Always

Caitlin Moore has every reason to celebrate. She’s through with law-school finals, and out for some post-semester fun when she runs smack dab into Eamon Blake, the Irishman with whom she had a summer fling years ago. Time hasn’t dimmed their lingering friendship—or their sexual chemistry.

Eamon isn’t looking for love when he bumps into Cat while he’s in Seattle on a job. Yet over the next year, he finds himself involved in a rekindled long-distance romance that moves from casual to a lot more.

That’s the rub. Cat is determined not to repeat her past mistakes with men and give up the dream job for which she’s worked so hard. Independence is something she’s spent years achieving. Eamon can start over so much easier than she can—why shouldn’t he make the sacrifice this time?

But Eamon doesn’t much relish leaving the life he’s been building in Los Angeles—and he really doesn’t like ultimatums. At an impasse, goodbye seems the only direction to go. Ending it is the right thing to do…or the biggest mistake they ever made.

Warning: Like-whoa sexy Irishmen speaking French in the ear of a very willing Seattleite. Sexin with all the big words.

Angie—Of course I thank you because you’re you and all.

Tracy, Renee, Mary, the Vixenreaders—Thank you.

And to all those men with lovely accents, thanks for the inspiration.

School was out for winter break, finals were done, she’d turned in her big paper and she was out to celebrate. Every other day of the year, her life was about control and responsibility. Tonight was about play and damn it, she planned to do it.

Basement Jaxx’s “Get Me Off” thumped through the sound system as the lights strobed. Heat from bodies in motion pulsed through the room. The scent of sweat, cologne, beer and sex hung like a heavy curtain.

Caitlin tended to agree with the sentiment of the song. She’d like it if someone got her off, too. It’d been too long since she’d had sex with someone other than a hunk of expensive silicone.

Fuck it
. She drained her drink and put her glass on the bar behind her. She wanted to give in to the beat, to move with the crowd.

She made her way to the dance floor, letting the bump of the bass line pull at her lower gut. Once she’d found a reasonably empty space she let go, let the music take her. Her spine loosened, her hips switched from side to side as her shoulders moved.

Reaching up, she clipped her hair out of her face and rolled her head, relaxing. Her gaze fixed on the wide body of a man dancing just ahead of where she stood.

He wasn’t so much dancing as soaking in the sexuality of the grinding, writhing crowd. She found herself wanting to press herself against his back, to slide herself down. Wanting to cup that stellar, denim-clad ass. She couldn’t tell much about him in the light with his face turned the other way. She’d just fill in the blanks herself. Imagine the feel of his hair as she sifted her fingers through it.

She lost herself in the fantasy, in the beat. The air settled in around her as her eyes slid closed. God she needed to get out more if she found herself having salacious
Penthouse Letter
moments about random strangers in dance clubs.

It wasn’t as if she were some innocent young thing. But she’d made an effort to tame her wilder side when she’d come back from that summer in Ireland. She’d buckled down and at first had lived for her ex, Adam, but finally, she was living for herself and her future. Sometimes the path was lonely but it was hers and hers alone. She jealously guarded her schooling and her schedule because she remembered every day just how easy it was to lose yourself in someone else.

Didn’t mean she’d forgotten she’d had wild, hard, furtive sex on a bar once. Actually three times. She smiled at the memory. Some days it felt as if she’d lost touch with that part of herself, but it was there and she needed to take time to remember it more often.

A warm, solid body made contact with hers, sending her forward, despite her bar stance, feet apart and braced for impact.

“Shite, I’m sorry.” Strong hands grasped her upper arms and righted her. Unexpectedly, ripples of sensation echoed from the spot he touched her.

Wait
. That voice…

Caitlin turned and stared into the amber-brown eyes of none other than Eamon Blake. The sense memory of his voice stirred all sorts of things within her, all of them pleasant.

“Cat? Bloody hell, it’s good to see you.” She caught a flash of white teeth from his grin as he pulled her into a hug.

Automatically, her arms went around his neck and she breathed him in simply for the pleasure of it. He smelled as good as he had the last time she’d seen him, four years before.

But then he’d been naked. And as it happened, Caitlin really liked it when Eamon had been naked. He was really good when he was naked. Or, she supposed, really bad, which had been even better.

“Eamon! What on Earth are you doing in Seattle?” she asked, lips to his ear. She really should step back, it probably wasn’t a good idea to remain plastered to his body but just then her hormones had the reins.

“At the moment? Enjoying myself immensely.” Eamon’s voice, still deep and sort of scratchy and yep, still totally sexy, sounded very intimate, even in the din of the club.

She laughed and he set her down but kept an arm around her waist as he steered them toward the bar, skillfully weaving through the crowd.

Once they’d gotten away from the dance floor he turned his attention back to her. “You look marvelous, darlin’. It’s been a long time, but I believe you look even better than you did the last time I saw you.” A smile touched his lips. “But, aye, that’s a very fond memory. What brings you here tonight? Your boyfriend?”

“Very smoothly done, Eamon. But no. No boyfriend.”
Can I get an amen to that?
“I’m here with a friend. Finals week is over and I’m celebrating.”

“Well, my night keeps getting better. Can I buy you a drink or something? I’d love to catch up. You can tell me all about whatever degree you’re getting.”

Right then Amy stumbled up, her arm wrapped around none other than Nathan Rich. “Hi! Look who I found.”

Caitlin didn’t bother to hold back her sneer of disgust. “Under your shoe? Behind the toilet in the bathroom?”

He sent a smarmy smile her way. Trying to be charming. But assholes weren’t charming. They were just assholes. “Come on, Caitlin, you know it’s not my fault. He’s my best friend, I couldn’t have told you.”

She’d never gotten to punch Adam, and right then punching Nathan presented such a lovely substitute. Too bad ending up in jail on an assault charge would totally mess up her chances of practicing law.

“Kathleen. My name is pronounced KATHLEEN.” She sighed. Adam had always mispronounced her name as Kate-lynn, from laziness or passive aggressively poking at her, she was never quite sure. But of course his little lapdog buddies had followed suit. “I’m not even discussing that with you.” She turned to Amy, wishing her friend had some common sense where this jerk was concerned. “Ames, I’m going to jet. I’ll see you later this week at work. Nathan, I hope those antibiotics are working.”

Eamon’s surprised laughter sounded as his arm tightened around her waist. In her ire, she’d actually forgotten he was standing there.

She turned back to him. “I’d introduce you but it’s not worth your energy. You still want to catch up or are
you
here with a girlfriend or friends?”

“No girlfriend. I wouldn’t be chatting you up if I had a girlfriend, Cat.” He sent her a look. “I actually had a job here but it’s done now so why don’t you let me take you to a late dinner?”

The way he totally owned her personal space like he was meant to be there was overwhelming and thrilling all at once. He leaned in as he spoke, his lips just touching her ear, breath tickling as it stirred the wisps of hair at her neck. His thumb slid back and forth, back and forth slowly at her waist.

“Yeah, let’s get out of here.”

Amy took her hand. “Are you mad? I thought you were over Adam. This is about you tonight. I’ll send Nathan away. I’m sorry.”

Caitlin loved Amy but she was weak when it came to men, a really annoying quality. Still, she accepted Amy’s quirks like Amy did hers.

Caitlin hugged Amy. “I
am
over Adam and thankfully I don’t have to take antibiotics like your boyfriend there. Look, you know what the deal is. You dig him for whatever reason and I respect that. But I want you to stop trying to make us be nice. I think he’s a scum-sucking pig. I have good reason to think so. So you hang out with him and I’m going to leave. I’ll see you later. I was getting tired anyway.”

“Who’s the stud?” Amy looked around Caitlin’s body to check Eamon out.

“Remember I told you about the work abroad thing I did four years ago?”

“The pub in Dublin? Ohmigod! That’s him?” Amy’s eyes widened and Caitlin noted Eamon’s body tightening as he stretched to try and hear what was being said.

“Yep. I’ll see you later.”

“I expect to hear every last detail, Caitlin. And one of these days, you’re going to see Nathan’s good side.” Amy’s earnest face made Caitlin want to shake her friend for being so stupid. But what could she do? She’d made her feelings known and Amy was a big girl.

“Do me a favor and stop it. I’m serious.” She kissed Amy’s cheek and squeezed her hand, allowing Eamon to pull her toward the front of the club. “Bye!”

Outside, the air was cool and the night smelled of the front of a rainstorm. Caitlin loved the rise of electricity in the atmosphere as it readied for rain.

Her ears got used to the relative quiet once they’d gotten a ways from the club’s entrance. Eamon ran a hand up her arm to catch her attention.

“Did you drive?” he asked and she let the velvet of his accent stroke her senses for a brief moment before answering.

“I didn’t. I took the bus from my apartment to Amy’s and we drove here in her car.”

“Ah, well that’s good then. My car is just up the block in a lot. I’m not very familiar with Seattle. This is only my third time here. Do you have any suggestions for a place to eat?”