Page 23 of Stronger Than Love

“Liam? Oonagh?” Niall’s voice sounded in the kitchen.

Both of us froze, our eyes locking.

“You guys in here?” His footsteps moved to the corridor before he shouted for us upstairs.

Without a word, I lifted her top from the floor and tugged it over her head. Her lips were swollen and her cheeks flushed. There was nothing more I wanted than to finish what we started, but there was no lock on that door.

“Maybe they went down to Mr. Wilson’s?” Callum suggested. “Those two were always wandering off and talking gibberish. Your burgers are burning out there.”

If there was one thing that Callum understood, it was causing a distraction. He knew better than anyone that my emotions were raw and explosive tonight.

“I think we have something we need to talk about,” Oonagh said in a small voice.

Groaning, I slammed my fist into the wall. Anyone else would have jumped, but Oonagh lifted my fist and kissed it. “Please, Liam.”

There was that word that made me her slave every time she used it. I wanted to say no, to walk away and never look back, but her eyes were huge blue orbs that pleaded with me.

Fuck it all to hell, but how was I ever going to resist her?

***

Chapter Ten

Oonagh

My lips were pulsing and tingling where Liam had devoured me.

Holy moly! I’d tried over the years to forget him, even attempted a few relationships. The kisses never felt right and I’d never been able to have sex with any of them. A few times I’d managed to be naked, but that was when I froze, and it didn’t go any further. The most I could muster was a hand job before they left muttering and glaring at me.

Liam had ruined me for any man who came after him. Yet in his arms, every fear and phobia disintegrated until there was nothing but sensation.

The room was dark with only the moon shining through the window to illuminate my thoughts. Mum and Dad were coming down at the weekend, so there was only me alone in the house with Niall and Aoife. The noises from down the hall told me they’d made up after their tiff earlier.

Restless, I tossed one way and then the other until I couldn’t take it any longer. The beach always called me when I couldn’t sleep, the gentle lapping of the waves the perfect antidote to the demons that chased in the night.

So many summers I walked this lane to the beach that my feet knew the way on autopilot. There was a large rockthat sat up on the sand dunes to look over the ocean. It was my place to sit and think. Tucking my legs under me, I stared at the rhythmic undulation of the waves. The salty air coated the back of my tongue and the gentle sound soothed me.

Finally, my mind returned to the conversation with Liam and Callum earlier. My arms wrapped around my waist and I closed my eyes to listen to the waves.

He hadn’t abandoned me all those years ago. He’d never once forgotten about me. A tear escaped my closed eyelid to trickle down my face. Looking back with hindsight, we’d meant the world to each other. My vulnerabilities had allowed the poison of jealous words to erode into me and destroy what had mattered most to me.

I’d been a stupid fool.

My body stiffened as warm legs slid on either side of me, and strong arms encircled my waist. Liam’s head rested on my shoulder. “Couldn’t sleep?”

“Niall is ensuring that I’m mentally scarred.”

Liam’s deep chuckled washed over me.

There was nothing I needed or wanted to say in this moment. The ocean and Liam’s presence were a balm to my tormented soul. I closed my eyes and leaned back into his strength. Over the years I’d lost count of the number of times we sat together like this and watched the stars.

“We can’t lie on our mound anymore. Someone has built a house on it,” I muttered sleepily.

“Hmmm.” The sound vibrated from his chest along my spine.

“Imissed you…”

“Me too.”

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