Wild Irish Envy (Copperline #2) (29 page)

Fliss poured some batter into the waffle iron and closed it, stepping back slightly as the steam poured out. She looked up as I walked into the kitchen, then reached into the cupboard to grab me a plate.

“Waffles, huh?” I asked. “I didn’t know we had a waffle iron.”

“I got one the other day,” she said. “I just wanted to do something special.”

“What’s the occasion?”

“Two months down,” she replied quietly. “Today is the fourteenth.”

We had been married two months, which seemed surreal, probably since we hadn’t truly been man and wife since our wedding night. Not in the way I really wanted to be. Fliss, however, seemed to think this milestone was something to celebrate, and maybe it was. Marking the passage of time until she was free of me.

“Maybe it will go fast. They said it could be twelve to eighteen months. ‘
Could’
being the key word there. Doesn’t mean it will even take that long. It’s been a month since we sent in the paperwork, though, so there’s only eleven to seventeen to go.” I smiled inane attempt to cover the bitter lurch in my stomach. “It’ll be over before we know it.”

Fliss stopped eating her own breakfast and turned to scrape off her plate in the garbage. “We should have a fucking party,” she murmured as she rinsed it and put it in the dishwasher.

Right then, Justin, who seemed to have the innate sense of appearing whenever that word was mentioned, stepped through the doorway. “Party? Awesome! We haven’t had a party here since… well, no offense Felicity, but since before you moved in.”

“None taken,” she murmured quietly, placing a couple coffee cups in the top rack of the dishwasher.

“So what are we celebrating?”

Fliss gave him a wry smile. “It’s been a month since Denny applied for his green card,” she smoothly covered, “so he’s one month closer to being officially an Irish American.”

“Shit, Denny,” Justin grinned, clapping me on the back, “that’s awesome. I didn’t even know you put in for one.”

I looked over to Fliss. “I’m a married man, Justin. I need to make it all legit, I guess.”

She closed the dishwasher, then turned to walk by me towards the stairs. “I need to get ready for work.” As she started to walk by me, I reached my arm out to catch her around the waist, almost without thinking. She stopped short and looked up at me, confusion in her brilliant blue eyes, and I leaned down to press a gentle kiss on her lips.

For show,
I lied to myself.
It was just for show.

Which was bullshit, but it made me feel better.

Her eyes fluttered open as I lifted my head, then quickly filled with sadness before she looked down and slipped out of the room.

“So,” Justin asked cautiously, a bite of waffle halfway up to his mouth after watching us and our skittish little display, “is something wrong with Felicity?”

“Nah, she’s grand. A little emotional maybe. It’s also our two-month anniversary.”

“Dude,” Cody murmured as he strolled into the room, “that means you’ve gotta get her flowers.” He stopped short and looked at the countertop, grabbing a plate. “Damn, I didn’t even know we had a waffle iron.”

The guys seemed to love having Fliss around, if for no other reason than all the food. She may have encouraged them to clean up a little more, but she sorta paid them in awesomely cooked meals on a fairly regular basis. The aroma of warm breakfast usually dragged them all from their beds at an almost normal hour, and it was rare for Fliss to cook without all four of us sitting at the breakfast bar scarfing down her latest concoction.

Drew will be along any moment now, no doubt,
I thought to myself.

“Flowers? For two months?” Justin scoffed over his plate to Cody. “I can almost see one, but two?”

“Absolutely,” Cody replied, piling his own plate with food and reaching for the syrup.

“Because you know everything there is to know about being married.” Justin shook his head. “When’s the last time you’ve even been laid, Cody?”

“You know,” I said, “just because he doesn’t go through women like you do doesn’t mean he’s not getting his fair share.”

“Touché… but two months? Come on.” Justin didn’t sound at all convinced.

“My parents have been married for thirty-three years,” Cody defiantly proclaimed, setting down the syrup firmly, “and my dad swears up and down its because he finds every little milestone they come across to celebrate.”

“Oh my God, Cody,” Justin groaned. “You’ve grown a vagina.”

“Fuck off, Justin,” Cody said back. “Someday you’ll see. Someday you’ll come begging me for advice.”

“Don’t hold your breath,” Justin laughed as he stuffed a large bite in his mouth, then rose to rinse off his plate and stick it in the dishwasher. This was something we all did, cleaning up after ourselves and washing up the dishes, both as a thank you for the food and to encourage Fliss to cook more.

“It’ll happen…” Cody muttered. “Mark my words.”

The party ended up happening at Pauline and Laura’s place, two barstool bunnies who could almost be classified as Bangin’ Mofo groupies. They’d done pretty much all of us over the years, some more than others. I hadn’t had Laura, but I’d gotten stoned and watched her and Brannon go at it once not long before he’d gotten together with Sophie. Laura was sort of a screamer.

Pauline had served me pretty well on two separate occasions, once on her knees just out the back door of the Copperline and another time when she rode me to exhaustion at a Mofo after-party. It felt sort of unnerving to have Fliss around them. I remembered Brannon losing his feckin’ shit once when they’d cornered Sophie in the Copperline bathroom, so I really hoped they’d leave Fliss alone.

I didn’t expect it, but I hoped.

For the most part, they seemed to hold back. They didn’t seem catty or bitchy, which was a relief. Fliss was playing her part very well, too. Pressed close to my side for most of the night, smiling up at me like I was king of the feckin’ world.

It was killing me.

I had escaped out the back door, watching the sun go down over the mountains, at first trying to get my rager of a hard-on to cool it.

But, quite honestly, it wasn’t only my dick that was affected by her nearness. The more I was around Fliss, the more I couldn’t seem to help myself. Brushing her hair back from her eyes or sweeping it over her shoulder so I could press tender kisses on her neck. Fine little actress that she was, she’d lean into me or make the sweetest little sounds. Sounds so similar to what I’d heard her make before in the darkness across the Atlantic.

“Okay,” Justin said, handing me a beer as he plopped down beside me on the back deck, “I have to ask, because all the guys are wondering, except none of them have the balls to man up but me.”

I took the bottle from Justin and sighed heavily, thankful for the beer, but already missing the solitude I’d sought out here.

“Ask what?” I said as I twisted off the lid and took a sip.

“Well, either you and Felicity are either the quietest fuckers on the planet, or you guys aren’t doing your marital duties.”

Awe, feckin’ hell…

“Justin,” I began, “This isn’t really—”

“I mean, Jesus, Denny… you guys just got married. And Felicity is fucking gorgeous. Those tits of hers and that ass… fuck.” He looked over at me as he spoke, ignoring my murderous stare. “Does she not like sex or something? Is she frigid? Because that would be a crime against humanity. I’m already heartbroken thinking she would never want a threesome.”

I took another swig of my beer and looked out at the mountains. I wasn’t really sure what to say here. Oddly, Fliss and I hadn’t really considered this scenario. We probably should have gotten our own place so nobody would notice the lack of nocturnal activity between us.

Unsure how else to respond, I shook my head slowly and looked over at my friend and roommate. “Things are… a little complicated. There are just a few issues we need to work out.”

“Son of a bitch, so you guys really aren’t fucking?”

I began to play with the label on my beer bottle, choosing not to respond.

“Have you ever?” Justin looked right horrified.

“Yes, we have. And after we got married, too. It’s all consummated like.”

“But not now… not anymore?” He tipped his head. “Since you’ve been back? Please tell me you’ve gotten a little since you’ve been back.”

I just clenched my jaw and looked straight ahead.

“None? Like, at all?”

“Justin…” I groaned.

“Look, I know us guys maybe seemed a little off about everything when you showed up with her. Honestly, we were shocked as shit. I seriously thought you hated her.” He glanced over at me with a raised eyebrow. “But you didn’t, did you?”

Feeling the need to come clean, even just about this one thing, I shook my head. “No, I never hated her.”

Justin took a swig of his beer. “Fuck,” he muttered.

I choked back a humorless laugh. “You said it.”

“So, really?” he asked, shaking his head. “No pussy at all, huh? Man, and she’s fucking hot, too. That must suck to have had that and then… nothing. Makes it worse since you know what you’re missing. I hope you’re at least wanking it in the shower on a regular basis or your balls are going to explode.”

“Doesn’t matter how often I’m able to shoot my load,” I admitted ruefully. “I could be having my dick sucked all day long. Nothing could ease the sheer torture of lying beside her every night.”

I heard the click of the door closing behind me and turned to look, but nobody was there. Probably some couple scouting out a place to shag.

“Should probably get back in there, I guess,” I said ruefully. “I’m a little leery of leaving Fliss alone in there for too long, what with so many of those scrubbers in there.”

“I’m not sure exactly what you just said because you don’t fucking speak English half the time,” Justin laughed, “but I get the idea. Seems like every skank from the Copperline is here tonight.”

“Two of them live here, so it’s no great surprise.”

“Yeah,” then he grinned lasciviously, “bodes well for me, then. I’ll have to see if I can get a couple of them upstairs. I saw Ruth showed up a bit ago. I love hearing her filthy mouth when she gets going. May have to give her another go. Plus, I think she brought a friend from out-of-town. Someone new to take for a test drive.”

I stood up and started for the door. “Jaysus, Mary, and Joseph, one of these days your nob is going to rot right off.”

“Hey, I’m careful,” Justin laughed as he followed me. “I don’t
ever
ride bareback.”

As we walked back through the door, I glanced off to my right, into what appeared to be a laundry room.

A couple stood way back in the shadows, likely the ones who were looking for a little privacy. Judging by the shirt, it was Drew. I couldn’t tell for sure because he had his back to us, but delicate little arms were wrapped around his waist. My first thought was that he’d finally cut Maggie loose, and I started to turn away, but then I caught sight of something that made my gut immediately twist and roil.

A silver band on her left ring finger.

And crimson red hair.

It was Fliss… in Drew’s arms.

So much for feckin’ fidelity.