Page 54 of Beneath Pearly Irish Skies
Thank God.
Then he spotted Sorcha standing across from him, and although her corporeal body didn’t need oxygen, there was enough human left in her that she blew out a breath before disappearing. He needed a moment, so he put his hands on his knees and took a few cleansing breaths, his heart pounding in his ears. Megan’s footsteps sounded behind him, and then she was on her knees next to him, touching him as Duke barked beside her.
“Kade! Kade! Are you okay?”
“I’m all right,” he said, cracking his neck. He’d be a bit bruised, nothing worse.
His father skidded to a halt when he reached them. “Nothing broken?’
“No,” he said, gesturing to where the horse had disappeared. “Who was that? For I surely didn’t recognize that stallion.”
“I’d thought he might be a good choice for Legend,” his dad said, scratching behind his ear.
“No, Dad.” Kade stood, helping Megan to her feet. “Absolutely not.”
Killian Fitzgerald wasn’t normally at a loss for words, but he took his time answering, staring in the direction the stallion had gone. “Perhaps not, but he does have fine breeding. Not so much on the manners but that’s what training is for. Come on and brush yourself off so we can go after him. We’ll be running after him all night, the way he was acting.”
Normally Kade would have helped his father chase down a horse. But not tonight. He took Megan’s hand. “Can’t, Dad. I have plans.”
She glanced between them. “But—”
Kade gave her hand a squeeze. “Dad has plenty of people to call, Megan.”
“Do I now?” His father lowered his eyes to where their hands were joined. “And this after I gave in and agreed to have your precious St. Stephen’s Day fair on my own land so Tom MacKenna couldn’t sabotage it?”
He heard Megan’s sharp intake of breath. “I already thanked you for that, Dad. We’re all grateful.”
Megan cleared her throat. “We are, Killian. Thank you for hosting.”
His father’s mouth didn’t soften. “Isn’t my own son supposed to be helping me with a wild stallion terrorizing the countryside? You almost got flattened.”
Terrorizing was a bit strong. The stallion had bolted for a reason, and his energy would wind down at some point. His father’s friends and stable assistants would help with the search. If it had been any other night, Kade would have done the same. “Then you’d best get after him, Dad.”
Killian shook his head after a long pause. “Fine, then. Go on your date.” His father stalked off, pulling out his cell phone to call for help.
“Ignore him. He’s angry the stallion got away from him—and that it’s wrong for Legend. Now he’s spoiling for a fight. I’m sorry you had to witness that.”
“Me too.” She put her hand on his chest, looking into his eyes. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
He framed her face, seeing the fear staring back at him. “I am. Sorcha helped divert him. Seems she has an angelic side, after all.”
“You’ll have to thank her for me,” she said, lifting her hand to his jaw. “You have dirt on your face.”
When she brushed her fingers gently along his jawline, he felt a whisper of arousal roll through him. It wasn’t the moment he’d imagined, but the pull to her was as undeniable as an Irish rain.
He lowered his mouth to hers.
She lifted her head to meet him, and the sweetness of it filled him with joy. When their lips touched, they both jolted at the shock of it. There was fire between them. And magic, like her shirt said. And a tenderness the like of which he’d never experienced.
He brought her against his body and cupped her nape, giving her lips another pass. Her breath shuddered out, and her hands gripped his shoulders as she kissed him back. Closing his eyes, he brushed her lips again, changing the angle of his head to enjoy the right side of her mouth and then the left. Her lips were warm and soft, and while his heartbeat had settled some, its pace increased for a whole new reason.
Her.
He’d dreamed of kissing Megan Bennet, and those dreams were finally a reality. As he lifted a hand to caress the exposed line of her neck, she moaned against his lips—the softest of cries, but it reverberated through his bones. She knew what she wanted deep down.
Him.
They were finally where he’d always hoped they would be. He kissed her again with more strength, and she kissed him back, teasing his lower lip. Learning him. He traced the long length of her back, letting her have her way. When she finally raised her head, she was smiling. Grinning actually.
