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“I know you will, but I came here to escape being . . . cared for by others. You’ve done more than enough, especially considering what I almost did to you and your family.”
“Hey, we’re not going to talk about that anymore. It’s not important. Okay?”
“It feels important.”
“It isn’t. Believe me, and I understand you not wanting to be at the mercy of others.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You almost said it, and I can’t blame you for that, but you should also know that my taking care of you comes with the territory. You aren’t safe, Niamh. You won’t be safe as long as Sorley Maguire and his clan are still alive. For now, you’re going to have to keep close. That means you need to stay with me, and you can’t go to school.”
“I know, but I can once this is settled.”
“You can, but it won’t happen overnight. Are you happy here with me otherwise? I mean, despite being limited in the freedom department?”
“Yes. I love being here with you.”
“It’s okay if you aren’t. I can put you somewhere safe. We have places.”
“What? No,” she said, realizing that maybe he was trying to tell her something else. “Do you want me to go somewhere else? I know I hurt you. I know it’s a challenging thing to forgive. Are you finding that you can’t?”
She was aware that she was babbling but couldn’t stop herself. She felt overwhelmed by everything that was happening and worrying about losing him was an equal part of that. She truly did love him, with every fiber of her being.
“Whoa, whoa. Come here,” he told her, pulling her closer to his chest and holding her. It was always calming to hear his heartbeat and feel his breath against her skin. It had exactly the kind of calming effect he knew it would as she lay against him, growing more content, as if there were no place on Earth but here with him. Finally, she pulled away, smiling up at him.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“You don’t need to thank me. Not ever. Now, let’s forget about all of this for now. There are a few guys outside to make sure no one gets in while we get some sleep, and I can think of a thing or two I’d like to do with you before we call it a night.”
“Oh, really?” she replied. “I might be up for that.”
“Might be?”
“I am willing to be convinced,” she purred.
“I see how it is,” he replied, picking her up and carrying her to the bedroom.
His touch was a combination of urgency and tenderness, and he took his time with her, laying her across the bed and slowly stripping away her clothes, kissing his way across her skin as if it were the first time. She loved the way he slowly dragged his lips from place to place, planting fluttering kisses here and there. She cooed beneath him, enjoying his slow tour of her body.
She could feel the urge growing within her, aching for him, and yet not wanting him to move on from the delicate way in which he was handling her. It was unusual for him. He could be tender, sure, but not like this. His touch now was feather-light and seemed to hold more meaning than it ever had before. It was if he were somehow expressing his feeling for her through his fingertips and lips.
His hands reached for her wrists, pulling her arms above her head and holding them there as he leaned down to kiss her; his mouth was hungry, wet, warm. He drank her in like a nectar he couldn’t get enough of, a fountain of pleasure he couldn’t resist. All she could think about was this moment in time, trying to block out any thoughts about what it meant in a broader sense.
It was hard to accept he could forgive her so easily and the part of her that had learned to be paranoid about the ambitions of men was having a tough time accepting it. Still, when he was touching her like this, it was hard not to second guess herself. She wanted to believe his words. She wanted to believe his touch. It was hard not to do so when it felt so perfect, so right.
“Where did you go?” he asked suddenly, pausing to look at her.
“What? I’m right here,” she replied.
“No. You zoned out. Tell me what’s wrong,” he said.
“There is . . .” she started to say, but he cut her off.
“Don’t try to tell me it’s all fine. I can feel you, Niamh. It’s not just a physical connection for me. I don’t know what it feels like for you, and maybe it’s my enhanced abilities, but I can feel you in a way that goes far beyond the physical. In fact, it’s gotten stronger with each day we’re together.”
