Page 5 of Reckless

“I don’t believe you.” She dips her head again as a soft laugh bubbles from those perfect lips.

Tipping her head up towards me her laugh falls silent and she swallows. “I wasn’t calling you a liar.” That fear that I am so used to seeing filters across those perfect brown eyes.

“You could if you wanted to, Margret,” I say and her brows furrow with confusion.

“You can say anything to me. Don’t you ever fear me.”

She nods and I move closer until my lips brush her warm ones. She’s soft and molds against me perfectly. My fingers entwine with silky chestnut hair.

“I’ve waited far too long to do that.” I tell her when I break the kiss. She looks confused again and I smile as we start to walk.

Chapter Four

Margret Hegarty

He’s holding my hand as we walk through Kells. I wouldn’t dare walk through the town this late at night and I almost laugh at the thoughts of someone stopping Michael O’Reagan. He was the most dangerous thing on the streets. I take a peek at his strong jaw line, the moon reflects off his face softening all the sharp angles. It’s his eyes that have always captured me. The blue so light in color, but dark with life.

“Tell me something about you that no one else knows?” He stops walking and his focus is solely on me. I try not to move away from him and instead enjoy his attention.

“When I was seventeen, I saw you for the first time in church. You had a pink ribbon holding back your hair, it was shredded slightly.”

My chest tightens as he speaks. My mother didn’t want me to wear such a bold color and had pulled it from my head damaging the ribbon. Once she had left the kitchen I had stuffed it in my pocket and later placed it back in my hair. The wooden spoon was my punishment later, but I hadn’t regretted it. I had felt pretty for the first time in a long time.

“You had looked at me and smiled.” We stare at each other now just like we did that day in church. A part of me had believed that it had been one sided.

“Tell me something about you that no one else knows.”

My heart gallops his questioning frightening me, but it was only fair.

“I still have that ribbon.” Now I can’t hold his eye. “It reminds me of the day you smiled at me.”

Looking back up at him my breath catches as he leans in and steals a kiss. The kiss is deep, and it flows all the way down to my toes before moving back up through my body. I’d never been kissed, but this didn’t feel awkward. I felt like a movie star. I felt desirable.

A man walking a dog moves past us and I settle back down on my feet. My hands still cling to Michael’s large shoulders. I don’t want to release him; I don’t want to lose this moment with him.

How many women had he taken on dates, swooned with words. Where did I fall into a very long line of broken hearts? My mother warned me, she wasn’t as against Michael for how he earned his money. She was against his ways with women.

I push away all those thoughts and look up into pale blue eyes that streak across my face. I reach out and allow my fingers to run along his jaw bone. I feel sad now, like I got a taste of something that I know I will never taste again, but at least I know.

“It’s getting late,” I say while tracing his jawline. “I should go home.”

“Of course.” Michael’s words disappoint me. I didn’t expect him to protest loudly, but I didn’t want him to give in so easily. I step away from him and we start to walk back towards the restaurant and to his car.

“How will you get back inside your house?” He asks and I can’t stop the grin that spreads across my face.

“I sleep downstairs so I’ve left my window ajar.” When I glance at Michael, his lip tugs up.

“I hope this is your first time sneaking out Margret. I don’t think I will be able to sleep very well picturing you gallivanting at night.”

A small quick laugh bubbles up my throat. “You sound just like my father.”

His hand rests on my arm and we stop walking. “I’m not joking. The streets aren’t safe. Tell me you won’t ever sneak out again.”

“I won’t,” I say at his serious tone. If he told me to raise my hands right now, I would. He was scary when he was serious.

“Good. You can only do it to see me.” My heart jumps in my chest.

“So we will be seeing each other again?” I feel bold by being so direct.

---