“I see the woman you are now,” I tell her. I don’t tell her I also see the woman she has yet to become. I’m not even sure where the sentiment came from, to be honest. How could I see the future?
“You looked lost there for a minute, Tiernan,” she says soberly. “Are you… what are you thinking?”
“Was thinking of a future with you, lass. But I don’t want to scare you.”
She laughs. “Well, now, I saw you kill a man and didn’t run. I’ve been kept as your prisoner, fucked senseless, and made to obey your highness, and still haven’t run.”
I narrow my eyes but feel my lips quirk up.
“Do you really think,” she continues, “That I’m worried about you wanting me?”
I nod.
She laughs again. “Alright then, fine, you’d be right about that as well.”
I chuckle, but she quickly sobers. “No, Tiernan. I love it. I love the way you look at me. I can’t quite wrap my brain around my place in the McCarthy clan, but honestly, the thought of not being with any of you anymore makes my heart ache.”
She closes her eyes briefly, as if to process the pain of the thought of separation.
“Good.”
She blinks. “Good?”
“Aye. This is how things go, you know, lass. At least with the Clan.”
She looks at me quizzically.
“Oh?”
“Did you talk to the girls about how some of them came to be women of the clan?”
Her eyes widen. “Oh, aye, I did.”
I entwine my fingers with hers and squeeze a little. “And?”
“And I… a part of me fears such a fierce possession,” she whispers. “I’m not a submissive woman, Tiernan.”
I chuckle. “You don’t say?”
She tucks her head back onto my chest and sighs. “I just…” her voice drops. “I don’t want to be anywhere but right here.”
I hold her to me so fiercely she gasps.
“I love the girls. I love the McCarthy family. And I…”
My heart stutters. Will she actually say what I think she will?
“I’ve always had a crush on you,” she finishes, her eyes twinkling.
I hug her again. She was close. I know she was, but she needs more time.
A bell sounds in the distance, and she sits up quickly, her eyes wide and alarmed.
“What the bloody hell is that?”
I chuckle, gently pushing her off me so I can get to my feet. “You don’t recognize a dinner bell when you hear one, Aisling?”
“Seriously?”
I push out of bed and tug some clothes on. “Better straighten up that ‘just fucked’ makeup and hair, lass.”
Her fingers fly to her hair, making me laugh again.
“Oh, God.”
“You’re fine,” I say, tossing her clothes to her. “But I do want you to come with me to meet some of my old teachers, alright? We’ll come right back here after, though.”
She nods. “Oh, aye. Let’s do that. Jesus, my stomach’s fucking growling.”
“Aisling.” My tone is hard, capturing her attention.
“What?”
“You can’t use language like that around the students, lass.”
“Language? Like what?”
“Curse words, love.”
She claps a hand to her mouth. “Oh, right.”
I wag a finger at her. “If you do, I’ll notice. I want you on your best behavior.”
She rolls her eyes. “Suppose you’ll give me a spanking, hmm? Always looking for an excuse to beat my arse.”
“You’d better believe I am.”
She bites her lip and flushes. “Then I’d better watch my goddamn fucking mouth, hmm?”
I swing at her arse, but she dodges and laughs, reaching for her shoes.
“Course I will,” she says. “What do you think I am, a heathen?”
“You don’t want me to answer that question. I saw the way you sleep, thrashing about like a woman possessed.”
“Not my fault you’re a human volcano.”
Can’t help but tease her. “You think I’m hot?”
She rolls her eyes at me. “Everything else about you is… big.” She lets her eyes rove over my body. “You think I’m going give you a big head, too?” She playfully smacks back at me, and I dodge her, laughing. I love how down-to-earth and unpretentious she is. “But the answer, you twat, is yes, or I wouldn’t have lost my knickers over you.” She smirks. “Damn near would’ve done it when I was younger, too, but I didn’t want to affect things with Fiona, and you barely knew I existed.”
I scratch my chin thoughtfully. I did have many other more important things on my mind back then, and I viewed Aisling like another little sister. A wild thing with wild hair and a temper that matched my sister’s.
“Had bigger things on my mind back then.”
She sobers. “You did. Like learning how to fight. Taking care of your family. Learning how to be inducted into the McCarthy Clan.”
“How do you know all this?” I tug on a shirt and zip up my trousers.
“Because you’re a man of a single mind, Tiernan,” she says, tugging on her own top. “And when you put your mind to something… well, you get what you want, don’t you?”