Chapter 36
“I can’t believe I finally get to meet your dad,” Kasia said.
Tierney took one last look out at the harbor with the September sun glinting off the water and then turned from the balcony. Kasia had been obsessively cleaning for two days, even though the family would be staying at the cottage. The hotel was still very much a work in progress. Plaster dust covered every downstairs surface despite even Kasia’s efforts. They’d been pleased they could still honor all of their summer bookings, though at a discounted price due to the construction work, and their regular visitors had been very understanding, openly anticipating seeing the planned developments come to life.
“Please don’t get too excited. He can be an asshole. I’m more thrilled about you meeting Megan.”
“I’m looking forward to that too. But your dad is such a big part of who you are.”
“Probably in all the bad ways.” She moved to where Kasia was cleaning the top of Peggy’s favorite painting and took the duster from her hand. “Hey, it’s okay to be a little nervous. Meeting your lover’s parents is a big deal for anyone, and it’s been a long time coming. It’ll be fine.”
Kasia smiled. “I like being your lover.”
The term didn’t seem big enough to Tierney to describe their connection. “My soulmate. My one and only.” Perhaps soon they could make it a more formal relationship, but when that happened, she wanted it to have their full attention. Their current life was too full of architect’s drawings and delays in plasterboard supplies.
“Do you think I’ll get to meet your folks one day?”
Kasia’s face fell. “Maybe. But I’d have to bring them over. You wouldn’t want to go there. They’d tell everyone we were business partners.”
Tierney pulled her close. “We are business partners, honey. This hotel is as much yours as it is mine.” She cupped her chin. “And I can put up with any shit we need to, if it enables you to visit your family. Because when it’s all over”—she spun them around to the view outside—“we get to come home to this.”
Kasia kissed her hard, and Tierney mentally calculated how much time they had. Their new live-in assistant, Marta, could deal with check-ins and inquiries. They had plenty of time.
She allowed herself to be led up the stairs and didn’t resist as her clothes were removed and thrown to the floor. She dropped back onto their bed as Kasia lowered herself on top. The pressure of her body was even more of a turn-on than the kisses. She was so ready she hoped Kasia wouldn’t make her wait.
Kasia lifted herself to her knees and lowered her hand. Tierney watched it move between her thighs.
Her hips bucked, but Kasia never broke eye contact, her gaze full of love and passion. Tierney had found the place where she wanted to be. It wasn’t really a place at all; it was Kasia. As the heat built, so did her emotion. Kasia shifted and leaned in, never breaking the rhythm driving Tierney toward ecstasy. She brushed their lips together, and then trailed kisses down to her neck.
“I love you, Kasia.”
Kasia paused briefly, then she gripped Tierney’s nipple between her teeth, tipping Tierney over the edge. She let out a long moan until Kasia’s mouth covered hers, and her tongue mimicked the action of her hand. Tierney let the rhythm take her on and on until she thought she would die from the pleasure. When she touched Kasia’s hand, her lover pulled back.
“Are you okay?”
“Hell, yeah. I’ve never been so okay in my life.” Her own voice rasped from exertion. She barely gave herself time to come down from the high, though, before she pushed Kasia onto her back. She needed to give her a taste of what she’d just experienced.
Kasia rolled back with a laugh. “I won’t take long. I’m halfway there from watching you.”
Tierney lifted onto her arm and lowered her other hand. Kasia was so wet. The thought she could cause that made her hot all over again. She slipped inside easily and moved slowly, delighting in the color mounting on Kasia’s high cheekbones, gaze fixed and mouth slack.
Kasia let out short breaths when Tierney increased her pace and she reveled in the reaction. Kasia’s breathing quickened further until she let out a long moan. With wonder, Tierney watched Kasia’s back arch and her thrusts became more urgent. When she flicked a finger across Kasia’s clit, her moan turned into a scream. Kasia raised her whole upper body from the bed, shuddering and clenching against Tierney’s fingers. She crashed back onto the bed and lay breathless for long seconds. Tierney felt such a sense of love and possession she’d never known she needed.
Eventually, Kasia’s eyes opened, and Tierney leaned in for a long, tender kiss. “I’m ready to start again, but my dad’s arriving on the afternoon ferry so I guess we’d better get some clothes on.”
Kasia pushed her back with a laugh. “Maybe a shower would be a good idea too.”
Tierney flashed her most lascivious grin.
“Separately.” Kasia moved out from under her. “Last one dressed gets to make coffee for your dad.”
Tierney jumped up in mock horror. “No! That machine fills me with terror. I’ll clean the bathrooms, but don’t force me to make the coffee.”
She gave Kasia one last lingering kiss before she left to get ready for the impending arrival. She could only guess her dad’s visit had something to do with her conversation with her uncles. Anto had mentioned to Aoife they’d spoken, but no one knew any more. She hadn’t seen much of Desmond or Anthony in the past several months, but they had kept their word to stay out of the way. And Christy had given her competitive rates for the transfer of the materials for the hotel.
Managing the project had taken her back to her first job after college; the renovation of the apartment building her father had so strongly disapproved of. She’d forgotten how much pleasure she got seeing a job come to fruition.
She’d had to leave briefly in May for a photo shoot. The easy money and the referrals for other jobs next year had been useful, and she was happy to be less choosy about the jobs she took, as long as she could get away occasionally to do the wildlife shoots that made her heart sing.
She now had a new balance in her life, and she welcomed the feeling everything was as it should be.
Following Kasia’s suggestion, she dressed in new cargo pants and a short-sleeved shirt. Why antagonize her father for the sake of it? She could dress like a beach bum for the rest of the summer once he’d gone.
She went out on the balcony to watch for the ferry coming in. From there, she could see the row of renovated cottages stretching down almost to the water’s edge. No longer gray and crumbling, they shone white in the sun, with new roofs and shiny red doors, looking uniform and smart. Kasia wrapped her arms around her from behind and rested her chin on Tierney’s shoulder.
“Are you admiring your handiwork?”
“I can hardly take credit for the actual work. All I do is float around all day making videos for social media.”
“You do so much more than that, and you know it. The work is being done at twice the pace it would be without your input. You should be very proud, Tierney.”
She turned in Kasia’s arms and returned the embrace. Kasia’s lips touched her neck, and she shuddered.
“I think Granny would be happy with what we’re doing. Once all the work is done on the main building and we’re ready to open the restaurant, I’ll be happy to sit back and take pleasure in what we’ve achieved.”
Kasia chuckled against her shoulder. “You’re so businesslike these days. I hope you’re not going to lose your sense of adventure.”
She returned the laugh, knowing she was being teased. “You know as well as I do without that checklist you give me every day, I’d have no idea what was going on. But I’m enjoying the challenge.”
She shielded her eyes from the glare of the sun glinting on the sea. The ferry boat was just rounding the lighthouse.
Kasia took her hand. “Come on. Your next challenge awaits.”
When they were walking down to the harbor hand in hand, a shout from behind made them turn.
Joey jogged down the hill. “I thought you might appreciate some safety in numbers.”
Kasia’s laugh rang out like a bell, and Tierney reflected once again how on much she loved that sound. They reached the quay just as the first passengers scooted down the gangplank. Day visitors, eager to make the most of the few hours they had to explore, quickly dispersed toward the bike rental or the tourist information stall. A few locals disembarked next and waved as they juggled shopping bags and packages. Finally, Megan and Al stepped onto the stone quay.
Tierney didn’t hold back her whoop and launched herself at her best friend. For once, her own workload had been as much of a barrier to them meeting up as Megan’s.
“We’re gonna have to work harder at this. I can’t be away from you for so long.” When they finally let each other go, Tierney turned. “Megan, I want you to meet Kasia. I may have told you a bit about her.”
Kasia stepped forward and pulled Megan into a long hug. “It’s so good to meet you at last.”
Tierney turned to Al. She wrapped her arms around him, her face only coming to his chest. “Hey, Al, welcome to Inishderry. You’re gonna love it.”
“I hope so. Megan’s reviews have been mixed.” He laughed and stepped aside to meet Kasia. Tierney was suddenly face-to-face with her dad.
He stood on the gangplank, looking around at his surroundings with tight lips. She wondered if he was regretting his decision.
“Hey, Dad. Welcome home.”
His gaze moved to her, and he gave her a tight smile. “Tierney. Good to see you.” He placed a hand on her arm. “How are things going with the Waterside?”
“Introductions first.”
She took his bag from him and led him aside so Jacky, who had been waiting patiently behind, could carry the rest of their luggage onto the quay.
“Dad, this is Kasia.” She took a step back and Kasia moved in, wrapping her arms around him. He stiffened for a moment and then hugged her back.
“Kevin,” Kasia said, “I’m very pleased to meet you after all this time. You’re going to be amazed at what Tierney has done with the hotel.” She winked over his shoulder, so Tierney closed her mouth and followed as Kasia linked arms with him and led them all back to the hotel.
“Wow,” Megan muttered. Al and Joey followed with the group’s bags. “She’s keeping it informal.”
Tierney shrugged and grinned. “She’s my partner, not an employee. Let’s start as we mean to go on.”
Kasia’s charm offensive really did seem to break the ice. Tierney was feeling pretty positive when they stood outside later in the evening. After looking around at the building work in the hotel, her dad had respectfully asked if he could see the figures for the project. He and Megan had pored over them for a while and then, to Tierney’s surprise, he’d pronounced it a healthy-looking scheme and wished her the best of luck.
Now they were inspecting her pride and joy: the row of cottages. Her dad opened a door and stepped in. She followed him inside while Megan and Al walked down to the shoreline.
“The cottages went slightly over budget because I wanted everything to be perfect.” She pulled out a drawer and watched with satisfaction as it slid silently back into place. “Luckily I got a deal on the glamping pods in the back field, so we broke even.”
“You really have thought of every accommodation option, haven’t you?” He ran his hand over the surface of an oak worktop.
“That was the vision. We want to be able to provide luxury accommodation, but also an affordable family holiday experience for those whose budget is limited. It also means when we host weddings and seminars, the guests can choose accommodation to fit their needs. We’ve already got three big bookings for next season.” She led them back outside into the sun. “Which is why it’s imperative to get the main building finished over the winter.”
Al wandered over to them. “I can’t believe Meg spent so little time here over the years. It’s like paradise.”
Megan followed him. “I can attest that it’s not like this all summer. And sometimes, not for a single day.”
Tierney laughed. “That first summer you came over with me, you’d got that Rachel from Friends haircut, and the wind was not your friend.”
Al burst out laughing, and Megan punched Tierney’s arm. “Shut up, will you. Al doesn’t need to hear about my teenage hairstyles.”
They walked back up to the hotel and sat in the dining room to a dinner of salad from the vegetable patch and freshly caught crab. The rest of the evening flew by, and Tierney really felt she was developing a new, more equal, relationship with her dad, as well as rebuilding her bond with Megan and getting to know Al. Despite that, she was happiest when her father, Megan and Al all retired to the cottage, and she and Kasia were left on their own.
Curled up on the couch, they watched the waves break on the rocks at the mouth of the harbor.
“Your dad seemed very impressed with your work. Perhaps you could talk about doing the occasional project for him once things are in a routine here.”
Tierney shook her head. “Nah. That was never what I wanted. And even less so now that I’ve found my home. Leaving you to do photography jobs is hard enough.”
Kasia cupped Tierney’s chin. “I know you’ll always come back to me as soon as you can. I love you, and I love our life. I’m looking forward to spending the rest of mine with you.”
Wrapped in each other’s arms as the sun slowly disappeared behind the distant mountains, Tierney knew she was finally home.
The End.