“I’m not even hungry anymore.”
“Maybe if we just rest a bit we’ll regain our appetite,” he said.
“For sex or food?” she asked, looking up at him.
“Sex. And then maybe food.”
“Or food and then sex,” she suggested.
“So you’re hungry?”
“Famished,” she said.
“Then I think we’d better take care of that right away.”
BETWEEN THE SEX and the food, Nan wasn’t sure that there was anything else in the world she required at the moment. After an hour of lying in bed, recovering from their rather impetuous encounter, Riley decided he needed nourishment.
They laid out an erotic picnic in the middle of Nan’s bed, the tangled sheets serving as their table linens. Nan prepared two bowls with the pasta and sauce and Riley opened the wine and filled two coffee mugs.
Sex had always been such a nerve-racking experience in the past. She’d always wondered if she was doing everything she was supposed to do, whether she was pleasing the man she was with. But with Riley, there were no questions. It all felt perfectly natural.
Was this normal? Nan wondered. Had those others simply been the wrong person at the wrong time? Or had her inhibitions held her back from really enjoying herself?
“This is really good,” he said, twirling the spaghetti around his fork.
“It’s not,” she said. “I’m not much of a cook. Pasta is the limit of my gourmet skills. But if you add enough Parmesan cheese, anything tastes good.”
“We don’t serve pasta at the pub. We’re meat-and-potatoes kind of guys.”
“Meat and potatoes and more potatoes,” she said.
“Yeah, well, if you can’t decide what kind of potato you’d like with your meal, we give you three choices on the plate.” He pointed to a basket near her foot. “Can I have more of that bread?”
“I was going to make garlic bread, but I thought it best to leave off the garlic.” She sent him a coy smile. “I thought we might be doing some kissing.”
“And heavy breathing,” he said.
Riley set his bowl down and reached out to grab her foot, gently massaging it. “I thought this was going to happen, but I didn’t think it would be quite so…intense.”
Nan breathed a silent sigh of relief. He’d been pleased. The five lovers she’d had in her life hadn’t been particularly adventuresome when it came to sex. But she’d decided before Riley arrived that she wasn’t going to let anything that happened in the past get in the way of what she wanted with him.
Now that their first time was over, she felt like a different woman. With Riley, she was free to explore her desires. He didn’t know her well enough to judge her or to question her experience.
“It was good,” she said, unable to suppress a smile.
He kissed the arch of her foot. “I love to see you smile.”
“I’m happy,” she said. “I’m having a very good vacation.”
“We haven’t talked about your snapshot. Did you decide what you wanted to do?”
“I haven’t thought about it,” she said. “I came here looking for my mother, but I think I’m finding myself instead.”
He met her gaze with a serious expression. “Really?”
“So much of who we become as adults has to do with our parents. I don’t remember much of my mother so sometimes I feel like I don’t really know how to be a woman. I know it doesn’t make sense because I am a woman. But there are pieces missing. And I’m not sure what they are.”
“I don’t understand,” he said.
Nan looked at him for a long moment, her brow furrowed, wondering if she was ready to reveal something so intimate. “Sex, for one. I’ve had lovers, but I never really felt anything. I knew how it worked, but it didn’t really make sense. Until now.”
“And what did you feel?”
“Free,” she said. “Completely free. I didn’t have to think, I just felt. And it was perfect. I know it sounds silly, but it’s important. And a bit unexpected.”
“I’m glad I could be of service,” he said, a teasing smile curling the corners of his mouth. He leaned over and kissed her breast. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Well, I am. Sure, that is. I’m absolutely certain that I want to spend the next eight days and nights in this cottage with you.”
“Don’t you have to work?”
“My brothers and cousin will cover the shifts at the pub. I have to sing on Saturday night, but you can come along for that. I’m completely yours. So, what should we do for your third day in Ireland? And please note, that spending the day in bed would be my number-one choice.”
“I think we should plan to sleep in tomorrow morning,” she said. “And then we should find a wonderful place for lunch and see something interesting.”
“We have food in the refrigerator and I think your body is very interesting.”
“I’m not spending the whole day in bed,” she said. “I’m supposed to go see things and do things. I have it all planned out.”
“And what were you supposed to be doing tonight?”
“A stroll through Ballykirk, exploring the harbor and then dinner at a picturesque Irish pub.”
“Yet, this is so much better,” he said. “Naked Italian picnic followed by incredible sex with a handsome Irish bloke.”
“I didn’t come here for sex,” Nan said. In truth, she’d expected her vacation to be interesting and illuminating. But this had completely exceeded expectations.
He handed her his mug. “All right, then we’ll stop doing this. Full stop. Right now.” He crawled out of bed and began to gather their clothes. “We’d best get dressed or the temptation might become too much to deny.”
“No,” Nan protested. “Come back to bed.”
With a satisfied smile, he flopped back down on the bed and continued to massage her foot. “Well, I’m glad we’ve gotten that out of the way, aren’t you?”
“You think you’re all that, don’t you,” Nan teased. “Why do I get the feeling you’ve always had your way with girls and I’m just another name on the list?”
His expression clouded over and he sat up and grabbed his empty bowl and his mug of wine, placing them on the floor beside the bed. Bracing his hands on either side of her body, he leaned forward, his lips just inches from hers.
“You are unlike any other woman I’ve known, Nan Galvin,” he said. “And if you think I’m taking this lightly, you’re quite mistaken.”
A tremor raced through her. His words were so direct, so heartfelt, that Nan had no choice but to believe them. And yet, she knew Riley was an accomplished flirt. Men like him could make a woman believe anything.
“And what will you do when I leave?” she murmured.
“You haven’t left yet. And I expect I’ll deal with that when you do.” Riley held out his hand. “Give me that bowl. And your mug.”
“Why?” she asked, holding the bowl just out of his reach. “I’m not sharing. I’m still hungry.”
“Trust me. This will be better than pasta.”
She handed him the bowl and mug and he set it on the bedside table. Then, he reached out and pulled her naked body beneath his, their limbs tangling in the sheets. “Time for dessert,” he said with a low growl. He kissed her, a long, lingering kiss meant to provoke her passion.
“This is supposed to be better than my pasta?” she laughed. “Oh, please. I’ve had stale brownies out of a vending machine that were tastier.”
“You eat brownies?” He frowned. “How does one-”
“Not brownies, like elves,” she explained. “Brownies are little squares of chocolate cake, only better than
