by Bianca D'Arc
Realizing where the clean pitcher had come from, she looked over at the bar to find Tristan grinning at her. When she sent him a questioning look, he nodded at her. He’d started the pitcher making its rounds, the sly man. She’d have to give him a big kiss on her way out to thank him.
Not that they weren’t paying her for her appearance here, but the tips were a very welcome addition to the weekend’s take. She put the pitcher down on the stage, near her guitar stand, allowing Jim to help her down from the stage, though she really could have made it on her own. It was nice to have help, even if she didn’t need it. His gallantry made her feel feminine and cared-for in a way she’d seldom experienced.
She was aware of Jim’s solid presence behind her while she talked to the well-wishers who had stuck around after the last set to say a few words. She signed a few more CDs and helped one or two folks find her new album on their mobile devices. She also talked about where she normally played, and a lot of the people weren’t surprised to learn that she wasn’t local. They all wanted her to come back, though, which was incredibly flattering.
One even suggested she should have a website with tour dates—something she’d thought about but hadn’t really expected anyone to be interested in yet. Maybe this weekend was the turning point. Maybe this was the time to start that website and begin to take things to the next level. She certainly would think about it.
When the last fan had taken their leave, Roisin turned back to the stage to find that Jim had taken the wad of money in the pitcher in hand and sorted it all out into a tight, fat bundle of cash. He presented it to her with a flourish.
“I can’t believe this,” she told him, marveling at the wad of bills in her hand.
“I think they liked your performance,” he told her, grinning.
“Yeah… Ya think?”
They chuckled together as she put the money into one of her bags for safekeeping. She quickly packed up her gear, Jim helping as if he’d done this a thousand times. With his assistance, it took no time at all to break down her equipment and hit the road, but she didn’t leave before giving Tristan that big hug and kiss on the cheek.
She spent a few minutes taking her leave of the Collins, but in the back of her mind, she was already on her way to the hotel with Jim. She wanted more time with him. Desperately. She wanted every last minute they could wring out of this night…and then some.
As a result, she might’ve been a little shorter with Tristan and the others than she intended, but the amused glint in Tristan’s eyes as he looked from her to Jim and back again told her she wasn’t fooling anyone. He, at least, knew she had other things on her mind, and his promise to call and set up another booking after she got back home was all the cue she needed to take her leave.
She practically ran out into the night with Jim, heading for her room with the utmost haste. She couldn’t wait to be in his arms once more, naked and together. The way it felt like it was meant to be.
Chapter Eight
They’d barely made it into her hotel room before clothes began to fly every which way. Even with the edge taken off by the frenzy of the night before, it was almost a race to the finish as they came together for the first climax of the night. Up against the wall at the side of the door, which thankfully, they’d managed to close before getting totally naked. She cried out his name as she came, loving the way he nailed her against the faded floral wallpaper, as if he could never get enough of her.
Round two was more traditional. Jim simply lay her down on the sheets after throwing the comforter to the foot of the bed and came down over her. He’d taken a moment to put on a new condom, but that was about all the time he allowed before sliding into her once more. This time, there was a slower build, a straining push toward ecstasy that left her panting for breath.
Roisin gripped his shoulders, loving the way his muscles bunched and released as he moved within her. He might work at a desk, but he was as fit as any fighting man, with bulging muscles in all the right places. Places she wanted to lick…and bite.
She’d never had that sort of response to the few other men she’d been with. Only Jim seemed to bring out the wanton in her. It was a little frightening but also intriguing. She wanted to stroke him all over and show him without words, the wild and tender feelings that welled in her heart for him.
She nearly lost her mind when she came, but he held her throughout, whispering words of praise in her ear as he strained against her. In his arms, she truly believed she was beautiful. Just like he said. Because he made her feel it, in a very elemental way. He was a force of nature, and she was bowled over by the fascinating combination of his incredible tenderness and raging passion.
Round three was more sedate but definitely a little more kinky. He took her into the bathroom, carrying her. He deposited her on a towel he’d spread over the countertop next to the sink. He ran warm water over a small washcloth and then ran it over her skin, rubbing the nubby terrycloth over and into every sensitive peak and valley of her body until she was about ready to come just from his touch.
He rinsed the cloth, and when he brought it back to her breasts, she discovered the water he’d used this time was cold. So cold. And exciting. Her nipples pebbled right away, and he took advantage, lowering his mouth to suck on one peak while the other was subjected to the cold, wet washcloth. Fire and ice. Ache and need. Want and fulfillment. Jim was giving her an experience in passion she would never forget.
Just as she would never forget him. Even if they parted after this stolen night, she knew he would be indelibly etched into her heart for all time. Being with him might just have ruined her for any other man, but she wasn’t too worried about that at the moment. No, this moment was all about sensation…and Jim. Everything else she would deal with in time. If she had to.
But the more time she spent with him, the more she wanted. Some devious part of her mind kept tempting her with visions of what it might be like to be with him always, and a bigger part of her heart than she was really comfortable with started to believe it might just be possible. Could he love her after only three nights together? Could she truly love him after so short a time?
The brutal answer—she was very much afraid to say—was yes.
Dear God. She loved him.
And just where the hell would that leave her when he took off again?
Thankfully, her morbid thoughts were derailed yet again by Jim’s attentions to her straining body. He’d given up on teasing her and was instead in the process of lifting her into his arms.
He carried her into the shower, and she only just realized, as luscious hot water cascaded over her skin, that he must have turned on the shower and played with the temperature controls at some point. She’d been so caught up in her jumbled thoughts and the overwhelming passion he’d given her, she hadn’t really noticed.
What followed was a slippery fun experience she never would have expected. Jim found creative things to do with the little bar of hotel soap, and she knew she would never look at one the same again. When both of them were slick with soap and sliding against each other, he joined their bodies once again.
It was almost too much. He’d over stimulated her senses so that they swam in sensation, nearly drowning in pleasure. But Jim was her solid rock, her anchor in the sea of storms. He pushed into her, holding her up against the cold tile of the wall as he ground into her body. Slow, at first, his pace increased along with her desire until they were both breathing like marathon runners in the final legs of a grueling race that only they could finish…together.
She came only a split second before him, crying out as ecstasy washed over her. His growl near her ear set of secondary sparks in her body as she shook in his arms, fulfillment taking her down again and again as he held her for long, long moments, partially under the warm spray of the water.
In the aftermath, a long time later, he helped her wash off the remaining soap, then bundled them both into fluffy towels. He took care of her, making sure they were
both mostly dry before he tucked her back into the rumpled bed, next to him. He cuddled her against his body, one of his muscular arms around her as she settled against his chest.
They fit together so well. That was the last thought in her mind as sleep finally took her into the land of dreams.
Roisin woke sometime later. It was still the middle of the night, but Jim wasn’t in the bed with her. She heard running water in the bathroom and realized he must be in there. That settled her nerves a bit. For one horrible moment, she’d thought it had all been a dream. A wonderful dream, to be sure, but still a dream.
Heaven knew, she’d dreamed of him often enough in the past year, only to wake, her body on fire with a want that couldn’t be fulfilled…because he wasn’t there. Of course, this time, her body’s need had been satisfied. At least for now.
She might not have a desperate need for climax at the moment, but she definitely needed some water. Her throat was dry and parched, but she had a solution near at hand. There were bottles of water in the small fridge under the television. All she had to do was get out of bed and get one.
Seeing her robe on the chair next to the bed, she put it on out of habit before heading for the fridge. She was taking a long, welcome swallow of cold purified water when the door to the bathroom opened and Jim came out. He had a towel wrapped around his lean hips, and even in the dim light, she couldn’t help but stare at the vision of masculine perfection he presented.
Holy shit. Her man was hot!
Jim was surprised to find Roisin out of bed when he emerged from the bathroom. He hadn’t meant to wake her. They’d had a long night of lovemaking. Something he’d never forget…and something he wanted to repeat…again and again, if she’d let him.
So, maybe it was a good thing she was awake. Sometimes, it was better to talk of the really important things deep in the night, when confidences were shared more easily. A dim nightlight by the door was the only illumination, but it was enough to see her clearly as Jim approached her.
“You okay?” In the silence of the night, his voice seemed overly loud, even though he was almost whispering.
“I’m fine. Just thirsty,” she replied. “You want some?” She offered him her water bottle.
He took it, drinking a healthy swallow before handing it back. “Thanks. I wasn’t too rough? You’re sure?” He would rather die than hurt her.
“I’m sure,” she said, smiling softly. “Was I too demanding?” Her shy question made him feel things in his heart that only she had ever brought out.
“Never,” he assured her. “You can have anything you want from me. Any time. Any place. All you have to do is ask.”
She took another swallow of her water, holding eye contact with him as she swallowed. Damn. Was it getting hot in here?
“That sounds serious,” she said finally, and his thoughts went from sex to something even more important. Maybe now was the time to talk about their future?
Dawn would be here all too soon, and their time together was quickly winding down. He had to say something quick, before he completely ran out of time, but it was a big step. What if she wasn’t on the same page? What if all she wanted was a fling while she was away from home?
He had to take the chance. He couldn’t let her slip through his fingers. Not again. Not when he finally had some control over his life again and where he’d be for the foreseeable future. He’d decided somewhere during the past two days that, if she was willing to see where this odd relationship of theirs might lead, he wasn’t going to go back to the Navy.
She was the missing factor in his equation. If she was with him, he could easily give up the military. More than his family. More than his friends. More than any civilian career he might be able to create. If he had her in his life, that was the one variable that tipped the scales in favor of quitting the service.
All he had to do now was find out if she was willing. He had to put it all on the line with her. Tell her the truth and she what she made of it. The next few minutes—if he could manage to get the words out—were going to be some of the most important of his life.
Here goes everything…
Chapter Nine
“Ro, I’ve been thinking about you for an entire year,” he told her, jumping to the crux of the matter. “I like the man I am when I’m with you. Maybe more importantly—my family likes the way you bring me out of myself. They saw it right away at the pub, and they teased me about it mercilessly.” He chuckled a bit, remembering the comments of his siblings. “But that’s what I wanted to know, and why I invited them along. I wanted to see if the change in me was as obvious to everyone else who knows me well as it is to me. I wondered if they could see that when I’m with you, I’m…happier. I’m a better, more joyful version of myself. I’m the me I always want to be.”
“I like the man you are no matter what, Jim.” She smiled at him, fueling his courage. So far, so good.
“And I love that,” he agreed, not hesitating this time to use the L-word. He’d use it again in a few minutes…if he could keep his nerve. “And I love the way we are together. Hot for each other, but able to conduct ourselves with decorum in public. I love knowing that, when we’re alone, we’re combustible, but when we need to be buttoned down, we both know how to pull it off. I need that kind of control in my life. It’s something that’s important in my chosen profession, and to me, personally, as I think it is to you.”
“I was raised pretty strict, for all that I was brought up in the music business,” she admitted. “I don’t like making a huge spectacle of myself or my relationships, even if I spend a lot of my time in the spotlight. I don’t ever want the gossip about me to be sleazy or mean. Which is why I feel safe with you on that score, Jim. I know you care for your reputation, as well as mine, and I like that about you. A lot.”
“If I leave the Navy and go into private practice, I can live anywhere,” he said, not quite holding his breath in anticipation of her reaction. “I could stay here in Baltimore near my family, or I could relocate. I’m licensed to practice law in New York and New Jersey, as well as Maryland.”
“You are?” She sounded interested to his ears. Was she? Was she really? Would she want him to relocate?
“I am,” he confirmed. “The question is, where do you need to be for your career, Roisin?” He was glad to see her breath catch as the implications of his words seemed to hit her. He looked deep into her eyes. “I want to be with you, Ro. Wherever you need to be, that’s where I want to be…if you’ll let me.”
“What are your proposing, exactly?” Her eyes narrowed, her expression unsure.
“Proposing. Yeah, look. I know it sounds crazy, but I’ve been dreaming about you for a year now, Ro. Dreaming of what it would be like to be with you all the time. I think it would be amazing, but I know this is all happening really fast. Thing is, I’ve already made up my mind. If you’ll give me—give us—a chance, I’ll ditch the Navy and go wherever I need to go to make us happen. Whether that’s here in Baltimore or up in New York, I’m willing to go the distance if you’ll say you’ll be mine.” He took a deep breath, encouraged by the softening of her expression. “I’d ask you to marry me right now if it wasn’t so crazy. I’m in love with you, Roisin. I think I have been for an entire year.”
Her face crumpled, and tears leaked out the corners of her eyes. Had he totally botched it? Shit!
She took a deep, shuddering breath while he waited to see how badly he’d screwed up.
“I think I’ve been in love with you for a year too, Jim,” she told him, her voice shaky, her words lighting his heart with all the colors of a bright new dawn. “I’d say yes, right here and right now, if it all wasn’t so crazy.” She hiccupped a bit, then settled down, a smile stretching her luscious lips. “How about we agree to a long engagement? If we still feel the same after a year, we’ll do the deed.”
“Are you willing to live with me—in sin—for a year?” He frowned.
A good Irish Catholic girl like he
r, who had already admitted to being concerned about the reputation she earned in the spotlight might have trouble living with someone. But he couldn’t honestly see how he could do without her in his home—in his bed every night—for much longer.
“We’re committed. Engaged. I don’t see why the public needs to know where I lay my head each night, do you? And my folks will be okay with it. They’re old hippies at heart and would rather see me happy and cautious than rushing into a marriage on the basis of three encounters and a year spent pining.”
“Pining?” He marveled at the old-fashioned word. “Were you really pining for me all that time?”
“Yes, I think I was. I wanted to know where you were and if you were safe. I thought about tracking you down so many times. But I didn’t want to be some stalker chick that wouldn’t leave you alone. I mean, what if I’d found you and you didn’t even remember me? I would have died of embarrassment,” she admitted.
“No danger of that. I think I was pining for you too, Ro, though I never really connected that word to my obsession. I thought about you all the time and wondered where you were and if you remembered me fondly, or cussed me out for taking off that way.”
“I knew you had obligations. You were up front about that from the moment we met. You told me almost right away that you were shipping out in the morning. I knew what I was getting into,” she assured him.
He couldn’t believe how amazing she was. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her close, rocking her gently in his embrace, just grateful for the moment—and for fate, bringing them together again.
After a long time, he let her go and stepped back, dropping to one knee in front of her. He looked up into her eyes in the dim light. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears and he suspected maybe his were too, a little.