The High Price of Secrets

Her lips felt like warm petals against his. While a clawing need deep inside him demanded he plunder their tender surface, a voice of reason warned him to hold back, to tease instead, to coax, and when her lips parted on a swift rush of warm breath, he took advantage. He gently sucked her lower lip between his, tentatively tracing his tongue along the tender inner edge.

The shudder that went through her body at his touch saw him step closer. Saw him wrap one arm around her waist, drawing her slender form against his strength, molding her against him. He deepened their kiss, his mind a fog of need and want, and yet beneath it all lay an overpowering urge to cherish.

Her arms snaked around his waist, her hands pressing flat against his back. Finn fought back a groan of satisfaction as her lips began to move against his, as her tongue boldly followed where his led. She tasted intoxicatingly sweet and he knew, even with this one kiss, he would be addicted forever.

He was shaking when he pulled away. Aware that what they’d shared wasn’t enough, would never be enough, but also aware that he didn’t want to frighten her away. He could sweep her off her feet…but he’d so much rather she come to him when she was ready.

The pupils of Tamsyn’s eyes all but consumed the dark velvet brown of her irises and her lips were slightly swollen from the intensity of their kiss.

“I…I need to go.”

“Yeah, I know.”

He took her by the hand again and led her through to the front entrance and to her car. He opened her door for her and watched as she settled herself behind the wheel. She reached out to pull the door closed and gave him a small wave before sending her car down the driveway. As Finn watched her taillights disappear down the hill, he wondered how, just a few days ago, he’d ever actually wanted to see her drive away.

* * *

Tamsyn could barely remember the short drive back to the cottage. Her emotions were in a crazy jumble It had been just a kiss. One normal everyday kiss between two consenting adults. So why had it left her feeling like this? How had a simple caress suddenly become so intense, so complicated, so layered with feeling?

Her entire body vibrated with sensation. When Finn had leaned forward to kiss her she’d expected it to be nice. Nice? She snorted in disgust with herself. She should have known a man like Finn didn’t do nice. No, he did earth-shattering, mind-blowing, skin-searing fantastic. Not once, with Trent, had she ever experienced a kiss like that. With Finn, her entire body had turned molten, her brain scrambled and then reassembled with one purpose in mind.

And then he’d pulled back. It had left her feeling way off kilter, suddenly fearful that perhaps he hadn’t felt the same way as she had. But she’d seen the turbulence in his eyes. Eyes that had darkened to the color of rainwashed slate. Her heart had thrilled to the knowledge that he wanted her with as much force and need as she wanted him. That knowledge, however ephemeral, was balm to her wounded soul.

It shocked Tamsyn to realize that if Finn had suggested they take their embrace further, she would have wholeheartedly thrown caution to the winds and let him take her to bed.

She pulled her car to a halt outside the garage, turned off the engine and sat in the dark, mulling over the enormity of what had happened between them. Where did they go from here? Did he want to take things further? They’d known each other only a few days and yet…

She started suddenly, a small scream erupting from her throat as a dark shape landed on the hood of her car.

“Lucy! You scared me half to death,” Tamsyn scolded as she got out of the car and scooped the cat up in her arms.

Lucy merely bunted Tamsyn’s chin with her head and began to purr loudly. Inside the house, Tamsyn made sure that the cat was fed and watered and went through to her bedroom. Her mind still raced and, despite all her activity in the garden this morning, she felt totally wired and ready to do something, anything, rather than go to sleep.

Anything? she thought to herself. How about Finn Gallagher?

She giggled, earning a quizzical look from Lucy, who, after completing her supper, had jumped up onto Tamsyn’s bed and begun grooming herself.

The chirp of her phone distracted her from her thoughts. Who could be ringing at this hour?

“Hello?” she answered cautiously.

“It’s me, Finn. I just wanted to check and see if you got home safely.”

Warmth spread through her body in response to his rich deep voice.

“I did, and thank you again for tonight. I enjoyed it.” She hesitated a moment before adding, “All of it.”

She could hear the smile on his lips as he answered. “Me, too. By the way, I still have your salad bowl. Okay if I drop that around to you tomorrow?”