Page 78 of An Irish Kiss
She opened her eyes.Then blinked.Rubbed them.Was this her imagination or real?
“Hello Rory.”
It sure sounded like him.“Aidan?”
He smiled.“Who do you think I am?”
She took a step toward him.“What are you doing here?”
“Well, I got a message from your mum that you were desperate to see me so I thought I’d better come see you.”
“Mam contacted you?”
“That she did.”
When?How?Oh, she didn’t care.She needed to clarify something first.Her cheeks heated.“I wasn’t desperate.”
He arched a brow.
“Okay, maybe a little bit.”
He laughed, and swept her close.“I was desperate, even if you weren’t.”
She held him, face snuggled against his white linen shirt, breathing in the solid familiarity of him.“You’re not mad at me?”
“How could I be?”
“Because things didn’t turn out the way you wanted.”
“Some things, maybe.But others...”He drew back, studying her.
Her heartbeat picked up.“What is it?”
“Other things have worked out beyond anything I could have imagined.Even if…”
“Even if what?”
“Even if, at times, you seem like you’ve been a little confused about me.Us.This.”He gestured between them.
She glanced down, knowing she had to be honest.“I have been confused,” she confessed.“I met you and felt this instant sense of connection but then I tried to hide it because it was overwhelming and didn’t make sense.I couldn’t understand how I could like this man who is seeking to destroy my family’s legacy.”
“You know I never wanted to destroy your family’s legacy.I only wanted to help my family.”
“At the expense of mine,” she murmured.
“That was never my intention.”He moved closer.“And I have to admit it might not have been instant, but I quickly found myself unable to stop thinking about you.”
“Really?”
At his nod, she lifted a hand, placed it on his chest.His heart was beating fast.
He placed his hand over hers.“I know there’s a lot to figure out, but I think this is worth figuring out.Don’t you?”
“Yes,” she whispered as his face drew closer to hers.Then his lips descended on hers in a sweet, perfect moment.
Oh.She had experienced her fair share of kisses in the day, but this kiss was unlike any she had known before.It was still respectful, but his intent was very clear.He kissed like a man, like someone who knew what he wanted.And what he wanted was her.
Then his hands slid around her waist, and hers stole around his neck, and she kissed him with the hunger borne from knowing he’d be leaving soon.Knowing they’d need to say all they could in this time together that remained.
