by Marie Force
“Why didn’t you tell me this?”
“I was scared, love.”
“Of what?”
“I was afraid if she knew about the age thing, she’d make it into a big deal in her mind before she even got here, and the whole thing would be a disaster. I wanted her to give you a chance.”
“I was embarrassed at the ferry landing.”
“I know, and I can’t tell you how sorry I am to have done that to you. That’s the last thing in the world I wanted.”
“You had to know it would happen when she saw me.”
“I’d hoped it wouldn’t.”
“Seamus…” She let her head fall forward onto his chest, because even when she was furious with him, she still loved him.
“I screwed up, love, and I hate that you got hurt.”
“I’m not hurt so much as angry. I hated being blindsided.”
“I’m so sorry. It’ll never happen again. I promise.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
In the faint glow of the moon, she could see the small smile that occupied his lips. “Forgive me, love?”
“Under one condition.”
“Anything. Whatever you want.”
“Shouldn’t you hear it before you agree to it?”
“If it means you’ll forgive me, I’ll do whatever you want me to.”
“I want you to tell your mother that I had nothing to do with the plan to deceive her.”
“Ugh, do I have to?”
“Do you want to be forgiven?”
“More than life itself.”
“Then that’s what you have to do.”
He moved his hands around to her back and stepped even closer to her. “I’ve already paid my fine. I told her it was all my dumb idea, and you had nothing to do with it. If it’s any consolation to you, she’s not happy with me either—and not because you’re older than me. Because I didn’t tell her before she came. So both the women I love best are mad at me.”
“Which you richly deserve.”
“Which I richly deserve. So am I forgiven?”
“You really told her I didn’t know?”
“I really told her, and for what it’s worth, she thinks you’re lovely and can easily see why I love you so much.”
“You made up that last part.”
“I did not! She really said that.”
“Your credibility has taken a bit of a hit tonight.”
“Do you still believe I love you?” he asked.
She shrugged, knowing her indifference would drive him mad. “I’m not sure. I might need some convincing.”
“Oh, love, do you know what happens when you toss a red flag in front of a bull?”
“I’m sure you’ll be happy to tell me all about what happens, but you have to catch me first.” Carolina pulled free of him and took off down the dirt lane she’d traversed her entire life.
He let out a bark of laughter and took off after her.
Knowing he was gaining on her, she ran faster, ducking into the brush to dodge him. She had the upper hand until her foot caught on a root and sent her flying into the darkness. “Crap,” she muttered, protecting her face with her arms as she landed hard in a bush full of thorns that tore at her skin as she came down.
“Caro? Where are you, love?”
She whimpered. Everything hurt, and she was hopelessly tangled and afraid to move for fear of further injuring herself.
“Oh my goodness,” Seamus said, using the flashlight app on his phone to illuminate her predicament. He pulled a knife from the leather case he wore on his belt and began hacking away at the branches.
“Watch your hands!”
“I don’t care about my hands. I’ve got to get you out of there.”
“Seamus…”
“What, love?” he asked, intent on his task.
“Hurts.”
“I know, honey. I’m going as fast as I can.” He cut and hacked at the branches until he had freed her limbs from the tangle. “Easy now,” he said as he took her hands and helped her to stand. “Aw, honey, you’re a bloody mess.”
Carolina tried to walk, but her tortured skin protested.
“Don’t try to move, Caro. I’ll carry you. Hold on to me.” He lifted her effortlessly and started back to the house. “That’ll teach you to run away from me.”
“I bet you put that thorn bush there to teach me a lesson.”
His quiet chuckle made her smile, even though she hurt everywhere. “I never want to see you hurt like this.” Back at the house, he used his foot to kick open the door and deposited her gently on a kitchen chair. “Let me get the first aid kit.”
Since it hurt to breathe, Carolina remained as still as she possibly could until he returned and flipped on a light so he could better see her.
“Oh, honey, God.”
Angry, bloody scratches, some of them deep, covered her arms and legs. Fortunately, her shorts and T-shirt had protected much of her body.
“We might need to call Dr. David.”
“No, no doctor. We can clean it up. Hand me the gauze and some of the antibacterial ointment.”
“Now, now, love, settle yourself. I'll tend to your wounds. It’s my fault you have them, after all.”
Carolina risked the pain of movement to touch his jaw, which was tight with tension. “It’s not your fault. I was being foolish when I ran away from you. That was my fault. Not yours.”
His hands trembled ever so slightly as he applied the ointment to her ravaged skin. “You never would’ve been out there if I hadn’t driven you to seek refuge from me.”
“Seamus, don’t. It was a silly accident. It’s not your fault.”
“Well, it’s not yours either.”
“Why are we fighting about this?”
“Because. I don’t know. Hold still.” He was exceedingly gentle as he cleaned each of the cuts and scratches on her arms and legs.
The pain was tremendous, but Carolina held still and stayed quiet until he got the deepest gash on her thigh. Too bad she’d been wearing shorts instead of jeans.
“I don’t know about this one, love. It might need a stitch or two.”
“There are butterfly bandages in there. Let’s use them and see how it is tomorrow.”
Carolina bit her lip and tried to stay silent while he dabbed the ointment into the cut. Tears rolled down her face that she brushed away.
“Please don’t cry,” he whispered. “I can’t take it.”
“Sorry. That one really hurt.”
“I know, love.” With a strip of butterfly bandages applied to her thigh, he wiped the dirt off her legs, plucked the leaves from her hair and finished by mopping up her tears. “Now, let’s get you into bed.” He lifted her from the chair and transported her to the bedroom, setting her down carefully. After months of cohabitation, he knew where everything was and found her a T-shirt to sleep in. He helped her out of her clothes and into the shirt, helped her to the bathroom and then tucked her into bed.
When she was settled under the covers, he sat on the edge of the mattress, looking down at her.
“I’m sorry you got hurt. I’m sorry about this whole stupid thing. After all my preaching about how our age difference doesn’t matter at all, after pushing and pushing for you to tell Joe about us, I couldn’t even bring myself to tell me own mum about it.” He shook his head, clearly disgusted with himself.
“Not as easy as it looks, is it?”
“No. Not at’all.” He brushed the hair back from her face and looked down at her, his torment reflected in his eyes, the rigid set of his lips, the tension in his shoulders. “It doesn’t mean I don’t love you and want you and everything else.”
“I know that, Seamus. When I was having trouble telling Joe about us, it didn’t mean I loved you any less.”
“And now you’re all scratched and bloody because I couldn’t come clean with me mum.”
“I’m scratched and bloody because I foolishly thought the
path was in the same exact place it was when I was twelve and tramping through those woods. Clearly some things have changed since then.” Despite the pain it caused her, she raised her arm and ran a finger over his tightly set lips. “Don’t beat yourself up over it. The scratches will heal. We’re fine. Your mum is fine. We’re all fine.”
“Are we fine? Really?”
“Of course we are. Do you think I don’t understand how difficult it can be to break this news to loved ones?”
“I shouldn’t have let you be blindsided.”
“No, you shouldn’t have, and you won’t do that again, right?”
“No, love. Lesson learned. I like to think I can be trained.”
Carolina laughed. “That’ll be the day.” She curled her hand around his. “Come to bed. I can’t sleep without you next to me.”
“Maybe I should sleep on the sofa so I don’t hurt you.”
“You’ll hurt me if you don’t sleep with me.”
He bent down to kiss her softly, tenderly. “I love you so damned much, Carolina.”
“I love you just as much, even if I want to kill you most of the time.”
That drew the first genuine smile from him that she’d seen in hours. “I gotta keep ya on your toes.”
“That you do. That you do. Now come to bed so we can get some sleep.”
“I’m coming, love.”
Chapter 8
Daisy woke in the middle of the night and couldn’t remember where she was until she felt David breathing under her and his arms tight around her.
They’d fallen asleep wrapped up in each other in the darkness that was offset only by the glow of the TV. She reached for the remote and turned off the power. She knew she should wake him so he could take her home, but she didn’t want to be anywhere other than in his arms, tucked up against him as he slept.
So she returned her head to his chest and listened to the strong beat of his heart under her ear.
“We fell asleep, huh?” The rough, sleepy rumble of his voice made her smile. She loved the intimate feeling that went with knowing what his voice sounded like when he woke from a sound sleep. Now she wished she’d left the TV on so she could see his face, too.
“Looks that way.”
“Do you want to go home?”
“Not really. The accommodations are much nicer here.”
His lips skimmed her forehead and his fingers slid through her hair, making her sigh with contentment. “They could be better.”
“How so?”
“There’s a really nice bed in the other room.”
The suggestion made her heart beat faster as the idea of being in an actual bed with him sent all her hormones into a frenzy. “That sounds good.”
They disentangled from each other and stood up.
Daisy waited for David to turn on a light before she followed him to the bedroom, where he produced a T-shirt for her to sleep in. “Thanks.”
“Go ahead and use the bathroom first.”
“You don’t have an extra toothbrush by any chance, do you?”
“I think I do.” He went into the bathroom to rummage around in a cabinet.
Daisy took advantage of the opportunity to take a closer look at his bedroom, which was sparsely furnished with a dresser and a king-size bed covered by a navy-blue comforter.
“Here you go,” he said when he returned, holding a toothbrush that was still in the package.
“Thanks. I’ll be quick.”
Daisy went into the bathroom, removed her dress and hung it on a hook behind the door. She debated whether or not to leave her bra on, but decided she’d be more comfortable sleeping without it. She tucked it behind the dress on the hook, donned the T-shirt and quickly brushed her teeth.
“All yours,” she said when she stepped out of the bathroom to find that he’d turned down the bed.
He held up the covers for her. “Hop in so you don’t get cold.”
“Which side do you prefer?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
As he went into the bathroom and closed the door, Daisy felt giddy about her sleepover with the sexy doctor. There was something so special about sharing the bed that smelled like him, of sleeping next to him, of seeing his most private living space.
He came out of the bathroom wearing a T-shirt and boxer shorts and slid into bed next to her, leaving the bedside light on. “Comfortable?” he asked.
“I could be more comfortable.” Daisy surprised herself with the brazen reply.
“How so?”
“If you were a little closer.”
He scooted over an inch. “Better?”
“Not yet.”
Another inch. “How about this?”
“Getting warmer, but not quite there yet.”
He moved so he was right next to her and put his arm around her. “How’s this?”
“Perfect,” she said with a sigh of pleasure.
“It could be better.”
“How so?” she asked, borrowing his line.
“If you turned toward me.”
Daisy did as he asked. “Like this?”
“Just like that,” he whispered as he kissed her.
He tasted of toothpaste and sexy man and David. His arms encircled her as he worked his leg between hers.
The rough texture of his hairy leg between her thighs was an instant turn-on as his tongue thoroughly explored her mouth. His hand dipped beneath her T-shirt, caressing her back in slow movements that made her nipples tighten in the hope that he might move to the front. But he kept his hand stubbornly anchored to her back.
Daisy decided to do some exploring of her own, slipping her fingers under his shirt to feel the rippling muscles of his belly and drawing a gasp from him when she slid her fingertips down to the waistband of his shorts. She tugged on the T-shirt. “Take this off.”
He released her long enough to do as she asked, and then he was kissing her again, even more intently than before.
She ran her hands over his chest, discovering each contour and making him tremble in the process. Encouraged by his response, she scraped her thumbnail over his nipple, which caused him to startle and then curse under his breath.
Laughing, she said, “Sorry.”
“No, you’re not.”
“I am sorry.”
“I still say you’re not.”
“Okay, I’m not. In fact, I might even do it again.”
“Please do.”
“Only if you return the favor.”
“Daisy,” he said, groaning. “I’m trying so hard to go slow, but you’re making me nuts.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not usually so forward. I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”
“Don’t do that. Don’t apologize for asking for what you want. I don’t ever want you to feel like you can’t say what you’re thinking to me.”
“You’re bringing out a whole new side of me.”
“What side is that?”
“The hot and bothered side.”
“I love that side of you,” he said, laughing as he kissed her.
“So what’s the verdict on my shirt?”
“You sure you’re okay?”
“I could be better if this pesky shirt wasn’t in my way.”
“In that case…” He helped her to remove it and then wrapped his arms around her, breathing deeply as her breasts pressed against his chest. “God, that feels good. You feel so good.”
“So do you.”
“I haven’t felt this good in a really long time,” he whispered.
“I don’t think I’ve ever felt this good.”
“Daisy…” He devoured her with his lips and tongue as he cupped her breast.
She cried out from the shock of his thumb and forefinger closing around her overly sensitive nipple.
“Does it hurt?” he asked, sounding alarmed.
“No, not at all. It feels incredible.”
“You feel incredible. I want to touch you and kiss you everywhere.�
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Daisy let out a nervous laugh. “Don’t let me stop you.”
He kissed her and caressed her and made her crazy with his fingers on her nipples, but that was all he did.
Daisy tried to reach between them to stroke the erection that pulsated against her leg, but he stopped her.
Groaning, she hovered somewhere between frustration and arousal, wanting more but knowing he was determined to take his time. While she respected his scruples, she hoped he would lighten up before she lost her mind from wanting him.
“All in good time, honey,” he whispered as he linked their fingers.
“How much time?”
“Why? Are you going somewhere?”
“I’m going slowly crazy.”
“I’m right there with you.”
“Then why—”
He kissed the words off her lips. “Trust me?”
“Yes, of course I do.”
“I’m honored that you trust me. That means more to me than you could ever know. I really like you, Daisy, and I like what we’ve got going. I don’t want to mess it up by moving too fast when you’re still recovering. I promise that when we make love, it’ll be well worth the wait.”
“I just feel so…”
“What? Tell me how you feel.”
“Frustrated.”
His gentle laughter drew a reluctant smile from her.
“It’s not funny.”
“I know it isn’t. I feel the same way.”
“Could we maybe, you know, do what we did before?”
He dragged his hand over her thigh to press against her center. “Do you mean this?”
“Yes,” she said, breathlessly. “That.”
His fingers moved over her underwear, using the fabric to abrade her most sensitive area. He had her on the verge of explosive release with just a few passes. “Feel good?”
“It could feel better.”
He pressed a bit harder. “How’s this?”
“Still not as good as it could be.”
“You’re a rather demanding woman, Daisy Babson.”
“You told me I should ask for what I want.”
“And what is it that you want?”
“Your fingers.” She felt dizzy and light-headed, which was when she realized she was barely breathing. “Under my panties.”
