“I need another one,” he says, kissing under my ear. “With you.” Another kiss to my jaw. “Right now.” A kiss to the corner of my mouth.
“Okay,” I pant into his ear. “I probably need your help anyway.”
“Good lass,” he growls, bending to grip my thighs and lifting me. I gasp, instinctively wrapping my legs around his hips and arms around his neck. He lifts his head enough to kiss me quickly before turning and bounding up the stairs, food forgotten.
Once we’re in the bathroom, Eamon sits me on the vanity, leaving me only to turn on the shower and adjust the temperature. I never grow tired of watching his body move. The way the muscles in his back and broad shoulders bunch make my hands itch to touch him. When he steps back between my thighs, I lay my hands on his chest and drag them down the defined planes of his stomach. His eyes burn with desire as he slowly lifts my arms to pull my sweater over my head. I reach behind my back, unhooking my bra and letting the straps slide down my arms before casting it in the direction of my sweater. Eamon’s face almost looks pained as he takes me in. Ever so gently, he brushes the pads of his thumbs over my nipples and watches as they tighten for him. The contact is almost too much with how turned on I am.
“Eamon…” I whine, steam from the shower billowing around us.
He smirks playfully at me before pulling me off of the vanity, his hands immediately moving to the waistband of my leggings. Sinking to his knees, he kisses my stomach and strips me bare. My heart races in anticipation. Even after all of the times we’ve been together, my body still reacts like it’s the first time. Rising to his feet, he quickly discards his own clothing and walks me backward into the shower. Once I’m under the spray, I tip my head back and close my eyes, letting the warm water cascade over me. Eamon runs his fingers gently through my hair, brushing stray strands over my shoulder. When I open my eyes, his are dark with yearning. Gazing back at him, I wrap my hands around his wrists and pull him flush against me, the feel of his body against mine sending sparks from my head to my toes. A feeling of urgency courses through me and I fuse our mouths together. Grunting in surprise, he backs me up against the shower wall. Our kissturns frantic and sloppy as our hands slide over wet skin. He grips me by the back of my thighs again, lifting me like he did in the kitchen, and as soon as my legs are wrapped around him, he slams into me. I cry out loudly at the sensation of him filling me. My head falls back onto the tiles and I dig my fingers into his shoulders, probably leaving marks, as he continues driving himself into me in slow, deep thrusts.
“Eamon, I’m close…” I pant in his ear. “Don’t stop. Please.”
“Not likely, love. I’ve got you,” he breathes heavily into my neck.
His words send me over the edge. My mouth opens in a silent scream as my orgasm shoots from my core to my fingertips, making me dizzy from the rush. Eamon thrusts into me one more time and stills. A low growl emanates from his chest as he rides out his own release.
“Norah,” he whispers roughly, face still buried in my neck and our chests heaving. “God, I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Eamon
Norah’s legs unwind from around me, and she sets her feet on the shower floor, but I don’t release my hold on her for long moments. Eventually, I relinquish her to help wash her hair and that glorious body. It’s the most sensuous experience of my life. If we could just stay here and forget the world around us, I wouldn’t complain.
After seeing Caity and knowing that Rhiannan came by, my mind fell into a dark place. It sent me back to the weeks after discovering Declan and Rhi in bed together. The days spent drinking too much, numbing the pain at home or in the pubs, but never getting so pissed that I became belligerent or violent, just despondent and taciturn. When I moved to the States I thought I’d rid myself of those demons, but being back here brought them all to the surface. I felt so out of control that once Norah and I were finally alone, I needed her desperately. I needed to lose myself in her, to feel anchored tothe life I made for myself in the States. And while I do feel reconnected to her, I can’t shake the shame of leaving my Mam behind in the hospital to handle it all on her own.
My mood doesn’t improve over the next couple of days. While the swelling in Caity’s brain doesn’t increase, it doesn’t decrease either. Each time Dr. Colm comes in to deliver the news that nothing has changed, I see the hope in Mam’s eyes diminish. The weight of the world is sitting on her shoulders, and I’m laden with guilt. What if Caity doesn’t make it? How could I ever go back to the States then? I’d be leaving her completely alone. A widow and bereaved mother.
I’m still absorbed in those thoughts when a hand touches my shoulder. Norah is looking at me with a worried expression. “I’ve been calling your name. You okay?”
“Yeah,” I grunt, rubbing my hands over my beard. I should probably trim it soon. It’s beginning to get a little out of control. “Sorry. Just off in my own world. What did you need?”
“I just got a text from Myra,” she says, the hint of a smile on her lips. “She found out the sex of the baby. I thought you might like to know.”
I frown. That was the very last thing I was expecting her to say. “Oh, yeah, of course.”
“It’s a girl.” Norah’s eyes are shining with absolute delight. “She said Mac went with her to the appointment and started crying when he found out. Maybe there’s hope for him after all.”
I still can’t wrap my mind around Mac becoming a father, let alone a father to a little girl.
“Let’s hope so. Tell Myra I said congratulations,” I say, giving her a forced smile.
“This is the closest I’ll get to being an aunt. I can’t wait to spoil this baby girl!” she squeals, then gasps. “Oh my gosh, I’m going to make her an entire little baby wardrobe!”
Norah prattles on and on about baby showers, clothes, nurseries, and a slew of other things I assume are baby-related. I smile again, but it doesn’t reach my eyes. I can’t focus on anything but the guilt that consumes me.There’s a war waging in my mind over what I need to do. There are two choices, and one just might kill me.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Norah
“What’s going on in that head of yours, Eamon Kennedy?” I ask quietly. “You’ve been miles away.”
After spending a few days at the hospital without a hint of improvement in Caity’s condition, we’re now sitting at a table on the patio in the backyard. Eamon has been quiet and brooding all day. He heaves a sigh before turning to look at me, his eyes filled with pain and regret and I get a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach, my anxiety skyrocketing. It doesn’t get any better when Eamon reaches for my hands. He grips both of them in his and stares into my eyes.
“Norah, love,” he starts, releasing a shuddering breath, “I’m going to stay.”
My brow furrows in confusion. “Stay? What do you mean?”
