Page 24 of An Angel’s Share (The Greystone Family: Greystone Brothers #1)

Aoife

Fucking Liam! How dare he question me in that tone of voice. Who the hell does he think he is? Calling my authority into question. Bringing Patrick in to back him up. My blood is boiling. He needs to be brought back down to earth. This meeting cannot come soon enough.

I may have just used the guise of private family business to deliberately exclude Liam, and now, looking around the table, I decide his time is up.

Marshall knows about the baby, and Jonno cannot wait for my daddy to know, but is my dad up to this? Will he agree with my plan to dump Liam? Or will he be turned by Mammy and insist I carry on with the ridiculous show for the longer term.

Shuffling my chair closer to Daddy, I look at Jonno. His face is impassive, but relaxed. I decide to go for it.

“I’ve met Jonno before.”

My dad’s eyebrows go up. He did not expect that to be what comes out of my mouth. Daddy looks over at Jonno, trying to gauge his reaction. Good luck with that. The only time I’ve ever seen major emotion from him is when we’re alone.

Marshall casts a raised eyebrow at Jonno, he obviously knows a bit about it.

“In America,” I add.

I continue to look steadily into my daddy’s eyes. They get wider and wider, as he moves from that statement to the ‘American sperm donor’ story I told them when I first came home. He looks at Jonno, who is still sporting his relaxed demeanour.

“Where in America?”

“California. When I went to look at the cask storage site and meet my university friend,” I answer quickly.

Well one out of two truths is not bad. Again I look across at Jonno, his face has changed to blank.

Marshall’s concerned. “Jonno and I had a very brief but intense affair, and the result was the baby.” Stick to the truth as much as possible.

Well… maybe not. “I tried to find him and him me, but due to outside circumstances, we didn’t find each other, then.

” Daddy looks a bit incredulous at that and at Jonno. “Jonno tracked me here.”

Daddy looks at Marshall, clearly asking him with his eyes if he knew.

“I didn’t know, brother.” Marshall puts his hands out towards his eldest brother. “Not until yesterday. I wanted these two to tell you. It was not my story to tell.”

I carry on with my half-baked half-truthful story.

“But obviously, when he arrived, I was just getting engaged. And everyone told him the story we had concocted about Liam being the father of the baby. And us coming back from New York in love.” I stop to let Daddy try and process everything. Take in all the truths and lies .

“And Jonno knows the truth now? That Liam is being paid to pretend to be your fiancé?” He sounds incredulous.

I nod at him. “I’ve told him the truth about the baby as well. He is the father of this baby.” I place my hands on my stomach, protecting the most important thing at this table.

Daddy sits back, and says nothing. Jonno’s face is still blank, but he is regarding Dad and Marshall carefully.

Suddenly, Dad’s face lights up. “Thank God. Does this mean we can call it off with that imbecile? I’m so relieved.” His smile is intoxicating, and my eyes fill with tears. I feel wholly relieved. It’s as if a dead weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

Daddy then spins his grey gaze onto Jonno. “Are you stepping up to support my daughter and your baby, Jonno?” His tone is commanding now.

“Yes, absolutely. I’ve told Aoife I’m here for her and the baby. Whatever she wants that to look like, I’m here for her.” He gazes across at me, his eyes telegraphing his feelings. And for the first time in a long while, I feel completely seen.

Marshall’s smile lights up the evening sky. My daddy looks like he’s been freed from some awful jail. It’s smiles all around.

“When are we telling him?” Dad is obviously as keen to dump Liam as I am. He’s rubbing his hands together in glee.

“I was going to do it before the meeting. But to be honest, the meeting is going to be hard work. If I can hang on, I would prefer to do it after. But if he continues to disrespect me, I’ll do it earlier.

I can’t tolerate it much more. The only issue is Mammy.

She wants me to continue with him, but I really don’t like him, Daddy.

And I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but since the engagement and the pregnancy announcement, his attitude towards me has gotten worse, not better.

It’s as if he thinks I’m an object to be placed and left.

Shouted at and spoken to like a little kid. It’s ridiculous.”

Daddy is nodding his head in agreement. “How do you want to get rid of him?” Clearly Daddy is moving on quickly, he’s onto logistics.

“I think money will work. He seems pretty hung up on it. And I’m happy for him to say it’s his decision. I don’t care what anyone thinks of me.”

“Are you and Jonno getting together, or is it just the baby you’re going to raise together?”

Oh dear, the million dollar question. We’ve hardly discussed that ourselves.

“I’ve told Aoife I’ll do whatever she wants. If she wants to go public with me as the father now, fine,” Jonno dives in, whole hearted conviction in his tone. “People will know after the baby is born anyway, as I want to be fully involved.”

“But are you together, as a couple?” Daddy’s persistent. “For example, are you getting engaged? Married? Or just living together? Or living separately but together?”

When did my dad get so up on people's living arrangements? Marshall grins at his brother. He knows better than most that living arrangements can be tricky and come in all shapes and sizes.

“I only ask as I think about Marshall at his house. I need to know so I know what I’m supposed to say or not say.” Seamus rolls his eyes at his brother. “Kids, eh Marshall.” They both grin at each other, looking a lot younger and healthier than their years.

I’m not sure what to say. How to respond to that. I look at Jonno, but his face is still blank. What’s wrong with him?

I decide to go for it. “We’ve said we are going to be a couple. Live together. As soon as I tell Liam, we will be living as one family.” I hold my breath, waiting for a retraction. If Jonno has changed his mind, he better fucking say now.

But he nods. “That’s right, Seamus. I’d like to think that you’ll support us. I want to be with Aoife and the baby. I intend to move here.”

My jaw drops in shock. He never mentioned that before. My eyes fill with tears as I look at him. He would move his life here? He loves his family, but he would move away from them for me? For us?

He smiles, and all my fears completely melt away. It’s as if the sun has shone brighter and I’m basking in the light and heat.

“Don’t cry, Rua,” he says, his voice soft and loving. “I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.” He picks up my hand and holds it.

Marshall looks at my dad and they both get up to leave. “I love you, daughter,” Dad whispers as he kisses my head and touches Jonno on the shoulder. Marshall kisses my head and gives Jonno a squeeze.

I feel like my heart is going to burst. I realise that I’m relieved. Relieved that Liam is finally going to be history. That someone else is on my side, prepared to do anything for me and the baby. I know as I look into the chocolate brown eyes with gold flecks, I will not be alone again.

Dinner is my penance. Purgatory cannot be worse than what I am subjected to.

Liam trying to make barbed comments at Jonno and Marshall all evening.

The competition for who is the funniest, who is the better at sport.

Who knows more about sports? Who is more popular in London?

Who has the most friends? All entirely one sided traffic as Jonno answers none of the infantile questions.

And only a few of the others without any conviction or enthusiasm, leaving Patrick, Liam, and all the heads of his departments none the wiser as he was so vague.

Jonno leaves halfway through the competition—oh sorry, dinner—to take a call from Evie, and then steps out again when James calls. He returns to the table, talking quietly to Marshall, but not joining in Patrick and Co’s continued efforts to showcase how great they all are.

I’m exhausted, and make my excuses to leave to have an ‘early night.’ I’m dozing when I hear my door go.

I’m sure I locked it, so I lie still to see what the hell is going on.

His scent hits me and I know he’s here. Cardamom and Bergamot.

I smile into the darkness as he stands at the side of the bed and doesn’t say a word.

I hear the rustle of clothes being discarded and the bedclothes move as he slips in beside me.

Oh fucking hell, he’s so gorgeous, and my mind has conjured up the images of his body from today.

Its glow in the sunlight, how his muscles moved as he thrust into me.

I can hear myself panting. Will I ever be able to play it cool?

He's not said a word as he moves his hands over my body. Nuzzling up my neck and licking the shell of my ear. I shiver, the pleasure coursing through me. His natural warmth heating me up from the outside as well as the inside.

“Let me love you tonight, Rua. Feel how hard I am for you.”

His voice comes at me in the darkness—low, husky, wanting. I move my hands onto his length, my breath stuttering at his size. He hears my gasp. I feel his grin.

“You like what you feel. I want this inside you, loving you. Everything is for you tonight, baby. ”

“Yes, Jonno. Love me. I want it all.”

It’s the last coherent sentence that leaves my mouth, as he proceeds to show me how much he loves and wants me, telling me how much he treasures me.

Everything is about me, about us, how he can’t keep away.

I pull him in, I want to climb inside him as much as he is inside me.

He sets my soul on fire, and I’m happy to burn with him.