Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Part of me wanted to be annoyed that Murray kept pushing the subject of my job at the B and B, but I knew he only wanted me to be happy. “It’s not the right time.”
“When will be the right time?”
“After the baby comes, maybe?”
“A ghràidh, if you are waiting for the perfect time, trust me, there is none. Especially once a child comes along. Tierney is always going to have something else going on in her life. But I cannot imagine after watching how close you two are that she would ever want you to stay in a situation that doesn’t make you happy.”
But I owed her.
I looked away, disappointed. “You don’t understand.”
His calloused palm cupped my face, drawing me back to him. “I do understand. I understand you feel you owe her. But she doesn’t want you working for her because you feel you owe her. She wants you working there because it makes you happy.”
“I can’t walk away.” I shrugged, feeling like I was disappointing him now. “I know it’s not the most perfect arrangement for us as we explore our relationship. The hours are shitty, I know, but—”
“London, I don’t care about that. I’d make this work with you if you had to take a job in goddamn Australia. I care about your happiness. Can you honestly tell me you’re content at the B and B?”
When he stared soulfully into my eyes like that, I couldn’t lie. So I evaded instead. “Like I told you before, I’m not not content.”
At his tightening expression, I kissed him, distracting him. “Come shower with me.” I slid my hand between his legs again. “Show me forty-year-olds still have it.”
“Och, you’re in for it now.”
I stifled my amusement, remembering Kelly was just down the hall, as Murray hauled me out of the bed and over his shoulder.
I was still giggling as he lowered me gently into the shower and then blasted the cold on us. “You bastard!” I shrieked.
Murray’s laughter bounced off the tiles, his Scottish blood handling the chill like it was nothing as he donned a condom. I playfully pushed away his advances, pretending to be pissed, but as the water turned warm and then hot, I found myself pliant and wanting as he thrust into me, stealing more than kisses, more than orgasms.
Stealing my heart over and over …
I was on the cusp of coming when Murray suddenly tensed against me, his expression slackening with surprise.
Then I heard it.
The loud banging on the bathroom door.
“Dad!”
Oh shit.
“Kelly?”
“Dad!”
“Bloody hell,” he murmured, giving me an apologetic look as he pulled out.
I shook my head, pushing him out of the shower. “Go,” I murmured as I switched off the water.
Murray quickly shrugged into his robe that hung on the back of the bathroom door and hurried out, closing it behind him to conceal my presence.
“What’s wrong?” I heard his muffled question.
I tiptoed out of the shower, grabbing a towel as I neared the door so I could listen.
“Jill has been calling me on and off since four in the morning. I put my phone on silent, but I have all these crazy voice messages from her.” Kelly sounded bewildered and furious. And hurt.
“What is she saying?”
“Listen.”
I slowly, quietly dried off as Jill’s voice reached my ears. I couldn’t hear all of it because she appeared to be slurring, but the gist of it was that Jill couldn’t get through to Murray because Murray had blocked her. She listed all her grievances against him.
“What does she mean by ‘your dad better hold up his end of things’?”
Oh goodness, the Walsh brothers plan. She’d almost let it slip to Kelly. The selfish moron!
“I paid her bail,” Murray lied.
I winced for him, knowing he hated lying to his daughter.
“She promised to back off on the custody arrangements if I paid her bail.”
“Oh. Well, good. But Dad … I want to block her. I can’t deal with her.”
I experienced a flare of sympathy. I’d had to do the same thing after my parents refused to acknowledge the truth that the great Nick Huston had been abusing me. They were cut out of my life, and I never wanted them back in it. Even if a small part of my heart would always wish for them to magically become good parents, rationally I knew cutting them out would save me heartache in the long run.
“Then block her, m’eudail. You can always change your mind later if you want. But if this is what you need now, do it.”
Things were quiet for a few seconds, so I didn’t know what was happening.
And then I heard it. The sob.
Kelly was crying.
I wanted to rush out of the bathroom to comfort her too. Instead, because of my own suggestion, I had to hide in Murray’s bathroom. Eventually, I heard him take her upstairs to make an early breakfast and I waited, heart pounding, for my moment to leave.