“Alcoholic or otherwise?”
“Water. All that moaning and screaming has left me parched.”
He smiled as he curved his hand over her hip. “Well, I did work you over.”
She lifted her head. “Hardly. You were the one just lying there on your back.”
“You have no appreciation for the efforts I put in.”
“I’m drowning in sympathy over here.”
“I can tell by your sarcastic look.”
“Who? Me?” She climbed off and he got up, disposed of the condom and went into the kitchen to refill their glasses with fresh ice water. When he came back, she was propped up against the headboard. He was happy to see she wasn’t ready to bolt out of his room or his house.
He handed her the glass and she took a few swallows, then set it on the nightstand.
“Thanks.”
He set his glass next to hers, then pressed a kiss to her raised knee. “So, about you insulting my manhood.”
She frowned. “I did no such thing.”
He raised her leg and massaged her calf, then her foot. “Oh, but you did. You said you did all the work, but I beg to differ.”
“What? You’re keeping score?”
“I’d never. But I don’t want to be accused of being a slacker.”
He moved down the bed and dragged her off the pillow so she was flat on her back, then climbed up her body, kissing every inch of her along the way.
She sighed. “Well, if you must, I guess you can try to even the score.”
It was going to be a long and very fun night.
CHAPTER
• • • • • •
fifteen
BRENNA ROLLED OVER and stretched, realizing immediately that she was still at Finn’s place. She looked out the window. The sun wasn’t fully up yet, and she didn’t have anything pressing to do until later, so there was time.
Except Finn wasn’t in the bed with her. And she smelled coffee. She got up and, deciding not to get dressed yet, fumbled around in his closet and put on one of his T-shirts. She halted at the dresser, realizing she’d never seen the old picture that sat there. She studied it, touched by the sentimentality.
She’d seen pictures of Finn’s parents before since her mom had often gone to Ireland to visit Finn’s mom, but she’d never seen this particular photo of Finn’s mom and dad at the water’s edge. Their arms were locked around each other, their hair blown by the ocean breeze. Finn looked a lot like his dad, though Finn was taller. And he had his mom’s smile, that genuine, make-you-feel-warm-and-welcome kind of smile. It must have really hurt to lose both of them. Brenna couldn’t imagine her life without her own parents. How hard it must have been for him to travel across an ocean, to know no one other than Brenna’s mom, to have to start over in a strange place while he was still grieving.
She smoothed her fingertip across the pic.
“You raised a great son, Mr. and Mrs. Nolan. You’d be proud of the man he is today.”
She ducked into the bathroom to use the facilities and washed her hands, scrubbed her teeth with toothpaste and her finger, then looked in the mirror.
Yikes. Her hair was a wreck but there was nothing she could do about that other than finger-comb it and call it good.
She walked out into the kitchen. Finn sat at the table, Murphy sprawled at his feet.
“Hey,” she said.
He looked up and smiled at her, and her heart did a little dance.
Yeah, that smile.
“Hey. Coffee’s in the pot. Sugar on the counter. No cream, sorry. But there’s milk in the fridge.”
“That’ll do.” She fixed a cup and pulled up a chair at the table, took a couple of sips of the coffee and, once the caffeine kicked in, all was right in her world again.
“You hungry?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Not right now. I’ll grab something at the house.”
“We missed breakfast.” His lips tilted. “Slept in. You kept me up late.”
“No, you kept me up late. And anyway, Louise will leave food for us.”
“Good,” he said, curling his fingers around his cup. “I’m hungry. You made me work up an appetite.”
She laughed. “You poor thing. I noticed how you suffered.”
He leaned over and hauled her out of her chair and onto his lap. “Quit complaining.”
“I was not complaining, asshole.”
He laughed. “You’re gripey in the mornings.”
“I haven’t had a full cup of coffee yet.”
“Yeah? Too bad. I might want to take you back to bed.”
“I have things to do.”
“Me, too.” He swept his hand alongside her neck, then kissed her. He tasted warm and inviting and she sank into the kiss, eventually forgetting everything on her to-do list. The only list on her mind now included licking along Finn’s tongue and exploring every inch of his hot body with her hands. In return, he teased her breasts and nipples through the thin material of the T-shirt while continuing to kiss her until she felt dizzy. She needed him, wanted him, right now.
He had his jeans on but she’d only dressed in his T-shirt, so she straddled him and began to rock against his erection, making him groan, which heightened her sense of urgency. She reached for his belt buckle and undid his zipper.
He pulled back. “Wait. Damn, I need a condom.”
With one movement he picked her up and set her on top of the table, pointing at her.
“Don’t. Move.”
Like she even could. Her mind felt hazy and her body was nothing but pent-up arousal. Finn was back in a second with a condom, his jeans partially undone.
He pushed her down on her back on the table and lifted his T-shirt, staring down at her with something that looked like unbridled lust in his eyes. He shoved his jeans down, put the condom on and leaned over her, grasping her hips to pull her toward him.
“I like you like this, spread out on my kitchen table like my morning feast.”
She shuddered at his words, then raised one of her legs to slide her foot against his shoulder.
He grabbed her foot, kissed it, then rested it against his shoulder as he slid into her.
It was slow and easy at first, then faster, the table shaking as they rocked together. She gasped as he thrust and withdrew, then let out a moan of pleasure as he laid his fingers against her clit to take her right to the edge and over. She tilted her head back and cried out as she came. He was there with her, leaning forward to sweep her up in a demanding kiss as he shuddered with his orgasm.