Breakaway (26 page)

“Hang on,” he said, eagerness in his every move as he opened the back door of the car with a seductive smile. “What do you say? Seems a waste not to use it, seeing as it’s so roomy and all.”

“Oh, I agree completely,” Erin said solemnly as Rory backed her up to the open car door. Prickles of mad anticipation hit her skin as she lay down, the cool black leather a lovely, gentle shock.

Rory paused a moment, silhouetted by the sunlight pouring through the open door. It looked as though he stood in the center of a blazing fire. The silhouette disappeared as he carefully climbed atop her, his mouth seeking hers like a parched man seeks water. His mouth moved
to her throat, then to the sensitive spot at the base of her neck, his kiss turning gentle as he put his lips there again and again. She’d been to this place with him before, but it felt different now, more real.
I know this man,
she thought in amazement,
every inch of him, every scar, every freckle. The way he moves in bed, and the way he moves when he walks.
Simple things a woman would notice about a man she loved, and would never forget. The press of his body on hers, his knowing just where to kiss her and how, filled her with such passionate love for him she thought she might burst into tears.

Rory lifted his head, staring into her eyes. He wanted her badly. She knew that look, the one that magically conveyed lust and love at the same time, overwhelming her. It was as if her senses were working overtime, trying to make up for the time lost. His burning skin and the intense gaze. The scent of clothing that had been dried out on the line in sun and fresh air. Rory.

She couldn’t stop staring at him. It was as if he were a breathtaking piece of art that had come to life, enrapturing her completely. Gently, she took Rory’s face in her hands and pulled his mouth down to hers.
Familiar but new,
she thought again, the hunger on both sides reaching an entirely new level. Heat was building inside her, not incrementally but in huge leaps. She could tell it was the same for Rory.

Erin was fighting for breath, trying to keep at least a semblance of a clear head. She wanted to remember every detail of these moments. But Rory, pressing into her hard, was making it impossible. Erin had put her hands up his shirt so that her palms could play over his back. She knew she should be patient, but she couldn’t be. There would be other times for slow, sensuous lovemaking. Right now, all she wanted was for Rory to fuck her.

“I want you inside me now.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Erin said with a guttural groan.

Rory sat up astride her, hurriedly tearing off his T-shirt
before helping her rip off hers. The sight of her in her bra seemed to tantalize him.

“I’m sorry, love,” Rory said, leaning forward. “Just a minor detour.”

He roughly pushed her bra up and clamped his mouth down on her nipple, hunger biting through her as he suckled, blew on them, then teased them with his tongue. He was hard against her; Erin reached down and began rubbing him through his jeans. “Don’t,” he whispered huskily. He returned to her breasts, teasing with his teeth and lapping with his tongue.
So good,
she thought.
God.
The fire was building in her as her breathing grew faster and faster, little moans escaping from her throat.

“Yeah,” Rory groaned, lifting his head momentarily to graze her earlobe. “I want you to come for me.”

It was more than Erin could take. The minute his tongue returned to her nipple, she was bucking against him, screaming ecstatically.

“Now you,” Erin said, pushing some hair from her face. “Fuck me like you mean it. Fuck me like a man.”

Rory’s reply was a whispered, “Oh, yeah,” as he slid down her body and stood up in the space of the open door. He pulled off his shoes and socks, then hers. There was a rough impatience in his fingers as he leaned forward, tugging down her jeans and panties.

Rory hurriedly unbuckled his belt and fly, kicking himself free of his jeans and briefs. He parted her legs roughly and then thrust into her, hard. Erin drew her legs up, feeling herself on the verge again as Rory thrust away inside her.

“Faster,” Erin begged, pressing, squeezing, wrapping her legs around his hips as tightly as she could. “I told you to fuck me. Do it.”

Rory groaned again but he did as she asked, slamming into her again and again as she screamed with delight as the second wave of orgasm broke over her, sending her into another ecstatic freefall. It was too much for him to take. His hips began pumping wildly as he panted. And then it
happened, him crying out as he lost all control and abandoned himself in his frenzied climax.

Rory Brady. Hers again for eternity, she was sure of that now.

*   *   *

“I suppose this isn’t a very dignified sight, two naked people in the back of a car, my feet dangling off the seat. My bare arse alone would send them screaming away.”

Erin laughed, holding Rory tight. After they’d made love, they’d lain together quietly for a long time. No need to try to read each other’s mood. They were just Erin and Rory, the way it always had been, the way it always would be.

Erin playfully slapped his rump. “You’ve a magnificent arse.”

“Yeah, that’s what my teammates are always telling me in the locker room. ‘Rory,’ they say, ‘that is one helluva freckled white Irish ass you’ve got there.’”

“They’re just jealous.”

“You’re probably right.” He pushed himself up on his elbows, looking down into her face with a mischievous grin.

“What would you do if Father Bill came along right now on one of his chastity patrols?”

“Die of mortification.”

“D’you remember that time he burst into one of Sandra’s parties like he was the snog sheriff come to arrest us all?” Rory launched into an imitation of the wheezy self-righteous priest. “‘Don’t think I don’t know what you’ve been up to! Don’t think God doesn’t see your filthy ways.’” Rory shook his head in pity. “Poor bloke. He’s probably never had any in his life.”

“I just remember Sandra’s mam walking in and Father Bill standing there, looking all triumphant until she said, ‘What the hell are you doin’ in my house? You bloody Nosy Parker. Leave ’em alone! They’re just kids; let ’em have some fun.’”

“Isn’t that when Sandra—”

“Yes. Let’s not talk about that.”

“Right.” Rory nuzzled Erin’s neck, sending bolts of pleasure through her. “Can I assume we’re back together?”

Erin was nonchalant. “Yeah. I guess so.”

Rory lifted his head in surprise. “That wasn’t very enthusiastic.”

“I’m teasing you.” Erin slapped his butt again.

“I knew that.”

“Did you? How?”

“Because you’re lying beneath me naked as the day you were born, after practically deafening me with your screams.”

Erin was mortified. “Beg pardon?”

“I’d forgotten how loud you are,” Rory rolled on, clueless.

“I am not!”

“Well, sometimes you are,” Rory amended.

“So are you!”

“I love this,” Rory said, playfully biting the tip of her nose. “Our first post-sex spat.”

“Not a spat. A disagreement.”

“Ah.” He became reflective. “So we’re agreed? We’re back together?”

“I already told you we were!” Erin shifted her weight beneath him so that she didn’t feel quite so pinned. Despite being on his elbows, Rory was a big man. Still, she wouldn’t change being beneath him for anything.

To her great surprise, Rory looked relieved. “There’s that settled, then.”

Erin was mildly insulted. “Do you think I’d sleep with you if it didn’t mean we were back together?”

“No. Not your style.”

“Exactly.”

“Say the words, though. Say, ‘I love you, Rory.’”

Erin’s eyes began to fill up. “I love you, Rory,” she whispered.

“And I love you, Miss Erin O’Brien. I swear to God, I will do everything in my power to love you the way you
deserve to be loved, to protect you from harm, to never hurt you, and to make you happy. I’m not a perfect man, I know. But I’m the man who loves you.”

“I’m so happy,” said Erin, sniffling as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I feel like I’ve just said my wedding vows,” Rory joked.

“I know.”

“We’ll figure out soon when to do them for real, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

It was really going to happen, Erin thought deliriously. They were going to marry. There really was such a thing as fate.

“Not that I don’t love lying atop you in the backseat of an SUV, but I’m thinkin’ we might want to get dressed and resume your lesson.”

“No,” said Erin resolutely. “No more lessons for today.”

“I think I’ll drive back into town buck naked.”

I dare you,
Erin wanted to say. But she knew Rory would take the dare.

“I’ll walk, then.”

“Ah, you’re no fun.” He slithered down her body till he was standing, and took her hand, helping her out of the car.

“Ballycraig’s Adam and Eve.”

Erin smiled. Perfect day. Sun, and the lazy hum of bees, which she’d failed to notice before. And Rory’s beautiful body in the sunshine. She changed her mind.

“Go on. Drive into town starkers.”

Rory looked pleasantly surprised. “Seriously?”

“Seriously. Who’s going to see you? The windows are tinted.”

“I’m not driving back into town starkers by myself. I want my naked queen beside me.”

“All right,” Erin agreed. Every day, little by little, she was chipping away at the good-girl facade. It dawned on her that their split really had helped her in many ways. She hadn’t really felt like a woman before the split. She’d still felt like a girl. Rory Brady’s girl. Now she was her own person. She didn’t need to be with him to feel complete.

Naked, laughing their heads off, they headed back into town.

“This is so daft. I love it!”

“We used to do stuff like this all the time,” Rory reminded her, squeezing her bare thigh. “And we’re gonna keep on doing it till we’re old and gray.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Nothing could steal Erin’s joy as she let herself in to the B and B through the kitchen door, or so she thought until she saw Diana Everett sitting at the table, stiff backed and poker-faced.

“Hey, you all right?” Erin asked, even though she knew the answer.

“No. We need to talk.”

Erin sat down. “What has she done?”

“What hasn’t she done?” Diana said bitterly. “My workday never ends. She keeps coming up with more and more things for me to take on. She thinks I’m her personal slave. I know she’s a tough nut, but if I didn’t know better, I’d swear she was trying to break me.”

“She probably is,” Erin agreed gloomily.

Diana looked at Erin uncomprehendingly. “But why would she do that? I’m not a mad egotist, but I think she’s lucky to have me.”

“Oh, believe me, she is.”

“Then why is she doing what she’s doing?”

“Because she mistakenly thinks that if you quit, I’ll rush in to help again.”

“And if I do quit?”

Erin’s heart sank. “Please, Diana, don’t. I swear I can make things right. Just give me a chance to talk to her.”

“Fair enough. One chance. But if it doesn’t work, I’m afraid I
am
going to have to quit, Erin. Life’s too short, if you know what I mean.”

“I do,” Erin said. “If you’re done for today, then go. I’ll handle my mam. Truly.”

“Thanks so much.”

“Things will be better when you come in on Monday, I promise. Now off with you. Go enjoy the sunshine while it’s still here.”

*   *   *

Erin waited until the evening to have
the chat
with her mother. She’d had a feeling all along she was going to have to do this, even though Erin had told her mother flat out that she wasn’t going to ever come back to work at the B and B. Her mam was banking on Erin’s guilt kicking in. Too bad that particular well had run dry.

Her parents were in their cozy flat, watching the latest episode of
Time Team
. Her father was already slack-jawed and asleep in his recliner, as was often the case. Her mother sat on the couch in her puffy pink bathrobe, sipping Horlicks.

“Hello, love,” she said to Erin quietly. She gestured at the telly with her mug. “You’ve come in just in time for a new one. Mick and Phil think they might have found the remains of an eleventh-century monastery in Sark. Tony is skeptical. Of course.”