The Domville 6 (The Domville #6) (5 page)

‘Right, that’s it. You’re coming with me, like it or
not.’

Finian

I grabbed her as she swayed on her feet. Feck! She was
pissed and about to pass out. She’d never been able to hold her drink. I
crouched down, tucked one arm under her knees, and scooped her up into my arms.

‘Let. Me. Go,’ she uttered, trying to keep her eyes open
as she struggled in my arms. ‘I
hate
you.’

‘No, you don’t. You love me, Toni Bradbury. At least I
hope you still do,’ I stated as I looked down at her. ‘Why do you think I left
and never called? You told me that you loved me the night of our graduation
party and scared the living daylights out of me. I was twenty-one years old.
Twenty-one! I wasn’t ready for a serious relationship. I ran, ok? I was an
arse, I know that, but I needed time. Time to get youth and freedom out of my
system before I even thought about settling down. Why do you think I came back?
Freckles?
Freckles?
Feck!’ I groaned to see she’d passed out in my arms.
My girl really was a lightweight with alcohol. I turned around and eased my way
through the crowds, smiling and nodding at some of our old classmates as they
laughed to see us just like we’d often been on a night out. Me in control,
Freckles comatose. She’d need to be sick, then she’d want some sweet tea and a
burger with fries, then some bread and butter pudding and a good sleep. That
was what always pulled her out of her pissed state back then.

‘What the hell?’ muttered Alexis as she halted me in my
tracks.

‘You know she can’t handle her drink. Did she eat before
you came out?’

‘No idea,’ Alexis shrugged.

‘You should know better,’ I barked, furious with her. ‘What
if I hadn’t been here? She could have been hit on by any number of randy guys
who wouldn’t have treated her respectfully.’

‘I should know better?! You have a nerve, Finian. Showing
up here after all this time, making out like you still know her. Ten years is a
long time, she’s changed.’

‘No, she hasn’t,’ I sighed, looking down at her suspended
in my arms. Her head had rolled to the side and her cheek was pressed up
against my champagne soaked waistcoat. ‘She’s still the Freckles I left
behind.’

‘You’ve missed a lot, Fin. You broke her when you left
and I’m not sure she’s ever found all the pieces. She lost her spark and that
fun loving side she always had. She’s barely even had a relationship. I think
she believes if someone she was that close to could turn their back on her, how
can she ever trust another man again.’

‘I screwed up, ok? I know that, but I’m back now and I’m
going to fix it. She saw me outside with the blonde?’ I asked, putting two and
two together.

‘No, but I did,’ she replied, crossing her arms across
her chest defensively with a scowl.

‘Not my wife. Not my girlfriend even, I don’t have one. She
was just a single parent who was down on her luck and I offered her some help.
I felt sorry for her. I told you when I tracked you down at Bradbury Events
that I was coming back to make things right with Freckles and I meant it.’

‘You even think about letting her down again, a couple of
slaps and some champagne will be like child’s play compared to what I’ll do to
you,’ she warned with a pointed finger.

‘I won’t let her down. I’ve had plenty of time to think
about this seriously, Alexis. I know what I want.’

‘Go and sort her out then,’ she sighed with a shake of
her head. ‘And when I say sort her out, I don’t mean take advantage of her when
she’s drunk.’

‘Jaysis, woman. She’s flathered! I’d never do that. I had
plenty of chances in the past, if that was all I was after, and I never did.
I’ll text you when she’s awake and let you know she’s ok. Thanks for giving me
her address for the rose and for making sure she came tonight.’ I kissed her on
the cheek, grateful Freckles had a good friend to look out for her while I was
gone.

‘Well, everyone knew you two were meant to be, except the
bloody two of you. Took your sweet time realising it. I just hope you’re not
too late, some wounds can never be healed, Finian. Go and look after my girl
and update me as soon as you can. Don’t forget, I won’t be so forgiving if you
hurt her again.’

‘I wouldn’t dare,’ I replied with a grin. ‘You’ll be ok
on your own?’

‘I’ll be fine, I’m surrounded by old friends. Please go and
take care of her, I hadn’t realised how drunk she was.’

I nodded and strode off in the direction of the exit and
the lifts. The concierge came running over when he saw me struggling to get my
key card while trying not to drop Toni. He retrieved my wallet for me and
offered to come up to open the door to my suite. He confirmed that the young
lady I’d been worrying about had been for her walk and was currently having her
things moved to her new suite. I was half listening as my eyes kept drifting
down to Freckles to check that she was ok. Christ, I’d been an eejit. Fucking
everything that moved and not allowing myself to see what was right in front of
me. But that’s what I’d needed back then. I carefully lay her on my bed and
gave the concierge some notes before seeing him out and locking the door. I let
out a heavy sigh and ran my hands through my hair. I was wet and sticky, but
she needed sorting out first. I unzipped my clean shirt out of the garment bag,
ready to slip onto her. First I had to get her awake and undressed. I sat on
the edge of the bed and gently patted her face as I called her name.

‘Go away,’ she mumbled. ‘I don’t want to see you.’

‘Well, you’re stuck with me and I don’t want you being
sick on your dress or in your sleep. Help me out here.’ I hauled her upper body
up to mine and she flopped against my chest, her head on my shoulder. I
resisted the urge to kiss her head and reached around to undo the zip on her
dress. I’d undressed her so many times over the years, seen her in underwear as
she padded around our shared digs and not once had I reacted to that. This was
totally different. She wasn’t just my best friend Freckles anymore.

She was more.

I gritted my teeth as I slipped the straps of her dress
off her shoulders. Her skin was so soft and smooth. I could feel my chest
rising and falling as I tried to take calm breaths. Feck! She even had on a
green lace bra. She’d only ever worn white or black functional underwear in all
the time I’d seen her. This was sexy underwear and God had her body matured.
Her small breasts had filled out into proper handfuls that I was longing to
squeeze and bury my face between. I shook my head and lay her back down. Her
dress was gathered around her waist and I needed to get it over her hips.

‘Lift your arse for me, Freckles,’ I ordered, noticing
the gruffness in my voice.

‘
You’re
an arse, Finian Delany,’ she muttered,
trying to bat my hands away as I pulled at the material.

‘I sure am, but I still need you to lift yours, or do you
want to barf all over this lovely dress?’

‘I’m feeling very barfy,’ she moaned with a nod, her eyes
still closed.

‘I bet. Is the bed spinning?’

‘Big time.’

‘Come on then, help a fella out. Lift your sweet arse
up.’

‘Where am I?’ she asked, trying to do as she was told. I
managed to wriggle the dress down quickly, averting my eyes from the flash of
green lace triangle that had just come into view. Christ, this was torture.

‘My suite,’ I replied, trying desperately not to look at
her body as I slid the dress down her legs and over her heels. I carefully hung
it up in my wardrobe and heard her mumbling something incoherently in the
background. ‘Jaysis, I deserve a bloody medal for restraint,’ I groaned as I
turned around to see her lying on my bed in sexy underwear and high heels. I’d
always fought my urges for her in the past, but now that I’d admitted my
feelings for her, I couldn’t hold them back anymore. I undid the straps and
pulled her shoes off. Had her feet always been so petite? I was startled back
to reality to hear her gagging. Shite, I didn’t have long. I quickly scooped
her up again and kicked open the bathroom door. ‘Hold on, Freckles, nearly
there.’

Her eyes opened wide as she slammed a palm over her
mouth, her body jerking as she tried to keep it in. I shook my head as I set
her down by the toilet and lifted the lid and seat. I quickly kneeled behind
her, slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her pony tail back with one
hand, just in time. She gripped the edge of the toilet and I held her steady as
she heaved and emptied her guts a few times.

‘Fin,’ she moaned between the sounds of her retching.

‘It’s ok, Freckles. I’ve got you, I’ll always have you.
Never could handle your drink, could you? Bet you’ve been mixing shots and
wine. Did you in every time.’ She nodded and heaved again. I just held her and
rubbed her back as she sobbed and threw up, until there was nothing left. ‘Ok,
let’s get you cleaned up and to bed for a sleep. When you wake up, I’ll order
you some food and you’ll soon feel right as rain, ok?’

‘Like old times,’ she sniffed, dragging the back of her
palm across her mouth.

‘Just like old times,’ I whispered, except it wasn’t. I
couldn’t resist. I leaned down and placed a gentle kiss in the curve of her
neck and shoulder. Christ, she smelled amazing. I heard her take in a startled
breath and quickly pulled my head back. I lifted her up onto her feet and held
her waist until she found her sea legs again, then guided her over to the
floating sinks. Reaching around her, I soaked a face cloth in warm water, then
looked over her shoulder into the mirrored reflection to guide me as I wiped away
the dark makeup that had run from her eyes down her cheeks. Her body was
trembling and she said nothing as she held my gaze in the mirror. I carried on
until her face was clean, including the corners of her mouth, then loaded up my
toothbrush and turned on the cold tap. ‘Open,’ I ordered.

‘Bossy as ever,’ she replied, but did as she was told as
she held on to the edge of the sink for support.

‘You always liked me being in charge,’ I reminded her as
I gently brushed her teeth.

‘Yeah, well you don’t know me anymore,’ she mumbled
through the foaming white.

‘I know you well enough, and what I don’t know anymore,
I’ll learn fast.’

‘Who says I’ll let you stick around?’

‘You don’t have a choice,’ I said firmly. Her eyes filled
up again as I continued to brush and I could see her chest rising and falling.
She was confused, which was understandable. I had a lot of explaining to do. I
rapped the toothbrush on the side of the sink to shake off the water and
unscrewed my mouthwash and handed it to her. ‘Rinse, please.’

She did as she was told and I spun her around to face me
when she was done, reached up and clasped her face.

‘Where’s your wife?’ she asked bluntly.

‘I told you, I don’t have one. Alexis saw me with a young
lady that I’d helped out of a mess, she got the wrong end of the stick. I may
be an arse, Freckles, but I never lied to you. Come on, come and sleep for a
while, then I’ll order room service and we can talk. Ok?’

‘Ok,’ she stated, after a lengthy pause. I dipped my head
and kissed her forehead, letting my lips linger longer than was considered
polite. I could hear her laboured breathing and grimaced as I felt my dick
stirring.

‘Bed.’

‘I’m nearly naked,’ she whispered.

‘I’m well aware,’ I confirmed, which I'm sure she'd
noticed from the sudden growing bulge in my trousers that was pressing against
her stomach. ‘Come on, I have a spare shirt you can wear.’ I let go of her and
held out my hand. She hesitated for a moment, then took it. It felt so small in
my large one. I’d totally forgotten how petite she was. I led her to the
wardrobe and reluctantly released her hand and tugged the shirt off the hanger.
‘Arms,’ I instructed.

I gritted my teeth again as she did as she was told and
her breasts lifted up as well. I’d never shown so much restraint in my life. I
slipped the shirt over her head, then took her hand again and led her to the
right hand side of the bed. Turndown service had already been carried out, so I
moved the chocolate and pulled the duvet back even further and helped her in,
tucking it back up around her. Her eyes were fighting closing already. I turned
around to start unbuttoning my waistcoat as I walked back towards the en-suite
and away from half-comatose temptation. I needed a shower, then I needed to
ring housekeeping to come up and take this and my shirt so I had something to
wear in the morning, given she was wearing my spare one.

‘Don’t go,’ came a quiet pleading voice behind me. I
looked around surprised. ‘You used to … you used to …’

‘I used to hold you until you fell asleep and spend the
night with you. You want me to do that now?’

‘Please.’ She looked embarrassed as she nodded, but I
didn’t care. She didn’t hate me after all, not deep down anyway, and that
filled me with so much happiness.