“What is it, Norah?” he asks, lightly cupping my cheek to turn my face back to his.
I take a deep breath and lock my eyes with his. “I just want you to know how much you mean to me. How thankful I am to be here with you.”
He beams at me and says, “I feel the same way. There’s no one else I’d rather be spending this day with than you.”
I trace my fingers along his scruff-covered jaw to his lips, brushing my thumb across the bottom one. I’m about to lay my heart on the line. I’ve completely fallen for this dark-haired, blue-eyed Irishman, and I can’t contain it any longer.
“Eamon,” I whisper. “I…I love you.”
He sucks in a sharp breath and I watch his eyes widen, then soften before he says, “I love you too, Norah. More than words can say.”
My heart swells to the point I think it might explode. It’s not that I thought he didn’t love me back, but to hear the words come out of his mouth revives a part of me that’s been long dormant. I love my friends, and they love me, butthislove is all-consuming.
Eamon winds a hand through my hair to grip the back of my neck, pulling my face to his to kiss me gently, reverently, emphasizing the words we justprofessed. As the kiss deepens, I crawl into his lap to straddle him. Pressing me closer to him, he erases any space left between us. Breaking the kiss, my fingers move to the buttons of his shirt, slowly loosening each one. I lean in to lick a path up the column of his neck while slipping the shirt over his broad shoulders. Eamon’s hands creep under my sweater, palms skimming my sides before unhooking my bra. I raise my arms above my head, a silent invitation for him to undress me. He holds my gaze while he draws the top off, tosses it aside, and slides the straps off of my shoulders. His calloused fingers brush the sides of my breasts. When I lean in to kiss him again, he pinches my nipples and I bite his bottom lip in return, making him grunt.
“I don’t recommend doing that when another part of you is in my mouth,” I say against his lips.
“Noted,” he mumbles, then dips his head down to suck one of my firm peaks between his teeth.
Moaning when he bites down gently, he braces his hands between my shoulder blades, arching me into him and holding me firmly in place while he continues to suck and nip at me. I’m desperate to feel him inside me, so the moment his mouth leaves me, I shimmy off of his lap.
He looks at me questioningly. “Too much, lass?”
Shaking my head, I begin peeling my leggings and panties from my body. My feet are barely free before he lunges from the couch and drops to his knees before me, hands gripping the sides of my thighs. Giving me a devilish wink, he tosses a leg over his shoulder and devours me. Squeaking out his name, I dig my fingers into his shoulders for balance, but he holds me steady while I writhe against his magical mouth. When he plunges a finger into me and finds my G-spot, I orgasm so hard that I see stars. Eamon doesn’t relent until he’s wrung every last ounce of pleasure from me and I collapse into his arms. Lowering me gently to the floor, he kisses a path from my navel to my collarbone.
“God, you’re gorgeous when you come all over my mouth,” he mutters into my neck, before quickly stripping the rest of his clothes and settling between my legs.
He slowly pushes himself in as far as he can, and holds still for a moment,before pulling out and repeating the movement over and over. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I pull his mouth to mine, tongue mimicking the motion of his body. He grinds against me with every thrust, placing pressure right on my clit.
“Eamon,” I pant. “Keep doing that. Don’t stop.”
“I can’t hold back any longer,” he grinds out.
“Come with me,” I gasp.
It’s the last thing we both need as we go careening over the edge together, crying out.
We cling to each other in the aftermath, our hearts racing and sweat coating our bodies. After a long moment, Eamon props himself up and smiles softly.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispers.
“You make me feel beautiful,” I whisper back. “And confident. And incredibly safe.”
“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep you safe. You’re precious to me. I think I’ve loved you from the first moment I saw you.”
My heart trips over itself at his words and my eyes pool with tears. Eamon brushes away the one that escaped with his thumb.
“How is that possible?” I sniff. “You didn’t even know me.”
“My Mam told me once that true love is filled not just with romantic moments, but fun, laughter, and a sense of peace when you’re with that person. She said, ‘Eamon, my boy when you meet the love of your life, you’ll feel the world tip on its axis.’ That night at Paddy’s, when you challenged me to that drinking contest, my world shifted.”
I think his Mom was right. Looking back on that fateful night, I was so enamored by him, even before we spoke. I saw him across the pub and couldn’t take my eyes off of him.
“You probably thought I was a special kind of idiot.” I laugh. “I can’t believe I did that.”
Chuckling, he rolls us so we’re on our sides, facing each other. He drapes an arm over my hip and walks his fingers up my spine. When he reaches the base of my neck, he grabs my hair and pulls slightlyso that I’m looking at him.
“Definitely not an eejit,” he says. “I wouldn’t be here right now if not for that temper of yours.”
