CHAPTER 8

JOHNNY

I'd not known what to expect when I'd arrived at Crow Manor, but it wasn't Maya's tear-stained face. The ugly dread that had curled its way through me had made me feel both murderous and nauseous. Was this it? Was she trying to build up the courage to tell me that she didn't want this?

The relief I'd felt when she'd assured me that it wasn't anything important. I'd still not liked that she'd been crying, though, even if Maggie had reassured me. That and the fact that Emy had remembered me and had made it clear that she wanted me to pick her up and had then promptly fallen asleep on me. My heart melted right there and then I knew it was too late for me. I was a goner.

Not only for her mother but for her too. Considering she was a miniature of her mother, it didn't surprise me, and neither did the way Jackson was acting. I'd expected him to be a little more hesitant. He was older, and I had a feeling he understood more than everyone realised. But I wasn't one to give up. I'd win him over eventually.

I'd settled Maya and a sleeping Emy on the beach under the shade of an umbrella and had taken Jackson down the beach to look for shells. I could remember doing this as a child with my Da and I'd loved it. He'd always taken us one at a time to look; it had been his time with each of us just to touch base and see how we were. With that in mind, I'd done the same with Jackson and had slowly drawn him out of his shell. What I'd realised was that while he was uncertain of me, some of it was just his personality. He thought before he did anything. It wasn't something I was used to in children; none of the children that our crew had were like this. The only other child I'd seen that behaved this way was Avy and Hawk's son, Kaleb.

It did make every smile I drew out of him worth its weight in gold. We'd spent most of the day on the beach, and I'd been hard-pressed to hide my hard cock when Maya removed her shorts and shirt to take Emy into the sea. The woman was stunning and didn't seem to realise it, which in itself was a turn-on. At least for me anyway.

It had been late afternoon when we'd packed up at the beach and taken the children to the funfair where we'd spent a good few hours tiring them out on the rides. When Emy started getting grizzly, we called it a day.

"Will we come back again?" Jackson asked me quietly, looking over his shoulder at some of the rides we'd not had a chance to go on.

"We will," I promised, and we would. I'd make sure of it.

While the drive back home wasn't long, I was fucking exhausted, having had, at the most, four hours of sleep in the last thirty-six hours. I couldn't stop myself yawning if I'd tried; it was a relief to see the gates of Crow Manor coming up. Checking in the rearview mirror, I noted that both children were fast asleep.

I'd help Maya get them settled, then go home and crash for the night. It was a relief that I didn't have to go into The Lounge tonight. I loved working there, but I'd rather spend the evenings with Maya and the children. Time to call a meeting with Adam and Liam but not until I'd spoken to Zack. I'd need to get all my ducks in a row before I approached them.

Stopping in the parking at the back of the manor, I turned to Maya, "If you get Emy, I'll bring Jackson."

"Okay," she agreed. Then a soft touch of her hand on mine had me stopping from opening my door, "Are you okay?"

My heart warmed at the concern on her face, "I'm fine, milseán , just tired. Da wanted to chat last night when I got home, so I've not had much sleep in the last couple of days."

Her grip tightened on my hand. To my surprise, she lifted it and pressed a kiss to the palm, "Okay, let's get these two in so you can get some sleep, but before that, I wanted to say thank you for a wonderful day. It's been a long time since I've had such a good day with my two."

Her words wiped the tiredness from me and had me smiling as I replied, "You're welcome, milseán ."

Getting out of the car, I went around to Maya's door and helped her down before walking back around to the driver's side and unclipping Jackson; my head jerked up when the door on the back of the vehicle opened to see Sam and Ben reaching in to help unpack. Both dressed in workout gear and sweating, looking like they'd just come back from a run.

"Just the red cooler and Maya's beach bag," I call out softly, while gently picking up Jackson and settling him on my shoulder. Sam gives me a thumbs up. Closing up the vehicle, I meet Maya on the path to the cottages and followed her up it to her front door. Expertly, she moved Emy in her arms and opened the door, not once jostling her sleeping little girl.

"Follow me," she ordered quietly as she walked down the short passage past a bathroom to the bedrooms, taking the one on the left. It held a single bed and a cot. The single bed had a duvet cover covered in superheroes and the cot had pink and white bedding on it.

"Don't worry about taking his clothes off, just remove his shoes. They can have a wash tomorrow morning," Maya says as she lays a sleeping Emy down on a changing table to quickly change her nappy, leaving her in only that and the T-shirt she'd been wearing that day. I wondered if they'd not be more comfortable in pyjamas.

Maya must have seen the look on my face. "I can see you're wondering why I've not changed them or wiped them down, but one thing I've learned as a parent, never wake a sleeping baby or child. It only leads to tears, most of them mine," she grins at me. Taking my hand, she pulls me from the bedroom and back into the passageway, only to stop at the bathroom.

"Now you," she orders, pushing me towards the bathroom. I raise an eyebrow in query, "Shower, and go crawl into bed. You're not driving home as tired as you are. Leave your clothes out here while I go and scrounge up something for you to change into. I'll wash them so you'll have something to wear in the morning."

Lifting my hand to cup her cheek, "I can drive home, Maya."

Her lips compress in a straight line, "No. I'd prefer it if you stayed here, so I don't worry that you're going to drive off the road because you fell asleep. Please stay here."

Bending my head, I seal my lips to hers. Other than the kiss this morning, it's the first time since then that I've laid a finger on her. We'd been so busy with the children that I hadn't realised it until now. Her lips part undermine, and I sweep my tongue into her mouth, wrapping my arms around her; I pull her tight into me, kissing her long and deep until we have no choice but to come up for air. Her eyes are hazy and heavy-lidded when we part.

"Wow, you really know how to kiss," she whispered, stepping back slightly and motioning to the bathroom. "Shower. I'll be back soon."

Not arguing, I did as instructed. Shedding my clothes, I bundled them up and left them outside the door as Maya had asked before stepping into the bath and switching on the shower. My gaze roamed around the bathroom and my lips twitched in amusement, it was so different from my bathroom at home. There was a net hanging from the wall that was filled with all manner of bath toys, jugs, boats, ducks, and cups. On a shelf above the bath there was children's body wash and shampoo, along with a vanilla-scented body wash that was obviously Maya's.

A deep groan rumbled from my chest as the hot water from the shower cascaded down my back, relaxing muscles that I didn't even know were tense. Picking up Maya's body wash and flipping the cap open, I give it a little sniff and have to bite back a moan as I'm hit with Maya's vanilla scent. My cock twitches at the smell that is uniquely hers.

Pouring some into the palm of my hand and rubbing the soap across my chest and down my body until I get to my now hard cock, gripping the aching hardness tightly in my fist I rest my head against my bent arm that's supporting me against the tiles.

Knowing that I probably shouldn't, but I've been semi-hard for hours ever since I'd seen her in the retro swimming costume she'd rocked all day.

Conscious of how small the cottage was, I bite down on my lip to stifle my moans as I pumped my hand up and down my cock. Visions of Maya's lush breasts and body filled my head. I could imagine just what she'd look like sprawled naked across my bed, arms up above her head, breasts lifted high, dark nipples just ready for me to take into my mouth, thighs wide with glistening curls showing me how much she wanted me.

"Fuck," I rumbled out a soft groan as the familiar tingle started at the base of my spine. Working my fist harder and faster along my length, I bit down on my fist as I came hard, groaning out Maya's name, panting slightly, vision sparking as I slowed the movement of my hand until all my seed was washed down the drain.

‘Jesus, I hadn't come like that since I was a teenager. '

A small chuckle escaped me, then was cut off as a loud yawn left me. Finishing up in the shower, I get out and dry off, wrapping a towel around me. Opening the bathroom door just as Maya rose from placing clothing outside it for me. Her cheeks were flushed, making me wonder if she'd heard me.

"I borrowed some clothes from Onyx. I hope that's okay," she stammered slightly. I narrowed my eyes; she'd definitely heard me. I wanted to smile but held back, knowing she'd probably bolt if she realised that I knew.

"Thank you," I say, bending to pick up the clothing she'd left on the floor.

Maya cleared her throat as I stood back up and blinked at me before her gaze dropped and roamed across my chest and down my body. Smirking in amusement at her open perusal, I asked, "Are you okay, milseán ?"

Her tongue peaked out and swiped across her lips. I held back a small curse at the sight. She blinked again before lifting her eyes to mine. "Umm, what?" she queried a little hoarsely.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm good," she nods at me decisively.

Deciding to let her off for now, I smiled, "Okay, let me get dressed and I'll come out and help you clean up."

"Oh, don't worry, it's all done. I was coming to see if you wanted something to eat before going to bed."

I did, but it wasn't food I was after, and I knew she wasn't ready for that yet.

"I'm good, a stór ," I assured her.

"Okay, well, I've changed the sheets on the bed if you want to crash. I'm just going to have a shower," Maya rambled slightly, a pink blush highlighting her cheeks before turning and hurrying back down the passage toward the kitchen and lounge.

Smirking at her embarrassed cuteness, I go back into the bathroom and pull on the pair of trackie pants but leave the shirt off.

Walking across the hall into Maya's bedroom, the first thing I notice is that it's the smaller of the two bedrooms, then next thing was that it held only a small double bed covered in a light blue duvet cover with matching pillows; it would be a tight fit, but I found that I was looking forward to sleeping close to her.

White curtains billowed slightly as a light breeze drifted through the room from the open windows. Tiredness washed over me, dropping into the bed I was asleep as my head hit the pillow, my nose filled with the scent of the woman that had me tied in knots.