“That feels nice, like,” I sighed, stifling a yawn.
Ronan smiled at me. “Y’tired?”
“Feckin’ knackered.” I gathered Ronan into my arms as much as I was able to and he allowed me to roll him over until he was laying on his back beneath me once more. I snatched the duvet and dragged it up over the both of us.
“Y’stayin’ here tonight, aye?” I asked, hoping I wasn’t sounding as needy as I felt, though I wasn’t sure how many cards I still had to my chest at this point. Telling someone you loved them tended to show your hand in a big way.
“Aye,” he replied, hiding a yawn of his own behind his fist. “No’ sure how much o’ tonight is left, mind. Gotta be nearly mornin’ already, now.”
“True enough.”
I pressed a soft, chaste kiss to his lips and rolled over to lay beside him. We each took a moment to squirm about, getting ourselves comfortable and to my surprise, Ronan tucked his body in behind mine. I’d never been the ‘little spoon’ before andfuckI think I liked it. I took his hand as he draped his arm over me and squeezed it, another alarming swell of emotion hitting me. Fuck, this was wild. I was in really deep.
I hadn’t even been aware that I’d fallen asleep until Ronan woke me, snuggling into my chest. It was bright out, the morning passing us by and yet I couldn’t bring myself to be concerned about it. I lay still, enjoying the weight of Ronan’s head on my chest and I sighed with contentment.
“That was a big sigh, aye?” he mumbled, not as asleep as I’d thought him to be. I simply hummed in agreement. We each took a long moment, just enjoying being here together before Ronan eventually stirred.
“What time is it, like? Feels like I’d only been sleepin’ two minutes. Feckin’ knackered.”
I groaned as I stretched an arm down over the edge of the bed and snatched up my jeans from the night before. My phone slipped from the pocket before I could catch it, landing with a loud thud and I fished around, eventually getting hold of it.
“Just gone eleven,” I said, noticing there was an unread message from Declan. When I opened it, a series of texts revealed themselves.
DECLAN: Grand. I owe ya one.
DECLAN: Ya up and about yet, fella? Got work on today, don’t be forgetting.
DECLAN: Will swing by and grab ya arse up outta bed if I haven’t been hearing from ya by 11.
“Shite!” I sat up, startling Ronan as he slipped off my chest. I ripped the sheets off my legs, hurriedly wrestling with my jeans.
“What’s goin’ on?” he asked, rubbing his fingers into his eyes as he came to.
“I gotta go. Forgot all ‘bout havin’ work on today, like,” I muttered, getting to my feet and fastening up my flies.
“Like, proper work?” Ronan asked, sitting up. The bedsheets fell to his waist, revealing his bare torso and even as I struggled into my clothes, I could hardly keep my eyes off him.
“Aye, landscapin’ gig. Takin’ a tree down f’some old fecker in the town, like.” I bent over and grabbed Ronan’s shirt, lobbing it at him. “An’ f’feck’s sake, put that on. Can’t think straight wi’ ya sat naked in me bed, like.”
Ronan laughed but did as I asked. I turfed his jeans and boxers at him, deliberately turning my back and I dug my work boots out from the bottom of my wardrobe.
A loud hammering came at the door and we both froze. Ronan was up but was just tugging his jeans up over his thighs. A few seconds later, another knock.
“Oi!” Declan shouted. “Get ya feckin’ arse up, now!”
Ronan and I locked eyes. I was relieved to see I wasn’t the only one shot with tension, knowing Declan was just outside. He hastily dragged his shirt over his head.
When Declan banged on the door again, I swallowed before hollering in response. “A’right, I’d be hearin’ ya, like!”
“C’mon, then! We’re late enough, eh?”
Ronan didn’t speak, but caught my eye, silently asking me what I wanted him to do. I jumped up and guided him towards the caravan’s toilet. It had never been used, even in all the years my family had lived here, and I bundled him inside.
“Sorry,” I whispered, leaning in and pressing a kiss to his lips. “Stay here a minute, aye? I’ll get rid o’ him an’ get on me way. Y’should be good t’ make a move. I’ll leave me key, aye?”
Ronan just nodded, kissing me back and allowing me to shut him inside the tiny cubicle. I sucked in a breath and snatched up my boots before unlocking the door to reveal Declan on the other side. He looked up from smoking a cigarette.
“‘Bout time, like.”
