Longing for Love (23 page)

“
So
over them it’s not even funny.” He buried his hand in her hair and tugged gently to tilt her face to receive his kiss. “How about you? Over him?”

“Definitely.”

“What went wrong between you guys?”

“Damned if I know. One minute, everything was fine, and seemingly the next minute, it wasn’t. I never have gotten him to tell me what changed for him.”

“That must’ve been painful for you.”

“It was at the time, but not so much anymore. I’ve accepted it. He stopped loving me. Big whoop. It happens.”

“You’re awfully matter-of-fact about it.”

She shrugged. “I know how guys can be. I learned that lesson early on.”

“What do you mean?”

“My dad left when I was three. I didn’t see him again until a year or so ago.”

“Wow, that must’ve been weird.”

“I guess.”

“What did he say? What did
you
say?”

“I don’t remember. I was so shocked to realize I was looking at the father I had no memory of, that my mind went totally blank.”

“I can’t imagine how that must’ve felt for you. He showed up totally out of the blue?”

She nodded. “My mom had contacted his sister about getting in touch with him.”

“How come?”

“Apparently, they never got divorced. Now she wants to marry Ned, so…”

“Are they getting divorced?”

“Not yet. He’s being a jerk about it. He wanted to spend time with me and Maddie before he’d agree to a divorce.”

“For real? He leaves you, what? Almost thirty years ago? And now he wants a family reunion?”

“Something like that.”

“Did you do it? Did you see him?”

“I spent an awkward hour with him for my mom. She deserves a chance to be happy.”

“So do you.” He punctuated the words with kisses to her face and lips. “You deserve to be happy.”

“Ashleigh makes me happy every day, and Thomas, and the rest of my family.”

“That’s not the kind of happy I mean.” As he spoke, he turned them so he was on top of her. He tipped his head and took her mouth in a fiercely possessive kiss.
 

“What kind of happy do you mean?”
 

He felt her coy smile against his lips. “This kind of happy.” Entering her in one swift flex of his hips, he stopped suddenly when she winced. “Oh God, sorry. Are you sore?”

“A little.”

When he would’ve withdrawn from her, she stopped him. “It’s okay. Just give me a minute.”

“Take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere.”
 

She curled her arms around his neck and brought him down to her for more of the amazing kisses he’d come to expect from her. The sense of connection was profound as he moved within her as their tongues tangled in a sweet, sensual dance. Her breasts pressing against his chest and the clutch of her internal muscles made him a little crazy, but he held back, waiting for her.

With a moan, she broke the kiss and squirmed under him. “Blaine…”

“Tell me.”

“I need…”

“What do you need?”

She clutched his back. “You. I need you.”

When she said those words, his slow fall became a rapid plummet as he gave her what they both wanted. He drove them higher, higher than he’d ever been with anyone, before the dam broke and flooded him with an intense desire to make her happy, to never disappoint her the way she’d been disappointed in the past, to protect her and her daughter, to keep her close. Always.
 

Jesus
, he thought.
Where did all that come from?
 

Drifting back down from the incredible high, he realized she was crying. “What, baby? Did I hurt you?”

“No. No.” Her hands on his backside kept him firmly embedded within her.

“Then what is it? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. For the first time in longer than I can remember, nothing is wrong.”

“Aww, Tiffany. You’re so sweet.”

“Thank you. Not just for this.” She squeezed his ass and got his motor running all over again. “But for making me see that it’s possible to be happy again. Even if this doesn’t go anywhere, it’s made me happy.”

“Good,” he said with a kiss. “That makes me happy, too.”

Her hands moved up his back in a caress that made him shiver. Then her fingers were combing through his hair, and he was overcome with yet another emotion that took him by surprise—contentment.

“You’ll be tired tomorrow,” she said.

“And you won’t?”

“I’m much younger than you are.”

Laughing, he took a nibble of her neck to pay her back for the insult. He couldn’t believe he was already raring to go again after coming harder than he ever had in his life. Just when he was about to do something with that lovely erection, the baby monitor on the bedside table crackled to life.

They stilled to listen.

“Mommy.” The single word was faint but clear.

Blaine withdrew from her, and she scrambled out of bed. He heard her rustling around in the closet, probably grabbing a robe, and then she shot out of the room. He fell back against the pillows, wondering if maybe he should get the heck out of there before her daughter caught him naked in her mother’s bed. The internal debate raged on for another minute before he heard the distinctive sound of vomiting.

Tiffany saw her daughter through two rounds of vomiting before the little girl fell asleep in her arms. She was burning up with a fever, too. Tiffany sat in the rocking chair in Ashleigh’s room, rocking her gently until she was sure Ashleigh was fully asleep. She got up slowly and transferred her to the bed.

“Is she okay?” Blaine whispered from the doorway.

In the glow of the nightlight, she could see that he’d pulled on his pants, but his chest was still bare and his hair adorably mussed.

“She is now, but she’s got a fever.”

“That came on suddenly.”

“Usually does.”

“Anything I can do for you?”

Tiffany shook her head. “I think she’s okay now.” She left the door open so she could hear Ashleigh if she was sick again.

“How about you?” When they were back in Tiffany’s room, Blaine put his arms around her. “Are you okay?”

“Yes.” She snuggled into his embrace, comforted by his presence. “Goes with the territory.”

“You’re a good mom, and she’s lucky to have you.”

“Thank you,” she said, arching into him. Apparently, she couldn’t be this close to him and not want him.

His lips were soft against her neck when he said, “Lie on the bed.”

Startled by the sudden command, she did as he directed and watched him kneel on the bed between her legs.

“I never get tired of seeing you like this.” He bent to run his tongue over the sensitive skin he’d shaved earlier.

Tiffany couldn’t believe how easily he took her mind off her sick child.

He continued to lick and tease until she was on the verge of yet another orgasm. When he drew her clitoris between his lips, he made her forget everything but the astonishing pleasure.

“I don’t know how you did that,” she said, still panting many minutes later.

“Did what?”

“I went from tending a sick child to
that
in less than ten minutes’ time.”

“My special gift,” he said with a sexy grin.

“You just wait. Revenge is a bitch.”

“Do your worst.”

“Oh, I will. As soon as I can move again.”

Hovering over her, he kissed her. “We both need some sleep, so I’m going to go.”

She looked up at him, memorizing every detail of his sexy dishevelment. “I wish you didn’t have to.”

“I wish I didn’t either, but if Ashleigh finds me here in the morning, that could cause you trouble with Jim.”

“I don’t care about him. It’s none of his business who I see. He made sure of that.”

“While I agree with you, I still don’t want to cause you any hassles.” He kissed her once more and got up to finish getting dressed. When he was ready, he leaned over the bed to kiss her again. “I’ll check on you in the morning.” Glancing at the clock, he added, “Later in the morning, I should say.”

“I’m glad you came over.”

“So am I. Tonight was…amazing.”

“Yes.” Tiffany wrapped her arms around his neck and took the lead in another kiss designed to ensure he continued to think about her all the time. When she finally let him go, he groaned, which made her smile with satisfaction.

“Witch,” he muttered as he stood to finish buttoning his shirt. “Sleep tight.”

“You, too.”

She heard him close the door downstairs and fell asleep a short time later with a smile on her face.

Chapter 14

Carolina sat in her dark living room for more than an hour after Joe and Janey went to bed. Somehow she’d managed to keep up the pretense that everything was fine in front of them even as she continued to absorb the shock about Seamus’s decision. Now it was after eleven, and she couldn’t wait any longer to find out if she was the reason he planned to leave.

She got up to grab a sweater and her car keys, praying the dogs wouldn’t bark and give her away. As she tiptoed to the front door, she almost laughed at the absurdity of sneaking out of her own home in the dark of night. Unfortunately, nothing about this situation was funny.

Riley appeared out of the darkness, dragging himself on his front paws.

Startled, Carolina stopped short. “Don’t worry, boy. Everything is fine.” She gave him a pat on the head and felt his intense stare on her back as she pulled the door closed behind her. Thank goodness dogs couldn’t talk.
 

As she started the car and backed out of the driveway, she expected Joe to come running out to see where she was going so late. Her heart beat rapidly as she pulled away from the house and released a sigh of relief. She’d gotten out undetected. Hopefully, she’d get back in the same way.

She drove into town and parked across the street from the Beachcomber. Praying she wouldn’t see anyone she knew on the way in, she snuck in the side door and bolted up two flights of stairs to the third floor room that Joe used to use. She’d offered up her home, but he’d preferred the room, as it was across the street from the ferry landing.

At the top of the stairs, she took a moment to gather herself and catch her breath. When she raised her arm to knock on the door, she noticed her hand was trembling. Regardless, she rapped on the door and then waited. And waited some more.

Great
, she thought.
He isn’t even here
. She wondered if he’d returned to the mainland. Dejected and still in bad need of answers she wouldn’t get now, she turned to find him standing in the hallway, staring at her. He seemed shocked to see her outside his room.

“Caro? What’re you doing here?”

As always, his lyrical Irish brogue made her a little light-headed. “I need to talk to you. Do you have a minute?”

He made a sound that might’ve been a laugh or a grunt. “For you, love? I think I can spare some time. Come in.”

He undid her every time he called her “love.” He made her want things she had no business wanting.

She followed him into the small room that seemed to get smaller after he closed the door, sealing them away from the rest of the world.

When he flipped on a light, she took a closer look at him. His green eyes were weary, and he seemed to have lost his sparkle since she last saw him. Was that her fault, too?

“Why did you quit?” she asked, breaking the charged silence.

Tipping his head, he eyed her with a combination of amusement and trepidation. “You know why.”

“You can’t do this! You love that job. Isn’t that what you said?”

“’Tis indeed what I said. I do love it.”

“Then
why
?”

“Caro…” He ran his fingers through wavy auburn hair, over and over until it stood on end. “Do I really have to spell it out for ya?”

Her stomach began to hurt as she took in his tortured expression. “I guess you do.”

“I’m
in love
with you. If I can’t have you, I can’t be here. ’Tis that simple.”

She shook her head and held up her hands, as if to protect herself from the surge of longing his words inspired in her. “You… We… We spent
one
night together. How in the world did you turn that into
love
?”
 

“Damned if I know. Some things just
are
. There’s no explaining them.”

“Seamus, please. You can’t do this to Joe when the baby is due so soon.”

His amiable expression hardened. “’Tis all about poor Joe, isn’t it?
Poor
Joe will find someone else. No one is irreplaceable. Especially me.”

Carolina realized she’d said the worst possible thing by pleading Joe’s case. After all, Joe was the primary reason she’d kept her distance from Seamus in the first place.