“I love you, O’Connell,” I told him.

“I love you, too, baby.”

O’CONNELL’S FRIENDS SEEMED to take the news of our engagement a lot more calmly than mine did. Nikki was the only person that I told in person, relying on the fact that within ten minutes of telling her, all our friends would know anyway. That girl could get out an alert on social media faster than the CIA could get information out of the Pentagon. Military communications were missing out if they didn’t snap her up straight from university.

“What the fuck!” she was still screaming at me, and jumping up and down.

“Ohmygod, Ohmygod, Ohmygod,” she carried on screaming.

Her completely over-the-top reaction made me smile, and to be honest, it was heart warming to share all my excitement with someone.

“How is it possible to organise a wedding in less than two weeks?” she asked.

“To be honest, I haven’t had to do much other than pick my dress and stuff. O’Connell has organised the rest,” I explained to her.

“Oh, dear God,” she moaned dramatically.

“Yep,” I replied happily. “I have none of the stress and hassle that goes with organising a wedding.”

“Well, at least you’re not a bridezilla. Seriously, some people lose their minds when they get married. Still, I can’t believe you’re not waiting longer. I didn’t even know that you were engaged until five minutes ago.”

“Nikki, neither of us has very much money, you know that. Waiting another year isn’t going to change our situation, and I wouldn’t spend a year’s worth of savings on a wedding anyway. I love him, and he loves me. We want to make a commitment to each other and all the rest of the wedding stuff, as lovely as it is, to me it’s just trimmings,” I shrugged.

I wasn’t at all flippant about the commitment that I was making, but as long as O’Connell was waiting at the end of the aisle for me, I knew I’d be fine. Nikki clearly had something on her mind. I really hoped that she wasn’t going to try to talk me out of this.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I know it’s stupid, and it’s only a small wedding, but can I be your bridesmaid?” she asked me sheepishly.

“I would love you to be, but I can’t afford a dress or anything. Besides, won’t you be going home for Christmas?”

“Girl, if you think I’m missing this wedding, you’re crazy!” She smiled, pleased to have gotten her own way. “I can get my own dress. Now what colour is your bouquet so I can get a dress to match?” she asked.

“I have no idea. O’Connell asked me my favourite colour the other day, and I told him it was blue, but you’re better off asking Kieran if you want to know the details.”

It was fortuitous timing that Nikki’s phone buzzed with a text message. After a few seconds, she started bouncing around happily again.

“Kieran just texted me an invite. Apparently they’ve all gone out by text, but Con wanted Kieran to wait before texting me so that you could tell me yourself.”

“Did he tell you anything about what they’ve organised?” I asked curiously.

“Yep. But I’m sworn to secrecy. Now get your arse up and get ready. Tonight’s your hen night.”

I groaned because I hardly knew any girls and I REALLY didn’t want to do the whole cheesy hen night thing.

“Relax. The guys have organised a combined stag and hen night because O’Connell can’t drink and is refusing strippers, and Tommy wants to let his hair down with the girls.”

I rolled my eyes, but the memory of Tommy shaking his thing to the Weather Girls still made me smile.

WE MADE IT TO O’DONNELL’S pub to find all our friends in great spirits and downing pints like it was the night before the Prohibition. My man was sat in the middle of the guys with a pint of orange juice and lemonade and looking fine. His intense gaze held mine as I walked the length of the bar, and as soon as I was in touching distance, he had me in his lap, his soft lips pressed hard against mine. His kiss was wild and electric. It was a reminder of everything he made my body feel and a promise of everything he was still going to do to me. The slide of his tongue across mine made me moan into his mouth and instantly he was hard beneath me. Our lips parted, and he rested his forehead against mine.

“Why does it feel like I haven’t seen you for a week?” he complained.

“Because Danny makes a day’s training seem like it goes on for a week?” I chuckled.

“Can we go home yet?” he whispered.

“Yes, please,” I agreed.

“Seriously, how soon do you reckon we can slip out of here unnoticed?”

“No way!” Kieran grinned, placing a drink down in front of me. “You two are off the market for good, and this is your last send off before you commit to a life sentence. Now it’s bad enough that Danny’s bitch here is banned from drinking, the least you can do is watch us all get pissed in your honour while I tell Em every story and dirty little secret I know about you.”

“Don’t listen to a fucking word he says.” O’Connell grinned.

Tommy looked at us a little drunk, a little shocked, and a lot bewildered. “I still can’t believe you guys are doing this. I mean, in theory, Em, I would marry you in a heartbeat, but fuck! Sex with only one person for the rest of your life! It sounds a little extreme, don’t you think?”

“Did anyone ever tell you you’re about as shallow as a puddle,” Nikki told him.

“Hey,” replied Tommy, looking all wounded.

“There’s no need to be a bitch. I was just saying, that’s all.”

“What are we talking about?” Albie asked as he and Ryan walked over from the bar. Mac immediately shifted over to make room for them at the table.

“Only being able to shag one bird for the rest of your life,” updated Tommy.

“And being a bitch,” Nikki chimed in.

“There we have it. That’s our toast then,” added Kieran.

“To bitching and hitching,” Kieran called out and held up his glass.

“To bitching and hitching,” everyone else chimed in and slammed back their drinks.

“Fuck me,” O’Connell mumbled, burying his head in the crook of my neck. “Remind me not to let any of these arseholes do a speech at our wedding, especially not Kier,” he told me, and I smiled at the craziness of thinking that we’d have any degree of control over these boys at the wedding.