“I guess,” Nora muttered.
She took another sip of tea. “He's very lucky to have you, Aislinn.”
“Other way round: I'm lucky to have him.” She waved to Nora as she headed back outside. “Drive safe. See you later.”
*****
That was a lovely meal."
Aislinn was behind the wheel of her truck, driving herself and Liam back from their dinner in Crosshaven. Cronin's was all it was cracked up to be; she'd had a wonderful dinner of fresh mussels cooked in wine, cream, and herbs, and though she hated to admit it, their soda bread rivaled her mother's. The place had a nice, low-key atmosphere, too, the walls covered with pictures of the area and old advert signs, shelves lined with miniature antique bottles of all shapes and colors. Somewhere around nine, a band of musicians came strolling in to play traditional music. Everyone joined in the singing, even Liam, which surprised her, until he told her he'd grown up hearing his parents sing the very same tunes.
Chat flowed easily, at least from Liam. Aislinn enjoyed hearing about him growing up in Manhattan, though it was hard to ignore the wistfulness that stole into his eyes when he talked about his family. He did pep up a bit when he told her stories about the regulars at his parents' pub, and whether he knew it or not, the tales of his juvenile delinquency were intriguing. Aislinn could imagine him hot-wiring cars and committing petty crimes; there was still a touch of the bad boy in him, made all the more real by his being on the lam. Outlaw Liam, she thought amusedly. Sexy Liam. The problem was, he knew it, which was why she got a kick out of taking him down a peg here and there; the man could use a little humility.
For Aislinn, opening up didn't come quite so easily. Her life felt simple and mundane compared to his, and there was still a small part of her that was holding back, fearful of trusting only to get kicked in the teeth once again. If Liam sensed her hesitancy, he didn't push, for which she was grateful.
“Dinner was worth risking my life,” Liam announced.
“Excuse me?”
“Jesus, Aislinn. Drive any faster, and we'll be going at the speed of sound.”
"I don't know what you're talking about. There's nothing wrong with my driving. I could drive these roads blindfolded and get us home fine.
Liam cleared his throat nervously. “Speaking of home... were you planning to just drop me off at the Oak or - ?”
Aislinn felt a blast of heat rock her body. What a twit. She hadn't even thought about that.
Liam tucked a stray piece of her hair behind her ear. “I think I can guess your answer from your hesitation. You Catholic girls,” he teased.
“It's not that. I just - I'm not interested in spending the night.”
“I wasn't assuming that. I thought we could just go up to my flat, have a cup of tea, maybe make out.” Liam grinned.
Aislinn turned to smile at him. “You mean snogging?”
“Yeah, snogging.”
“I suppose that's all right,” she said carefully, “as long as no one sees us.”
Liam looked confused. “What?”
“How many times do I have to tell you, Liam? I hate the way the tongues wag in this town, and I don't want any of them knowing my business. They'll make assumptions if they see me going up to your place.”
“Who the hell cares? Let them think what they want.”
“And where does Jack think you are tonight?”
“In Crosshaven with my cousin Brian,” Liam murmured uneasily.
“And what if Brian turned up at the Oak tonight? Jack'd know you were lying.”
“Brian's working tonight.” Liam squeezed her knee affectionately. “Would you stop being so paranoid?”
“Can't help it.”
“You can help it. And you're making me feel like you're ashamed to be with me.”
“God, no, it's not that at all,” Aislinn swore fiercely.
“Then come up to my flat,”
“All right.” Aislinn had to admit, she did feel a wee bit silly as she crept up the back stairs to Liam's place above the pub. It was well past closing time at the Oak, and thankfully, Ballycraig was one of those towns where the streets rolled up the minute the pub closed. There was no one about, not even Jack, who was sometimes known to stay on past closing to reminisce with the old-timers.
“Well, here it is,” said Liam, unlocking the door and flipping on the light switch. “My humble abode.”
Humble is the operative word, thought Aislinn. The sitting room/kitchenette was tiny; the only pieces of furniture were a small table with two chairs, a couch, and a coffee table, upon which sat a laptop and a photograph of his family.
She picked it up as Liam put his arm around her shoulder, pointing everyone out to her: his parents, his brother, Quinn, and his sisters, Maggie and Sinead.
Aislinn studied the picture. “Your sister Maggie is gorgeous, with that long red hair. And your brother is very handsome.” She brought the photo closer to her face. “Your sister Sinead looks dead sad, though.”
“Her marriage was beginning to disintegrate. They're divorced now.”
“I'm sorry to hear it.”
“Don't be. They should never have gotten together.”
Aislinn smiled as she gazed at the image of Liam's father. “He looks just like your uncle Paul.”
“I know. It's creepy.”
“Your mum looks so sweet.”
“She is, as long as you keep out of her kitchen.”
“And look at you, Mr. Dark and Broody, trying to look all dangerous,” she teased.
Liam hooded his eyes. “I am dangerous.”
“Trust me: there's no danger to a man who can't change a flat.”
Liam shook his head, chuckling. “You're never going to let me forget that, are you?”
“Not if I can help it.” She put the photo back down on the coffee table. “Quite a good-looking family.”
“I suppose. I never really thought about it.”
“They must miss you fierce,” Aislinn said quietly.
“They do, and I miss them, too.” Liam shrugged philosophically. “But it is what it is. And it's not like I never talk to them: my siblings and I e-mail each other all the time, and I speak with my folks at least once a week.”
“I'm not big on the e-mail. I only use my computer for business things, really. Financials. That sort of thing.”
"I'm surprised you even have one.
“Yes, that's right, I write on parchment with a quill. Honestly! Just because I run a farm doesn't mean I don't own a computer!”
“You're right. My bad.”
Aislinn twisted her hands together nervously. "So.
“Sit,” said Liam, gesturing at the couch. “I'll make us some coffee - unless you want tea.”
“No, coffee is lovely, thanks.”
Aislinn sat down, watching him prepare their coffee in the kitchen. She felt restless. No, that wasn't the right word; she felt anxious. She got up, walking over to one of the windows looking down on the street.
“Careful: someone might see you,” Liam warned.
“Don't be a wise arse.”
It was starting to rain, making the wide pavement below glisten. Aislinn wasn't fond of being out in the rain, but she did like the sound it made when it gently hit the windowpane. When she was little and it rained at night, her mother used to tell her it was the fairies tapping at the window, wanting to come inside. Aislinn always wondered why they didn't just go in the barn, but still, she loved the image of a wee band of them huddled around the big fireplace in the kitchen, warming themselves.
“My brother-in-law gets in tomorrow,” said Aislinn, wanting to keep conversation going. It was a way to keep her nerves at bay. She was worried that if they fell into silence, Liam would be able to hear the drumbeat of her heart growing ever louder. Nora must be happy.
“Yes.” She hesitated. “He can be a bit of a snob, that one. All proper and highfalutin. I'm shocked he's coming, to be honest. He hates it here.” She paused. “Do y
ou like it here?” she asked shyly.
“Of course I do.”
“But it's no Manhattan, is it?”
Liam looked at her. “I'm not going anywhere any time soon, Aislinn.” he said gently.
Yes, but you'll probably be going eventually, she thought. She elbowed the thought out of the way with one more mundane, thinking about how she and Padraig planned to trim the flocks' hooves tomorrow.
She turned back to look at the rain, which was coming down harder now, the sound more insistent. She toyed with the idea of using it as an excuse to leave - the rain, the dark, the twisting roads - then stifled a self-deprecating laugh as she realized how completely transparent that would be.
Coffee brewed, Liam set the two mugs down on the coffee table and patted the empty space on the couch beside him. “Care to join me, or were you planning to climb out the window?”
“Now why would I ever climb out the window?”
“You tell me.”
“I'm not that skittish,” Aislinn maintained, sitting down beside him. She picked up her coffee and took a sip. “Not bad.”
“I'll take that as high praise, coming from you.”
“You know,” Aislinn mused as a sudden thought struck her, “I've told you all about my romantic past, but I know nothing of yours.”
Liam looked wary. “There isn't much to tell.”
“Well, surely there must be something.”
“Basically, I've been a serial dater. I've never really had a long-term relationship. It always seemed like too much of a hassle to me.”
Aislinn looked down into her mug. “I see.”
Liam brushed a hand across the nape of her neck. “That was before I met you.”
Aislinn slowly lifted her head to look into his eyes. “And what's so different about me?” she asked uncertainly.
“Everything. The way your hair gleams in the sun. The beautiful lilt of your voice. The way you hold yourself like a queen. The love you have of the farm. Your loyalty and kindness to Padraig. Your dry sense of humor. Your fiery personality. You've got it all, Aislinn.”
Aislinn was speechless. No one had ever said anything like this to her before. Ever. She searched Liam's face for a trace of insincerity, worried that maybe he was simply being a silver-tongued devil and feeding her a line of bull. But sincerity shone in the deep, dark, alluring pools of his eyes. Sincerity and tenderness.
He leaned close to her, their mouths practically touching. “Kiss me.”
Aislinn hesitated a second before letting her eyes drift shut and putting her lips to his softly. She could taste a trace of the wine he'd had at dinner, its sweetness.
“Kiss me harder,” he commanded.
Lightning streaked through her veins as she pressed her mouth against his harder, the world around them burning away until there was nothing but her and Liam and the rhythm of the rain outside. Heat was juddering through her, but she didn't want to rush. She wanted to prolong the pleasure, perhaps even tease a little. She'd forgotten she could do that: tease a man, make him want her. She scraped her teeth lightly across his lower lip, thrilled when he responded with a low groan. It spurred her on; tracing his upper lip with her tongue, she dipped inside.
Her heart was pounding now, drowning out the beating of the rain. Greed was multiplying inside her, emboldening her. She crushed Liam to her, thrilling at the feel of his hard chest and the all-enveloping warmth of his body. She could sense the struggle within him to hold back the dark passion threatening to erupt. Aislinn pulled back, reading his eyes. Want. Need. Lust. It was all there, and he was waiting for her to release it.
She crushed her mouth back to his for a split second before she found herself clinging to him, her hand fisted in his hair, her mouth hot and demanding. Liam responded as she knew he would, with equal fire. The roaring in her head grew louder, rendering her deaf to all but the sound of his panting breaths. She wanted. She needed - and he knew it. His hands began roaming her body, curious yet expert. Aislinn felt as though she were flying down a long, flashing tunnel, the sounds of her own panting turning to low animal moans, spurring Liam on even further. A magnificent ache had taken possession of her body, frustrating yet at the same time electrifying.
Liam's touch tantalized; a featherlight stroke here, a long, firm press there. Eventually, his fingers brushed against her collarbone before one hand crept lower, cupping her breast. Aislinn pushed her chest against his hand, telegraphing her need. Liam understood: one by one, he began undoing the buttons of her shirt, until her blouse was wide open. For a split second she wished she were the kind of woman who owned sexy, lacy undergarments. But Liam didn't seem to notice or care, as he reached around to unsnap her simple white bra and free her,
“God, your skin,” he whispered, as his fingers nimbly toyed with her nipples. Aislinn felt as though she were tumbling through the looking glass, body taut and vibrating with anticipation as Liam took his time kneading, stroking, caressing. By the time he lowered his mouth to suckle, Aislinn felt half mad. She wanted him to ravage her, to pound inside her until any last barrier between them disintegrated and they were pure spirit, nothing but holy ether.
She was riding the moment, riding the currents of electricity flying through her body, when Liam lifted his head. 'Tell me you want me," he said, nipping at her neck.
“I do,” Aislinn confessed breathlessly, her stomach trembling. There was a sense of relief in saying it, along with a growing sense of desperation.
Liam's gaze on her was steady. “Good. Because if I don't have you now, I might lose my mind.”
“What little mind you possess.”
Liam laughed, shrugging off his shirt. Jesus, he was a sight to see. Muscular but not overly sculpted, a lovely thatch of brown hair on his chest. Aislinn leaned over, kissing his shoulder.
“You're gorgeous,” she breathed.
How could a man look so sexy, just standing to take off his socks, jeans, and briefs? Aislinn knew right then she would never tire looking at him: the handsome face, broad shoulders, the hard, muscular thighs. She struggled not to gape. She'd only ever been with Connor, and though he'd been handsome, his body was thin and freckled, as well as pale like everyone else's in this country, herself included.
Liam sat back down, gently tugged off her shirt, and slipped her bra over her shoulders, leaving her shuddering with delight. He reached out, his thumb tracing a trail down her jawline. Aislinn closed her eyes, sinking into the tenderness of it, small murmurs of pleasure coming from her mouth. She loved the way he touched her, the way he seemed to know how she wanted to be touched. “I've been thinking about this all night,” he confessed.
Aislinn was too overcome to speak. Hands shaking, she unbuttoned her jeans and shimmied out of them. Liam folded to his knees, pressing his face against her belly, his tongue teasing as it ran along the top of her panties. Aislinn gave a small gasp as he reached around and, hands on her buttocks, pulled her closer to him.
“I want to taste you,” he said huskily. “All of you.”
His kisses grew fevered then as he tugged down her panties, and she stepped out of them. Wave after wave of pure shock pounded through her as she dug her nails into his back, pushing her hips against him. When he sank even lower and began flicking his tongue between her legs, joy flooded through her, unabashed, wanton.
Liam paused. “I want you to come for me,” he whispered.
Aislinn gasped as his tongue circled her and licked, slow at first, then harder, demanding. And then it happened: she lost control, soaring as vibration after beautiful vibration shook her body. Liam looked up at her, his eyes stormy.
“Lie down with me.”
Aislinn nodded, lying down on the couch. Her skin was burning, her breath still fast and hot. Eyes closed, she could hear the sound of Liam reaching into the pocket of his jeans, followed by the tearing of foil. And then he gently positioned himself on top of her, burying his face in her hair.
Aislinn pushed her hips up against him. Liam'
s eyes, dark with arousal, pinned her as he rubbed himself against her, his manhood hot and hard, driving her insane.
“Please.” The word slipped out of her mouth, half plead, half sob.
She opened to him, crying out as he slowly slipped inside her. Liam groaned as he began to move. “God, you feel so good.”
Aislinn bit her lip to stifle the screams already threatening to erupt from her lips as he began to slowly thrust inside her. She wrapped herself around him, wanting to feel him as deeply and fully as she could. Liam looked ecstatic, head thrown back, the animal noises coming from him so devastatingly male. Aislinn felt desire building in her again as he rode her faster and faster, his dominance all she needed to feel herself falling again into the molten abyss. He laced his fingers through hers, and then he was the one falling, pushing deep inside her again and again, his eyes bright and sharp. Finally, there came one hard, fierce stroke as he said her name and he gave himself over to ultimate pleasure.
Straight Up
Chapter Eleven
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“That was...”
Returning to the real world, Aislinn tried to find the right words to describe what had just happened. Perfect and blissful felt inadequate: sacred came closer to the mark but still fell short. Finally it dawned on her: transcendent.That was what it had been making love with Liam: utterly transcendent.
Lying together in the blissful afterglow, they shifted position so that she was atop him, her head resting on his chest while he tenderly stroked her hair. “That was what?” he prodded.
“Glorious,” she answered, afraid that if she sighed “transcendent,” he might laugh at her, sounding all soft and poetic.
Liam kissed the top of her head. “I'd have to agree.”
“I really didn't think that would happen tonight.”
“Neither did I, actually.”
“Was I all right?” Aislinn asked, too nervous to lift her head and ask him to his face. She'd only ever been with Connor.
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