The Aftermath (The Hurricane, #2)(29)
“Listen, Con, I can see you stressing already? and we ain’t even started. Me and the lads, we got your back. You gotta job to do, and that job is to put Rico Temple on his arse and win us some money.”
“Huh?” I grunted stupidly. From his back pocket, Liam pulled out a betting slip. “Soon as news of the fight went live, bookies started posting odds, and we all went down.” Looking around, they all pulled out their betting slips.
“No pressure then,” I said, touched that they believed in me enough to risk what little money they had.
“No pressure at all,” said Liam with a grin. “We all bet on the other guy so we couldn’t give a shit whether you train or sit around for three months getting fat. In fact we’re actively encouraging Em with her baking.”
“Fuck off,” I told him playfully. “You guys can sit back and become fat arses. I’ve got work to do.”
“Of course we bet on you, brother,” said Kieran. “But you’re not doing this for us, or for Danny or Em. You do this for yourself.”
He was right but that didn’t change the fact that I wouldn’t be standing here on the brink of a life-changing opportunity without them.
“Of course that don’t mean we’re not gonna make the most of it when you do win. Ringside seats in Vegas with a hot girl on each arm sounds like a bloody good plan to me,” Tommy chipped in.
“Shouldn’t you be getting those STDs cleared up before you go on the hunt for more hotties?” warned Kieran.
“Fuck you and your f*cking STDs,” grumbled Tommy.
“Take your frustration out on the house, my little friend,” Kier teased Tommy as he patted him condescendingly. “You can roll around with me when you’re feeling better,” he told him.
“I’d like to beat the shit out of you,” Tommy told him.
“Beat the shit out of, roll around, it’s the same difference. You wanna get hot and sweaty and jump all over me. I’m not gay but I understand your feelings. It’s just the effect I have on people. You’re not made of wood,” Kieran told him matter-of-factly.
“Whatever arse munch. I’ve got a sledgehammer and I’m going upstairs so you’d best stay out of my way,” he warned Kier.
“Trust me, little man, I have no interest in coming upstairs to see your big hammer,” Kier retorted.
“You need help,” grumbled Tommy, as he walked away and we fell about pissing ourselves laughing.
I glanced quickly at Liam to see if their gay references had made him feel uncomfortable but he looked as bemused as ever with them both. Mentally I chastised myself for thinking he’d be any different. The lads wouldn’t change who they were or how they acted because he was gay, and he wouldn’t want or expect them to. In fact, he’d probably kick their arses if they did. My only concern for him was that he was still keeping it a secret. I know he worried the news would spread when it got out, but he needed his friends around him. His parents were stanch Catholics, and as much as they loved him, when they found out there’d be f*cking hell to pay.
*
The steam rose up from the hot bath in waves and rolled decadently up to the ceiling. The slight ache in the muscles I didn’t train regularly felt good. For the first time ever, I felt like I was building something. For a guy who hadn’t achieved a whole lot up until this point, a couple of days hard graft on our first real home gave me a hunter-gatherer feeling that was pretty heady.
“How’s it coming on?” Em asked from the doorway.
“Looks beautiful, darlin’,” I told her, watching the steam making her hair curl even tighter.
“In one weekend, you made our house a palace?” she teased.
“I wasn’t talking about the house,” I said. Beckoning her over, I waited until she was almost beside me before hauling her by the hips and pulling her over the edge of the tub into my lap.
“Woman, you’ve got curves that would tempt the angels themselves,” I told her as I ran my thumb under the elastic of her panties. She’d shrieked when I’d grabbed her but, dressed in only panties and a tank top, I didn’t think she’d be too mad about the wet clothes. She moaned slightly as I gently grazed her clit, and my cock grew even harder beneath her.
“Baby, flattery really does get you everywhere,” she replied breathlessly.
Jesus, I was a lucky man. Some men marry young and quickly regret their decision even faster. What was that saying again, “marry in haste, repent at leisure”? Most men don’t know what the f*ck they’re doing but I did. I may not be a smart man, but it didn’t take a fancy degree to understand that marrying Em was the best thing I’d ever done. She was strong, smart, sexy, and funny. The most intelligent woman I’ve ever met. There hasn’t been a single moment since the day I met her where I’ve waivered in my belief that she was the woman for me. Convincing her that I was the man for her had been another matter.
“We have to get out,” she whispered, “If we get any more water on the floor, it’s going to leak through to the flat below.”
“Fuck the guy downstairs. He’s a dick who plays music far too f*cking loud. With a bit of luck, the leak will fry the stereo equipment and the whole building will love us.” She giggled until I touched my lips to hers. With kissing and coaxing, she opened her mouth slightly as she brushed her tongue against mine. Darts of pleasure went straight to my dick which was practically impaling her.