The Claddagh Trilogy: Irish Affair - Irish Love - Irish Heart

by Amanda Heartley

  “Then, I’m so sorry you’ve had to go through it alone. Is there anything I can do to help you now?” she whispers.

  I shake my head. “I don’t think so. Just being able to share it with you is enough,” I say, smiling and kissing her on the cheek. “I’ve applied for a fashion course in London, though,” I add. “It all sounds very promising.”

  Her mouth opens, and her eyes widen. “Really? Oh, that would be amazing if you get in there. That’s so close, I can come visit on a weekend.”

  I laugh and hold my dear friend. She’s right, and we’d have so much fun. Maybe living in London wouldn’t be so bad after all?

  “Conor used to live there, you know,” she says, looking at me and grinning. I’m not sure how she knows that, but I know exactly where she’s going, and I just roll my eyes at her. “Just remember, Kales, I don’t care how stressed out you think I am, or what you think I’m going through. If something is upsetting you, then tell me about it. I want to know, and help if I can, okay?” she says.

  I nod. “I promise. I’m so lucky to have you as a friend, Siobhan.”

  She smiles at me and gives me a wink.

  “You’re damn right you are, and don’t you forget it.”

  “So,” I say, nudging her, “is the next wedding going to be yours?”

  She flushes and looks away. I stare at her for a moment, then gasp, my eyes widening. “He proposed to you, didn’t he?” I say, excitedly.

  She giggles and nods. “Yes! Yes, he did, but please, don’t tell anyone! Not just yet, promise me!” she begs. “I don’t want to take anything away from Rory and Amelia’s big day. He asked me this morning, just before we came here.”

  I wrap my arms around her and give her a fierce hug. “Oh my God! Congratulations, girlfriend, that’s wonderful! I’m so happy for you,” I say, waving my hands at my face then wiping away tears. If anyone deserves this, it’s her. “You did say, yes, right?” I add with a smile.

  “You bet I did,” she replies. “He makes me know I’m his…in every way,” she says, wiggling her eyebrows, and we both giggle. “Speaking of which, I should go and find him. He’s probably got himself involved in some whiskey drinking competition with the boys by now. He won’t stand a chance against our Irish lads.”

  We laugh, and I hug her again, then she gets to her feet and disappears back inside. A few minutes later, Conor appears, and I smile at him when he sits next to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

  “So, what’s the craic? Sounds like you two were having fun,” he says, softly.

  “Really good,” I say. “It’s a great place to get some thinking done out here,” I say.

  “Oh, yeah? And, have you come to any decisions, yet?” he murmurs, kissing me softly on the lips.

  I nod, my heart racing. “Yeah. I’m going to make London work,” I say. “I’ll call my college advisor in L.A. on Monday and see what I need to do to tie things up there. Then I’m going over to London next week to meet with, what I hope will be, my new tutor.”

  “That’s great news,” he says, grinning from ear to ear. “I can’t say I’m upset at the idea of you being in London. It’s a hell of a lot closer to me than L.A.”

  “Really?” I grin. “And why would you want that?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. One reason…just off the top of my head, is getting lucky a lot more often,” he teases.

  I slap his arm, hard, and narrow my eyes at him. “Oh, is that so, Conor Murphy? Well, if that’s all I am to you, then your luck’s about to run out…permanently,” then I slap him again, even harder.

  “Jesus! Calm down, will ya,” he says, chuckling. “I was fucking joking with you for Christ’s sake,” he says, raising his hands to defend himself from my slaps. “You’re a crazy woman, but you know you mean so much more to me than that.” He looks deep into my eyes, then says in a low voice, “I love you, Kayla. Truly, I do, and I hope in time, you’ll love me, too. Don’t feel you have to say it back, but give us a chance, won’t you, lass?”

  My heart races as I stare into his eyes. Hearing him say that cements everything I’ve been thinking about us and where this could lead. I know we’ve only been with each other for a few days, but I feel such a strong connection to him, it’s overwhelming. We kiss deeply, holding each other tight. He loosens his arms and kisses my jaw, nuzzling and kissing down my neck then back to my mouth. His kisses make me lightheaded and horny as hell. If we weren’t at someone else’s wedding, I’d rip his clothes off and make love to him, right now. Sadly, that’ll have to wait.

  Eventually, he stops, offers me his hand, and helps me to my feet.

  “Would you like to dance with me?” he asks.

  I smile, and curtsy to him. “Thank you, kind sir. How can I say no to that?” I ask, letting him lead me back inside to the dance floor.

  As he wraps his arms around my waist and gazes down at me, I lose myself in his eyes, daring to let myself wonder if this is it. Have I finally found my one? I shiver as his fingers move up my back, then he pulls me close and plants a kiss on my neck. I close my eyes and snuggle against his chest as we sway together to the music, enjoying the comfort of being so close to him. I’m sure I’ve never known love, but if this is what it feels like it, I want more.

  I’ll put my whole heart into it.

  I owe myself that much.

  Epilogue - Rory & Amelia

  Rory

  I walk through the front door and stop just before I enter the living room, smiling at the sight before me. Amelia and Ava are putting the last of the decorations on the Christmas tree.

  God, I’ve missed them so much.

  It kills me being away from them even for one night, let alone six long weeks while I’ve been on tour. Especially when Ava asks me on the phone if I’ll be there to read her a bedtime story. How do you explain your absence to a two-year-old? She understands as best as she can but hearing the sadness in her voice when I tell her Daddy has to work is enough to break my heart.

  Then there’s Amelia.

  I tell myself every day how lucky I am to be married to such an amazing, beautiful woman. She’s given me the most precious daughter in the world and a life I could only dream of before I saw her in the bar that first night we met.

  I shake my head as I watch Ava tackle her to the floor, lie on top of her and wrap tinsel around her head like a crown. She giggles hysterically, hugging her mum who kisses her affectionately on the forehead, making her giggle and squeal even more. I smile, my heart swelling at the sight of my daughter. I can’t believe she’ll be three next month.

  God, my little girl is growing up so fast.

  Suddenly, she looks over, her little face lighting up when she sees me standing in the doorway.

  “Daddy!” she cries out.

  I kneel, laughing as she scrambles to her feet and runs across the floor, jumping into my arms. I hug her tightly, unleashing six long weeks’ worth of cuddles onto her. She squeals and wriggles out of my grip as I blow a raspberry on her neck, making her giggle, then pepper her with kisses. She screws up her face and wipes the wetness away with her hands while Amelia stands and brushes herself off, a huge smile on her face. She walks over, pushes me off my haunches, then lies on top of me, kissing me tenderly on the lips.

  “Welcome home, Daddy,” she coos, “and just in time for dinner.”

  “Good, because I’m starving,” I say with a grin. We get to our feet, then I lift Ava onto my hip and wrap my arm around Amelia. I kiss her again as my little bundle of trouble giggles and makes a gagging noise.

  “Yuck,” she exclaims, shaking her head, and sending her little brown ringlets spiraling out of control. She screws up her nose, wiping both our lips with her hands then rubs them on her clothes. She hates kissing or being kissed…and that’s great as far as I’m concerned. I hope it stays that way until she’s at least thirty-five, but I doubt it. I feel sorry for any future boyfriends having me to deal with.

  I chuckle and follow Amelia into th
e kitchen, where I put Ava in her booster chair. I sit down next to her and tuck into the beautiful roast chicken Amelia has cooked for us. It’s delicious, like it always is, and a welcome change from the take-outs I live on when I’m on the road. Home cooked meals. I sigh, because it’s yet another thing I’ve missed about being home.

  After dinner, we both tuck Ava into bed, then I read her a story. Something I’ve been longing to do since I left for my tour. She wraps her little arms around my neck and hangs off me like a monkey, almost like she’s afraid to let go in case I disappear again. She smiles at me, not even noticing when Amelia creeps out of the room.

  “Are you listening to the story?” I tease her. She shakes her head.

  “I’m just happy you’re back, Daddy” she says, hugging me a little tighter.

  “And I’m happy to be back. Now, time for your beauty sleep, we’ll read the rest tomorrow,” I tell her, re-tucking the bedclothes around her. I kiss her on the forehead. “Sleep well, my little angel. I love you so much.”

  “Love you too, Daddy,” she says, her eyes becoming heavy. I switch off her bedside light and get to my feet. She’s asleep before I’m even out of the room.

  I walk into the living room, where Meels is sitting on the couch. She glances at me and smiles as I sit, wrapping my arms around her.

  God, it feels so good to touch her again.

  “How was the tour?” she asks.

  “It was okay,” I say with a shrug, too busy kissing her neck. She giggles and swats me away.

  I’ve spent the last six weeks touring Europe, and while I love performing for my fans, I’ve been counting the days until I could be at home with my two girls again. I lean in and kiss her, unable to get enough of my beautiful wife. Jeez, I’ve missed these lips.

  I have no more concerts planned for the next few months. I told Ben I wanted a decent break to spend time with my family before hitting the road again. Life’s too short to be away from the ones you love.

  “Just okay?” she says, making a face.

  “You know how it is,” I say, entwining my hand in hers. “I’d much rather be here with you guys. I feel like I’m missing out on so much. I mean, she’s nearly three already. How did that happen?” I say, shaking my head.

  “You haven’t missed out on as much as you think,” she says with a grin. “But, don’t get me wrong, I love having you home, and Ava loves having you here, too.”

  “Well, that’s good, because I want to make that more permanent,” I say, kissing her again.

  “What do you mean?” she asks, looking at me as she pulls away.

  “I don’t know,” I admit. “I haven’t figured it all out yet, but maybe I’ll finally build that recording studio here, and cut back on the tours. It’s been manic recently.”

  She nods and rests her head on my chest. “Well, I’m not going to fight you on that,” she says. “I’d have you home every day if I could.” She smiles and leans up to kiss me on the lips.

  “You might regret saying that,” I chuckle. “Give it two weeks and you’ll be thrusting my guitar at me and pushing me out of the door.”

  I press my mouth against hers, sliding my hand around her neck and pulling her closer to me. We kiss, my lips pressing against hers with more urgency every passing second. She slides on top and straddles me, gently rubbing herself against my growing erection.

  This. This is what I’ve missed most of all. Making love with my beautiful wife.

  “Maybe we should take this to the bedroom,” I murmur, kissing her neck, and totally aware that this isn’t the best place for us to be having sex. Ava could come in at any minute, and I’d rather not be answering her questions of why mummy is sitting on daddy’s lap with no clothes on. Oh God, it doesn’t bear thinking about.

  She nods, biting her lip as she stands and offers me her hand. I take it, then lift her into my arms. She squeals and clasps her hand over her mouth while I chuckle.

  I carry her into the bedroom and lay her down on the bed, then ease off her leggings while she takes off her top and bra, tossing them on the floor.

  “Have you thought about me touching you while I’ve been gone?” I ask as I practically rip my clothes off.

  “You know I have,” she coos, wiggling her eyebrows. “I’ve thought about everything you do to me whenever I’ve had some ‘me’ time, if you know what I mean?”

  “Oh, fuck, yes. I know exactly what you mean. Had a lot of ‘me’ time too, thinking about you while I’ve been gone. I bet the maid wondered how the hell I was going through so many tissues,” I say, laughing.

  She giggles, welcoming me by spreading her legs as I growl. I make my way slowly up her body, kissing, nipping and making her moan as my hands explore her body. I kiss her lips, then trail my mouth down her neck and over her breasts. She whimpers when I kiss down her stomach to the edge of her panties, then pull them over her hips.

  “Tease,” she whispers as I crawl back up and press my lips against hers. I roll her on top of me and she raises one eyebrow as my stiffness presses against her thigh. She sits up and straddles me, wrapping her fingers around my shaft and stroking my cock before guiding it slowly inside her.

  We both gasp as she gently slides down on my hard length, her warm wetness parting and surrounding me like velvet. While I bounce her softly against my hips, I stroke her stomach, creeping down to her pussy as I slide deeper inside her. She throws her head back and groans, her nails digging in to my stomach as she grinds herself against me.

  “Oh God,” she pants out. “I’ve waited so long for this.”

  I’m so full of emotion just watching her on top of me. Feeling her rock her body slowly against mine is driving me crazy. She’s right, it’s been too long since we last made love. I want her to come on my cock, but I know I can’t hold back much longer. When she squeezes her thighs against mine, I let out a grunt and grab her hips, driving myself deeper inside her. She gasps, her body tensing as her orgasm hits then she collapses onto my chest, panting, her legs trembling.

  Feeling her come with me inside her sends me crashing over the edge. I wrap my arms tightly around her body, pulling her close to me while I thrust my cock into her. I kiss her roughly, moaning into her mouth with sheer pleasure as my cock throbs. My orgasm explodes inside her, my body jerking as she squeezes her pelvic muscles around me, milking every drop of my release until I relax, euphoric and sated. She looks down at me, her eyes locked onto mine, and smiles.

  I stroke her back then wrap one arm around her neck and pull her down to me. I press my lips against hers before she rolls off and lays next to me. I sweep her long hair from her shoulder and kiss her neck. She smiles, her eyes sleepy.

  “This is why I like having you home,” she murmurs.

  “Well, as long as I have one use around here,” I reply, amused.

  “Not just one, silly. And if you want to be more useful, feel free to get out there tomorrow and clean the gutters,” she jokes. “That’s if you have the energy and can find the time after doing your wife all day.”

  I chuckle, because she makes it sound like a punishment, which it most definitely is not.

  * * *

  I crack open my eyes the next morning and stretch out my arm, feeling the bed next to me. It’s warm, but Amelia isn’t there. I sit up and reach for my phone to check the time. It’s just after nine, which is much later than I’m used to sleeping, but I must’ve needed it. I throw on my robe then walk out into the living room, rubbing the back of my head. I yawn as I enter the kitchen, just as Ava looks up. She squeals when she sees me and places her tiny hands on my stomach, pushing me back into the living room.

  “Back to bed, Daddy,” she demands, putting her hands on her hips, a tiny frown on her face. “I’m making you breakfast.”

  I laugh and hold up my hands in surrender. “Okay, I’m sorry,” I say as I retreat to the bedroom. I grab the newspaper on the way then climb back into bed to read it while I wait.

  When I hear whispering outsi
de the door, I put down the paper and smile as Ava walks in, carrying a half-full glass of juice. The concentration on her face to make sure she doesn’t spill any makes me chuckle as Amelia trails behind her, carrying a tray.

  “Ava wanted to make you breakfast,” she explains with a smile. “Don’t worry, the glass is plastic,” she adds in a whisper.

  I chuckle. “Good thinking,” I whisper back. “And good morning, beautiful wife.”

  “Good morning, my handsome hunk of a husband,” she replies, making me smile.

  “Thank you, baby,” I say to Ava as I take the glass from her and place it on the nightstand. She throws her arms around me, giving me a tight hug, and I kiss her on the cheek.

  “Thank you for coming home, Daddy,” she says, in a little voice that nearly breaks my heart.

  “I’m glad to be home,” I say. “I’ve missed you both so much.”

  We all lay in bed while I eat breakfast, and Ava tells me about all her friends at the playgroup in the village. Suddenly, she turns to me and announces that Santa will be coming soon.

  “It’s true,” I say with a grin. “Christmas is less than a week away. But, he only comes if you’ve been good.”

  “Have you been good, Daddy?” she asks, a frown on her face.

  “I think so,” I say, chuckling. “We’d better ask Mummy about that, though. Have I been good?” I ask, winking at her. She narrows her eyes at me, making me laugh.

  “Ava, do you want to give Daddy the present we talked about?” she asks. I raise my eyebrows at Amelia, who just smiles sweetly at me.

  “Yes!” she cries out, scrambling off the bed and running out of the room. I reach across and wrap my hand around Amelia’s waist, yanking her over to me. She lets out a squeal as I kiss her.

  “What’s this all about?” I ask her. “I thought you were against opening gifts before Christmas Day.”

  She shrugs, a strange look in her eyes. “Well, I’m making an exception. Just this once.”

  Ava runs back into the room, jumps onto the bed and hands me a small box.