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Chapter Twenty-Two
Fin
Over the last few weeks, he and Ivy had met in their secret spot in Therline, claiming the razed village as their own. It was their haven. Seemingly the only place in the world they were free to be themselves, to not have to worry about rank or station, where they could just be Fin and Ivy.
And over that time together, their feelings had grown by leaps and bounds. The infatuation Fin had felt for her had blossomed into something far stronger and far deeper than he had ever anticipated it becoming when they first met. She was a remarkable woman who moved him in ways he was still struggling to understand. Forget trying to explain it.
All he knew for certain was that when he was with her, he felt alive in ways he never had before, and when he was not, his life felt a little emptier. He felt a little hollower and more incomplete. Being with Ivy gave his life shine and luster it didn’t normally have. And when he was not with her, he hungered and longed for it.
“I have not seen or heard anything,” Ivy said, sounding frustrated. “Again.”
“Tis all right,” he replied. “I’m still holdin’ out hope we’ll crack thae Irishman yet.”
She cocked her head at him. “Irishman?”
Fin nodded. “The assassin,” he replied as he poured them both another goblet of wine. “He’s an Irishman.”
Ivy’s face clouded over, and she pursed her lips as she sat back on the blanket. She turned her face up to the sky, and Fin watched the way the sunlight made her skin glow warmly, and her icy blue eyes glitter like jewels. There was a thoughtful expression on her face, and she seemed to be considering something.
“What is it?”
She blew out a breath and turned to him, a smile on her face. “It is nothing.”
“Are ye sure? Ye look like somethin’s botherin’ ye.”
She shook her head. “It is nothing.”
He sighed. “I’m sorry ye’re upset that I’m still lookin’ intae yer braither…”
“I know. You have a job to do,” she replied softly. “I do not begrudge you that. It is just difficult for me.”
“Aye. I ken,” he replied gently. “I’m tryin’ tae be as delicate as I can.”
“And I appreciate that, Fin.”
She fell silent, but her face clouded over for a moment. He knew there was more to what was happening inside of her. But she was obviously not comfortable sharing yet, so he was not going to push her, trusting that she would tell him when she was ready.
After refilling their goblets, he put the stopper back into the bottle of wine and sat back, bracing himself on one arm. They sat at the edge of a rushing river having something to eat with the burbling sound of the water filling the woods around them. It blended with the sound of the song of hundreds of birds high up in the boughs, creating a chorus of nature’s beautiful music.
Ivy turned to him with a smile. “Today has been perfect,” she said. “I cannot recall ever having had such a lovely day before. Thank you for this, Fin.”
“Tis sad ye’ve never had a day like this before.”
She gave him a small shrug. “I have never been courted. Castor has not allowed it,” she said. “But I am now glad he has not, for if he had, I would not be enjoying this wonderful day with you.”
Fin’s smile was wide, and his heart lurched inside of him. She had a way about her that made him feel like an awkward lad. It struck him because he had never been an awkward lad, nor had he ever been shy around women. But something about Ivy made him feel and behave in ways that confounded him.
He pulled her down into a kiss, and he felt his body reacting to her touch to the feel of her body pressed to his. Fin pulled back and looked her in the eye, the feelings of longing and desire surging through him like never before. Ivy’s breath caught in her throat, and he saw a glint in her eyes he had not seen before. A glint that stirred something deep inside of him.
Heat and tension gripped his body as his heart lurched inside of him. Ivy’s cheeks were flushed, but her eyes glittered with desire, and that only heightened Fin’s arousal. He felt his loins stirring, and the tightness in Ivy’s body pressed to his sent a host of wicked thoughts scrolling through his mind.
Fin had never desired a woman the way he desired Ivy. Though his body cried out for hers, it wasn’t just physical for him. He wanted not just her body, but her mind and heart as well. He wanted her in every way he could have her, mind, body, and soul.
Fin took her goblet and set them both aside, then pulled her to him again, their mouths crashing together, and their tongues swirling together with frenetic energy. Ivy’s soft moans were lost in his mouth, and he laid her down gently, half-laying on top of her. She clung to him, her nails digging into his forearms as their kiss deepened, and the passion flowing between them soared to unknown heights.
Fin kissed the hollow of her throat, sliding the tip of his tongue along her neck as Ivy pressed her head back into the soft earth that was beneath the blanket they lay on. He ran his fingers through her hair as his tongue dashed against hers. Fin felt himself growing harder, and his length thickening as Ivy inflamed his passion for her.
He slid his hands up her body, and Ivy moaned as he cupped her breasts, giving them a gentle squeeze. He circled her stiff nipples with his thumb and felt her entire body stiffen beneath him. He pulled back and slid his hand off her body, looking down at her, unsure if she wanted him to continue. But she grabbed his hand and put it back onto her breast, then pulled him back down into a kiss that was steadily growing more intense. She gripped his hair and pulled it hard, sending a shudder through his body.
