“You don’t think it’s odd that we’re so far apart in age?”
“If you were a year younger, I’d have something to say about it, but you’re both adults. You get to make your own choices.”
“I might have to get you to explain that to my dad.”
She smiles. “Give him time. You’re his only child, his daughter at that. He’s spent his whole life protecting you, so it’s hard to let go. But if I know my son, he’ll win him over. Everything will be fine. You’ll see.”
“I hope you’re right,” I say, taking another sip of tea. I just want my father to trust in my choices. But he keeps trying to make them for me. I don’t want him to force me to choose between my love for him and my love for Cillian. Because I don’t think I can.
Cillian
Dicing up vegetables to go into the pub’s beef and Guinness pies, I pause when I hear the door open behind me.
“Do you ever spend any time outside the kitchen?” Hazel teases, smiling as she moves closer to me, looking like my favorite wet dream come true. She may be wearing a set of my old sweats, but that doesn’t make her any less sexy. In fact, I like this better than the revealing clothes she had on last night. To me, this says comfort and closeness. I don’t want her having to try hard to impress me. All I want is her, just as she is.
“You know I do.” I grin, reaching for her hand as I pull her against me. “In fact, I recall having a rather nice time in the bathroom last night.”
She leans into me, all soft and warm. “I enjoyed that as well. Any regrets?”
I reach up and brush the backs of my fingers along her cheek. “None at all. I meant what I said last night. I want you, Hazel. I don’t want to fight against it anymore.”
“What are we going to do about the elephant in the room? Namely, my dad.”
“I’m going to talk to him. Today. Man to man. I’m not comfortable hiding this from him. He’s been very good to me. The least I can do is have a conversation with the man.”
“And if he objects?” she asks, worried eyes shining up at mine.
My lips quirk as I hook my finger underneath her chin, tilting her head up. “Then we’ll deal with it. I can’t walk away from you, Hazel. Not now that I’ve had a taste of this sweetness,” I murmur, pressing my lips to hers and kissing her with a gentle softness I was incapable of exhibiting last night.
As her mouth moves slowly against mine, she releases a tiny whimper that has my dick throbbing in my pants. God, help me. She’s so young and pure. Every time I touch her, I’m convinced this is the first experience she’s ever had.
“Hazel?” I whisper against her lips.
“Yes?” she asks, eyes still closed and her head tilted up like she’s waiting for me to get back to kissing her again. She makes me smile.
“Am I the first man you’ve—”
Her eyes pop open, and her pupils fly to mine, dilating. “Yes.” She gulps. “Is that OK?”
I nod as I brush my fingers lightly through her silky hair. “Of course. I just…I don’t want you to feel pressured if it’s something you’ve been holding onto for a special moment.”
“Oh. Um…” She rolls her lips together as she tries to form her words. “Lack of opportunity is probably the biggest reason I’ve waited. But… I have always wanted to, you know, save myself for that certain someone.” Her eyes move back up to mine. “Is that too much pressure for you?”
“No.” My hand moves to cradle the back of her head. “I guess what I’m asking is…” This is a little harder to ask than I thought it’d be. “Did you want to be married first?”
“I…” Her eyes blink rapidly. “I…um…wait? Are you asking me here? Or is this a hypothetical situation?”
I smile and move my fingers in the back of her hair soothingly. “Hypothetical… Depending on your answer.”
A huge grin spreads across her face as she gasps. “Well, now you’ve gone and put the idea in my head, Cillian.”
Releasing a low chuckle, I pull her back against me and kiss her, a little deeper this time, my free hand going to her ass as my tongue takes a slow exploration of her mouth. When I pull away and study her face, she’s smiling like she’s drunk again, except this time it’s just hormones and arousal. “Come to Sunday dinner tonight. You can tell me your answer before I take you back home.” Her answer will determine which bed I take her to. I can wait to have her. But I won’t be able to wait long. My dick is straining. Hard.
“OK,” she breathes, her beautiful eyes opening to meet mine. “Then I’ll see you tonight. I can’t believe we’re really doing this.” She releases an excited giggle that has me smiling down at her, wishing I could give her the world and then some. But she’ll just have to settle for me as a man. I hope I’m everything she always wanted. Dreams and reality…they don’t always measure up.
Hazel
“Where were you last night?” Dad demands the moment I think I got away with sneaking into the house unnoticed. I freeze at the base of the stairs, my hand on the railing.
“I was with a friend.” I turn around to face him. His eyes move over my clothes, and the black dress hanging from my hand.
“A friend who is a guy and goes to…” He tilts his head as he reads the front of the sweatshirt I’m wearing. “Boston College?”
“I—”
He shakes his head in disapproval. “You didn’t even call, Hazel. Do you know how worried I’ve been?”
“I… I sent a text,” I argue, grateful to Cillian for thinking to do that.
“I told you I wanted to meet this guy,” he shoots back. “And instead of doing the grown-up thing like you should’ve, you stay out all night and give me zero information besides a text message saying you’ll be home in the morning—something could’ve happened to you, Hazel. And I would’ve had no idea. That is not good enough, young lady. I expect better from you.”
“Better?” I ask. “Better than what? You don’t even know me. Or at least you haven’t known me for the last few years. I have done everything you have ever asked of me, all my life. I went to that stupid boarding school because you didn’t have time to care for me around your work. I spent every birthday and holiday with Grandma and Grandad instead of you. I saw you for moments, Dad. My entire high school career, there have just been moments of you in my life. And I accepted that because I know how busy you are, and I know how hard you work. I also know you care. I know you want what’s best for me too. But that doesn’t mean you get to dictate. Ever since I moved back home, all you’ve done is tell me what to do and force restrictive rules on me. How am I ever going to grow up if I don’t get to make my own choices, my own mistakes?”
He looks at me for a long moment, his jaw set, fuming, before he doubles down. “While you live in this house, you follow my rules. That’s all there is to it.”