Chapter Twenty-Four

Eamon

There's a gorgeous, naked woman asleep in my arms, her back tucked into my chest, and legs entangled with my own. The curtains are parted enough to let the sun bathe her in its warm light and her hair is a flaming mess of curls fanned over my arm. I'm completely mesmerized by Norah.

Last night was everything I had hoped for and more. We spent hours wrapped around each other, sometimes talking, but mostly touching and kissing, resulting in me being buried inside her once again. She was so responsive to every caress of my hands and mouth, never shying away but meeting every moment with anticipation. I'm aching for her again at the thought.

Unable to keep my hands to myself any longer, I trail my fingers over her ribs and up through the valley between her breasts then back down again before lightly brushing under each one. I graze a thumb over her nipple, watching it stiffen immediately. I shower the other side with the same affection then cruise down to her stomach. I splay my hand over her belly and drag it over her hip, then down the outside of her thigh. God, I love her curves. Norah stirs but doesn't wake. A soft mmmm sounds from her throat and her backside instinctively presses into my already hard cock.

I drop a kiss on her shoulder before wrapping my arm around her waist to pull her even closer. Without thinking, I start singing softly into her hair. The first time I sang to her, it was in an attempt to get her to share a drink with me. Now the lyrics to Ringsend Rose hold more weight.

" In Dublin Town there lived a girl - Fairer than the flower I'm wearin'. Rose Donoghue—all fresh and new. And I love her past all carin'."

My heart squeezes in my chest when I finally admit that I love her past all carin'.

Norah

I've been residing somewhere between asleep and awake, but am hyper-aware of Eamon's hand leaving a blazing trail on my skin and the feel of him hardening behind me. I'm also blissfully aware of the soreness between my legs and the tingle of desire that stirs inside of me…again. I imperceptibly shift my hips back and into his body. He grazes my shoulder with his lips and wraps a strong arm around me before he begins to sing and I recognize the song instantly. It was romantic at Paddy's, but hearing it now, after last night? It feels different. Tears prick behind my eyelids when I feel his arm tighten around me as he sings the words, And I love her past all carin' .

I stay motionless for a couple of minutes, soaking it all in, before slowly rolling to face him. When I do, I inhale deeply. His mussed hair and hooded eyes mixed with his naked body in my bed just do something to me.

"Good morning, handsome."

"Mornin', love," he murmurs, tucking my hair behind my ear. "Sleep okay? "

"Like a rock," I say, sliding my hands up his chest to his shoulders. "What about you?"

He leans in to nuzzle my neck. "Aye, I slept great. But I'm wide awake now," he says, sliding his hand down to cup my ass and pulling my pelvis against his.

"Mmmm," I purr, nipping his ear. "I can tell."

A low growl emits from his throat as he rolls me to my back and settles between my thighs. "You keep doing that and we're never leaving this bed."

"Don't threaten me with a good time, Kennedy." I chide, thrusting my hips up to grind against him.

"Oh, you think that's a threat? You doubt my follow through?" he teases before ducking his head and sucking a pert nipple into his mouth.

"Eamon!" I gasp, throwing my head back into the pillow.

He chuckles then licks his way to my other nipple. I grab his face and pull his mouth back to mine, kissing him hungrily. As the kiss deepens, I hitch a leg over his hip and roll us until I'm on top. I sit up and marvel at how powerful I feel in this position. Bracing my hands on his chest, I lift my hips and then plunge myself onto his length.

"Fuck," Eamon moans as I cry out.

I ride him slow and easy, but it's not long before he's bruising my hips with his grip and rocking me back and forth, up and down over him. I'm addicted to the grunts and pants coming from him. Knowing that he's as wild for me as I am for him brings me to the edge.

"I'm going to come," I gasp.

"Me too," he grinds out between clenched teeth as he vibrates his thumb against my clit.

We careen over the edge together, crying out our release. I collapse onto his chest, breathing heavily and he slowly rolls us to our sides.

Tracing my fingertips over the intricate curls of his tattoo, I say quietly, "Tell me about this."

"I got it on my eighteenth birthday in honor of my Da. This," he says, circling a finger around the shield and lions, "is the Kennedy family crest. The rest is the Dara Celtic Knot. It's a symbol of the oak tree and its roots. It represents inner strength and is supposed to help the wearer find wisdom in challenging situations."

"I love that," I tell him, leaning forward to press a kiss to the center of it.

"My Da always told me that being physically strong is all well and good, but if a man can't find strength within and trust himself to make a tough decision, then he's a weak man despite all the muscle."

"Lucky for you," I say, winding my fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck, "you have both."

Chuckling, he kisses me, while rubbing soothing circles on my back. I'm half tempted to show him just how much I appreciate all of those muscles until my stomach growls loudly, making us both laugh.

"As tempting as it is to stay here all day if I don't eat something, I won't be able to do anything later," I warn him.

"That won't do," he admits, kissing the top of my head. "Food is fuel."

I press a kiss to his lips and crawl out of bed feeling like a new woman.

* * *

Eamon left after breakfast, but not before a very lengthy and heated goodbye kiss that nearly led us back to my bed. With the play only a couple of weeks away, I need to buckle down and go through everything with a fine-toothed comb, and he needs to finish a paper without wanting to, as he put it, score the face off me. I love Irish slang.

I'm sitting in my sewing room inspecting the last of the costumes when I hear my front door open and a voice call out, "Hey Norie!"

Rounding the corner, I see Amelia setting her keys and phone down on the counter.

"Hey, Amie," I greet her with a hug. "I wasn't expecting you. Everything okay?"

"What?" She asks. "Can't a girl just want to visit one of her besties? Why do you just assume something is wrong?"

I curl up on the couch and raise my eyebrows at her. "Amelia…"

"Ugh, fine," the vivacious blonde groans, throwing her hands in the air. " It's Myra. She's so upset."

" She's upset?" I ask in disbelief. "Last I checked, she's the one that was being a royal bitch."

"I know, I know," Amelia says, sitting next to me. "She's upset with herself and feels awful for what she said. And she doesn't know what to do to make things right."

"So, what? She sent you here to fix it?" I cross my arms over my chest, feeling like a petulant child.

"No, she didn't send me here. I came on my own to talk. I love you both and it feels wrong having you two at odds."

I sigh heavily and run my hands over my face. "Listen. I hate fighting with her and would love for things to go back to normal, but what she said was really hurtful. This is the second time now that she's crossed the line since getting together with Mac. Eamon says he's bad news and I'm starting to believe it."

"I don't disagree," Amelia confesses, twirling a lock of her long blonde hair around her fingers. "And I think she's starting to realize that too. She didn't even go out last night."

I roll my eyes in annoyance. "She's just so overcome with guilt that she can't even go out. Boo friggin' hoo."

Amelia's jaw drops and her eyes widen at my response. "Someone is feeling salty today. What's got you all fired up?"

I try to suppress the grin that's blooming, but I can't. When a deep blush paints my cheeks, I look away. "I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Norah!" Amelia gasps and grabs my arm. "Did something happen with Eamon? Did you two finally…" she wags her eyebrows.

I make a high-pitched eek noise and bury my face in my hands. I'm not ashamed of sleeping with Eamon, but this is a big deal for me, and I know my friends will want to know every little detail, no matter how intimate.

"You did! Oh my god! Norie! This is huge! Tell me everything!" Amelia demands.

I finally look at her and give her the cliff notes version, with enough detail to satisfy her without being too explicit. Some things are meant to be kept between Eamon and me anyway.

Amelia is practically convulsing with excitement. "Have you told anyone else?"

"No, you're the first person I've seen, let alone talked to today, besides Eamon." I shrug.

"Are you going to tell the others?" Amelia questions.

"I assumed I would, but maybe not with as much detail," I say, winking at her.

"Damn. I need to get me an Irish guy. Are the other two single?"

"Well," I say with a laugh. "Teagan and Layla have been hanging out a little and apparently Ro has it bad for Alicia. But maybe one of them has a cousin."

We sit and talk for a little while longer before Amelia has to leave, deciding to have a girls' night so I can fill everyone in at once. I even agreed to let Myra come just to appease Amelia, but I'm not going to let her off the hook so easily.

I send out a group text inviting them over tonight. It's a long shot that they'll all be able to make it, but I'm hopeful.

Amelia: You KNOW I'm in! I'll bring beer!

Charlie: Yeah girl, I'm down. I'll bring chips and dip!

Layla: Holy shit, I'm actually free tonight!

Amelia: Myra, cancel whatever plans you have going on and make it a point to be here! I WILL drag your ass here if I have to!

Myra: Okay, okay, calm your tits. I'll be there.

I grin at the exchange between my girlfriends. We all live such different lives, but we each have unique qualities that complement the other. I can't imagine my life without them. They're more than just my best friends. They're my family. The sisters I never had growing up.

* * *

It's late, but we're all sitting on my living room floor, furniture pushed out of the way to make room for all of us. In the center of our circle is a spread of snacks and alcohol that we've been digging into like a bunch of teenagers at a sleepover. I just finished confessing how Eamon and I took the next step in our relationship, and they're all beside themselves. They beg me for all of the dirty details, gush over Eamon singing to me when he thought I was asleep, and told me countless times how much of a lucky bitch I am for snagging such a sexy man. I laugh until my sides hurt, enjoying the buzz of the alcohol and estrogen-fueled girl talk.

"Our little Norah is all grown up now!" Charlie fake cries as she drains her glass of wine.

"Shut up," I shove her shoulder playfully. "I'm still me!"

"Of course you are, honey," Amelia cuts in. "But now you have a fine piece of man warming your bed!"

"Where is the man in question, tonight?" Layla asks around a mouth full of chips.

"He had a paper to finish, so I'm assuming he's at his place. With Teagan ." I say pointedly, tossing a grape at her.

Layla blushes furiously and glares in my direction.

"Wait, what's going on with Teagan?" Amelia blurts, shooting a wink at Norah. "Are you two a thing?"

"No!" Layla yells just as I sing, "Yes!"

"Norah Grady, I hate you with the fire of a million suns! Nothing is going on between me and Teagan!"

"Not yet, anyway!" I laugh. "But it's only a matter of time. You can cut that sexual tension with a knife!"

We stay up way too late, giggling and teasing each other. When the fun starts to die down and my friends are dropping like flies on my couch or the floor, I notice Myra sneaking out to the sewing room. I follow her out to find her sitting on one of the patio chairs, legs pulled up, and her arms wrapped around her legs.

"My…" I whisper, trying not to startle her. "What are you doing?"

She whips her head around and hurriedly wipes at her cheeks. "Hey. I was just getting some air. What are you doing?"

I sigh, folding myself into the chair across from her. "Checking on you. You've been quiet tonight."

"Yeah," she starts. "I didn't want to kill the mood. And I didn't feel like I had the right to celebrate your big news after the way I've been treating you." Her breath hitches and she wipes at her eyes again.

"I won't pretend that it's okay because it's not, but you're one of my best friends and I love you no matter what," I tell her, honestly. "Can you just talk to me? What's going on with you?"

Myra's bottom lip quivers for a moment before she bursts into tears. "I'm pregnant!"

I freeze. "Oh…my god. Myra, I…what? When? Wait…is it Mac's?"

Myra only nods, crying harder. I hurry to her side and wrap my arms around her, stroking her hair. "Shhh. It's okay. We'll figure this out. How far along are you?"

"Eight weeks," she mumbles into my shoulder.

"Does he know?" I ask hesitantly.

She shakes her head violently. "I can't tell him. He'll freak out. We weren't even supposed to be anything serious. Neither of us wants a commitment."

I blow out a breath and grab her shoulders. "Look at me. You need to tell him. Even if you two aren't in a relationship, he needs to know. And who knows? Maybe he'll surprise you."

I wince as I say the words. I don't believe there's a chance in hell that Mac will put aside his playboy ways and step up to the responsibility of a baby.

Myra barks out a humorless laugh. "Nice try, Norie. You don't even believe that. But now you know why I haven't been myself. It's no excuse for treating you like dirt, I know. I'm so sorry. I fucked everything up."

I hug her again. "I forgive you, My. Thank you for telling me. Who else knows?"

"Just you," she says. "I can't bring myself to tell anyone."

"That's okay. The first thing you need to do is make an appointment. Do you want me to go with you?"

"Would you do that? Really?" Myra's eyes start watering again.

"Of course! I'll support you every step of the way. Whatever you need, I'm here. "

"Thank you, Norie. I'd feel so much better if you were there," she confesses.

"Consider it done. You don't have to do this alone. Promise."

Even after all the drama, the last thing I'm going to do is let my friend go through this pregnancy alone.