Page 26 of Power Play with My Brother's Irish Friends

A groan that matched the thunder rattled loose from his chest. “We can’t save them all, Miranda.”

“I know.” My heart squeezed. “But I can save a few.” I gathered up another bundle and shoved them into a stack.

Rain fell in a solid sheet, soaking me in an instant and plastering my hair to my face.

Duncan grabbed my elbow and guided me between two sand dunes to the eave of the lighthouse. Red curls slicked his head, the color deepening to copper. He pressed me into the space, putting his back to the storm and ensconcing me in the delicious smell of rain and Duncan.

Warm brick nestled against my spine. I tipped my head up to the sky. “Guess it’s going to rain. Hope the kids are okay.”

“They’ll be fine.” He slung hair from his eyes and braced his hands on either side of my head. “Are you warm enough?”

My teeth chattered from a mix of the cold rainwater and nerves. Duncan’s close proximity tore at my self control. I nodded and clenched my hands together beneath my chin. “I’m fine.” I laughed at his incredulous expression.

The cool distance that had lingered in his eyes warmed. He swept a look across my face and down my body. His fingers dug into the brick, his forearms flexing and the muscles in his shoulders bunching tight. Rain drummed overhead, hammering the roof and falling inches from Duncan’s back. He ignored the deluge and leaned in. His lips skimmed the air a centimeter from mine. He stopped there, waiting.

Every part of my body burned, desperate for a touch, for his kiss. For the closeness I’d not felt in a month.

“Duncan.” I breathed his name, part hopelessness, part prayer, and he laid claim to my lips.

His hands remained locked on either side of my head, almost like he didn’t trust himself to touch me with anything other than his lips.

I’d missed this more than I wanted to admit. Duncan kissed with a slow passion that built over time. He didn’t hurry but seemed to melt into the moment, relishing every slow touch and gentle pull of our lips. I’d never expected to feel like this after Luther. Even if I wasn’t ready for another relationship, Duncan made me feel safe. Secure. His body was a barrier between me and the rain, but I felt protected instead of trapped. He’d proven his loyalty to the team long before I showed up, but from what I’d seen this month, he’d shower anyone he loved with that same fierce devotion. The dichotomy between Duncan on the ice–a wild, threatening combatant–and the delicate way he kissed me sparked a whole new level of desire.

Thunder shook the sky. Or maybe that was Duncan teasing my lips until my body melted. I ran my hands along his ribs and up over his shoulders, silently asking him to hold me. His arms banded around my waist and dragged me to his chest, lifting me off my feet as he held me in place. Seconds, minutes, hours could have passed and I would not have cared. His touch became the only thing that mattered.

When he finally ended the kiss, my head spun with a mixture of lightheadedness and heady exhilaration. He set me back on my feet. The rain slowed to a drizzle, then stopped. Sunshine popped out behind the wall of clouds.

“I should not have done that.” His Irish accent roughed out the ends of the words, the thickening brogue giving away the emotion he hid away. “I’m sorry. I never meant to cross that line without your permission.”

He’d had my permission. Every last bit of it. “It’s okay.” My hands remained on his shoulders. I traced the lines of muscle that made up his biceps and ran my fingertips down to his elbows, where I clung to him until I found my balance and the will to stand on my own.

His next breath burst out in a hard rush. “You’re being kinder than necessary.”

“I wanted you to kiss me.” The admission felt good and right. I followed it up with a soft smile and dropped my hands. “Even though it can’t go any further.”

Duncan backed away, his body moving in slow motion. His feet were first, then his chest and finally his face. He straightened and peered up at the sky, closing his eyes.

Every line of his body remained tense, coiled tight. A sense of expectation overwhelmed me, a sense that one word from me and we’d end up locked together in much more than a consuming, fiery kiss. I wanted him to lead me into a quiet, secluded place and finish what we’d started. I wanted it enough to risk my career and my relationship with Austin. But reality invaded with the claps and cheers of kids peeking their heads out from the tents as the event resumed.

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