Page 37 of Harbor Lights (Inishderry Island Romances #3)

TWENTY-FIVE

Con took Shiv’s warm hand as they walked carefully down the dark lawn toward the cottage at the water’s edge. The storm had passed and the stars spread like a blanket above them.

She stopped to stare up in wonder. “My throat hurts.”

“I’m not surprised. You didn’t have to try and keep up with Tierney.”

She could feel Shiv watching her as she stared up at the points of light. “We had a duty to keep that shrieking woman off the stage.”

“She was pretty terrible.”

Shiv’s hand was still in hers, and the sensation of her thumb running over the back of her knuckles almost made her shudder. Every nerve was on high alert. She just wanted to drag Shiv into the cottage and tear off all of their clothes.

So, what was stopping her? Why was she still standing on the lawn, staring up at the stars, when she’d been waiting for this moment all evening?

She knew exactly why, if she probed deeply enough.

There were too many questions. Doubts. Not about how much she wanted Shiv, but whether she was up to it.

What if she’d forgotten how to do this? What if Shiv didn’t like her so much, out of her tailored clothes and naked?

And what if when Shiv got what she wanted, she walked away?

She forced her gaze away from the heavens and back to Shiv waiting patiently with gentle eyes. There was nothing to fear here. She was safe with Shiv. She knew that in her soul, but the treacherous voice in her head kept up with the stream of questions.

Shiv squeezed her fingers. “Hey, let’s go inside. I’ll make tea. We can talk. It doesn’t need to be anything more. Not if you don’t want to.”

“I do… want it. You. I want you.”

She leaned in and touched her lips to Shiv’s. Then it all disappeared. The voices fell silent, and she knew she was where she should be, kissing Shiv under a starry sky.

Shiv was the first to pull back, and Con blinked to clear her thoughts, which had turned to mush.

“The cottage is ten steps away. I think we can make it.” Shiv slid an arm around her waist and pulled them both toward the subdued light glowing to show the entrance.

Con wanted to drag her feet and make this moment of anticipation last forever. She also wanted to get inside and take Shiv to bed. They took the last few steps at a half run. Shiv closed the door and leaned back against it.

“Are you sure? We can talk for a while?”

“Are you fucking kidding? I haven’t been able to think about anything else for the past twelve hours. I want you.”

She grasped the back of Shiv’s neck and closed the gap between them.

Shiv’s hands landed on her hips, and as their kiss deepened, they slid up her ribs. She froze when Shiv cupped her breasts.

Shiv pulled back a little and lowered her hands. “Sorry.” Her words tickled Con’s cheek. “We’ll do this at your speed. You’re just so… irresistible.”

Con captured her lips again to stop her talking.

That wasn’t a word she associated with herself, more like invisible.

But hearing it from Shiv warmed her chest, as well as other parts of her anatomy, and she pushed her back against the door and explored her with her tongue.

Shiv’s submissive acceptance of her assault on her mouth was turning her on no end.

The tremors in the slim body trapped by her own suggested Shiv was fighting to restrain herself.

More than desire spread through Con’s body and she cursed the menopause for intruding on this moment. She pulled away to shrug off her coat, and pulled off Shiv’s new parka, too, throwing them both in a heap in the corner.

She dragged Shiv through the living area, where the fire burned low, and through to the bedroom.

The fire hadn’t warmed this room and for that she was grateful.

She had enough of a furnace blazing to keep them both warm.

She tried to kick off her shoes, but they were laced tight.

Shiv grinned and dropped to her knees. She unlaced them quickly and lifted out Con’s feet one by one.

Con’s knees went weak, so she sat on the edge of the bed and tried to pull Shiv up to join her.

But Shiv resisted and stayed kneeling between her legs.

She put her arms around Con’s neck. “Kiss me again.” Her voice was hoarse.

Con leaned in and kissed her hard, running her hands over Shiv’s lean torso until she settled on the buttons to Shiv’s shirt.

She fumbled with them as she ran her tongue around Shiv’s mouth.

When Shiv sucked on her tongue, she pulled back from her grip, trying to get her breath.

Shiv’s fingers joined her in undoing the remaining buttons, until, finally, she pushed the flannel back over Shiv’s angular shoulders.

She wore nothing underneath and Con took in her prominent collarbones and lowered her gaze to the small breasts and rock-hard nipples.

Con put her hands around Shiv’s waist and lifted her to standing, bringing her breast to just above the reach of her mouth. She kissed her flat, hard, stomach, reveling in the gasp that escaped Shiv’s lungs.

She unbuckled the heavy belt and Shiv’s jeans hung on her hips. She was so slight there were no curves, apart from the cute breasts just out of Con’s reach. She wanted to take those nipples in her teeth and test their sensitivity.

She pulled on the jeans, and they slid down over Shiv’s ass, her boxers sliding partway down, too, to reveal a line of dark hair. Con lowered the kisses down to the edge of the boxers and Shiv sucked in a breath, her fingers entangling in Con’s hair.

Con inhaled the scent of her. She wanted her naked, so she could explore her with her tongue.

She yanked the jeans and underwear the rest of the way down, but before she could admire the sight she’d revealed, Shiv used the grip on her hair to tilt her head back.

She stared up at Shiv. Pink bloomed on her usually pale cheekbones and her pupils almost obscured the tawny irises.

“Don’t you want to get more… comfortable before we get carried away?”

Shiv had a point. Con looked down at her cashmere sweater.

She edged Shiv away a fraction. She didn’t want her too far.

Impatiently, she pulled off her sweater and tossed it at the foot of the bed, leaving her shirt in place.

Shiv unbuttoned Con’s corduroy pants, and she shucked them off, too, not caring that they fell in a heap on the floor.

When she sat back on the bed, Shiv straddled her, pushing her back gently as she lowered.

As they kissed again, Con enjoyed the weight of Shiv’s body on her own.

Shiv’s naked body . Her core twitched. She wished she’d been brave enough to strip completely now, as Shiv moved up her body, her heat burning through the fabric of Con’s underwear.

“Is this where you want me?” Shiv growled, her eyes glinting.

“Not quite, but it’s a start.” Con pulled her down and kissed her until she was breathless.

It was exciting to have this effect on another person, especially one as hot as Shiv.

She ran her hands over all the skin she could reach, cupping her butt cheeks and squeezing until Shiv groaned.

She steered her upward until she had shuffled forward to hover directly over Con’s face.

She stared up at Shiv’s folds, slick with her juices.

She looked delicious. Con couldn’t wait any longer and pulled Shiv to her mouth, running her tongue from one end of her to the other.

Her whole body exploded with sensation. She’d been feeling a long-lost ache down below for some time since she’d got to know Shiv.

But this was the kind of passion she could barely remember, even from her student days.

She’d believed her body far past this kind of reaction, but now she was considering sliding one of her hands down to satisfy her own need while she focused on Shiv’s pleasure.

She gave another pass with her tongue and Shiv gasped.

Then she pulled her down tight against her face and fucked her with her tongue.

Another groan and the wooden headboard behind her shook as Shiv held on.

Good, because Con intended to make love to her until she couldn’t support herself.

She built up a rhythm, matched by the throaty noises coming from above.

“Oh, fuck, Con, that’s so… ” was what she thought she heard.

But Shiv’s strong thighs were now clamped so tight to her head it was a little muffled.

She didn’t need to hear, or to see. There was no room for any other senses than the feel of her tongue inside Shiv, her walls clenching around the muscle. She could do this all night.

Something tickled her nose, and she realized Shiv’s hand had joined her and a finger was circling her clit.

Con reached up and pulled the hand away.

“I need… ” Shiv gasped.

Con thrust hard twice more, then she moved up and sucked hard on Shiv’s clit. The reaction was immediate, and Shiv bucked against her, letting out a strangled cry.

“I love you, Con.”

Her knees were so tight against Con’s head she wasn’t sure she’d heard right. She let up, but kept her mouth in place, breathing hot air over Shiv’s sensitive skin.

Eventually, Shiv’s grip on her head loosened and she collapsed onto the bed beside her.

Con turned on her side and a smile spread as she observed Shiv, undone and unguarded, her breath still coming raggedly and a look of pure bliss draped across her face.

“Wow. That was worth waiting for.”

Con sighed. “It was indeed.” She pulled Shiv close, unwilling to lose the intimacy.

Shiv resisted. “First, you need to get out of your clothes.”

She froze. Being in bed with Shiv was one thing, but revealing herself fully—her body permanently changed by menopause and unhealthy living habits—to another person felt like too much. She shouldn’t have started this. It had been bound to lead to something she was uncomfortable with.

Shiv kissed her gently, down her face and neck, to where her skin was covered. She pulled back the collar of the shirt, unbuttoning the button before kissing a little way further.

Con shivered. She wanted to let go.

“Trust me,” Shiv whispered in her ear, before gripping the lobe gently in her teeth. Con’s body thrummed and she relaxed, allowing Shiv to unbutton her shirt. She did trust Shiv, and she could stop this any time she wanted. But she didn’t want it to end.

Shiv gently rolled Con onto her back as she undid the last of the buttons and helped her to lose the shirt. Shiv kissed her then, pulled her in tight and ran her hands over Con’s bare skin. It felt so good. She hadn’t had such an intimate touch for so many years, it almost made her want to cry.

Shiv’s hands paused on the tight band of her compression top. She pulled back from the kiss and touched her forehead to Con’s. “Are you good?”

“Oh, God, so good.” Her voice sounded like a groan to her ears.

Shiv’s warm fingers slid under the top and stretched it wide to lift it easily over Con’s head.

She ignored the urge to cover up and allowed Shiv to push her back to the bed as her hands and lips left a trail of fire across Con’s body.

She needed more, and she put her hands over Shiv’s and pushed them down to the waistband of her underwear.

Shiv complied eagerly, and the boxers joined her other clothes on the floor.

Con felt vulnerable now, as Shiv lifted on her arms and took in the full view of her naked body.

“You’re one fucking sexy woman.” Shiv’s groan of appreciation echoed throughout Con’s sensitized body.

Shiv spread her legs and kneeled between them, her eyes still roving down Con’s body. She took both of her breasts in her hands and ran thumbs over her nipples. Con felt it between her legs. She wanted Shiv to touch her there; she’d waited long enough. Her hips bucked unintentionally.

“Hey, cowboy. We’re getting there.” Shiv’s whispered chuckle just turned her on all the more.

She took Shiv’s hand from her breast and sucked two fingers into her mouth, her eyes never leaving Shiv’s, which widened.

Shiv smiled her acknowledgment and lowered the wet fingers down Con’s neck, across the curve of her breast and down to her hip, leaving a cool trail on her hot body.

The finger followed the crease of her leg, skirted the hair she’d hastily trimmed in the shower earlier, and dipped lower.

Con groaned and tipped her hips again. “I need you now.”

Surely she’d never needed anything like she needed Shiv inside her.

Shiv took her time to lower her fingers into Con’s heat.

“You’re wet,” she murmured, and dipped her head to take a nipple between her teeth.

Con gasped and reached down to Shiv’s hand and held it tight to herself. The relief from the torture was bliss. It felt like perfection, like suddenly becoming whole.

Shiv moved against her, and Con rode the contact, riding the wave higher until she ground herself into Shiv’s palm with a groan that was almost a shout.

It continued to build, and Shiv’s fingers teased until Con thought the rapture would never end.

She finally pulled back, unable to take a moment more before she combusted.

Shiv kissed her neck and nuzzled her ear. “You’re so fucking hot.”

The thundering of her heart slowed, and she reached out to pull Shiv on top of her. “You’re not bad yourself.”

They kissed until a shiver ran through Con as her body finally returned to a normal temperature. Shiv pulled the covers up around them both and settled herself on Con’s chest, one leg slung over her.

Then Con, who hadn’t slept next to another human body in over a decade, pulled her even closer and listened to her breathing slow, as she replayed the wonder of the evening, until her own thoughts scattered, and she let sleep take her.