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Liam noted the shadows beneath her eyes and the slight strain around her mouth. He hated that she felt the need to pretend with him. If he hadn’t been watching so closely, he’d have missed the slight tremble in her hand when she set down her mug of tea. How many other signs had he missed?
On impulse, he reached for her. “Come here,macushla.” To hell with the past and the future, this wasnow, and she needed comforting. He’d almost lost her that night at the lake house, and he had to reassure himself she was okay.
Cora squeaked in surprise as Liam reached across the sofa and dragged her toward him, blanket and all. He slung his arm around her shoulders and pulled her beside him, reveling in the delighted laughter that escaped her. When she snuggled deeper into the quilt and relaxed against him with a contented sigh, he wanted to freeze the moment and live in it forever. It felt soright, holding her close like this.
“I’m sorry I didn’t think to ask how you were feeling,” he said quietly. “I’ve been too focused on my own problems. Forgive me for being such a selfish jackass.”
“You’re not,” she said, nudging his shoulder with hers. “Don’t say that. You’re the one who saved me, remember?”
“And Finn,” he reminded her. “If it hadn’t been for him and his fast car, we wouldn’t have arrived when we did.”
“Yes, you both showed up just in time.”
And thank all that was holy for that. Liam gave her shoulders a tight squeeze, as though to reassure himself she was alive and well. Finn had helped save her. He’d fought Magnus in the lake while Liam dragged Cora out of the water. It was the first time Liam had seen Finn fight, and the man was no slouch. He’d fought to protect Cora, and Liam couldn’t help but be grateful to him. Who knew his opinion of Finn would change so drastically over just a few months?
“But today, when I found out they let Magnus go?” Cora made a frustrated, kitten-like growl in the back of her throat that made Liam smile. “I wassomad.”
“Aye, you had steam coming out of your ears. That’s how I found you in my car when you stormed out of the station. I just followed the trail of smoke.”
She pursed her lips. “I’m still mad, you know. If I wasn’t certain Magnus was lying, I’d never agree to go behind the captain’s back. I mean, come on. A secret stakeout with shady surveillance equipment?” She shook her head. “We’re going off the rails.”
“We’re taking matters into our own hands,” Liam said. “Don’t let Boyd’s opinion get to you. The man is dead wrong, and we’re going to prove it.”
“It’s not just that.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “I was also mad at myself today. When I heard they let Magnus walk, the first thing I felt was fear. And Ihatedthat. Logically, I recognize he’d be too stupid to live if he tried to approach me or do anything, and we all know he’s not an idiot. But for some reason, my subconscious mind hasn’t gotten the memo, because after I fall asleep...the nightmare comes, and his face is front and center.”
Anger snaked through Liam’s gut, coiling to strike at the man who’d caused her so much fear. Someone as brave and strong as Cora should never have to be afraid of a low-life brute like Magnus Blackwell. “That scum of the earth will never come near you again,” Liam said fiercely. “If he even so much as looks in your direction, I’ll knock that blackguard’s block off and toss it to the crows. Then I’ll throw the rest of his worthless carcass into a bog and dance a bloody jig around it.”
Cora’s lips twitched, and her eyes sparkled with mirth. “That sounds fearsome indeed.”
“You mock me?”
“Never.” The sweet sound of her laughter chased away the darkness until the sadness of the past and uncertainty of the future disappeared, and for a moment, it was just the two of them—no souls at risk, no destinies hanging in the balance—just a man and a woman in a cozy home sharing a quiet evening together. Liam wanted to stop time and stay in this moment for as long as he could, but time had never been on his side. It marched relentlessly onward, deaf and blind to the wishes of mere mortals, and heedless of the broken hearts scattered in its wake. Still, he was grateful for every stolen hour. Moments like this were etched into his memory with diamond-sharp clarity, so he could take them out later and remember.
“Can you really dance a jig?” she asked with an impish grin.
“Of course, woman. I’m Irish.”
“Prove it.”
His forehead creased. “That I’m Irish?”
“No, the jig. I know you’re Irish. Your accent gets stronger whenever you get worked up or say violent things.”
“Well, that’s no surprise,” Liam said, propping his feet on the coffee table. “We can be a right bloodthirsty lot, especially when our kinfolk are threatened.”
“Kinfolk.”Cora repeated the word as if it amused her. “We crazy Americans just say ‘family.’”
“Aye, our people.” Liam absently smoothed a curl from her forehead, the tip of his finger sliding featherlight across her temple. “Loved ones.”
Cora slowly tilted her face toward his. Her smile was incandescent, glowing with warmth and more precious to him than sunlight. Sitting this close to her was intoxicating. Liam could feel the soft exhalation of her breath against his cheek, and the silken brush of her hair where it trailed over his arm. Her eyes were the summer sky from his childhood, a bright, endless blue that made him want to spread wings and fly. She reminded him of what it felt like to hope, and she made him yearn for home—not the one he’d left behind, but the one they’d both imagined together.
“Liam,” she whispered, shifting to face him. The blanket suddenly slipped off her shoulders to reveal part of a silky black chemise. Edged in delicate lace, it skimmed over the upper swell of her breasts, the thin straps clinging to her shoulders with nothing but a hope and a prayer.
Liam sucked in a breath, firing off a silent prayer of his own for strength to resist her. What in the name of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph was she wearing, and why the hell couldn’t he see the rest of it? He eyed the offending quilt, willing it to disappear.
“I know it’s only been a few months,” she began shyly. “But sometimes I feel like I’ve known you forever. I never expected to feel this way when we met. But then I got to know you and trust you, and now I’m just so glad we have each other.” Her soft voice brushed across his senses in pleasurable waves, the cadence like a siren’s song to a desperate sailor lost at sea. “You and I, we’re good together. Don’t you think?”
He nodded like a dumbstruck fool. So,sovery good.
