Page 42 of Calling on the Matchmaker
She tried to speak, but emotion clogged her throat. And at that moment, she realized why she’d really come. Because deepinside, she’d known he’d care about all she was going through. Because she wanted him to hold her and feel that rare sense of safety and security she’d felt the day he’d rescued her.
Without waiting for an invitation, she leaned against him and rested her head against his chest.
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Finola had come to him and was touching him.
Was she playing another game with him today?
He didn’t think so. Even if she was, he didn’t care. He wrapped his arms around her, heedless of anything else but the need to feel her close.
She slipped her arms around his torso, too, and released a shuddering breath.
He tugged back the hood of her cloak to find her hair styled in a simple braided knot. He had the sudden urge to take out her pins and let her hair unravel in his fingers. But instead, he brushed a hand over the back of her hair and tucked her head under his chin.
She nuzzled against him, relaxing there as if she was finally where she wanted to be.
A sense of satisfaction pulsed through him at the thought that Finola Shanahan had wanted to be with him. With whatever was wrong, she’d wanted his support.
As if the sight of her beautiful body that day in the livery hadn’t been enough to awaken him to his needs, the physical contact with her when he’d kissed her had brought him fully alive. Now his every dream and waking moment had been filledwith her, the taste of her mouth, the feel of her body, the brush of her fingers over his skin. Even last night at the campaign office, sitting beside her at the table, he’d been all too aware of her every move and every breath.
But the other truth became clearer the more time he spent with her. As much as he wanted this match with Finola, he refused to push her into marriage. She had to come to him freely, or he wouldn’t do it at all.
This was a good sign, wasn’t it? Even with the uncertainty and newness of their relationship, she’d sought him out, upset about something and needing his comfort.
He pressed his nose into her hair and breathed her in. He didn’t know much about women’s perfumes or lotions or soaps. But she had a light, flowery scent that reminded him of summer.
He wanted to brush his lips over her hair, but he held himself back. He couldn’t get distracted by his attraction to her, had to focus on her needs and not his..
Resting his cheek on her head, he held her gently, sensing a change in the tautness of her limbs as well as a relaxing in her body.
Long moments later, she expelled another sigh, this one even and calm. “Thank you, Riley,” she whispered, finally pulling back.
“You’re welcome.” He didn’t know exactly why she was thanking him, maybe for being there for her in her moment of distress. He didn’t want to break the connection, but he couldn’t hang on to her like the lovesick fool he was turning in to. He reluctantly let go and took a step away from her.
She didn’t meet his gaze, almost as if she was embarrassed by the encounter.
“Are you doing better?” he asked.
She hesitated, then peeked up at him through her long lashes. “Enya ran away from home last night to marry Bryan Haynes.”
After the argument between Enya and her parents that he’d overheard the other night, he wasn’t surprised by the news.
“She left me a note telling me I shouldn’t worry about her, that she’ll be happy.”
He could only guess how upset James Shanahan was by this turn of events. It was clear the man loved his children and wanted them to each have secure and happy futures. No doubt he was doing everything he could to find Enya and keep her from marrying a man of questionable character.
Riley’s muscles tensed with the need to do something. Should he offer to help with the search?
The details rushed from Finola, and with each word she spoke, he could see her stiffening and growing more tense, until at last her eyes welled with tears again.
“Now, now, sweet love.” He dropped his tone to the soothing one he used for his sisters when they were getting emotional. “Why the tears?”
“I should have stopped her, Riley.” The admission came out a low, broken whisper. “If I’d been awake or if I’d been paying better attention—”
He cut her off with a finger to her lips. “Listen, even if you’d stayed awake all night and stood guard over her, she still would have found a way to sneak out.”
“But I could have awakened Da, and he would have stopped her.” A tear spilled over and slid down her cheek.
