Moira Kelly would have none of
them with their weak natures. She wanted a real man, her equal."
"Since
you're here, she obviously got what she wished for."
"Eventually.
Seamus McKenna came to her rescue at a desperate time." Keelin remembered
the tale her grandmother had repeated both with sadness and joy many times
through the years. "A child Gran tried to heal died. There was no helping
it, for the parents waited too long and expected a miracle. The fever took the
lad. But the family blamed Moira, came after her, determined to burn the witch
in her enchanted cottage."
"But
Seamus stopped them."
Keelin nodded.
"A tinker by trade, he lived on the road in a caravan and made his way by fixing
tools and such for people. He was repairing a drying rack in the herb shed when
trouble arrived. He protected Moira with his own life and so won her heart.
She, in turn, tamed a bit of the wildness in him, enough to convince him to
settle down with her."
"Sounds
like a fairy tale."
"My
family is from Éire, after all," Keelin said with a grin. How good it felt
to smile. To feel days of tension drain from her, if only for a short while.
"A land of many wondrous tales."
"You'll
have to tell me more."
He made it
sound as if she would be around for an indefinite period. As if he was suddenly
enjoying her company. And despite the many heated words that had passed between
them, despite the distrust that still lingered like a dark shadow in the
background, she found the idea of spending some peaceful time with Tyler oddly
appealing.
"Sometime,
perhaps," she said softly. "But at the moment, I fear I am talked
out."
Before she
knew what he was about, Tyler cupped her chin in his hand and tilted her face
to his. Though he held her gently, she could feel the imprint of each finger.
Her breathing near stopped. His pale blue eyes seemed to take in every detail
of her features. And the longer he took, the harder her heart thudded.
And for a
moment, she lost it.
Sense.
Purpose.
Everything but
the need to give and take comfort.
He lowered his
head a fraction, found Keelin's mouth. She opened to him, invited him in.
Fiercely, he entered, and she felt as if his frustration with his powerlessness
battered her. But she was stronger than she'd implied. She seized his demons
and matched them with a potency of her own.
For a long,
long moment, they lost themselves to each other. Male to female. Strength to
softness. Determination to compassion. She had never felt so lost in a simple
kiss.
A low moan
shuddered through her. She pressed closer, her body flamed with wanting...
And then she
came to her senses, remembered what she should be about.
She broke the
kiss.
When he raised
his head, Tyler appeared as astonished as she. And even more flustered. But
though her fingers worked against the muscles of his arm, she made no immediate
move away from him. Instead, she waited, her gaze twined with his, anxious to
see what he would do, to hear what he would say to her, now that their alliance
had taken a new twist.
Seeming in
some quandary, Tyler sat frozen for a moment, his tension clear. Then he took a
deep breath. Carefully backed off, a neutral move that put some distance
between them without offending.
"You look
exhausted," he said sympathetically.
So he was
going to avoid talking about what just happened. Too bad she couldn't ignore
the feel of his mouth that lingered against hers.
"Tis the
jet lag." And the dreams . She
couldn't remember her last full night's sleep.
"Maybe
you'd like to freshen up and rest until dinner. We can continue going through
Cheryl's things afterward."
A sensible
suggestion. "A short rest would be grand." If truth be told, Keelin
felt as if she could sleep for hours and hours. And she definitely needed time alone,
away from Tyler to regain her bearings. A sudden thought occurred to her. She
eyed him warily. "And who will be doing the cooking?"
Tyler laughed
as he rose to his feet. "Don't fret. Mrs. Hague –
them with their weak natures. She wanted a real man, her equal."
"Since
you're here, she obviously got what she wished for."
"Eventually.
Seamus McKenna came to her rescue at a desperate time." Keelin remembered
the tale her grandmother had repeated both with sadness and joy many times
through the years. "A child Gran tried to heal died. There was no helping
it, for the parents waited too long and expected a miracle. The fever took the
lad. But the family blamed Moira, came after her, determined to burn the witch
in her enchanted cottage."
"But
Seamus stopped them."
Keelin nodded.
"A tinker by trade, he lived on the road in a caravan and made his way by fixing
tools and such for people. He was repairing a drying rack in the herb shed when
trouble arrived. He protected Moira with his own life and so won her heart.
She, in turn, tamed a bit of the wildness in him, enough to convince him to
settle down with her."
"Sounds
like a fairy tale."
"My
family is from Éire, after all," Keelin said with a grin. How good it felt
to smile. To feel days of tension drain from her, if only for a short while.
"A land of many wondrous tales."
"You'll
have to tell me more."
He made it
sound as if she would be around for an indefinite period. As if he was suddenly
enjoying her company. And despite the many heated words that had passed between
them, despite the distrust that still lingered like a dark shadow in the
background, she found the idea of spending some peaceful time with Tyler oddly
appealing.
"Sometime,
perhaps," she said softly. "But at the moment, I fear I am talked
out."
Before she
knew what he was about, Tyler cupped her chin in his hand and tilted her face
to his. Though he held her gently, she could feel the imprint of each finger.
Her breathing near stopped. His pale blue eyes seemed to take in every detail
of her features. And the longer he took, the harder her heart thudded.
And for a
moment, she lost it.
Sense.
Purpose.
Everything but
the need to give and take comfort.
He lowered his
head a fraction, found Keelin's mouth. She opened to him, invited him in.
Fiercely, he entered, and she felt as if his frustration with his powerlessness
battered her. But she was stronger than she'd implied. She seized his demons
and matched them with a potency of her own.
For a long,
long moment, they lost themselves to each other. Male to female. Strength to
softness. Determination to compassion. She had never felt so lost in a simple
kiss.
A low moan
shuddered through her. She pressed closer, her body flamed with wanting...
And then she
came to her senses, remembered what she should be about.
She broke the
kiss.
When he raised
his head, Tyler appeared as astonished as she. And even more flustered. But
though her fingers worked against the muscles of his arm, she made no immediate
move away from him. Instead, she waited, her gaze twined with his, anxious to
see what he would do, to hear what he would say to her, now that their alliance
had taken a new twist.
Seeming in
some quandary, Tyler sat frozen for a moment, his tension clear. Then he took a
deep breath. Carefully backed off, a neutral move that put some distance
between them without offending.
"You look
exhausted," he said sympathetically.
So he was
going to avoid talking about what just happened. Too bad she couldn't ignore
the feel of his mouth that lingered against hers.
"Tis the
jet lag." And the dreams . She
couldn't remember her last full night's sleep.
"Maybe
you'd like to freshen up and rest until dinner. We can continue going through
Cheryl's things afterward."
A sensible
suggestion. "A short rest would be grand." If truth be told, Keelin
felt as if she could sleep for hours and hours. And she definitely needed time alone,
away from Tyler to regain her bearings. A sudden thought occurred to her. She
eyed him warily. "And who will be doing the cooking?"
Tyler laughed
as he rose to his feet. "Don't fret. Mrs. Hague –
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