Page 58 of Hash

“I didn’t!” Aisling insists. “Frankie made a dating profile for me months ago because she said I needed to get back out there. She was pretending to be me. So, no, I didn’t talk to him until tonight.”

She went on a date with a man she hadn’t even talked to? It’s bad enough she met this bitch online.

“That has to be the stupidest fucking thing you’ve ever done,” I tell her, my voice hard and reprimanding.

“I’m not stupid,” she hisses.

“I didn’t say you were stupid; I said what you did was stupid. Meeting a guy off the internet is fucking stupid. He could have raped and killed you, and no one would have known jack shit about him. You have a fucking kid to think about.”

Aisling shoots up, coming closer to me as she jabs me in the chest with her finger. “You don’t think I know that? All I fucking do is think about that little boy in there.” She points down the hall where his room is. “So don’t you,” she pauses to jab me again, only this time I grab her finger and hold it in place, “tell me I don’t think about him. This was the first date I’ve been on in a long time, so chill the fuck out.”

“How many men have you been with since you had him?” I ask, still holding her finger.

Touching her is the only thing holding me together right now. Her soft skin against my rough and tattered skin has always felt like home. It’s been killing me not knowing how many others have been in her bed when I’ve had no one in mine. It’s going to send me over the edge if she tells me there’s even been one man, but I need to know.

“Since who?” Aisling asks, confused.

I can’t tell if she’s playing dumb or actually doesn’t know what the fuck I’m asking.

“Don’t act stupid. You know exactly what I’m asking.”

“Call me stupid one more time, Lachlan, and see what happens,” she snaps.

“Maybe I will just to see what you’re going to do.” I smirk, finally releasing her finger. “Now answer my goddamn question.”

Aisling sighs as her attention returns to her dress as she plays with the hem again. I hold my breath as I wait for her answer. “None,” she says just above a whisper.

“What?” I ask, wanting to make sure I heard her right.

She clears her throat. “None. There’s been no one since you.”

Damn right there hasn’t been.

“That’s a good girl, baby doll,” I praise. “You knew I would come back, didn’t you?” Aisling doesn’t say anything as she looks into my eyes, her cheeks a light shade of pink. “You had your chance to find someone else, and you didn’t. Remember that because tonight isn’t happening again. And if Frankie tries to pull some shit again, she and I will be having words, and trust me, you don’t want that.”

“God, I hate you,” she says with no real meaning behind it as she stares into my eyes.

“You’ll learn to love me again soon.” I lean in, closing the distance between us as I place a kiss on her lips.

I was expecting her to push me away, but Aisling opens her mouth, inviting me in. I take over, dominating her mouth and claiming it all in one. My hand threads through the loose curls she put in her hair as I grasp the back of her head, holding her to me. I nip at her bottom lip, earning a gasp that I happily swallow.

I’ve missed her little noises and the way her scent is the only thing I can smell. I thought my dreams had embellished the feeling since I was missing her so much, but they weren’t. It’s a million times better in person, having her back in my arms.

My thumb gently strokes the area on her jaw near her ear as I pull away, breaking the kiss. “I want you to go wash your makeup off, put on one of my tees I know you still have and go to sleep. I’ll be over around noon to pick you and little man up.”

“You’re leaving?” Aisling asks, looking a little sad.

“Yeah, I need to get back to the clubhouse and get filled in since I had to dip to deal with your ass,” I tell her, trying to lighten the mood.

“You didn’t need to leave for my sake.”

“Oh but I did, baby doll. I told you that you mean something to me, and this is my way of getting you to understand. Go to sleep and give little man a kiss for me,” I say as I move to stand up, taking her with me.

Aisling moves first, wrapping her arms around my midsection, pulling me in for a hug. My arms wind around her, holding her close to me as I lay a kiss on the top of her head.

Fuck, I’ve missed this woman.

“Night, baby,” I murmur.