Eleven
Aoife
“Just do it.”
My nose wrinkled. “Since when did you get so bossy?”
Watching Finn’s eyes widen had me grinning at him. Then they narrowed. “Since when did you get to be such a smartass?”
I snickered. “Marrying you took care of that.”
He mock-growled, then nibbled on my shoulder, making me squeal. His arms came around my waist, and I sighed, loving how tightly he held me, how fierce his hold was. Three years on, a shooting, only God knew how many crises, a baby, and now a war—even if we were only on the periphery of it so far—and Finn still made me feel like I was the only woman he saw.
I nuzzled into him, loving his embrace, before I muttered, “She might not want to go.”
“So? If she doesn’t, she doesn’t.”
He sounded so blasé about it that I had to grumble, “How would you feel if you went to a Pats’ game with Conor or Brennan?”
“Ah. That bad?”
“Yeah. That bad.” Considering they were massive Giants fans, and Finn was considered a traitor to his city, state, and country the way the others went on about his allegiance to a New England team, that was the only way I could describe it.
“But you’re not asking her out on a date. You both like books,” he chivvied. “She liked the list you sent her, didn’t she?”
I squirmed around in his hold, which made Jacob squirm too. He was sleeping after having just finished feeding, and because it was Finn and me, we were all a naked pile in the bed, discussing the stupid anxiety I was having over inviting Eoghan’s new wife to a book convention I was going to next year.
“What if she doesn’t like me?”
His lips twitched until he saw my genuine concern. “Then I’ll shoot her.”
I huffed. “Then Eoghan will shoot you. My goal is to keep you alive, not get you killed.”
Eyes twinkling, he murmured, “Good to know you still want me around.”
“You have your uses,” I informed him loftily, grinning when he barked out a laugh.
“Glad to hear it.” His brows soared high in amusement, but he reiterated, “It isn’t a date, just like a friendship thing. She’s even worse off than you, darlin’. I mean, let’s face it, she had to get Lena in to sort out Winnie.” He rolled his eyes. “If she can’t get the housekeeper to like her, then none of the other women will.”
“You think we’ll have to go into lockdown?” I questioned softly, not liking to ask when we didn’t speak about business, but I knew what he was talking about.
When war came to our doorsteps, the women got sent away to a massive house that was tucked away. Like a hotel, we all stayed in there together until it was safe to come out again. The men tended to stay at home, but last time, I’d been injured, and Finn had slept with me. Now, I had Jacob, and the prospect of being away from Finn while I had Jacob? Horrible.
Still, he was right. In that situation, Inessa would be worse off. The women had tolerated me at first, and now I was accepted. Inessa? Wouldn’t get that much consideration.
She needed all the friends she could get.
“Maybe,” he said eventually, as he stroked his finger over Jacob’s dimpled cheek.
I’d thought I’d known what love was when Finn had come into my life like a wrecking ball. But watching Finn look at our son? It magnified the love I felt for him a thousandfold.
If my husband looked at me like I was the only woman in the world for him, he looked at our son like he’d raze the planet to the ground to keep him safe.
“If it happens, will you stay with us?”
“At night?” He sighed. “I don’t think I could stay away.”
“Good answer,” I rasped, pressing my lips to his as I snuggled into him. He propped me up even as he kissed me, his tongue dragging against mine, bringing my body to awareness in a way that it wasn’t prepared for. Jacob was only just starting to sleep a little more regularly, so we were both tired all the time, and now was no different, but I could feel the exhaustion weighing us both down.