Quiet Types, page 14
His lips formed an amused slant. “So, you’re telling me I’ve been paying you for several extra hours every week?”
“I tried explaining this when I started, but you thought I was trying to get out of doing a proper job.”
“I like to maintain a level of suspicion with new employees. But now that you’ve proven yourself and the penthouses are always spotless after you’ve cleaned them, I see I can trust you.”
“Well, I’m glad. Does that mean you want to adjust my hours? Because I’d be happy to only bill you for half a day.”
Jonathan ran a hand over his clean-shaven jaw. I guessed he was nearing forty, but he still had an enviously full head of dark blond hair. “It means I might have another job for you.”
I blinked, “Pardon?”
“Do you like being a cleaner, Miss Lydon?”
I shrugged, indifferent. “It pays the bills.
“Would you be open to another position? A better paid one?”
I studied him, wondering if he was serious. “Of course, but—"
“I own a medium sized investment firm, and I’ve had some trouble of late with my building manager. I discovered he was stealing money from me.” He cast me a cynical glance.
“Oh my goodness. I’m so sorry to hear that.”
He waved me away. “He was always a bit of a shifty one. I should’ve known he was up to something when he told me the call out fee for a plumber was five hundred euros.”
I gaped at him, knowing from personal experience most Dublin plumbers only charged between eighty to a hundred and fifty per call out. I supposed that was the downside of being as rich as Mr Oaks. You didn’t give as much attention to the price of things.
“He’d been regularly pocketing the extra few hundred for himself. Obviously, I had to fire him, which means there’s a vacancy that needs filling, and I’ve had trouble finding the right candidate. I need someone I can trust. You’ve had unsupervised access to both my penthouses for over a year, and you’ve never stolen so much as a bar of soap from me. What do you think?”
Time froze as I stared at him. Was I dreaming? Because that was the sort of dream I had on occasion, someone coming along and offering to change my circumstances, whisk me away to a better life. Well, it perhaps wasn’t that, but it certainly wasn’t every day I was offered a brand-new job without having to go through the stress of searching and applying and being interviewed. No more scrubbing toilets. No more vacuuming.
“You’re offering me the job of being your building manager because I never stole any soap?”
He nodded, and I began to realise Mr Oaks was someone who didn’t beat around the bush. “Are you interested?”
I worried my lip. “I’m not exactly qualified.”
“Qualifications are overrated, and you seem like a fast learner. You’d be in charge of a team of cleaners, and you’d need to arrange for maintenance people to come and fix things when they break. There are a few other duties, but it’s not rocket science, Miss Lydon.” He eyed me, and my pulse thrummed. His offer seemed too good to be true. “The salary is fifty thousand a year, plus benefits. Think about it, and let me know. You have my number.”
With that, he knocked back the last of his espresso and checked his watch. “Ben still hasn’t arrived, so it looks like I’ll be catching a taxi to the office this morning.”
“Have a good day,” I said to him as he left, still reeling from his job offer. Fifty thousand a year was almost double what I earned. I didn’t know what the benefits were, but they were surely better than my current ones. Ahem, the non-existent kind.
I was in a daze when I finally started cleaning. The job could greatly improve my life. I’d be a fool to say no, but I was also hesitant. One, because I had clients who I really liked, such as Mr Cole and the Connollys. They’d been able to rely on me for years, and I didn’t like the idea of quitting on them. Obviously, the same sentiment didn’t apply to Mrs Reynolds.
And two, well, I’d never been in charge of other people before. Being a manager might pay better, but what if it came with a heap more stress?
Then I thought of Vivi, Robbie, Shelly and Eamonn. How much I could improve their lives with greater earnings. Of course, I’d never plan to take them away from their foster parents, but if I could save enough for a bigger place to live, then they could come and stay with me for weekends or school holidays. They could stop by whenever they wanted.
I was full of optimism as I thought about all the ways the job could improve not only my life but the life of my siblings, too.
Almost to counterbalance my optimistic mood, the weather worsened greatly by the end of the day. I grimaced as I put on my raincoat, which had thankfully dried since the morning, though it was about to get soaked again. I hurried out but was disappointed when I didn’t see Shay at the bus stop. Maybe he was running late because of the weather. I closed my umbrella and joined the others waiting under the shelter when a car horn beeped.
A silvery grey SUV had pulled up just past the bus stop and Shay threw the door open, waving me over. Surprised, I hurried to the car and found Rhys in the driver’s seat. Stephanie was next to him while Shay sat in the back.
“You look like you could use a lift,” Rhys said, and I was filled with gratitude as the rain poured down on me.
“Definitely. Thank you.” I climbed in next to Shay, who, unlike me, was perfectly dry. “Hey,” I said, my eyes meeting his, and his attention ran over me. “Sorry I’m so wet,” I went on, and Shay shot me an amused glance. Embarrassed, I shook my head at him.
“Get your mind out of the gutter, Shay Riordan,” I whispered.
He caught my hand as Rhys pulled away from the bus stop, eyeing me through his middle mirror. “Where to, Maggie?”
I replied with my address, slightly distracted by how Shay had now taken both my hands and was warming them between his.
“Gosh, this weather is diabolical,” Stephanie commented. “I don’t know how you manage relying on the bus, especially on days like this.”
“It’s certainly not my first choice,” I said, hoping I didn’t sound too sarcastic as I tried not to find offence in what she said. Not everyone had fiancés to drive them around.
“How was your day?” Rhys asked, his eyes meeting mine through the mirror again as Shay continued to silently warm my hands. I tried to ignore the butterflies in my stomach, but it was no use.
“Oh, really good actually. I was offered a new job,” I glanced at Shay and found him studying me with interest.
“That’s great,” Rhys replied. “What kind of job?”
“A man I clean for, Jonathan Oaks, owns an investment firm, and he needs to hire a new building manager. It seems he had some trouble with his old one, so he wants someone he can trust.”
“Jonathan Oaks?” Rhys said, seeming to recognise the name as he frowned.
“Do you know him?” I asked, curious.
Rhys’ expression was a little tense. “I’ve met him a time or two. He’s an acquaintance of the Balfes. I don’t mean to be the barer of bad news, but I’ve heard he’s an absolute bollocks to work for, Maggie. A real mercurial fucker. His new hires regularly quit in the first month because he’s so tough on them.”
“Oh,” I said, surprised by this. “Are you sure? I’ve never had any issues with him. Then again, today was only the third time I met him in person. He’s usually never home when I clean for him.”
“Well, that’s probably why you haven’t had problems,” Rhys said. “Listen, it’s far from my place to tell you to refuse the job, but just give it some thought before accepting, yeah?”
“Sure, of course,” I said, my stomach twisting as I considered Rhys’ advice. A gloom had been cast over prospect of a new position and better pay. If I became his building manager, I’d have to be around Mr Oaks a lot more often, which meant he was more likely to be an “absolute bollocks” to me, as Rhys put it. The question was, would he be worse than Mrs Reynolds?
I brought my attention to Shay, who was still warming my hands in his. He studied me questioningly, a flicker of concern in his gaze like he was worried about me taking the new job, too. If I did it meant I might not be taking the same bus as him to work each day. I wouldn’t get to see him as often, and I wasn’t sure I was ready to give that up.
Shay finally released my hands, and I willed myself to relax. Being so close to him in the back of the car had my skin tingling in awareness, or maybe that was just my rain-soaked clothes. He pushed some wet strands of hair away from my face, and I was so lost in his keen attention I barely noticed the journey going by. Rhys and Stephanie chatted, but I couldn’t focus on what they were saying.
When we finally pulled up outside my flat, I was full to the brim with tension from all the small ways Shay had touched me. On the surface, they were casual and harmless, but the way they made me feel inside was far from casual.
I opened the door, thanking Rhys for the lift when I looked back to Shay. “Do you want to come in for a while?” I wasn’t sure what compelled me to invite him in, but I just knew I wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet. Shay nodded, then signed something at Rhys before climbing out of the car.
Nervously, I pulled out my keys and slotted them in the door. There was no sign of Siobhan or Bob today because the weather was so bad. I imagined they were sitting in Bob’s kitchen right now, drinking tea and setting the world to rights. I was just glad they weren’t around to witness me brazenly inviting Shay into my flat.
There was no denying why I’d asked him in. I wanted him to kiss me again.
We hurried inside to get out of the rain, and I quickly went to turn the heating on. Shay’s clothes were mostly dry thanks to Rhys giving him a lift, but I was in dire need of something warm and toasty to wear. It was at that exact moment I realised the problem with the layout of my studio flat. There was nowhere private to change except for the bathroom.
“You can sit,” I said to Shay, motioning to the couch. “I’ll just be a minute.”
I gathered some underwear, socks, a hoodie and a pair of leggings, then shut myself in the bathroom. I was aware of his presence the entire time I dried off and changed, goosebumps claiming my skin. Shay was in my flat.
We were alone.
I combed out my wet hair after drying it as best I could with a towel, then I brushed my teeth, put on some deodorant and emerged from the bathroom. Shay still sat quietly on my couch, texting someone on his phone, presumably his dad. He was probably letting him know he’d be home a little later than usual. He’d taken off his raincoat and left his wet boots by the door. I appreciated the small consideration and was struck by how much seeing him relaxing in my tiny flat affected me. He made the place feel warm and occupied when it was usually cold and a little empty.
He lifted his gaze from his phone, his eyes starting at my fluffy socks before travelling slowly up my body. I suppressed a shudder.
“Are you hungry? I haven’t gone shopping in a few days, but I should be able to find something to rustle up.”
Too nervous to wait for an answer, I went into the kitchenette to check the cupboards. To my irritation, they were almost bare. My fridge also had precious little food, and I felt awful for not being able to cook something for Shay after he saved me from a horrendous journey home from work.
“There’s not much here, but I can pop out to the shop and grab something,” I said, turning around and discovering him behind me. He signed something I suspected was Don’t worry about it, or It’s fine.
I leaned back, gripping the edge of the countertop as I struggled to deal with the urge to reach out and touch him. Why did I always deny myself the things I wanted? Where exactly had that gotten me in life? It might’ve saved me a small measure of heartbreak, but the price for that was loneliness. And I didn’t want to feel lonely anymore.
I wanted to feel connection.
Bright, buzzy, exhilarating connection.
And that was why I stepped forward and weaved my arms around Shay’s neck. Being so tall, he dipped his head down a little, his eyes wide with curiosity at what I was doing. I wasn’t wearing a bra under my hoodie, so when I stepped into the circle of Shay’s warmth, and my breasts brushed his hard chest, a small gasp escaped me. I stared up at him, desire the driving force behind my actions when I pressed my lips to his.
Just like that, his arms came around my waist, gripping me tight. I kissed him eagerly, my tongue seeking entrance to his mouth. He held mostly still, letting me explore. His citrusy cologne and the natural comforting scent that was just him surrounded me. My fingers inched towards the back of his scalp, then slowly travelled down his neck, featherlight. A gruff breath left him, and I yelped when he suddenly lifted me and carried me over to my bed.
The mattress creaked when he lowered me, our kiss momentarily broken before his lips returned to mine, and I closed my eyes.
That was it.
That was what I needed.
A connection I didn’t want with anyone but him.
12.
Shay
She was heaven.
I’d never felt a rush quite as I did with Maggie. Not with anyone. The passion and need that constantly bubbled under my skin was impossible to ignore. Every time I was around her, my fingers itched to reach out and touch.
Back in the car, I’d barely been able to keep my hands to myself.
Now, I’d been in her flat for less than ten minutes, and already, I had her spread out on her bed beneath me. I liked having her there, soft and pliant. Her taste was drugging. I could’ve kissed her for hours, savouring every tiny reaction from her small gasps and faint moans to her beaded nipples, which I could feel beneath her soft hoodie. I wanted to tell her how beautiful and sexy she was, how much I desired her all the time, but I couldn’t.
I could only show her.
I broke away to kiss her neck, and she sighed in pleasure. My flattened palm moved down her stomach and under her hoodie, pressing to the soft, silky skin of her abdomen. I was hard as a rock as soon as her lips met mine, but now, I was in danger of seriously embarrassing myself, especially with how much her quiet noises turned me on.
“Shay,” she breathed, and I drew away from her neck to meet her gaze. I needed to check in and make sure she was okay with what was happening because I was certain neither one of us planned for this.
“Don’t stop,” she said then, and I captured her mouth once more, my tongue gliding along hers as my hand travelled farther under her top. Just as I’d suspected, she was braless, and when my hand swept across the underside of her generous breast, a stuttering sigh escaped me.
She felt perfect.
“Please, keep touching me,” she begged between kisses, and I cupped her breast in my hand. My other hand gently captured her knee as I encouraged her to wrap her thigh around my waist. I settled between her legs; my erection almost painful as I firmly ground into her. She moaned, and I did it again, loving how she responded every time.
She was so reactive.
My hand moved over to massage her other breast, my thumb flicking her nipple as I pressed my erection to her centre. I wished for our clothes to disappear, but I knew that would be taking things way too fast. Too far. We needed to slow down, but I just couldn’t pry my lips away from hers. I wondered if I could make her come that way because I was so close to making an embarrassing fucking mess of myself.
I wanted to know if she was wet, and I couldn’t hold back my curiosity any longer when I paused massaging her breasts to run my hand back down her stomach and cup her pussy over her leggings. She moaned; her cheeks flushed as our gazes met. Her blue eyes were bright with desire as she bit her lip, and I ran my finger down the centre of her.
Surprising me, she took my hand, slowly bringing it up then under the waistband of her leggings. I’d never been so turned on in my life than when she guided me past her underwear. My fingers met her soft pussy, and I exhaled gruffly. I was stunned by the dichotomy of her, how she could be so shy and sweet, but then when she was in my arms, there was a spark of passion that lit her up just for me. It was the sexiest thing imaginable, her confidence in showing me where she wanted me to touch her.
She was wet, so wet, and silky soft under my fingers. She encouraged me to keep touching her, not that I needed any encouragement. I found her clit and gently circled, then suddenly, she tugged her hoodie over her head, and she was naked from the waist up.
I blinked, frozen for a second as I took in the expanse of her pale, flawless skin and rosy nipples. Her full, rounded breasts sent even more blood rushing south.
Finally, I came to my senses when she gripped my neck and pulled my face to her breasts. I was more aroused than ever, knowing she wanted my mouth on her, that I could incite such desire in a woman who was normally so very contained. I sucked on her nipple, still fingering her clit, and she sighed in ecstasy. I looked up, absorbing the erotic sight of her hair spread across her pillow, her eyes closed in sheer pleasure.
I divided my attention between both nipples, then dragged one finger down her wet, silky core before gently pushing inside. Her channel tightened around my one finger, and I added another.
“More, Shay, please,” she mewled, one hand sweeping over my shoulders while, with the other, she gently scraped her nails across my scalp in a way that sent pleasure shooting down my spine. I was bewitched by her, obsessed.
I moved my fingers in and out of her, my speed slowly increasing as I brought my thumb up to her clit. She cried out, her thighs tightening around my waist as I dragged my tongue from one full, gorgeous breast to the other.
Her short nails dug hard into my scalp, and I knew she was close. I continued finger fucking her, my thumb circling her clit, my mouth on her tits, savouring each nipple, until she reached a fever pitch. Maggie came with a quick, hard shudder, followed by several shaky trembles. I dragged my hand from her leggings, my eyes hot on hers as I brought my fingers to my mouth and licked them clean.
