Page 56 of Beer & Broomsticks

It gave her the courage to step forward and into the arms he raised to hold her. Barefoot as she was, the top of her head only came to his chin, and he lifted her to make their lips align. She needed no encouragement to wrap her legs around his waist or to weave her fingers into his shaggy blond hair.

With a slight tug, she tilted his head back to kiss the line of his strong jaw and nip his chin.

“You’ve become bitey,” he teased. “I like it.”

“Good because I intend to bite you in all the proper places.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She emphasized the point by lightly biting the column of his neck then tracing the spot with her tongue.

“Mmm, that’s a grand place to start,mo ghrá.”

He walked with her to the bed, and using one arm to brace their weight and one arm to secure her against him, he lowered them on to the mattress. For the longest moment, he stared down at her, his eyes touching on every part of her face as if he intended to memorize every square inch.

Embarrassed by the scrutiny, she sandwiched his face between her palms. “It’s time to get to the snoggin’ part, love. You definitely excel at that.”

His wicked laugh curled her toes. “I excel at all the parts, Bridg. Or so I’ve been told.”

“I swear, if you bring up that minger’s name—”

He covered her mouth with his, slipping his tongue inside to steal the vinegar from her words, turning her sweet once more. As their kiss grew heated, she became familiar with this new lover, and he tasted of broken dreams and future promises. Passion and caring. He tasted of pure Ruairí, her first and only love.

His capable hands trailed up her ribcage, careful to apply the right amount of pressure to avoid triggering her giggles. Of course, he’d remember how ticklish she was, of the time when they’d first made out and how their necking session ended abruptly with her full-blown gales of laughter. A woman’s hilarity during hot and heavy petting tended to ruin the mood for most men. But he’d taken it in stride, never becoming angry as some men might, but he’d never tickled her again—unless it was intended.

She smiled at the memory.

Ruairí took his time exploring her breasts, tasting, teasing with his mouth and hands. Taking one beaded nipple into his mouth, he moaned in his pleasure, and she reveled in the sound, echoing her agreement. He’d once told her he could spend hours tasting her skin, suckling her breasts. And she always let him until he drove her mad with desire and her passion became too much, as was happening now.

Drawing his head up, she kissed him more fully, impatient for him to be buried deep inside her to wait any longer. And when he gave in to her unrelenting need and stroked her core, she surged upward and rubbed against the palm of his hand. Sitting back on his knees, he spread her legs wide and used the head of his penis to caress her folds, running the tip up and down until her body wept with her hunger for him.

Ruairí bent and touched his tongue to her, sweeping it along her opening and stopping only when he touched her clit. When she arched into him, she could feel his lips curl into a smile as he sucked on the tiny bud.

She cried out in her pleasure, greedy for more.

And he gave it to her. Fingers, tongue, penis, whatever she demanded in every way she demanded until she was mindless. Using her feet to propel her lower half up, she met each of his forceful thrusts with a moan and a plea for more.

She wanted to tell him she loved him, but she held back, afraid to expose that part of herself. And when she looked up into his loving eyes, she couldn’t look away.

“Come for me,mo ghrá.Comewithme.”

No further coaxing was needed, and she threw her head back as she cried out. He pumped harder for a few more seconds then shouted her name as he crested the wave with her.

As their bodies cooled and their hearts returned to a normal rhythm, she lay beside him holding hands and waited for the magic to sweep through her.

And waited.

And waited some more…

“It didn’t happen.”Disappointment rode her harder than Ruairí had ten minutes before.

His blond head came off the pillow, and he lifted up to rest on one arm, staring down at her in horror. “You didn’t come?”

“What?”

“Get off. You didn’t get off?”

“Oh!”She laughed. “Of course I did. How could you not tell?”

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