Rían: (The O'Malleys Book 3)

by Michelle McLoughney

  Rían sat in silence and shoved a spoonful of apple pie and cream into his mouth. Shit, am I actually comfort eating like a damn woman? Yes, asshole, yes you are. Damn, I can see the attraction. Perfect recovery food after having a momentary sobfest. He hadn’t been that upset in years, not since Liadh had left.

  Broken from his daydreaming by Annie’s voice, Rían instinctively knew by his sister’s tone that something was wrong.

  “Calm down Bonnie, I can’t hear you…I can’t…Oh God is she, I’ll be there in two minutes.” Annie called for Darragh and grabbed her keys. Rían jumped up from the table and ran towards her.

  “What’s wrong Annie?”

  “Nothing Rían, stay here.”

  “It’s Liadh isn’t it?!”

  “Stay here Rían it’s for the best.”

  “Tell me Annie, Tell me damn it!” He growled, frightening her with the intensity of his gaze.

  Annie looked torn. “Please Annie! Please!”

  Darragh came into the room flustered. “What Annie, What’s happened?”

  “Bonnie rang, Liadh got a package in the mail, and she’s having a meltdown. She said there’s blood everywhere and she’s frightened Liadh will injure herself.”

  “Where is she?” Rían bellowed.

  “Ri…” Darragh shook his head.

  “Just fucking tell me where she is!” Rían roared.

  “The cottage,” Annie shouted at him.

  Rían took off before they could stop him and tore off down the lane. Please let her be okay, please God let her be okay. He ignored the shouts that followed him as he ran, eventually the sounds faded out as he heard the jeep start up. His lungs felt as though they would burst out of his chest as he ran as fast as he could to her door. I need her with me; please don’t let her be hurt.

  He made it to Liadh’s front door just as the jeep was pulling in behind him. Bonnie stood in the doorway with her hands over her ears looking as though she was in the middle of a horror movie. She ran to Darragh and collapsed into his arms, heaving. Rían roared at them as he heard the smashing and crashing coming from the bedroom.

  “Take Bonnie back to the farm, Darragh.”

  “No, I’m not leaving her, Rían!” Bonnie screamed back at him.

  “Darragh! Now!”

  Darragh nodded and looked at Bonnie sadly shaking his head.

  “I’m sorry Bonnie, come back with us, Rían will mind her. Come.” He took off his hoodie and wrapped it around her shoulders as he led her to the car.

  Annie sighed and nodded at Darragh as he sat Bonnie into the passenger side of the jeep.

  Opening the door of Liadh’s bedroom Rían walked up to her as she swung the broken mirror frame onto the dressing table smashing a lamp and sending everything else crashing to the ground. Wrapping his arms around her back he felt her struggle and tense up.

  “Get off me Rían, get off me,” Liadh cried and struggled to get out from his arms. She slapped his arms and kicked out at his legs, he tightened his grip a fraction and suddenly he felt the fight go out of her body as she sagged against his back.

  “Stop, Liadh. Stop.”

  Rían sat down on the edge of the bed and dragged her with him, into his lap. She was crying heavily now and any anger had drained from her.

  “I can’t…I can’t do this anymore Rían.”

  “Shush Liadh, you don’t need to explain. I don’t know how you’ve held it together this long. Just let it out.”

  Rían held Liadh tightly and put his cheek against hers as though somehow, being so closely connected would drain her pain into him. Feeling the gentle heaving of her body he rubbed her hair and spoke to her using Gaelic words and sweet sounds that soothed her heart, and made her feel safe and warm.

  “I need to take a look at your hand Li, okay?” She sniffed and nodded at him. With her hair piled loosely on her head, a pair of denim leggings and one of his t-shirts on, she looked so young, so innocent. His heart broke for her but he kept it together for her sake. Deal with your own shit later, now is her time. Don’t fuck this up. The need to protect and love her outstripped anything he felt himself.

  “My heart hurts so much Rían, so much.” Rían squeezed his eyes shut and felt so much sadness for her. He shoved it down somewhere deep inside and held her away from him.

  “Where are you hurt Li? Do you need to go to the hospital?”

  “No. She nodded, I’ll use some surgical sutures, and it should do it. I don’t know what happened. Who would send something like that?" Her voice was muffled and throaty. Rían stood up still holding her in his arms.

  “Liam O’Brien,” he said simply.

  I want you to come home with me. Stay in my house tonight okay. We’ll deal with all this tomorrow. Bonnie will stay at the farm.”

  Liadh began to protest but he continued walking outside dragging her with him.

  Bonnie jumped out of the jeep and ran forward. Rían gave her a quick smile.

  “It’s okay Bon, I’m taking her to my house tonight. Will you stay with Annie and the lads?” Bonnie nodded and sniffed.

  Annie wrapped her arms around Bonnie’s shoulders and hugged her to her chest.

  “Stay with me and Dar, Bonnie.” Bonnie nodded and rubbed Liadh’s hair, sighing softly.

  “I’m sorry Bon. I don’t know what the hell came over me. ” Liadh grimaced at the look of fear still lingering in Bonnie’s eyes.

  Bonnie gave her a tight smile.

  “Don’t be sorry Li. It’ll be okay. Annie and I will go back to the farm. You just get some sleep. Look after her Rían.”

  Rían smiled at her reassuringly. “Of course.”

  Darragh drove Rían still holding Liadh on his lap over to his house. Liadh clung to him, her arms around his neck and her face pressed into his chest. Both the Peanuts barked at the front door and jumped up and down enthusiastically when they spotted Liadh and Rían coming into the porch. Rían eased open the front door and kicked it shut behind them. Liadh instantly felt the warmth of the house, it was so undeniably Rían. Stacks of books and CD's were arranged in different design patterns around the place. All his favourites, Hemingway, Jean Genet, Kafka, James Joyce and W.B Yeats were lovingly placed in alcoves around the sitting room. Liadh imagined Rían sitting in the room by the fire light reading over the pages of great books, his head bent deep in thought. This was where her Rían was grown, this is where the meat of the man was, the very essence of him.

  “I need to clean your hand, Liadh okay?”

  Liadh nodded and Rían sat her down gently on the couch.

  “Just give me a minute.”

  Rían left Liadh wrapped in a blanket and went into the kitchen to get her doctor's bag. He leaned against the sink, his breath coming in quick shallow breaths. He was afraid of losing her. He needed her in his life. He was falling in love with her. It was that simple. He loved Liadh, always had, and always would.

  As he walked back into the room her took in her small form, cuddled into a blanket on the couch. She looked so lost and so vulnerable that his heart clenched in his chest. Stroking her hair he laid her bag beside her and took out the surgical sutures and antiseptic wipes. He watched her closely as he rubbed the cuts on her hand. Superficial cuts only, that’s good. The bleeding had stopped and he tenderly cleaned the dried blood off, being as gentle as he could be.

  Liadh smiled at him but he recognised that it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

  “Liadh, they look okay, I’ve seen Burke apply them to one of the twins, Katie when she fell last year. I’ll do my best but feel free to boss me about and direct me okay.”

  Liadh nodded her eyes closing from pure exhaustion.

  “You’ll do fine Rí, I trust you.” Rían cupped her face in his palm and felt her press it against him. By the time he had finished Liadh had fallen asleep on the couch. He lifted her into his arms and carried her gently to the bed, his bed. Undressing her he was careful not to wake her; he took his pillow and slipped it under her hand to elev
ate it. Climbing beneath the sheets he stayed awake and watched the soft rise and fall of her chest.

  Liadh felt her eyes grow heavy and succumbed to the darkness as it leaked into her eyes and claimed her.

  She slept fitfully and awoke in darkness. She made a starfish shape in the bed and put her hand out for Rían. Not feeling him beside her she sat up and slipped one of his t-shirts over her head. Making her way into the living room she noticed the patio doors open and walked toward it. The night was balmy and warm and the lack of light pollution allowed the stars to shine so brightly that Liadh could see the whole way across the lake. As she stood at the door, she smiled when she saw Rían standing out on the deck looking out onto the Lake. Dress in black sweat pants and a tight white t-shirt, he looked as hot as hell.

  “Hey, are you okay?”

  Rían jumped and turned to face her, his eyes full of concern for her.

  “Are you okay is the question? I’m so sorry that happened to you Liadh. I should have been there.” He thumped his hand off the railing and shook his head from side to side.

  “I should have kept you with me.”

  “Hey, hey,” she said soothingly rubbing her hand up and down his back.

  “This is not your fault Rían. This is Liam O’Brien’s fault. Do they know where he is?”

  Rían shook his head. “They can’t find him; Seamus is keeping an eye out for him. I hope for O’Brien’s sake they find him before any of the O’Malleys do.”

  “I think I should leave Rían. I think I should go back to Dublin. I accepted an offer on Rua Cottage this afternoon. I can’t do this. I can’t be here.”

  “Liadh,” Rían’s voice held a warning and he held her by both shoulders.

  “I’m not going to let you run away from this Liadh, you stay and you fight. We’ll fight together. You are stronger than you think. Look at all you’ve been through. Look at what you’ve survived. Look at…..”

  Liadh placed a finger to his lips. “Don’t talk, not now.”

  “Are you tired? Do you want to go back to bed?” Liadh smiled and nodded kissing his hand as she led him back to bed.

  What’s good for the goose is good for the gander

  -Irish saying

  A Week Later

  “Strip.” She looked at him her face expressionless.

  Rían’s eyes widened and then he grunted and pulled his top off. His eyes were intense and hard, dark with desire and need. In the days since the deer had been shot they had got closer, if that was possible. Liadh had comforted him and been stronger than anyone he had ever known. She had a breaking point, and now that she had crossed it and released years of pent up emotion and pain, she seemed to be more at ease with herself.

  Liadh stood up and turned away from him, she walked toward the fireplace in Rían’s bedroom and closed her eyes momentarily. The turf crackled, hissed and spit in the hearth and Liadh inhaled deeply. Looking into the mirror that hung over the fireplace Liadh smiled at the woman that was reflected back at her. She hardly recognised herself these days, gone was the scared girl afraid of love, afraid of loss. So much wasted time dwelling on what she had lost in the fire, what she had lost in life. Now there was a new Liadh, a beautiful butterfly free from her cocoon of loneliness and wanting. The metamorphosis was complete.

  Rían had replaced the mirror on the big brass frame that had been broken when she had her meltdown the week before, and he had moved it into his bedroom. Every time she looked into it she reminded herself of all she had been through, all that she had survived.

  Over the last few days spent together her confidence had grown with every brush of his hand, every stroke of her skin, every cupping of her breast.

  “Strip for me,” she repeated.

  The curtains were pulled so tightly that not even a sliver of light entered the room. Only the soft glow from the fireplace illuminated a small area of the bed and Liadh stood naked and proud as she watched Rían slowly undress. As his cock sprang loose from his tight, black cotton boxers she breathed in sharply. So magnificent was the sight before her that she almost lost her composure. His skin had beads of sweat that shone like diamonds on his skin, and she could smell the muskiness of it as he took off each layer and dropped it beside him onto the wooden floorboards.

  Rían walked towards her and kissed her full and hard on the mouth, he pulled her in close to his body. Liadh could feel every inch of him hard and wet. She was enveloped by the blackness of the room, the serenity of their secret place, intoxicated by the scent and shape of him, the feeling of his coolness against her warmth. His mouth, his lips, his tongue, all known to her and so precious. Liadh returned every movement, replicated every touch he lavished upon her. Abandoning any semblance of reason or fear she grinded against him, as the tip of his cock banged over her pussy tantalising every piece of her.

  He held her face tightly and deepened the kiss, his tongue probing into her mouth, his teeth nipping at her lips as she moaned loudly into his mouth.

  “My mouth wants your cock,” she mumbled into his mouth. Rían stilled suddenly and she felt his breath coming in short bursts.

  “Are you sure, I mean I don’t want you to feel you have to do…”

  Liadh pressed her fingers to his lips, “Shut up Rían, I want you in my mouth. Give me what I want.”

  His mouth was dry so he just nodded at her. Whatever she wanted she would have. It had always been that way.

  Rían lay back on the bed and threaded his hands behind his head. Liadh gripped the base of his cock in her hand and traced her tongue up the length of it, twirling it around the head, teasing him, owning him. Rían’s hands flew down to his sides and he gripped either side of the bed, his lower torso rising slightly off the bed to meet her tongue. She felt him tense and jump slightly with the intensity of feeling. His body writhed from the touch of her mouth wrapped around his cock, so warm, so soft. Her hand wandered up to his thighs and she spread them kneading the inside greedily between her fingers, as her mouth continued to suck on him in a steady rhythm, fast and then slow. Twisting her mouth left and right she teased him, tantalised him until he was moaning and begging her to stop.

  “Liadh…Liadh you need to stop lovey, I’m gonna cum Liadh...Oh Jesus!”

  Liadh looked up at him wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

  “Then cum Rí, cum into my mouth. I want to taste you. I want all of it.” Rían bit his lower lip and bucked beneath her mouth as she brought him to the cusp of an orgasm. Smiling at him she bent her head one last time, gave one last suck as he exploded into her mouth, holding her hair tightly between his fingers. He didn’t shout out, instead he shook and whispered her name quietly over and over again. Liadh loved it, the sense of control that washed though her. She had done that, she had given Rían pleasure, and she had made him weak and helpless in her arms. She laid her head on his thigh as he caught his breath and rubbed her hair gently. The taste of him, the smell of him captured in her mouth and on her tongue, she was even hotter for him. Rían put his hands into her armpits and pulled her up to face him.

  “You made me sleepy, Liadh. Time to wake up.” Liadh squealed as he flipped her over and drew her hands over her head holding her there.

  “Hmmmm I’ll have to get something to hold these here in the future. Do you like a bit of tie me up Liadh?” Liadh shrugged and giggled. "I dunno, never been tied up before.”

  “Then it’ll be my pleasure to introduce you to something new, just for us.”

  Liadh lost the will to respond when Rían moved his head down and trailed a path of soft kisses down her neck and onto her shoulders. He rubbed both her breasts between his hands and captured one in his mouth, as he twisted and played with the other before he pressed them together and alternated licking them both. Liadh moaned with the feeling of him dominating her body and making it his.

  Tasting every inch of her pale skin, Rían was in heaven, every bit of her carried the scent of him, his, only his. He continued down her body, licking her
sides and biting down softly on different areas. He needed to know each part of her, to own these parts of her that belonged to him. Liadh held his head and stroked his hair and his shoulders, kneading the taut flesh between her eager fingertips. Pulling his head up Liadh met his eyes and in millions of ancient words unspoken, they moved in a rhythm of their own making. Their tongues collided and flicked each other, Liadh sucked lightly on his bottom lip teasing, licking and biting. She lowered her hand down along his body and felt him stiffen beneath her touch, his cock immediately growing rock hard. He moaned into her mouth and pushed against her hand as she rubbed up and down his thick shaft.

  Liadh broke the kiss and turned him on his back, she climbed on top of him and sat staring down at him. His lips were cherry red and full, puffy and kissed. She took in the tousled hair, the stickiness of his skin and his eyes half closed and then moved her hips over him, faster and faster. Rían closed his eyes and threw his hands back grasping the cast iron headboard. Clenching his muscles Rían forced himself to hold back his orgasm, he fought it for as long as he could, delaying the sweet release. When he couldn’t hold back anymore, he opened his eyes and his lips twitched as he watched her, the freedom of her movements, and the satisfaction on her face. He loved her so much.

  “Rían, cum now, cum with me.”

  She looked down at him and he nodded as she moved faster driving him to the very edge and then letting them fall. In the aftermath he held them both as they shook.

  A boy’s best friend is his mother,

  and there is no chain stronger than her apron string.

  -Irish Saying

  “It’s like the battle scene from Twilight.” Darragh looked at Murph and raised his eyebrows. Murph shrugged his shoulders.

  “The young one Sinead. She’s addicted to it. Team Edward. All. The. Time.”

  “Oh we’re team Jacob in our house, he’s a werewolf you know. A nice lad by all accounts but dangerous when provoked,” chimed in old O’Farrell. Darragh looked between the two of them.