He hissed through his teeth in sympathy.
“My attendance is expected at the family Thanksgiving dinner.”
“But we have—”
“I know.” I held up a hand to stop him.
“They’re planning it around Georgia’s schedule, so it’s happening on the thirtieth. She already made sure I didn’t have an out.”
He nodded slowly as he pulled out from the curb and steered us toward the Irish Pub that was his team’s second home.
“Okay, so we go, eat some food, then make an excuse to leave as soon as humanly possible.”
“We?”
He looked at me like I had a screw loose.
“You want to do this by yourself? I’m not okay with that.”
I rubbed my hands together in my lap and, once again, wondered what the hell I’d done to deserve him.
“No, I was going to ask you to come. But I thought I’d have to warm you up to the idea.”
He turned his blinker on and steered around the corner one handed as he reached across the cab and grasped my wrist.
“Friends don’t let other friends go into toxic situations alone.”
He squeezed me firmly before returning his hands to the wheel while he searched for a parking space.
“Thank you.”
O’Malley’s was as loud and crowded as always, people jostling for position at the bar while others milled and chatted in the middle of high traffic areas. Cian pulled me in front of him, wrapping an arm firmly around my waist as he used the other to herd the crowd out of the way. It was a tactic I never could have employed, but seeing as he was here to do it for me, I didn’t mind as much as I normally would.
“O’Leary!” Shouts of his name turned heads around the room as he found us a couple of chairs and poured me a drink from the nearest pitcher before serving himself.
We relaxed together, rehashing the game with his teammates as they crowed with delight over the highlights. I was on my second beer when it happened. Cian was animatedly describing a successful deke Miller had pulled off when a mini skirt-clad ass pushed in between us. The voluptuous brunette bent close to Cian’s ear, whispering God knew what, but the motion forced me back to avoid her ass in my face. The bunny invited herself into his lap, snapping away with her phone as her hand wandered over his chest.
The same chest I’d scratched up the night before when I’d ridden for an hour after he’d interrupted my work.
Jealousy flared white hot, and I tried to remind myself I had no claim over him just because we were friends with benefits. He could have the same arrangement with others if he wanted to. Chest tight, I pushed my chair away, ready to make a break for it when a familiar hand circled my wrist.
“That’s enough,” Cian said to the girl whose hand was drifting lower and lower.
“But…”
He helped her to her feet one handed and tugged me into the space she had just been.
“Cian,” I chided as he pulled me into his lap, ignoring the disgruntled noise the bunny made behind him.
“Duckie.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“Why? It’s cute, like you.”
He buried his face in my hair, mouth seeking my neck as I wondered how many drinks he’d had.
“Can we go home now? I want to fall asleep with my dick inside you.”
