“I do not know,” the young man replied in perfect English. “You could call down to the desk and ask.”
“Aye, I’ll go down to the desk. You stay right there,” he snapped, pointing at Maeve. “Don’t unpack a thing. Come with me,” he continued, ushering the boy from the room and near slamming the door behind them.
Maeve kicked off her pink heels and collapsed on one of the twin beds with a giggle. The entire room was pink, like a bottle of the stomach soother they sold at McGreevy’s had exploded. It was ridiculously funny in a way. Sean’s mother had obviously gotten her revenge.
Sean was furious when he returned to the room. Kicking off his shoes he plopped down on the other twin bed.
“No other available rooms?” Maeve asked, biting her lip as he stared at the ceiling.
“None,” he barked back.
Turning on her side she wiggled her toes and glanced at him.
“Care to make a wager who booked this room?” she asked with a giggle.
“I already know. I called Da from downstairs, certain there had been a mistake. He paid, but Ma booked it. I could hear John laughin’ in the background and Ma was runnin’ up the stairs to their room as we hung up. ’Tis a rotten trick to do to your own son,” he sighed in frustration. “Da was furious.”
“Well at least she’ll pay for her transgressions, and when I write my ma, the whole town will know. I doubt she’ll ever live it down.”
“That may be, but ’tis a fine way to spend our first night as man and wife, in a monstrously pink room with two tiny beds,” he sighed in frustration. “As a honeymoon, two days is short enough, but in this room t’will be a joke.”
Maeve suddenly felt sorry for him and sat up, pulling the pins from her upswept hair. Without giving herself time to thinkabout it, she walked the few feet to the other bed and gave him a shove.
“Move over.”
Sean turned on his side and she lay down beside him. He opened his arms and pulled her close.
“’Tis not so terribly small,” she offered against his chest.
“We won’t get a wink of sleep,” he groused.
“Were you plannin’ on sleepin’?” she teased. Softly her fingers reached up to stroke his hair.
“You have a point, lass,” he replied, pulling her up until they were face to face. “I was plannin’ to be a mite more comfortable is all.”
“Aye, I believe you said I would be the uncomfortable one.”
“I’ll make it as easy on you as I can, love,” he promised looking into her eyes. “I won’t rush you. I’ll be gentle.”
“Will you spank me?” Maeve breathed out.
“Are you plannin’ on givin’ me trouble?” he asked in surprise.
“I’ve thought about it,” she admitted, looking away. “Then I reconsidered. ’Tis no way to start a marriage, and to tell you the truth, I’ve been mighty curious ever since that night in your flat. I want to know what ’tis all about, O’Malley. I know there’s more, and now that we’re wed, I’ve decided to trust you to show me.”
Sean laughed, a rich hearty sound that surprised her.
“You wee liar, you would have let me show you long before we were wed,” he crowed.
“’Tis rude of you to point that out, husband,” she said with a sniff, pulling back.
“Aye, t’was rude, wife,” he agreed. “’Tis sorry I am to have said it. T’was all I could do not to take advantage of your passionate nature, and I’m thankful for it. I’m still not sure how I managed to survive these many months without takin’ you fully,” he admitted before he gently claimed her lips.
Maeve felt her body soften as his hand stroked her shoulders before moving lower on her back. He kissed her for a long time, gently nibbling, nudging her lips open with his tongue so he could explore her mouth. Twice he drew her lower lip between his and bit gently.
All the while, his hands traveled up and down her spine, moving her closer and closer to his hard body. She could feel the strength of his chest, his erection pressed against her tummy. At some point she noticed that he’d worked her skirt up to her waist and was cupping her bottom through her panties, pressing her ever closer.
“Sean,” she whispered against his mouth.
