at Aidan.
“I’m not finished with you, missy. Hear me out before you fly off the handle, please. I swear sometimes I wonder if you were born in the wrong country with the wrong hair color. You sure you’re not a natural red-head?”
“The only certainty I have at the moment is that you’re a brave man for trying my patience.”
He leaned down and kissed the white dots on her knuckles as she buried her fingernails on the edge of the couch.
“Guilty as charged. I might be an adrenaline junkie, but I get high on the fire in your whiskey eyes. I can’t help it. I plan to light it in more pleasant ways soon.”
“You’ve lost me.”
“I know. I’m sorry I upset you. You said you wanted to have sex with me, but I want to make love to you. That’s what I meant when I said I didn’t want to have sex.”
Moira remembered to breathe.
Then, she breathed fire.
“I could smack you so hard right now, if I had a temper. Luckily for you, I don’t.”
Aidan doubled down laughing.
“What’s so funny?”
He sobered up.
A little.
Enough to speak without snorting.
Much.
Aidan crawled up onto the couch and scooped Moira onto his lap. “You, love. You’re funny. And precious. And amazing. You think you don’t have a temper, and that’s so cute. I am lucky, but for other reasons. I’m lucky you’re not violent, so you keep that bad temper under wraps. I’m lucky I decided to spend my sabbatical year in South America as opposed to any other continent, so I could meet you. I’m lucky I met your crazy bosses, so they gave me a chance to pursue my dream. Most of all, I’m lucky you decided to give us a chance, so I had a reason to stay.”
Moira’s heartbeat spiked, taking her breath away, as she basked in Aidan’s warm stare. She smoothed his cheeks, neck and chest with her palms as he spoke. She couldn’t resist his lips, so she crushed them with her hungry mouth. Aidan angled her head and caressed her tongue with his. His fingers combed her hair, cupped her shoulder, then her nape. His cock twitched against her thigh, and they moaned.
Both pulled away at the same time.
“We should stop,” he stated, but his hands didn’t hear him, as his fingers found her nipple under her top.
“We can’t do this here.” She cupped his jaw, then pulled him down as she claimed his mouth again.
Her brain told her they should stop, but she couldn’t get enough of Aidan’s sweetness. The damp silk of her panties clung to her sex as she rubbed her thighs together, the movement elicited a new wave of moans from Aidan.
And from her.
The bang of a door closing in the corridor that led to the bedrooms froze her blood and Aidan’s limbs. Her eyes cut to his, and she spotted his Adam’s apple bobbing a couple of times before he gently settled her butt on the couch beside him.
Seconds later, Felipe dragged his feet into the living-room, one hand scratching his tousled hair, the other scratching his butt over his pajamas. “I had to pee, so I went to the bathroom. Are you hurt, Uncle Aidan?”
The Irishman shook his head.
Moira asked her son, “Why did you ask?”
“I heard him when I was in the bathroom. I thought he was in pain.”
She commanded her eyes to stay on her five-year-old, because she didn’t trust herself to keep a lid on if she found out Aidan was as amused as she was.
“That’s sweet of you to ask. Nobody’s in pain. Now go back to bed. Mommy will be there in a little while.”
“Nighty-night, Uncle A.”
“Goodnight, buddy.”
Felipe hesitated, then flung to the couch and hugged Aidan tight. Just as fast, he dashed to his bedroom.
Moira’s heart soared.
“It’s settled. When can we have our first official date?” she asked Aidan.
“As soon as you can get a babysitter.”
13
Aidan
Aidan gawked at the view from his friend’s balcony, even though it wasn’t the first time he visited. Aidan never got tired of admiring the sweeping views of a lagoon framed by rainforest and dotted by colorful boats and windsurf boards. Ricardo Alcantara, also known as Duke, lived in a sprawling twenty-room house perched on top of a hill overlooking Conceição lagoon. A prime real estate area in itself, but his property had no rivals. No doubt, one of the perks of belonging to the Brazilian royal family.
The first time Duke had mentioned that to Aidan, he thought it was a joke. As it turned out, Brazil had once been a monarchy, and the royal family members took their titles quite seriously.
Except for Duke.
But that was another story for another time.
At that moment, Aidan was too excited at the possibility of finally having a rehearsal with all the members in the band. He turned to Duke, standing to his left, drinking from a water bottle. “Do you think Noah will be able to talk Tristan into rehearsing with us?”
“I hope he does. You both keep telling me the guy is a guitar genius, I’d love to see that for myself. Not that I don’t believe you and Noah.”
Aidan smiled at the taunt and took a swig of his beer. “Definitely. You’re a super trusting person.”
Duke shrugged. “True, I’ve got trust issues. They kind of come with the territory when you grow up in my family.”
Their phones pinged when they received a text message from Noah. He’s resistant. Hang in there. I’ve got this.
Duke shook his head. “I don’t blame the guy. With everything that’s going on in Tristan’s life right now, I didn’t think playing rock would be a priority. The guy will travel tomorrow, for heaven’s sake.”
“I agree. However, this could be a way to keep his mind off all the shit that’s going on in his life at the moment.”
Duke eyeballed Aidan. “Speaking from personal experience? Is Moira still indecisive?”
Aidan hesitated. Duke’s expression, devoid of smug, prompted him to talk. “You’ve been following this story for a while.”
“Almost since the beginning. I admire your persistence.”
“Glad you call it that.” Aidan snorted. “My father calls it stubbornness. I prefer your description. Anyway, Moira and I will go out on a proper date this weekend. You understand how anxious I am about this.”
“Oh, and how.” Duke patted Aidan’s back. “It’s about time, my friend. I’m sure it’ll be great, but I can see why you’re excited about a jam session. A nice round of sexy rock and roll will put you in the right mood.”
Aidan nodded, but thought better of it. “To be honest, Moira does that just by walking into the room. She doesn’t need much to put me in the mood, as you call it. And her eyes. Man, when they turn a certain shade of amber, I burn.”
Duke gaped at Aidan. “You’re so screwed, bro.”
“Why do you say that?”
“You’re in love, and love messes everything up. See what happened to Noah and Tristan?”
Aidan burst out laughing. “I am in love. I have been for a while and never hid that from Moira. I don’t think I’m screwed because of that, though.”
Duke didn’t reply, his eyes fixed on the boats gliding on the smooth surface of the lagoon. He dragged his stare to Aidan’s face. “Believe me, love screws things up.”
Aidan slapped his own forehead, when he spotted the pain in Duke’s dark brown eye. “I’m sorry. What a lousy friend I’ve turned out, eh? Having Vanessa around is messing up with you, big time.”
Duke went back to staring at the boats. He did so for some time before he remarked, “She’s the one who got away, Aidan. It hurt
like hell. Being around her, but not being with her, you know?”
Before Aidan could reply that he knew that feeling only too well, Duke’s phone went off. “Hey. What’s up?” He grinned and spoke into the mouthpiece, “We’ll be there in fifteen.” When he hung up, he clamped Aidan’s shoulder. “That’s it, my old friend. We’ve got our first official rehearsal as a band.”
Pushing off the balcony railing, Aidan exulted, “Let’s do this.”
Noah greeted them at the door and motioned for them to follow him into the home studio. As they ambled down the corridor, Tristan stepped out of his bedroom. Noah introduced them, and the four musicians stepped into the spacious studio. Aidan had been storing his bass guitar there, so he reached down and grabbed the guitar that leaned against a metal stand to the left of Noah’s drum set. It was curious to realize that Tristan was the newcomer now. Noah, Aidan, and Duke had been hanging out, playing, and creating music while the guitar player had dealt with the issues in his life. Aidan believed that period of bonding was essential for the high quality of the songs they had created. Noah and Tristan had been friends since childhood, so collaborative creation came easy for them. Aidan and Duke needed to forge similar connections to each other and to Noah.
Aidan watched Tristan watching them interact, and he would bet the American was gauging how deep their friendship had gotten to be.
After Aidan and Tristan turned on the amplifiers and tuned their guitars, Duke placed three stools in front of Noah’s set and asked, “What are we playing?”
“I play standing,” Aidan and Tristan informed in unison.
Duke shrugged and perched in a stool he set between the two men. “Should we keep working on our songs?”
Aidan followed Tristan’s stare as it cut to Noah. The drummer answered the silent question, “We’ve been working on a few songs, T. We’d love for you to listen to them.”
“Sure.”
Duke asked Tristan. “Mind if I borrow one of your guitars?”
“Not at all. Go ahead.”
