Turning, Margaret found a vase full of white roses. Happiness lit through her and she raced to pluck the card from the milky-white petals. For a moment she stopped to caress the petals, loving the elegance of the white roses. Red roses were so cliché. But, white, well, it was as if Sean already knew her. Smiling, she opened the envelope.
"I've no fancy words for you. I haven't slept but for thinking about tonight. You light me up."
Margaret laughed and hugged the card to her chest, just for a moment.
"That's enough, lover girl. Get moving," Sarah said grumpily and nodded toward the customers who had just walked in. Margaret stuck her tongue out at Sarah when she turned her back and, tying on her apron, went to greet her customers.
The day raced by in a flurry of customers and daydreams. Margaret knew that she had her head in the clouds after she'd messed up her fourth order. She apologized with a laugh and kept her eye on the clock. Closing was moments away. Ushering the last of her customers out, Margaret called to Sarah.
"You can go if you want. Sorry I've been off all day. I'll clean up," Margaret said generously.
Sarah stopped, surprised. She nodded at Margaret in thanks and, needing no further encouragement, left through the back door. Margaret shrugged and moved to the front door to lock it. This would give her time to change and do her makeup. She jumped as the door swung open, startling her.
"Sean!"
Margaret's hands fluttered in front of her in surprise and she was quite certain that her cheeks were on fire. She drank in the details of his face and the way his presence filled the room. Glancing around, Sean saw that the café was empty and moved straight for Margaret.
Without a word, he pulled Margaret into his arms, sliding his lips over hers in the most gentle of kisses. Margaret sighed into his mouth, allowing her body to melt into the heat and hardness of his body. It was as if everything from yesterday fell away and only this mattered. She stumbled a bit as Sean broke the kiss and stepped back.
"Can you leave from here? I have a surprise for you," Sean asked, his brown eyes eager.
"But, sure, I just need to change."
"No, you look perfect. Stunning. Don't change, I like this dress," Sean said, admiration lacing his voice as he looked her up and down.
Margaret smoothed the dress over her body and smiled up at him. "But I worked in it. I must look a mess."
"Nope. Beautiful. Come with?"
"Okay, I just need to do a few things," Margaret said, eyeing the dishes.
"I'll help. What can I do?"
"Um, the dishes. I'll count the money," Margaret said and smiled as Sean immediately moved to the kitchen. He looked at home there, scrubbing the dishes that had piled up during the day. But it seemed like Sean looked confident wherever he was, Margaret thought. She smiled at him and raced through her closing duties.
"All done," Sean called from the kitchen.
"Me too," Margaret said breathlessly and turned to find Sean standing behind her. She swore that she could feel his lust and she shivered at the promise in his eyes. Sean grabbed her hand and ran his thumb over her palm, sending tingles up her arm.
"Let's go," he said and led her out the back door. He waited patiently while she locked the café and then pulled her around the corner to where his beat-up pick-up truck was parked.
"I know it's not the fanciest, but it's reliable," Sean said, shrugging his shoulders sheepishly as he helped her into the truck.
"It's perfect," Margaret said happily. Sean could have picked her up in a horse and buggy and she wouldn't have cared.
"Well, I don't know about that, but it's been good to me," Sean said as he patted the dashboard. Margaret noted that it was painstakingly neat and admired that he took care of what he owned.
"So, uh, how have you been? How was work?" Sean asked as he started the truck and pulled out onto the main road that led away from the village.
Thinking about her day yesterday, Margaret wished that she could tell Sean about how things had really been in her life. Knowing that it would probably send him screaming for the hills, she smiled at him instead.
"Oh, you know, work was work," she said lightly. "A mysterious vase of flowers made it much better though."
Sean's cheeks burned pink and Margaret laughed at him.
"Thank you, they were perfect."
"They reminded me of you, elegant, perfect, untouched," Sean said gruffly and Margaret glanced at him. Did he know that she was a virgin? It almost left her lips to tell him but she decided to wait and see how their date went before discussing serious matters.
"Well, I loved them. I'll have to get them when you take me back for my car later," Margaret said. She eyed the road they were traveling. It was the same route she used to get to her house.
"Where are we going?"
Sean only smiled and ran a finger over her lips. "You'll see."
Margaret shivered at his touch and the huskiness in his voice. She smiled at him, trying to appear relaxed. Letting down her defenses, she allowed his feelings to wash over her. Lust, love, and a healthy male interest all intertwined to make Margaret feel like she was burning from within. She had never been as certain of a person as she was of Sean. It didn't matter where he took her; if he loved her as she felt he did, she'd go anywhere with him.
Chapter 10
"The cove?" Margaret squeaked out as panic laced her chest. Sean had driven to a small gravel road a half mile down the lane from her house. The road dead-ended on one side of the cliffs that led to the cove.
"Cool, right? I've heard so many crazy stories about it but haven't been yet. I thought it would be a great place for a picnic," Sean said eagerly, the light of adventure in his eyes. Margaret stared at him, her heart lost as she tried to come up with a good excuse for not going back to the very place she had sworn out of her life the night before. She stayed in her seat and turned her head to look out at the water.
"What have you heard?" Margaret said carefully, keeping her eyes trained on the soft line of the horizon where sky and water blurred into one.
"I've heard that the beach is stunning but that people won't go there because they think it is cursed. Which is ridiculous." Sean scoffed at the thought.
"Is it?" Margaret said and turned her head to search his face.
Confusion flitted across Sean's face and he squinted his eyes at her. "You don’t believe that the cove could actually be cursed, do you? That's crazy."
Margaret shrugged her shoulder. "Sometimes there are things that defy explanation."
"No way. I was raised a good Catholic. Curses do not exist," Sean said staunchly. Suddenly hesitant, he reached out to run a hand down her arm. "Hey, we don't have to go there if you are scared."
Margaret closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. She didn't want to live her life in fear anymore—fear of being different, fear of never being accepted. Today, she wanted to step into her new life.
"No, it's fine. I can't wait to see what you have planned." Margaret smiled up at him while her heart pounded in her chest. A relieved look passed over Sean's face and he leapt from the truck, running around to open her door and help her out. He chattered about the nice weather as he went around to the bed of the truck. Pulling out a picnic basket and a plaid blanket, he gestured for her to come with him. Together, they made their way across the field before they reached the entrance to the path at the top of the cliffs.
"Wow, just wow. This is amazing," Sean whispered. Margaret nodded, trying to appreciate it from his viewpoint.
"How is this beach not packed? I can't believe that people don't come here," Sean exclaimed as his eyes took in the long sand beach tucked between the cliffs.
"Ah, well, you know. Small-town people are superstitious," Margaret said softly.
"I hadn't realized this was such a climb. Will you be able to do it?"
Margaret bit back her initial response, which was to tell him that she had been climbing these cliffs since she was a child. Instead, she smiled at him and his
consideration. "I'll be fine. Good thing I wore my flats today."
Sean glanced sheepishly at her shoes. "Yeah, I should have thought of that. I guess I hadn't realized it was such a climb down."
"I'm okay. Really," Margaret said gently.
They began the hike down, Sean leading the way and warning her of any upcoming turn or bump in the path. Margaret could have walked the path blind, she knew it so well, but not wanting to ruin his excitement, she kept her mouth shut. Her mind worked furiously as she tried to figure out a way to do Fiona's protection circle before they stepped into the cove. If she believed Fiona about anything, it was not to enter the cove without providing something as an offering. Mindful of this, Margaret collected flowers on the way down to the beach. Just as they reached the bottom, she reached out and snagged Sean's hand before he could step onto the sand.
"So, uh, the locals sort of have this thing that they do…before they say that they can spend time on this beach," Margaret said carefully.
Sean raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh yeah? Some sort of voodoo dance?"
"Something like that. Let's do it just in case, okay?" Margaret smiled her brightest smile at him, hoping to pull him under with her charm.
"Anything you want," Sean said carefully, lost in her eyes.
Margaret blew out a breath and nodded.
"Okay, so it goes kind of like this," she said, slipping off her shoes and stepping onto the sand. Quickly, she drew a large circle with her big toe while Sean watched her with his eyebrow raised. She motioned for him to step inside of the circle and he did so without saying anything.
Though she knew the blessing by heart, Margaret played stupid.
"So, I think it goes something like this. Um, hey there, cove, we aren't here to cause harm or to do anything bad. We just want to have fun. Here are some flowers for you. Because, we, uh, respect you." Margaret grinned at Sean and rolled her eyes before tossing the flowers into the water.
Sean let out a long peal of laughter. "That's the most ridiculous thing that I have ever seen."
"I know, right?" Margaret scoffed with him, though she kept an eye on the water of the cove. Sensing no change in the waves, she motioned for Sean to step from the circle.
"Let's eat, I'm famished," Margaret said, quickly changing the subject.
"Let's find the perfect spot," Sean said eagerly, and carrying the basket in one hand, he took her hand in his other. Margaret smiled up at him as they walked the length of the beach, listening as Sean exclaimed at the beauty of the empty beach and the stark magnificence of the surrounding cliff walls. Margaret tried to block out the power that she felt here and focused only on Sean's happiness.
Sean spread the plaid blanket on a high patch of sand that was sheltered by an outcropping of rocks. The setting sun had warmed the sand and the breeze was light. She laughed as Sean pulled out several mini tiki torches and placed them around the blanket, taking his time with lighting them in the breeze.
"Here, let me help," Margaret insisted and held her hands around the match as he lit each torch.
"I was worried that we would lose the light. Maybe later we can build a bonfire…though it doesn't look like there is a lot of driftwood down here to light a fire."
An image of a burning funeral pyre floating in the water of the cove flashed into Margaret's mind and she gasped and whipped her head around.
"What? Did you hear something?"
"No, um, sorry, a bug hit my face," Margaret laughed at him. Sean cupped her face in his hand and examined her face.
"No, still perfect," he said softly and brushed his lips across hers. A thrill of happiness washed through Margaret and she pushed the thoughts of Grace O'Malley's last night at the cove from her head.
"So, what did you make for me, oh mighty chef?" Margaret teased him and kneeled on the blanket by the basket.
"Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, of course," Sean laughed at her as he pulled sandwiches from a small cooler, along with a hunk of cheese, and a plate of fruit. Reaching in, he pulled out a bottle of red wine and brandished it proudly for her. "Red wine, since you didn't get any the other night."
Margaret's heart melted a little bit. "Thank you, this looks lovely." She watched Sean as he patiently worked the cork from the bottle. She wanted his hands on her, not on the bottle. A blush crept up her cheeks as she thought about how her body had responded to him the other day. As if sensing her thoughts, he sliced a glance at her, his eyes heavy with lust. Margaret gulped. Whoo, boy, she thought.
Sean was wicked and pulled two plastic cups from the hamper. Pouring a generous cupful for each of them, he handed her a cup across the blanket. Settling back next to her, he touched the brim of his cup to hers.
"To us," Sean whispered.
"To us," Margaret said, love in her eyes. She took a sip of the wine, allowing the liquid to warm against her tongue. Sean watched her and groaned.
"Food, we need to eat," Sean said, tearing his eyes away from her lips. Margaret smiled to herself as Sean prepared plates of food for the both of them. She felt powerful in this relationship, and confidence crept through her at this newfound ability to seduce. Margaret eyed him as she slipped a grape between her lips and Sean groaned.
"Now you're torturing me," Sean protested.
Margaret found herself laughing freely and she threw her arms around Sean's neck before giving him a quick peck.
"This is fun, thank you for bringing me," Margaret breathed against his mouth.
"Pleasure. Mine. Ah, my pleasure, that is," Sean said gruffly and Margaret leaned back to look out at the water and to savor this moment. The before. She'd never be here again, she thought.
"I want to talk to you about something," Margaret said.
"Oh, you sound serious. Okay, what?" Sean said, his eyes trained on her face.
"I want to talk about Dublin. Were you serious?" Margaret pushed her big toe into the sand, praying that Sean would still want to do what they had talked about.
"I'm totally serious. I have a few more months on my apprenticeship and then I'll be all set," Sean said, and took another bite of his sandwich. Margaret nodded and looked down at the furrow that her toe was digging in the sand.
"How do you feel about me going sooner? Like within a week or so?" Margaret asked.
"You want to leave me?" Sean gaped at her.
"No, I want to leave here. I've lived here my whole life. I'm done. It's time for me to grow. I've been researching real-estate firms in Dublin and there is this great one that my cousin in Boston knows about that has an apprenticeship program, too. I can waitress in any café while I work towards getting my license," Margaret said all in a rush and then waited, holding her breath.
"Wow, you really want to get out of here, huh?"
"I do. I really, really do."
"Can't you wait a few more months?"
"I don't think that I can, at that. I really feel like it is time for me to go. I don't know why, but I keep dreaming about me packing and leaving. It's like I have to go." Margaret shrugged, feeling silly. Sean reached out and touched her arm.
"No, I feel you. It was kind of how I felt about taking this apprenticeship. I just needed to go." Sean nodded at her.
"Exactly. We can see each other on weekends, I'm sure. I could…you know…look for a place or something," Margaret said shyly.
"Oh? Are you asking me to live with you, Margaret O'Brien?" Sean raised an eyebrow at her as he moved the hamper from between them. Margaret giggled as he took the plate from her hand and threw it onto the sand. Sean crept forward until he kneeled between her outstretched legs, his hands braced on her sides. Margaret leaned back on her elbows and looked up at Sean's face, love and laughter shining from her face.
"Well, I suppose that I am," Margaret said cheekily and laughed up at Sean.
"Well, if I must," Sean said and lowered himself onto Margaret until she was pressed back against the blanket, the sand soft beneath her. Margaret squirmed at the feel of Sean's body between
her legs, and already lost, she arched into his chest, wrapping her arms around his muscular shoulders.
Sean stopped, his lips a hairsbreadth from hers. "I know this is crazy, but I've wanted you since the moment I set eyes on you. It's taken me months to finally talk to you."
Margaret all but melted into him. "Me too. I couldn't stop looking at you. You were so different than the other boys that I've met."
"Don't talk about them," Sean urged and Margaret stopped his kiss. Pulling back, she looked at him.
"There hasn't been anyone," Margaret said softly and Sean's eyes widened.
"Even better. Mine, all mine," Sean whispered reverently and Margaret's heart swelled.
"Do you mean that? Do you really mean that?" Margaret whispered against his lips.
"I do. Mine. We'll build a new life together in Dublin. Us against the world, sweet Maggie," Sean murmured to her.
"I want you, Sean. All of you, okay?" Margaret said. "Don't stop. I want to be a woman with you."
Sean shuddered in her arms and nodded his face against the nape of her neck.
"I'm honored. Let me love you, Margaret," Sean said as he kissed his way up her neck until he found her lips. Lost in his kiss, Margaret moaned into his mouth as he rubbed his lips over hers. Teasing her, he nipped and nibbled at her bottom lip. She moaned when he sucked gently at her lip before slipping his tongue between her lips. Entranced, Margaret felt heat rush through her as they played with each other, teasing, lingering.
Margaret gasped as Sean nudged her legs wider. Her skirt rode up to her hips and she tried not to blush. Sean broke away from her lips and knelt between her legs. Tugging on the hem of her dress, he raised an eyebrow at her in question.
"Yes," Margaret said breathlessly.
She leaned up as Sean pulled the dress over her head and the cool sea air brushed over her skin. The last of the light from the setting sun washed over her and the tiki torches glowed around her head. Margaret shivered as she lay before Sean in her bra and underwear and watched him appraise her body.
"Sweet Jesus," Sean whispered and Margaret found herself laughing.
The Mystic Cove Series Boxed Set (Wild Irish Books 5-7) Page 4