Page 75 of Intimately Faithful

She held hope like she was on a life raft in the middle of the ocean.

When she’d made the snap decision to head to Danny’s church for refuge on that snowy night, she carried no expectations other than finding shelter and maybe a welcoming face away from the horror she’d left behind.

It was all that kept her focused on the long, cold walk keeping Misha warm, she sang songs to the baby and kept Danny in her mind knowing her safety was in front of her, if she just kept heading towards him.

On that walk—long before she’d wanted to face him, she’d tried hard to scrape together her life first—she’d gone over so many scenarios to keep the cold at bay. Aoife had needed to prepare herself that maybe he’d be married with kids, just because it was the worst possible thing to happen. Learning he was a pastor was shock enough but seeing him with a wife while she was at her lowest point would have been the icing on the cake. Though her friend’s death had taken her across town to him in bitter weather, and the pain of that loss and watching horrified as her young life was snuffed out carelessly, she was ashamed to say the moment she got a good look at Danny, her eyes checked his wedding finger to see it was bare.

Wanting him back was just for her fantasies, until she’d seen him and all that fell away.

She wanted … needed him back.

And even now, as he brushed a rough mouth down the column of her neck she arched back for him, she admitted she wouldn’t have let another woman stand in her way.

Not with the chemistry that wouldalwaysbe between her and Danny.

No other woman—no matter how much he could care about them, would ever live up to what they shared.

Their bond went too deep.

It was in every fiber of her being and once upon a time he felt it too.

She could get that back again.She could.

For Danny Murphy’s love she would fight tooth and nail. She’d fight so dirty.

Whisper kisses. “You know you ache to put me in my place, Danny.”

Breaking their connection, his voice was a coarse pant.

“Aoife, be sure.”

“Oh, my God. I am. I need you.”

They’ve made love several times now, but he hadn’t come to her bed in days.

Aoife figured he’d changed his mind, but then he turned possessive in front of his church people, and then their delicious sofa romp happened.

She was hurting for him.

For his dominating hands, his mouth, his taste. For his strength to override hers.

For months she’d known the dangerous lifestyle she was suddenly embroiled in, but the money was so damn good. She never claimed to be a paragon of goodness.

The man licking her ear would attest to that.

Observing the way Yelena was brutally killed without a flicker of remorse, put her own life into perspective. It was too short to wait for the perfect time.

Getting Danny back was never going to be easy, but she decided on that snowy walk, no more waiting.

Without pause, he drew back far enough that he could grab the waistband of the leggings and tore them down her legs. Underwear and all.

His hands, strong and rough like he dug trenches for twenty hours a day, rolled right up her legs and gripped her behind.

Aoife moaned at being handled.

“Is that what you want? To see me undone?”

“Yes.”