She Likes It Irish (17 page)

“It’s Honahlee,” she whispered to him in the dark, his eyes shining with love into hers.

At first he said nothing, not understanding her meaning. Then he nodded, his smile tender. “Honahlee. It’s beautiful.” He kissed her nose. “What does it mean?”

“It’s a land of supreme joy, happiness, and beauty.”

“Where is this paradise?”

“In that song, you know, about the dragon.”

“What?” The word tingled with mirth.

“Yeah, you know…” she cleared her throat and sang, “…Puff the magic dragon lived by the sea and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called
Honahlee
.”

He laughed. “I’m guessing your mother gave you this special name?”

“Of course. According to her, it would ensure I lived in joy all the days of my life.”

“Well, Kristin Honahlee DeMarco, I plan to do my part to bring joy to all the days—and nights—of your life.”

He lowered her to the floor and made love to her in the magic light of the moon—softly, slowly, tenderly—letting the moon’s silver threads entwine them into an unbreakable knot.

****

“Kristin? Are you in there? Kristin!”

Kristin’s eyes reluctantly cracked open when she thought she heard Zoe’s voice. The dim gray light of pre-dawn stared her in the eyes, and she heard it again—pounding and her name being yelled from the other side of Sean’s door. It was Zoe. She tried to sit up but Sean’s arm around her, holding her against his chest, clamped her in place.

“Sean. Wake up,” she said and shook him.

His eyes opened to slits and, seeing her, he smiled and pulled her closer. “You want me again?”

“No.” She chuckled. “Yes, but Zoe’s at the door.”

“Ignore her. She’ll go away,” he mumbled and moved to capture her lips.

“Kristin, it’s Zoe,” came her voice, shouting now. “I know you’re in there. Open up!” More pounding followed the insistent voice.

Sean’s eyes flew open at the raucous. “That girl’s a real burr up my arse!”

Kristin unhooked her leg from his waist. “She won’t go away until you answer.”

Sean drew in a deep breath and released it with a groan. He detangled himself from Kristin, but before she could move to get up, he rolled on top of her.

“Stay in bed and keep the sheets warm. I’ll get rid of her.”

The kiss and smile he gave her before exiting the bed melted her bones, stealing any ability or desire she had to move from his bed.

As he searched the floor for his boxers, she enjoyed his backside, which looked even better with the dim light of morning kissing his skin. Well-developed muscles shaped his tight ass, long legs, strong back, and wide shoulders. She knew the front looked just as tasty. They had made love all night, and she still had the desire to bite his flesh, devour him, taste him, take all of him inside her. Disappointment hit hard when blue boxers slid into place, disrupting her view.

He sauntered to the door and opened it a crack. “Go away, Zoe.”

“I’m going to stay out here, yelling and pounding, until you let me in. And just so you know, there’s already a crowd forming.”

Sean muttered a few foreign words she was becoming familiar with right before he flung open the door.

****

Zoe tore her gaze from the nearly naked god-like form sporting a powerful morning woody and zeroed in on the numerous condom wrappers scattered on the floor among discarded clothing. That was Kristin’s dress. Sean’s pants. Her shoe. His shirt. Her panties.

Her gaze shifted then to the rumpled bed, where it looked as if a box of condoms had exploded. The smell of sex filled her nostrils and put a match to the wick of her own desires, especially seeing Kristin’s body outlined under the sheets, and the sleepy, satisfied look on her face she got after she came.

“I was worried when you didn’t come home.”

Sean joined Kristin on the bed. The smile she gave him spoke volumes about her state of bliss. It was a look Zoe had never seen before on her friend’s face, not when they’d had sex, not even when she’d been with Nick. She was falling for Sean. Hard.

Kristin lifted her smiling face to him, her plump lips begging for a kiss. Sean didn’t disappoint. The lip-locked couple kissed as if they were alone in the room. As if she weren’t standing there, watching them. As if her heart weren’t crumbling to ashes at their every touch.

“Kristin!”

Kristin giggled and caught Sean’s hand when it went to her breast. “Sorry. What were you saying?”

“I said, I was worried about you.”

“Why? You knew I was with Sean.”

“Why? Because you’ve been gone all night, that’s why.” Zoe’s voice betrayed her, showing her anger as well as her jealousy.

“What time is it?” Kristin asked.

“Five-thirty in the morning!”

Kristin sat up and reached across Sean to grab her phone from the night stand. The sheet slipped down, revealing her heavy breasts, the tips pinky-red and plump as if they had been sucked hard and long and often by a ravenous mouth. Zoe’s gaze left Kristin and shifted to Sean, who also stared at Kristin’s lushness with desire on his face and hunger in his eyes. He knew what she tasted like, too, and a ripping bolt of jealousy gouged her heart at the thought. When she looked back to Kristin, she had adjusted the sheet to cover herself as if she had felt their stares burning into her skin and needed some protection from the assault.

“Wow. It really is true—time does fly when you’re having fun.” Kristin smiled at Sean.
Again.
And he kissed her.
Again
.

All their fucking ooey-gooey displays of affection made Zoe’s stomach turn. She dug deep to tap her pit of pity and used it to shape her face and tune her voice.

“You were going to help me study for my chem test last night—the test that’s this morning at ten. But you never showed up, you didn’t call, and you didn’t answer your phone. And to top it off, someone stole my laptop yesterday, with all my notes and practice tests on it, so I can’t even study on my own.” She collapsed her spine just a tad for effect. “Clearly, keeping your promise to me is last on your list of things to do.” She turned slowly toward the door, her fingers mentally crossed. “Sorry I bothered you.”

“Wait.”

She stopped and turned teary eyes back to the bed. She didn’t need an interpreter to decipher the look that passed between the lovers. Kristin would be leaving with her. Zoe had won. She fought to keep her satisfied smile of triumph hidden.

Kristin looked at Sean. He shook his head, whispering something in her ear. She giggled.

“Are you coming?” Zoe demanded, her tight voice a clear indication that she was irritated by the couple.

“Why don’t you go on back to the room and I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Kristin glanced her way before turning back to accept another of Sean’s kisses. “After I say goodbye to Sean.”

“But—”

“I’ll be there in fifteen min—”

“Forty-five,” Sean said and pulled her down, covering her with his body.

“You’re insatiable,” Kristin whispered and half-heartedly pushed at his chest. “Thirty minutes. I promise,” she said to Zoe over Sean’s shoulder and giggled again at what his mouth was doing to her neck.

“I’ll wait, and we’ll walk back together,” Zoe said and flopped on the desk chair across from the bed.

Sean muttered something guttural then pulled out of Kristin’s embrace, rose from the bed, and glared at Zoe, not even trying to hide his enormous erection. And though he stayed by Kristin’s side, his arm around her, he faced Zoe, his eyes burning into hers, his arms held apart from his body, his legs wide, in a stance of authority that invited no argument.

“I’ll be walking Kristin home, so you can leave now.”

Anger heated her face at being sent away like an unwanted intruder, but she hid it with a small martyred smile.

“Fine. See you in thirty minutes, Kristin.” She walked to the door and opened it, glanced over her shoulder, stared at his dick, and smiled. “Bye, Sean.”

She was traipsing down the stairs when she heard his room door slam. Triumph filled every cell of her body as she floated back to her room, laughing the whole way at her supreme manipulation skills.

She had won this battle and would win the war with what she and Randy had planned. This time tomorrow, Sean would be history, and Kristin would be hers again.

****

Half an hour later, Sean sat on the edge of the bed, his jeans on but not zipped, pulling on his socks. Kristin stood on the opposite side of the bed in her panties, stepping into her dress.

If he’d had his way, they’d still be in bed, wrapped around each other, not getting dressed so he could take her home. He had meant it when he said he wanted her forever. And he had meant for forever to begin now. It pissed the hell out of him that they were leaving because Zoe had insisted. Thrown a tantrum, was more like it. And Kristin just gave in. Like she fucking owed Zoe.

“Is she always that possessive with you?” he asked, glancing back at Kristin, his body heating up again as his gaze slid up and down her body.

She ran her hands through her bedraggled hair then began the search for the rest of her clothes. “I should have called to say I was going to be late, but for some reason,” she grinned at him, “I forgot about everything but you.” She found one shoe under his bed and stepped into it. “I haven’t been a very good friend to her, lately.”

In his mind, Zoe wasn’t being a good friend. She had sabotaged every attempt he and Kristin had made to be together, even though Kristin had made it clear she wanted to be with him. Why was Kristin making excuses for her? Why did she have to keep Zoe informed about her comings and goings? Why was Kristin putting up with it?

“You put up with a lot from her,” he said. “Too much.” He yanked on his hiking boots, leaving the laces untied. She avoided his eyes, as if she knew her relationship with Zoe was skewed, and kept looking for her clothes like she couldn’t wait to get out of here.

She found her other shoe by the door and stepped into it then walked over to him and presented her back to him.

“Zip me?” She held up her hair.

Why didn’t she respond to his queries? Was she hiding something? He stood, kissed her neck, down her back. “I’d rather rip that dress off you than zip it up.”

She turned toward him and put her arms around his neck, kissing him. “Tonight.”

He tried another tactic. “She wants us apart, Kristin. I feel it.”

“Zoe would never hurt me by trying to break us up. She knows how I feel about you.”

He didn’t buy it. In fact, he was sure Zoe would do her worst to get him out of the picture. His hand moved to Kristin’s breast and he cupped it, pressing it deep into his palm. “How
do
you feel about me?”

“You can’t tell, even after last night?”

She still wasn’t ready to say it. “Call her. Tell her you’re spending all day showing me how you feel about me.”

“I’d love to stay with you.” She kissed his neck. “Make love to you all day and all night.” She kissed his jaw. “Wake up in your arms again.” Kissed his mouth.

His heart softened for her. “Then stay.”

“I promised Zoe I’d help her. And you teach class in a couple of hours.”

Shit. She was leaving him for Zoe. What the fuck?

At his stone-faced silence, she kissed him again. He deepened the kiss, holding her face to his and tilting her head to fit their mouths better together. She was right, of course, he did have classes to teach and one to attend, but why wasn’t she trying to talk him out of going? It bothered him how easily she was leaving him.

“How about we spend this weekend together?” she said, pressing against him. “I promise you—it’ll more than make up for my leaving now.” She kissed him and ran her hand over his zipper. “It’ll be something you’ll never forget.”

He released a pent-up breath. “Okay. You win.”

She smiled. “Zip me.”

Chapter Twelve

“It’s nice having you home,” Zoe said. “I never see you anymore.”

“What are you talking about?” Kristin kept her eyes glued to her laptop, fingers flying over the keys. “I see you every day.”

“No, I mean we never get to just hang out together. You spend all your free time with
him
.”

She stopped typing and looked at Zoe. Just thinking about Sean brought a smile to her face. “I love him.”

Her roommate’s face turned white and her mouth dropped open. She dropped her gaze to the chemistry textbook in her lap. “So you’re in love. That doesn’t mean you dump your friends.”

Kristin heard the melancholy in her friend’s voice and realized, for the first time, how much she looked like an abandoned puppy. Guilt pricked her conscience. “I’m not dumping you.”

Zoe hung her head. “Feels that way.” She wiped a tear from her cheek.

Kristin knew how dramatic and manipulative her friend could be when she was trying to get her way. But she also knew she really seemed upset. Setting aside her laptop, she joined Zoe on her bed, ran her hand down her hair, and laid her hand on her arm.

“I’m sorry you feel like I’m dumping you. I’m really not. How about we set aside a day, just for us, and do something fun together.”

Zoe grabbed Kristin’s hand and smiled. “I’d like that.” She shifted onto her knees and leaned forward. “And I know just what we can do. You’re going to love me for this! My mom said she can get me tickets and backstage passes for your favorite band!”

“Oh, my God! You mean…!” She grabbed Zoe’s hands.

Zoe nodded, squealed again, and grabbed her phone. “We’re going to have so much fun this weekend!”

Kristin’s smile faded. “Wait—they’re here this weekend?”

“Yes!”

She put her hand on Zoe’s phone to stop her from dialing her mom’s number. “I’m sorry. I can’t do it this weekend.”

Guilt sliced Kristin across the heart as she watched the sheen of happiness fade from her friend’s face and her body deflate like a balloon.

“And I bet I can guess why.” Angry sarcasm dripped from her words.

Kristin nodded. “Sean and I already made plans, but next weekend—”