Escorting her back to her chair, Finn was slow to release his hold on Penelope. His hands gently caressed her, as if feeling for a physical pain he could fix, only letting go when she was seated again.
“I think we could all use that drink now,” Felix announced.
“This one’s good.” The towering figure of Seamus pushed his way through the crowd, placing a gin and tonic in front of Penelope. “Hell of a slap there. Wish I’d gotten to know you better. It seems like there’s a lot more to you.” It was the most sincere thing he’d said to her since they’d met. “On the other hand, I’m glad I was never on the receiving end of that slap.”
Glancing up at the stage, he waved at Finn. “It’s grand. Relax. Just admiring her, not touching her. Promise.”
Finn’s grim expression spoke volumes.
It wasn’t his best set. His voice was strained and his playing mechanical. It lacked his usual passion. None of them commented, though. Nor did they suggest another round when it was over. They sensed it was time to go.
Approaching the foot of the stage, Penelope hoped for a chance to talk to him alone. She couldn’t explain the growing insecurity she felt. Finn had watched her as closely as shewatched him, each searching the other’s eyes, trying to be sure they were okay. Neither got the complete answer they needed. She couldn’t help feeling it was her fault. As if she had somehow let Carson’s touch poison this new precious thing they had.
“Can… can I still come home with you tonight?”
The stoic look that had haunted him throughout his performance slipped away. He dropped to a crouch, looking up at her, his hands resting on the ground in front of him as if he was afraid to touch her.
“Do you want that?”
She wanted to be able to make a joke, say something funny about getting away from Bonnie and Felix. She wanted this horrible, serious feeling between them to go away. Nothing came, though, leaving her to simply nod.
He reached forward, his fingers resting gently on her face, leading her to him. Tenderly, he kissed her, letting it slowly build into something more, not caring who saw them.
Unaware it was coming, she let out a soft groan as her body came to life with a want that surprised her. Awkwardly, she pulled back, finally answering his question. “Yes, please.”
“Let’s get out of here.”
Finn made love to her that night gently, carefully, as if she were glass and might break. His hands moved across her with feather touches that left her body pulsing, needing more. It was as if she had to convince him she was solid, that she could take whatever he was willing to give. And she was determined to do just that, gripping him as tightly as he was being gentle with her, until he finally caved, letting her lead the way.
He held her close after, his body pressed against hers, but they didn’t speak. It was as if an invisible barrier had been drawn between them. Something separated them that Penelope didn’t know how to cross.
Too much had happened too fast. Too many things had been stirred up. For all their openness, neither one of them seemed to have the words to get past it.
Chapter 18
“You’re going to have to explain that to me again,” Penelope said, very much aware that it wasn’t the explanation that was lacking. It was her attention to it. She heard “wedding.” She heard “happening,” but her brain shut down on the word “States.”
“All of the most important things are still in place.”
It seemed half natural, half improbable that on the couch Bonnie always occupied, there was now a Felix too. Since his arrival, they had orbited each other like the earth and moon, refusing to be more than a few feet apart. It was very sweet but maddening when all Penelope wanted to do was pull Bonnie away for a private conversation.
The four of them had spent all of the previous day together hanging out, giving Felix a tour of the city. Penelope tried to think of a time when they could have conceived this obviously ridiculous plan.
“I never actually canceled the legal stuff,” Bonnie admitted, unconsciously reaching for Felix. “Or the dresses. My dad said, as long as we keep it simple this time,” her fingers tightened around Felix’s, “which is what we want. He can host it at our house, out in the back garden.”
“But….” Penelope’s mouth hung open. There wasn’t anything else to say. This is what she’d been hoping for. It was what she wanted for her friend—what she’d help make happen. The fact that it meant her time in Ireland was coming to an abrupt end wasn’t an argument against her friend’s wedding.
She switched tracks, aware she was dimming their excitement. “When do we fly back?”
“Tomorrow. It’ll have to be tomorrow if we’re still going to have time to do the dress fittings. My dad’s already changed the tickets. We’re all good to go.”
“Oh. Okay,” Penelope nodded acceptance, while inside her heart spasmed and started beating double time. “Okay.”
Bonnie must have noticed her lack of enthusiasm because she finally looked up, really seeing her friend. “You know Finn’s coming as well, right? I mean, he was always going to be at the wedding. I just need to tell him to change his flight.”
“Oh,” Penelope breathed the word out, her whole body exhaling the relief she felt.
“My dad will cover any extra expenses it incurs. I’m assuming he’ll be able to be on the same flight as us.” Bonnie’s face lit up as if something suddenly occurred to her. “Actually, I’ve got about a million things to do. Would you mind calling him and telling him?”
