Chapter 11
Ciaron
Taylor was quiet as we headed up to our hotel room in the lift. She hadn’t said much since we’d left the prison. Had I done the wrong thing taking her to see Daid? I didn’t want the answer to be yes. Daid was a part of me, and anyone who wanted to be with me needed to accept him.
“What are you thinking about?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Lot’s of things. Your daid. You.”
My shoulders tensed. “What about us?”
“How alike you are.”
“What do you mean?” I tried to keep my face neutral and body relaxed. When my mother compared me to my father, it was never good.
She smiled. “You are both warm and inviting. And kind and considerate.”
Fuck, if I didn’t love this woman already, those few words would have done it.
“You could tell that from one visit?”
“Easy. Not once, during our whole visit, did he say anything about how sad he was going to be when you left. Instead, he offered you support.”
Unlike my mother. She’d be sure to lay the guilt trip on me when I got home.
“And he knows how much you love your brothers, so he asked after them. I bet he always does that.”:
“Always.”
“And he hung onto every word you said, like you were the sole reason for his being.”
I pulled her against me and kissed the top of her head. This was the exact reason she was my future. She knew me. Knew me. She saw things in me, that no one else ever had.
“You’re lucky to have him.”
My throat tightened. I didn’t trust myself to speak, so I held her a little firmer instead.
As the lift doors opened, Taylor said, “I vote we get room service tonight. We don’t have time for a sit-down meal on our last night together.”
I slapped her butt on our way to our room. “I’m not sure we even have time for room service.”
She opened the door, and I followed her in. “Why not?”
“We’ll be having too much of a good time.”
“Time to saddle up, Irish Boy?” She giggled.
“I’ll ride you all night long.” I took hold of her hand and spun her towards me. I kept walking until we were flush against each other, and my lips crashed into hers.
We stripped each other as we walked backwards to our bed and then climbed onto it. As she lay beneath me, there was only one thing on my mind—being inside her. We had all night to explore each other’s bodies. Right now, I needed something else—to love her.
I kissed Taylor long and slow as I positioned myself at her entrance and pushed in. My lips paused for a moment. “You feel so fucking good.” I resumed kissing her as I stroked inside her tight warmth. Steady strokes. Her hips matched my rhythm. My lips lost mine.
I rested my cheek against hers, feeling her heavy breaths against my skin.
“Ciaron?”
“Aye.” I raised myself on my elbows so I could look down at her face. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips red and swollen, her eyes focused on mine. My heart stuttered.
She lifted her hand to cup my cheek. “ You are my future.”
Me. Nothing else. Me. I was her future.
She smiled and then pulled me down. “Better finish what you started, Irish Boy.”
I chuckled. “I wouldn’t want to disappoint my betrothed.”
My strokes were long and fluid. I loved how her body moved beneath me, how we moved together, as one. Our bodies and our hearts were already united. Our breaths and soft moans were the only sounds in the room.
I picked up the pace. Taylor’s hand clasped my sides, her nails digging into my skin as she groaned. Tension built in my groin. I pumped harder. Faster. Taylor threw her head back and cried out. I slammed into her and let myself go. My growl filled the room.
I lay on top of her and waiting for my limbs to work. My energy was wasted.
Taylor’s grip loosened. She whispered in my ear, “Not disappointing at all.”
* * *
I stood beside Taylor at the boarding gate. The passengers were loading, and I wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet. I had no idea how long it would be before I could get to Australia.
Taylor reached up and cupped my face. “I can’t wait to spend forever with you.”
“I’ll get there as soon as I can.”
She nodded. “I know you will. I know you have to set things in order for your brothers.”
My stomach clenched at the idea of leaving them. I was the only constant in their lives. But like Daid said, Taylor was my future.
Taylor’s mouth lifted on one side. “Kiss me, Irish Boy.”
I dragged her closer to me and my gaze locked with hers. For three days I’d memorised everything about her—the softness of her skin and how it contrasted with the callouses on her hands, the smell of her vanilla shampoo, her sweet taste. I’d memorised it all with my brain and my heart. But these warm brown eyes, the depth of them, their love and understanding, melted my heart.
My gaze dropped to her lips. I touched mine to them. Their warmth was like a fire on a cold winter’s day. The heat spread through me as our mouths moved in unison. I stroked her tongue. Minty toothpaste and her natural sweetness danced across my tastebuds. So fucking good.
I wrapped my hands around her waist, keeping her close. Another thing to store in my memory, the feel of her against me. Blood rushed through my ears, blocking out our surroundings. But it didn’t block out her sigh.
Love at first kiss, and every kiss after that. That was what I had to look forward to for the rest of my life.
* * *
Thank you for reading Taylor and Ciaron’s origin story.