Page 122 of The Bossy One

“Well, that and I’ve got a dream career to pursue,” I teased.

He dragged me away until he found a private corner where no one would see us. Then he pulled me to him and kissed me like he meant it.

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, I was dashing through the airport again to get to my gate. But this time, Declan and I were running together.

EPILOGUE

“Olivia! Sinead needs more wood for the bonfire,” Molly called.

“On it,” I said.

It was the last day of the summer festival, and Sinead had outdone herself.

Granted, I’d only been to one festival previously, but I thought Sinead’s version was a huge improvement. She’d added two more days to the festival, one filled with family-friendly events, and one designed for adults but strictly without alcohol. Now that she was in a better place in her life, it didn’t bother her to be around other people drinking. But she wanted other addicts to feel equally welcome. She’d also reached out to film studies programs all over Ireland, which had led to a healthy influx of university students, some of whom seemed to be falling in love with Ballybeith the same way I had.

I headed to the shed where the wood was stored, passing where Catie was dashing around with her friends in an elaborate game of keep-away.

Catie had friends now.Plural.

I was so proud of her.

Her giggle rose above the noise of the party, light and carefree. The nervous girl I’d met in an airport clutching her uncle’s hand was long gone. There was no denying Catie was thriving, and it warmed my heart.

I opened the shed and stepped inside.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Declan asked from behind me.

“Getting wood,” I said.

I saw every dirty joke he could possibly make in response to that flicker across his face. But in the end all he said was, “Let me carry it for you. I need a break from Anil and Thomas.”

“Awww,” I teased. “Are the other kids making fun of you?”

“It’s horrible,” he said, his face serious even as his eyes danced. “Kiss me and make it better?”

“If you insist.”

He leaned against the shed wall and pulled me between his legs. It didn’t matter how many times we did this. Heat flared every time he kissed me.

“Fuck,” Declan groaned, dragging his mouth over my neck as his palm found my breast. “You’re so hot.”

I shivered under his touch. My breasts had been especially sensitive lately. According to Google, it was a side-effect of the secret I planned to tell Declan tonight.

“We had sex this morning,” I reminded him.

“Youhad sex,” he grumbled. “Sinead called with a picnic table emergency right after I finished going down on you.”

I ran my hands through his hair. “I’ll make it up to you tonight. We can do that thing you like.”

He laughed. “That doesn’t narrow it down. I like everything you do.”

I leaned in and rose up on my toes to gently nip at his ear. “I was thinking of that thing we did on your birthday.”

He froze. And then his eyes darkened, and he yanked me to him, kissing me in earnest.

At least until the shed door opened.

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