Page 27 of Irish Fire and Forbidden Love
I took her hand before she could get out of reach. I eased her onto the desk, brushing aside papers and little office trinkets with one sweep. For a moment, I paused, meeting her gaze, searching for something— confirmation, connection, a shared hunger. When her lips curled into a small smile, my restraint unraveled.
I tugged her pants down, then her underwear, savoring the slow reveal of her bare skin. It was hard to keep myself steady. Her calm control ignited a fire in me. But I leaned into the ache, easing my mouth over her clit with deliberate care, savoring herlike a melting dessert. She tasted sweet, sweeter than memory, and I wanted to lose myself in her. There was only her, only us, caught in this moment.
Her hands found my hair, her fingers tangling as her body writhed beneath me. When her moans turned into a long, sweet exhale, I lifted my head. Her eyes were half-lidded, her cheeks flushed, her lips parted with the remnants of her euphoria. She pulled me up, guiding my mouth to hers, and tongues collided in that dance I never wanted to end.
I moved above her, aligning myself with her warmth, and slowly eased into her. She gasped, her fingers gripping my shoulders, her body welcoming me as though we were always meant to fit. For a moment, I stilled, letting her adjust, feeling the heat between us grow. Her breath was shallow, her touch light but insistent, urging me to move.
I began a slow rhythm, each thrust deliberate, matching the tempo of her soft moans. Her body responded, her hips meeting mine, her flushed cheeks glowing with every movement. The tenderness of her touch gave way to something rougher, her fingers digging into my back as her moans grew louder, more desperate.
Her hips quickened, her body chasing its second release, and I followed her lead, my restraint faltering as I thrust faster, deeper. The tension between us broke, and we climaxed together, her cries mingling with my groans in the heated air.
For a moment, neither of us moved. Her fingers traced lazy circles on my back, and I rested my forehead against hers, our breaths mingling as we came back to ourselves.
As we lay on her floor, naked and breathing heavy, Maeve started to sing:
He went away from me
And he moved through the fair
And slowly I watched him
Move here and move there
He went his way homeward
With one star awake
As the swan in the evening
Moves over the lake
“It’s an old Irish song. ‘She Moved Through the Fair,’” Maeve said. “It’s one of the first songs I heard when I came here. It’s one of those songs I used to sing when no one else was around.”
“You’re a beautiful singer,” I whispered.
A flush rose through her cheeks. “Really?”
“I hope you sing to me every day.” I kissed her.
We lay like that, entangled in each other’s limbs until the outside died away, and eventually the music stopped. And then we got dressed and left the office, hand-in-hand. Officer Phillips and Frank were gone, which wasn’t a surprise. Nor was it much of a surprise to see the open mic have slowed to its conclusion, with most of the audience filing out and Eliza cleaning up the bar. What surprised me was Ian on a stool, drink in hand, sitting beside the boy and men who’d taken my wallet and clothes.
“What the—” I started, anger flaring up through my bones.
The scrawny kid looked up sharply, eyes wide. The redhead man and his comrades, all equally all-imposing and muscular, tensed, like cats, waiting to pounce.
“It’s alright,” Maeve said, placing a hand to my chest.
“No, it’s not alright. I want my money back. And my clothes—” But when I looked at Maeve, my anger died away, replaced by a confusion. “They stole my stuff.”
“I know, but let’s not start anything. Alright?” Then in a lower voice added, “I’ll explain later.”
“Another beer?” Eliza asked, and it was then I realized she was talking to Ian.
“You better not be taking that man’s money!” I said. “I owe that man some beers.”
Everyone visibly relaxed at that, then Ian held up his beer, “Ah, you only owe me one.” Then in a lower voice. “And a new truck.”
I laughed out loud at that. “Alright, alright.”
