Mom’s idea of a bath is a good one, so I fill the tub and sink down into the steaming water.
This is really the first moment I’ve had to relax since we left Minneapolis five days ago. Mom and I enjoyed the Disney parks for a couple of days, and then I took a day off to rest before the race. But even then, we took advantage of the spa, and I did take a swim in one of the resort’s pools.
After the race, we shopped. And shopped some more.
We had to buy three extra suitcases to haul everything around with us, and I anticipate needing one more to take our souvenirs back to the States.
I don’t mind at all.
Shawn’s cousins own this inn, and they greeted us with open arms. I’ve never felt so welcomed when checking into a hotel before. They even offered us freshly baked apple cake, which I couldn’t pass up.
You’d have to be an idiot to say no to that.
Fiona and Tom invited us to come to dinner at their home for our first night here, and I couldn’t turn them down. I’m beside myself with excitement to see them, and to introduce them to my mother.
Even if Shawn and I aren’t meant to spend our lives together, I’ve made lifelong friends in his family, and that makes me happy.
But the past few days have caught up to me, and I’m exhausted. So, once the water has cooled, I climb out of the tub, towel off, and slip between the soft bedsheets naked, ready for a long nap.
“Now, if you have your victim thrown over the cliffs, it could be ruled as an accident or a suicide,” Tom says later that evening. He and I are sitting at the kitchen table, our bellies full after a delicious dinner made by Fiona. Mom and Fiona are in the sewing room, talking about yarn and things that I really know nothing about.
Murder, on the other hand, has always piqued my interests, and Tom is a wonderful brainstorming partner.
“Yes, but would it be bloody enough?” I ask, making him laugh.
“You’ve obviously never seen the damage a body undergoes when flung down three hundred feet onto sandstone.”
“No, I haven’t. Have you?”
“Unfortunately,” he replies with a sigh. “It’s a bloody mess, and that’s the truth of it. Wouldn’t leave much evidence behind either, so it would make a challenge for your detective to find the killer. Because although bloody, if the body lays there long enough, the surf will carry it away.”
“Increasing the mystery is always what we want,” I murmur, thinking it over. “What if the victim is a woman?”
“Poor lass,” he says, but grins at me with glee. “I do enjoy thinking up stories with you, Lexi girl.”
“You’re so good at it,” I reply. “I see now where Shawn gets his imagination from.”
“And that’s the truth,” Fiona says as she and Mom come back into the room. “Tom was always spinning tales for the babies when they were young. Shawn was always the most interested in them.”
“How many children do you have?” Mom asks.
“Five,” Fiona says. “And every one of them is the apple of me eye.”
“Of course, they are,” Mom says, smiling at me.
“They’re all living in Washington,” Tom adds. “Doing various things, chasing dreams and the like. As it should be. But we miss them.”
“They’re all going to be here for Christmas,” Fiona says. “It will be the first Christmas we’ve spent together in Ireland since Shawn was a wee lad. Maggie’s never had a Christmas here, and she’s a woman of twenty-six.”
“They’re all coming?” I ask, feeling the excitement bubble in my stomach. Mom and I will still be here then, and I might be able to see them.
Of course, that includes Shawn, but I can be an adult.
Probably.
“That they are,” Tom says. “Kane has a glass exhibit opening over the holiday in Galway, and everyone wanted to be here for it. So, Keegan’s closing the pub for a couple of weeks, and the whole brood will be here. Fiona and I won’t know what to do with a whole house full of children again.”
“And soon, we’ll have a wee babe,” Fiona says, clapping her hands.
“What? Who?” How did I not hear this news?
“Anastasia’s expecting,” Fiona says and turns to my mother. “She’s our eldest’s wife. By late spring, Kane and Stasia will be parents, and we’ll have a new sweet baby in the family.”
“That’s so wonderful,” I say with a smile. “You all have so many things to celebrate.”
“And you and Diane will still be here,” Tom says, gesturing to my mom, “so you can help us celebrate.”
“Oh, but this is a family affair,” I say, acutely aware of my mom watching me with wise, curious, blue eyes.
I haven’t admitted to her that I’m in love with Shawn.
That I’m in love with all of them.
But I know she can see it written all over my face.
“Nonsense,” Fiona says. “You’ll join us, and that’s that. Kane’s best friend, Cameron Cox, is coming, as well. Our family is full of those tied to us by blood, and others united by love, and that’s the truth of it, Lexi.”
I have to take a deep breath so I don’t cry like a blubbering idiot.
“Thank you for including us,” Mom says, reaching over to pat Fiona’s hand.
Tom pats my hand kindly. “It’s happy we are to have you here, lass. I hope this won’t be your only trip to Ireland.”
“Oh, I think I’ll be coming here for years to come.”
“Can you please bring me the baby wipes?” I ask, pointing at the wipes in question across the room. “She’s dirty.”
“She had a healthy breakfast,” Shawn says with a chuckle as he hands me the wet wipes and then leans over to kiss our daughter on the forehead. “Didn’t you, sweet Aisling?”
I quickly get her cleaned up and diapered, and once she’s in her pajamas, I pass her to Shawn. “It’s your turn to put her to bed, Da.”
“And a pleasure it is,” he says with a wink. He takes her into the nursery, and I can hear him crooning to her through the monitor. “You’re my best girl, aren’t you, darling? That’s right. Shall we have a story, then?”
I walk into the bathroom and take a hot shower. When I’ve toweled off, Shawn is already waiting for me in the bedroom.
“That was quick.”
“She passed right out during my Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story.”
“I’m not sure you should be telling that story to a two-month-old,” I say with a laugh.
“She can’t understand the words. Or, she can, and that was a really boring story.”
He tugs me against him and kisses me long and slow. He loosens the towel wrapped around me and lets it pool at my feet.
“You’re a gorgeous woman, Lexi.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
The dream is sexy and almost in slow motion as Shawn makes love to me. There are soft sighs and long, deliberate touches that make my core ache for him. His words of love echo through my mind as I surface from sleep.
I blink my eyes open and stretch under the crisp, white linens. The sun is up, and I feel well-rested.
I glance over and see Shawn sitting in my plush chair.
“Am I still dreaming?”
Chapter 20
~Lexi~
“Do you ever look at your damn mobile?”
I blink, coming fully awake now. I’m definitely not dreaming. The Shawn seated five feet away from me looks angry.
Exhausted.
Frustrated.
I sit up, and the covers fall, and I immediately pull them up around my bare chest. “Good morning to you, too.”
“It’s an honest question, Lexi.”
“And the honest answer is, I’ve barely looked at my phone in days because I’ve been traveling, and I don’t have cell coverage in Ireland. I haven’t connected to the Wi-Fi yet.”
He takes a long, deep breath and then lets it out slowly.
“I didn’t think you were coming to Ireland until next week.”
<
br /> His green eyes flash at me. “I didn’t either. I just got here about two hours ago. In the past forty hours, give or take, I’ve flown to Minneapolis, where I met a nice older woman who lives across the hall from you.”
“Mrs. Peabody.”
“Then, I flew to Orlando, where I apparently missed you by roughly ten hours or so.”
“And now you’ve followed me here.”
“That I have.”
“Why?”
My hands fist in the covers, and I bite my lip, waiting for his answer.
“Having a life-altering conversation is damn difficult when you look like that,” he says.
“Like what?”
“Like every bloody fantasy I’ve ever had in my life.”
And there’s the spark of hope that he’s about to say what I’ve longed to hear for months.
“I’d get up and get dressed, but I think you’re on a roll, and I don’t want to interrupt you.”
“Okay, first, I need you to tell me why you snuck out that morning. Why did you leave?”
I do not want to lead with this. “I’d like to know why you’re here first.”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“No.”
He rubs his hand over his bloodshot eyes. “I’ve buggered all of this up, Lex. I let you leave the first time because I thought that was for the best. Our working relationship had come to an end, and it was just time for you to go.”
“And I’m glad I did.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them.
“You’re glad you left?”
“Yes. Because as hard as it was to say goodbye, I had a list of things that I wanted to do. Stuff I wanted to accomplish. You opened my mind to the possibility that I had been holding myself back all of my life. I’m not agoraphobic.”
“I could have told you that.”
“You showed me. Because I enjoyed spending time at the pub and going to the cabin. I wasn’t afraid to leave the house at all. I’m still not fantastic at meeting strangers, but that’s okay. Taking the dance class and learning French are both things that bolstered my confidence. And I’ve been spending more time away from my condo with my mom or friends, and I kind of love that I feel confident enough to do those things.
“So, yes, I’m glad I left. Because I wouldn’t have put all of that into motion if I hadn’t. Not to mention, there was no reason for me to stay in Washington.”
His eyes darken. “I’m proud of you for all of those things, Lexi.”
“I am, too.”
“So what happened two weeks ago?”
I feel my cheeks flush and wish with all of my might that I had some clothes on. Having a vulnerable conversation while naked might be the most uncomfortable thing I’ve done in my life.
But, pushing through uncomfortable things has become my new normal.
“Tell me why you’re here,” I say instead of answering him.
“I’m here because I’m so in love with you, I can’t see straight. And spending one more day without you isn’t an option for me.”
I blink at him, shocked. “You’re in love with me?”
He moves from the chair and sits next to me on the bed. He pushes his fingers through my hair and smiles down at me.
“Absolutely.”
“I snuck out of that hotel room and got on the first plane to Minneapolis because I’d finally admitted to myself that night that I was in love with you. But you reminded me that it was never going to be more than sex, Shawn. And while the sex is off-the-charts amazing, it just leads to more feelings. If I had stayed any longer, and spent more time with you, I knew it would just hurt all that much more when it was time to go.”
“Maggie’s right,” he whispers. “I’m a moron.”
“Well, maybe a little bit.”
“For two people who use words for a living, we really messed up in the communication department, angel.”
I nod in agreement and drag my fingers down his cheek, over the dark stubble there. “What are we going to do about it?”
“We’re going to start talking about our feelings, and you’re going to answer your damn mobile.”
I can’t help but laugh. “It’s a tough situation, Shawn.”
“Why?”
“We live across the country from each other. We have lives several thousand miles away from one another.”
“We can figure that out,” he says. “Geography won’t keep me away from you, Lex. That’s the least of my worries.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely.” His gaze drops to my lips. “If I don’t kiss you right this minute, I might die.”
“Now you’re just being dramatic.” But I lean closer, and he covers my lips with his. The kiss starts light but quickly deepens as the frustration, fear, and longing of the past several months are shed and we simply enjoy each other.
Shawn tugs the blankets away from my torso and fills his palm with a breast, gently tickling the nipple with his thumb.
My skin comes to life under his touch. He doesn’t stop kissing me as he sheds his clothes and joins me under the covers.
Possessive touches.
Light caresses.
Tangled limbs and whispered words of love fill the air as we truly make love for the first time.
“You’re mine, angel,” he says against my ear. “No matter what happens in this life, that won’t change.”
He slips inside me, claims me as his, and I feel so full of love, I think I might burst with it.
“We should probably go downstairs to see the family,” Shawn says an hour later as we lay sated and tangled in bed.
“The family?”
“Oh, I didn’t mention that? When my parents heard that I was landing in Galway, they wanted to make sure to be here. So, they’re all downstairs having breakfast. My cousins are excellent cooks, by the way.”
“Yes, I know. But they’re all here? Even Kane and Anastasia?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Well, if they’re all downstairs waiting on you, they know that either we’re still fighting, or we’re…” I shake my head, not able to complete the thought.
“We’re what?”
“You know perfectly well what.”
He rolls over me and pins my arms to the bed, nips at my lips. “Say it.”
His voice is firm. Commanding.
“No.”
He cocks a brow. “Did you just tell me no?”
“You might want to get used to that,” I advise him. “I know you have that alpha, dominant side, but I’m not a woman who takes marching orders. Not sorry.”
He bites my earlobe and drags his nose down my neck.
Damn it, he knows that’s my weak spot.
“Say it,” he says again.
“I don’t even remember what we were talking about.”
He rests his forehead against my shoulder and laughs. “Sex, Lexi. You said they’ll either think we’re fighting or having sex.”
“No, I didn’t. I was going to say making love.”
His face softens and he nuzzles me sweetly. “That sounds better.”
“Okay, get up.”
I untangle myself from him and scoot out of bed before he can stop me.
“I’m not finished with you.”
“You are for now. Your family’s downstairs. It’s rude to keep them waiting.”
“They’re fine.”
I shake my head and get dressed, but Shawn just lays on his side, his head in his hand as he watches me.
“Are you going to make me go downstairs alone?” I ask.
“No, I’m just watching you for a minute. How was your marathon?”
“It was spectacular. And my time was decent. I’d do it again. You should run with me.”
“Not marathons,” he says. “I’ll leave that up to you. But I’ll go for a jog with you.”
“Okay.” I watch as he rolls out of bed and pulls on the clothes he was in when I woke up. “Where are your things?”
>
“I have a room here at the inn. Okay, let’s go.”
“Why am I nervous?”
“Because they’ll know we were making love.”
I scrunch up my nose. “That’s awkward.”
“We’re adults, angel. It’s pretty normal.”
We walk down the steps to the first floor and find Shawn’s family sitting in the dining room, talking and laughing.
Tom is the first to see us standing in the doorway, holding hands.
“There they are,” he says.
Shawn’s parents hug him, and I say hello to Kane and Stasia. Mom raises a brow as if to ask if everything’s okay.
I nod reassuringly and then gesture to Shawn.
“Shawn, I’d like to introduce you to my mom, Diane,” I say. “Mom, this is Shawn.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Mom says. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Same here,” Shawn says, kissing Mom on the cheek.
“You’re the man I have to thank for giving me back my daughter,” she says, taking Shawn’s face in her hands. “She’s always been wonderful. But because of you, she saw the potential in herself, and she’s so much stronger now. Thank you for giving that to her.”
“I didn’t do that,” Shawn says quietly. “Lexi is an incredible woman whether she met me or not. And she would have eventually realized what she needed to be happy.”
“You,” I say and lean in to kiss his arm. “You were the only thing missing from my life to make me happy.”
“And I’m right here,” he says.
“It’s about bloody time,” Tom says.
Epilogue
~Shawn~
The lighting is intentional.
It’s the holidays, so traditional twinkle lights are strewn about the space, but Kane was specific about which pieces should be near the lights, assuring that the glass is the focus and not the holiday decorations.
The gallery in Galway hosting this exhibit is stunning. It only features Irish artists, and Kane knew that he wanted pieces that were also fired here in Ireland to be the ones on display for his exhibit.
Imagine With Me: A With Me In Seattle Novel Page 18