I’d been keepin’ an eye on her all night, though she’d never believe me if I said it. House party was rammed—smoke hangin’ in the air, some lad spillin’ drink all over the carpet, music pumpin’ through cheap speakers—but I only cared about where she was.

She’d been avoidin’ me, I could tell. Ever since training earlier, when I’d gotten mouthy, jokin’ too close to that fella Mark about how someone looked good in shorts. Didn’t mean a damn thing, but her eyes had gone cold, and I’d been kickin’ myself ever since.

Now she was perched on the arm of a sofa, laughin’ with her mates, half her drink gone, lookin’ too good for my own sanity. I hung back near the kitchen doorway, nursin’ a bottle, listenin’.

One of her mates leaned in, whisperin’ loud enough for me to catch. “Saw Joey out the back earlier, havin’ a smoke with some girl. Bet he was flirtin’.”

Lies.

Her jaw tightened, and my gut twisted. She lifted her chin, voice clipped. “Doesn’t matter. He can do what he likes. I’m not standin’ around waitin’ on him. He’s free, and so am I.”

That was it. Enough was enough.

I moved in before she even realised, slidin’ behind her on the sofa, close enough she could feel the heat of me. My hand found her hip, claimin’ it like it always had.

“Like hell we are,” I said low, right against her ear.

She stiffened, nearly spilled her drink, but I pulled her steady, fingers flexin’ on her waist. Her friends’ eyes were buggin’ out, but I didn’t care.

“Joey—” she started, tryin’ for sharp, but her voice caught in the middle.

“Don’t,” I cut in, pressin’ closer so only she could hear. “Don’t give me that free shite. You know damn well I’ve not looked twice at anyone else. Not then, not now.”

She turned just enough for me to see her eyes flashin’, temper and somethin’ softer both there. “You’ve a funny way of showin’ it,” she snapped.

I grinned, couldn’t help it. “Aye, maybe I’m a gobshite. But I’m your gobshite.”

Her cheeks flushed hot, lips partin’ like she wanted to say more, but I felt her lean—just a fraction—back into me. And Christ, that was all the answer I needed.

Still, I lifted my head, eyes cuttin’ past her straight to the mate who’d piped up earlier. Lethal, cold as steel. “Next time you fancy spreadin’ bollocks about me,” I said, voice even, deadly quiet, “Run it by me first, and we’ll see how the fecking lie plays.”

The lad went pale, lookin’ anywhere but at me. Good. I pressed a kiss into her hair, smirkin’ as I tightened my arm ‘round her. “Now,” I murmured in her ear, “where were we?”