I crooked a smile. “You’ll survive it.”
He stood up and threw a towel over his shoulder. “Still up for another circuit?”
I thought of all the things that needed to happen before Saturday and the thing I really needed to do tonight before going back to the house.
I took a long sip of water, wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, and nodded.
The entire time Cole put me through my paces, I prepared to have yet another difficult conversation.
Because ever since that day Pops hadn’t recognized me, we’d been careful of each other.
Too careful.
And that ended today.
After Cole pushed me to the point of crying for mercy, he slapped me on the back with an excited smile and practically skipped out of the gym, throwing a reminder over his shoulder about the fireworks we were going to see on the beach later.
When I made it to Apartment 3A, I paused at the closed door, glancing at the empty space beside me and wishing Ireland was with me.
Then I remembered that smile—the one she’d given me that day, huge andrelieved, when I’d knocked on this door with her.
I understood it now. Painfully.
Jillie answered when I finally knocked, and Pops appeared beside her a few moments later, a little unsteady and tired, but the recognition in his eyes was unmistakable.
And so was his sadness. His guilt.
“Hey, Bud.”
“Hey, Pops.”
With my head held high and the memory of Ireland’s strength beside me, I walked inside.
47
IRELAND
“Indigo,” Adair rasped before licking up my center. “So good.”
My alarm buzzed just as my back arched, sending my phone dancing across the bedside table. His groan was hot against my slick skin, and I reached over and muted the alarm without looking.
The room was still dark, which meant it wasearly.Despite working myself to the bone setting up for the gala yesterday and not getting home from seeing the fireworks until midnight, I’d hardly slept. Even after Adair worked me over beautifully and then tucked me into bed, where he tried his best to soothe me to sleep with gentle caresses and sweet words, I’d only dozed.
I’d finally given up on falling back asleep a few minutes ago and run my hand down his thigh in the merest suggestion, gasping in surprise when he’d flipped me onto my back and kissed me soundly in the next breath.
I wasn’t even sure he’d been fully awake. He was just thatattuned.
He’d kissed down my neck to my bare chest, suckling my nipples before traveling further down.
I’d known he was awake when he nuzzled into my thigh and sighed my name.
And here we were, in bed together before sunrise, me on my back and Adair pushing my legs open as he entered me with his tongue.
I grabbed the back of his head and buried my face in my pillow, combing my fingers through his hair and losing myself in him.
I would never get enough. It would never be enough.
When I pulled his hair in soft command, he retreated from inside me, sucking in a deep breath before wrapping his lips around my clit.
