Spitfire (Puffin Cove) (18 page)

"
Wow," she breathed. "It makes the water a different colour."

"
Tis the white of the berg under the water makin' it look like it's changed. Listen."

She did
. And gasped. She could hear sounds of soft hissing and popping, the effervescence of the iceberg as the sun warmed it bursting the tiny compressed air bubbles inside. Giddy, she turned her excited eyes to Kane, then quickly looked back, not wanting to miss a thing.

She could feel his chest vibrating with his soft chuckle.

A strange low growl started, then grew louder. She looked around but couldn't figure out what…

"
Watch," Kane whispered.

The sea around the iceberg started foaming, the noise building, sounding like an airliner coming in for a landing among thousands of crashing waves
. Compacted ice began to slide from one side of the berg, and one of the peaks began to tip. It rolled. And then another peak moved, the sea turning brighter, greener, and then white, white,
white
. The whole berg looked like it was emerging from the water, being pushed up by some awesome, unseen force.

Laura
gripped Kane's arms tightly to her. "God. Jesus. Look at it." The powerful scene unfolding in front of her terrified her as the iceberg foundered. It was so immense and foreign, so alive and unpredictable. It was like it could just reach up and pluck her from the edge of the cliff and take her into the sea with it. A long, huge finger of ice lying out from one side rose up under the water, its dark blue becoming green, then teal, then bright, bright aqua. Up, up it rose, then broke the surface as the opposite side sank. The new white peak rose high up into the air, much higher than their eye level. As more new peaks and valleys rose, others sunk, until in the end a full five minutes had elapsed, and the iceberg they had come upon was unrecognizable, having transformed itself into a new and majestic shape.

Laura
's knees began to shake when it was over. "Holy shit! That was…Kane, have you ever seen that before?"

"
Only in film, never in person. Pretty incredible, eh?"

"
That was one of the most incredible experiences I've ever had. Wow! The things I've experienced in the last twenty-four hours…Kane, you have no idea what this has meant to me." Her lips trembled, and she was glad that he couldn't see her being so dorky. Again.

Her breath hitched
against his chest, and he tucked his face into the side of her neck, holding her tight. After a few moments, he turned her in his arms and smiled into her glistening eyes, and murmured, "I wish we could make love right here on this cliff. I've a fierce desire fer ye, Laura. Not just here," he nudged her with his hips. "But here," he touched their foreheads together. "And here," he drew his hand up between them and splayed his hand over his heart, rubbing as though it hurt. Her chest swelled, and her throbbing heart again threatened to strangle her.

Her misty eyes blinked up at him, and words danced on her tongue
. Words she didn't trust herself to speak. "Sweet," slipped from her lips. "Baby, you're so sweet. And to think I once thought you were crusty."

His smile flashed, and the dimple deepened.
"How fast do ye think we can hike back t' the cottage? All I can think about is bein' with ye, inside ye. Again. Jaysus, Laura, ye've turned me into a randy teenager."

S
he giggled, and the sappy emotions that threatened to sweep her away lightened and blew away on the evening breeze. But their sweet glow lingered in her heart.

They hiked back toward the lighthouse in the gloaming, and wondered at the sounds and smells that were wafting toward them in the cooling air. Celtic music and delicious smells of roasting pork and boiling corn greeted their ears and watered their mouths.

The chamber of commerce had built a huge bonfire on the cliffs of Long Point, and buckets of beer and bales of hay were scattered around the lot. Bemused, they wandered toward the crowd of people paying their admission for the party. Kane raised an eyebrow to Laura and she nodded, a look of pure delight on her face.

He paid their fare, and they took up residence on a bale of hay to watch as step-dancers tromped on the flat-bed wagon in time with the jig
. As the sun went down, they dined on sweet suckling pig and buttery corn, licking juices from each other’s fingers and lips, any excuse to get closer.

H
e sat back on their bale, his legs splayed. A beer dangled from one hand while the other lazily caressed her abdomen. She sat in the vee of his legs, snuggling up against his chest and groin, the happiest she had ever been in her life. If it ended tonight, she would have no regrets.

They watched the dancers, danced some themselves, and chatted with travellers and locals
. Hundreds had come out for the annual event, one that Laura and Kane had had no knowledge of beforehand, but were so glad to have been a part of. They lazily broke away from the revelry and wandered back down to their cottage, strides matching, arms snuggling.

They made love slowly, sweetly, knowing that tomorrow would come, and their idyll would end
. Kane had farm and work commitments, and Laura had her new house to get up and running. Neither knew what their futures held, and neither wanted to talk about it. They didn't want reality to mar the magic of their time together. And so, instead of jinxing the future, they shared the past.

Their tangled limbs lay under the covers as they trailed laz
y fingers over replete bodies.

"
Kane, would you tell me more about Fiona and Claire? Only if it won't hurt you."

He looked at her,
surprise evident in his eyes. Then they softened and crinkled.

"
Aye, Laura love. I'd like t' tell ye. And it won't hurt." He kissed the tip of her nose, then her passion-swollen lips. She rested her head on his chest, feeling the soft baritone rumble through her as he spoke slowly and thoughtfully.

"
I told ye that Fiona was a dancer with the ballet. But when we first met, she hadn't made it yet. She was driven, and spent every possible minute trainin'. She'd had a difficult childhood. She was an orphan, and was raised in foster families. That would have made a lot of people hard, but Fiona wasn't. She was kind and givin'. But her focus was fearsome. Nothin', save hurtin' another, would keep her from her goal. We met when she was teachin' at the university, waitin' fer her call. I was in me last year, just startin' t' make money with me birds. We passed in the hall one day. She saw me, wanted me, and took me. And I went gladly. We were married three months after we met. And there was never another fer me, until you. She was called up t' the ballet, and we were thrilled. She toured with the company, I graduated and started teachin', carvin' in every spare moment. There wasn't a lot of time together, but what we had we made the most of. When she got pregnant, I was thrilled. She was destroyed. She considered terminatin', and we had a terrible fight. In the end, she realized that she never could've done it, but it put a bit of a chink in our happiness. She had t' quit the ballet. She kept teachin' though, and she was good at it. After Claire was born she worked tirelessly t' get her body back, had t' audition again. Boy that pissed her. But they took her back gladly. I quit teachin' t' stay home with Claire, and Fiona went back on tour. When Claire was five, Fiona ruptured her Achilles tendon. She never danced with the National again. It broke her spirit fer a time, but she was ever determined, and within a few months had built a successful dance school of her own. Claire was one o' her students. Jaysus, that child was beautiful. She had a cap o' dark curls when she was born. I never would have thought t' fall so hard fer a girl in me life. She was the sweetest baby, almost never cried. I took her everywhere with me. Me folks spoiled her silly, but she never was a brat. I mentioned before that Shannon reminded me o' me Claire. But she wasn't chatty like Shannon. Just the bright, sweet, lovin' part. Claire was quiet and alert right from the start. She missed nothin'. Sometimes, in the evenins' when she'd catch me starin' off into space she'd say, 'Daddy, do you miss Mummy?' And I'd tell her that as long as I had her I'd never be lonely. Bright as a penny, me wee daughter. She was the woman o' the house when Fiona was away, lookin' after her old da. She'd make me breakfast in the mornins'. Sometimes I miss that most of all."

Laura
had tried, really tried, not to cry. But the tears tracked across her face and pooled in her ear, wetting his chest, as she thought of Kane's loneliness, both before and after Fiona and Claire had died. If there was anything in the world she could do for this man, it would be to give him children. But that she could not do. Her tubes were tied, and at her age she knew that even if she found a gynaecologist to do the surgery, a successful reversal would be impossible.

Kane s
hifted under her to cuddle her closer, and swiped at the moisture on his chest. He raised his head, and tipped her chin up to him.

"
Laura. Sweetheart. God, don't cry. I'd never have told ye if I thought I'd upset ye." He rolled over her and kissed her, wiping away her tears and searching her eyes.

"
No, baby. I'm not upset for me, but for you. Just let me absorb it, okay? I'm glad you told me. I wanted to know. Needed to know." Her watery smile trembled, and he kissed it.

"
It was five years ago that they died, Laura love. I've recovered. As much as anyone ever can. Please don't cry fer me. I'm well. And this time that you and I have been together has been the happiest I've been in a long, long while. No more tears, eh?" He let her settle, and regain her composure. His hands lazily roamed her body, soothing her, then igniting her.

"
Okay, Kane. It's just that...baby, you amaze me. You've survived something that no husband and father ever should. You're so strong and smart and charming. And really, really sexy."

"
Oh, ya? Hmm. Do tell." His eyes crinkled at the corners.

"
Well, there's all this beautiful, silky, curly hair." She twined it around her fingers.

"
And this sexy dimple when you smile." She touched a finger to the spot that deepened as she did.

"
And you've got this ridiculously hot eye tooth." She slipped her tongue out and touched it to the crooked white canine.

"
And your nipples pebble up so hard when I play with them." She did, and they did.

"
And this hairline of yours taunted me the first time I saw it at your front door." She ran her finger down until it nudged his engorged sex, which she deliberately tortured him by ignoring.

"
And your hips are strong and slender and are attached to the most gorgeous ass I've ever seen." She splayed her hands over his hips, running them around to cup his butt.

"
And you have fine, strong legs, and beautiful feet." Those she couldn't reach, given her position twined around him.

"
Feet! Really, woman. Ye're bleedin' nuts. Anything else ye find sexy?" He pulsed his full erection against her hip and belly.

"
Oh, yes. The sexiest thing of all. You have a brilliant, glorious mind."

He threw his head back and laughed
. She pushed up and away, then rolled over his naked, hot, gorgeous body, and pinned him to the bed.

"
Oh, yeah. There is one more thing. Golly, I almost forgot." She giggled at his bark of laughter, crawled down, and boldly kissed his swollen sex. Languidly, she swirled tongue and fingers, sliding and palming, kissing and licking and sucking. She danced a ballet of her own, her sole audience Kane and his undeniable need for her, and his groans and gasps were food for her soul.

"
Laura," he growled. She continued to caress.

"
Laura," he warned. She continued to lick.

"
Darlin', stop!" he gasped. She continued to nibble.

"
Baby, stop! I'm too close," he groaned, fisting his hands in her hair as she slid him long and deep into her eager mouth.

And still, she refused to stop
. She gripped and rocked hard and fast, sucking him headlong into climax. He cried out hoarsely as his seed hit the back of her throat, the spasms wracking him, slamming his hips into her face long after she had sucked the last of his juices from him. He collapsed onto his back, arms out-flung, breaths coming in great gulps.

"
Holy mother, Laura. What have ye done t' me?" he panted.

"
That, my dear Kane, was a blow job," she teased, kissing his parted lips with her fragrant, smiling ones.

"
I
know
what it
was
, woman. I just never expected…ye didn't have t'…God! It was glorious."

And
she grinned. Huge.

Chapter Fourteen

He kissed her tenderly in
Jill's laneway. "I'll see ye tomorrow fer the picnic, then, Spitfire?"

"
The picnic! Oh, yes." She had almost forgotten. She had spent the last few hours dreaming, thinking, stealing glances. She was trying really hard not to think beyond today. Her annoying habit of analyzing everything was rearing its ugly head again.

This, this thing between them, was so perfect
. She was crazy about him, about every little blasted thing. She wished that he had some kind of disgusting habit that she could focus on. He smoked, he picked his nose, he slept around, he farted in bed. But there was nothing that Kane Downey was, but perfect.

And he wasn
't for her.

He deserved a young woman who could give him a family
. Children. And maybe he thought just the same thing. That he was enjoying Laura until the right girl came along. He was absolutely crazy about Shannon, and clearly had loved his daughter more than anything in the world. He probably always expected that one day he would find a woman that he could build that life with again, create children with again.

The past three days had erased almost everything from her mind except Kane
. And now, he was still foremost in her thoughts, but for different reasons. She had opened his world again, helped him past the grieving, to a place where he could share his life with a woman again. Maybe she was just the catalyst. And now that the flood gates were opened, perhaps he was ready to find a new partner. She just had happened to be the first one to come along. She knew that their time together was unbearably special for her, and admittedly, possibly for him too. But she should pull back, let him gain his footing. Away from her, he might realize that she wasn't what he wanted, needed.

And
she was breaking her own damned heart.

But she needed to give this some headspace, for both of them.

Her house deal was a good excuse. She would be busy, and he could get back to his work. It would be good for them both to step back and breathe. And she felt bereft already. She tried to drum up excitement about her house, the picnic, sheep. Anything to fill the empty space that the lack of his presence would leave.

She
would shake it off. She was good at rolling with the punches. She'd be damned if she would moon around, pining for him. That wouldn't honour either of them.

"
Did ye enjoy yer holiday, Laura?"

She smiled into his eyes
. "It was the best time of my life. I know I said I'd stop thanking you, but I have to. Thank you, Kane. You'll never know…"

She
felt her nose sting and her lips tremble, frantically reined it in, and pasted a glittery smile on her face.

"
I can't wait to tell Jill and Shannon about the icebergs! I wonder if they've seen them. Oh, stupid. Of course they have. They've lived here all their lives. I wonder if Jill's got the picnic basket ready yet. I'll have to give her a hand."

"
Laura, love. What's in that head o' yers now?"

Laura
love.
God, she loved it when he called her that.

"
What? Uh...nothing." She grasped frantically for a perky tone. "I've just had a wonderful time with a wonderful man. And now I'm going to have a slumber party with my girls, and a picnic tomorrow with all my best friends. And whoo, the house on Monday! It's all good, sweetie." She kissed her fingers and pressed them to his lips. He took her hand and slid it, placing a soft kiss on her palm.

H
is dark, hooded expression told her that he wasn't fooled.

"
Alright, Laura. Until tomorrow." She saw the doubt, the hurt in his eyes. And it sunk like a stone in her belly.

"
Kane, kiss me good bye again," she whispered. "And make it last 'til I see you tomorrow."

He cupped her face in his hands, and
brought his forehead to hers, rubbed his nose to hers, and whispered against her lips. "Laura love. This kiss that I'll give to ye is fer all the joy and passion that ye've brought into me life. Fer who ye were, who ye are, and who ye will become. And I'm going t' kiss ye fer meself, to save yer taste on me mouth and in me memory 'til I can kiss ye once again."

Her hands gripped
tightly into his jacket. She cried out as his lips settled softly, so softly on hers, and she let him kiss her. His words laid her bare, and it was one of the hardest struggles she could ever remember to not dissolve into tears.

When he raised his lips from hers, and his breath fanned sweetly over her mouth, she
whispered, "You make it awfully hard to get out of this car."

He murmured against her mouth,
"How about I turn this car around and lock ye up in me house 'til Monday morning?"

That drew a soft smile from her, and settled her ragged emotions a little
. "Oh, Kane. You sorely tempt me. But reality has found us, and we do have things to do." She rubbed his nose with hers. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"
Aye, tomorrow."

He walked her to the door, and set her case down
. He draped one arm around her shoulders, and cupped the fingers of his other hand on the back of her head. He held her in a soft embrace, and she felt him take one long breath as he kissed her forehead. He let her go with a soft smile, and she watched as he walked away.

Oh, Kane
. What's to become of me? Of us?

The door opened and Jill snaked her arm out, grabbing Laura and hauling her in. She'd been keeping an eye on the lane for the last hour, and when Kane's car pulled in, she had to physically restrain herself from peeping at them making out in the car. She practically peed her pants waiting for Kane's footfalls to leave her front stoop.

"
How was it?" she mock-whispered.

Laura
turned around and slumped against the door, eyes closed, a dreamy, girl-in-love smile on her face.

"
That good, huh?"

I knew it
! I knew it! I knew it!

"
Oh, yes. That good."

Jill
squealed and grabbed Laura's hands, jumping up and down. When she realized that she was the only one jumping, she slowed, the grin splitting her face faltering.

"
Laura, what? What's wrong?" Laura looked like she had been pole-axed and was struggling to cover it up. Jill channelled all her concentration on Laura's eyes.

"
Nothing. It's nothing. I'm just tired. We didn't do a whole lot of sleeping, if you know what I mean." She winked.

But there was no sparkle in that winking eye
. Only swirling confusion and pulsing love.

"
Oh, Jill, you should have seen this iceberg. It was the most spectacular thing I've ever seen. Have you ever seen one founder? I almost couldn't stand up, my knees were so weak watching it."

Oh, boy
. Laura wasn't telling. Dammit.
Dammit!
Okay, she didn't like to kiss and tell. Private lives were private lives. But shit! These were her friends, and they were
perfect
for each other! She wanted to know why Laura wasn't dancing around the room and howling at the moon. That would be the reaction of the Laura she had come to know, if things had gone well with Kane.

And since
Laura wasn't talking, Jill wanted to talk to Kane. Find out what was what. But he probably wouldn't talk either. Well, she wouldn't pry. This time. God! It was going to
kill
her!

We
'll see how the wind blows tomorrow.

***

Kane had slept poorly. He vacillated between demanding that Laura move in with him, and reining in his horses. She consumed his every thought. There wasn't anything about her that he didn't adore. But there was something missing. She was vibrant and exuberant and responsive. She was a joy to please, and joyfully pleased him in turn.

He wondered whether it was just the sex
. It had been so long, and he was mature enough to know that he could have been letting his cock rule his head. He thought long and hard about that one. If they had gone to Twillingate and stayed in separate rooms, as he had originally planned, would he still feel the same?

Oh, hell no
. There's no way he'd feel the same. He'd still be wondering about getting her into bed. But the rest. Oh, aye. It would be exactly the same. He would still know that she was kind and giving and gloriously vibrant. She would still be childishly thrilled with the smallest wonders, and deeply moved by the sorrows of another. And she would still be possessed of strong emotion over long ago hurts.

It was one hurt that he worried about the most
. If her past still haunted her, if she harboured the idea that all men were like the one who had hurt her, well then he would have to disabuse her of that notion. That would take time. And love. And tenderness. He didn't know if he had the patience to do it, but he was damn well going to try.

In the end, he slept, secure in his decision to take his time and win her heart
. His eyes had searched her out the next morning in church, and he sat well back, his eyes and thoughts never leaving her throughout the service, for which he asked God's forgiveness. And he prayed for patience.

After they had rushed home from church, the girls had all piled into Laura's vehicle, Lola and Tess included. Laura had been disappointed, confused, and a little hurt that Kane hadn't come to sit with them in church. He kept to the back, and had disappeared before the rest of the congregation had filed from the sanctuary.

In the lane,
Shannon chattered and marshalled, telling Laura where to put the picnic basket, admonishing Tess not to eat the 'picket' eggs while they weren't looking. She patted her lap when her mother had her strapped into her booster seat, and Laura put Lola's carrier on Shannon's knee. They were just pulling out of the driveway to pick up Kane, when he and Stanley emerged from the path between his and Jill's properties. Laura's head snapped up, and she
drank
him in.

Oh, God
. Oh, God. Oh, God. What am I going to do? I am so crazy in love with him.

"Thought we'd stretch our legs a bit before the drive
," he said quietly as Laura watched he and his dog approached the vehicle. His unreadable eyes broke from Laura's when Shannon's bubbling chatter commanded his attention.

"Hi,
Uncle Kane! C'mon! We're goin' to the dunjin! Stanley can sit in the back with Tess, but you gots to tell him to stay away from the basket. I'm holdin' Lola cuz she's too small. Did you wear your boots? Momma says we can't go if we don't wear our boots, an' it might rain, so I gots my slicker an' a um-bella, and…"

Kane chuckled and shook his head at the vibrat
ing bundle of four-year-old.

"
Hold on there, half pint. If ye don't take a breath ye'll explode." He stuck his head in and gave her a kiss. "I gots me boots on, so I guess ye'll have t' let me come."Jesus. His voice had her muscles clenching so tight she actually had to shift in her seat.
Lighten up, girl. Picnic. Friends. Happy, happy.

"
Kane, you sit in the front with Laura. I forgot the blanket. I'll be right back."

Laura
snickered as Kane rolled his eyes, grinned and obeyed the pixie drill sergeant by settling into the passenger seat.

"
Hi," he softly spoke, caressing her arm and giving her his beautiful sapphire eyes.

"
Hi," she said, a shy, glowing smile curving her lips and lighting hers. "You're a sight for sore eyes."

"
I've missed ye, Spitfire." He placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

"
Me too," she whispered.

How could she feel shy after all they
had shared? But oh, she was deliriously happy to see him. She was both glad and sorry that they were sharing their day with Jill and Shannon. It would be a wonderful, happy time to have all of them together, but she craved private time with Kane all over again. Ah, well. It was for the best. Her wild heart was careening way, way out of control.

Jill
hopped into the back seat beside her daughter. "Alrighty then! I think we've got it all. Got the food and drinks, tissues, blanket, doggie-do bags, anything we missed?"

"
Is the kitchen sink still attached t' the plumbin', Jilly-girl?"

"Ah, blow it our
yer a...er...let's go."

Kane navigated and
Laura drove. It didn't take her long to realize that they were taking the same route that she and Kane had taken on their first 'date' to see icebergs. Shannon asked a myriad of questions, babbling to Lola and frequently reminding Tess and Stanley to stay away from the food.

"
I haven't been to the Dungeon in years. I'm so glad you thought of this, Laura. You sure you don't mind driving all this way?" Jill asked.