James rubs his stethoscope on his robes moving to put it down the front of Niamh’s robes.
‘No!’
‘But—’
‘No,’ I insist. ‘She can hold it herself, or I’ll do it.’ Niamh makes a face at him and laughs. Sensibly, James doesn’t.
Niamh turns to me, and although I can see that she needs to rest, she puts one hand on either side of my face.
‘He’s my doctor, Cillian. You will let him do what he needs to do without him having to worry about you losing your temper.’
I frown as James keeps his gaze firmly on his stethoscope, then finally I nod.
‘Fine, but I’m taking you upstairs right after this and only calling him in an emergency.’
‘Okay,’ she says. I don’t miss her rolling her eyes at James, wisely he doesn’t respond.
I fold my arms as I watch James listen to her back and then her chest. Smiling when I see his hands trembling.
‘She’s as well as can be expected,’ he announces finally. ‘Get some rest and I’ll check you over again in the morning.’
He’s barely finished speaking when I scoop her up into my arms.
‘Keep everyone working in the other building as much as possible today.’
I ignore James’s laughter and march through the monastery to her bedroom, kicking the door closed behind us before I finally put Niamh down.
‘Cillian,’ she whimpers, as I hold her way too tight, rocking her against me, reassuring myself that she’s still here, that she’s breathing again, alive again. I let her go a fraction, only to thread my fingers through her hair, holding her head in place so that I can kiss her. She kisses me back just as desperately, and finally I accept that she really is all right.
‘I want you. I need you,’ I say. ‘Vittoria knows it’s over.’
‘Good. Then I want you, too,’ she whispers, her smile still a little shy. I search her face for any sign that she’s not okay. But she seems to be fine.
‘I thought I’d lost you,’ I say, as I grab hold of her robes and pull them over her head. ‘Let me see you.’
She pauses for a moment and bites her lip. I look around, and deciding to play safe, I draw the curtains, and make sure there are no reflective surfaces in the room. Satisfied, I look back at her. She’s toed off her shoes and is waiting for me, her hands on the waistband of her shorts. I watch as she pushes them down her long, toned legs, then steps out of them.
She takes hold of the hem of her T-shirt, then with a deep breath she pulls it up and over her head, dropping it to the floor at her side. She’s not wearing a bra, but she immediately covers her breasts with her arms, and turns her head to the side.
‘Look at me, Niamh,’ I say. ‘You’re beautiful, don’t cover yourself.’
It’s almost painful to watch as she slowly drops her arms. As soon as she does, I move closer, running my hands over her body, feeling her soft, smooth skin beneath me. I pull her to me, angling her face to mine and kissing her slowly. She deepens the kiss as our tongues tangle together, greedily devouring each other more and more. I circle her nipple with my thumb, teasing it as it puckers beneath my touch. I pinch it hard and she cries out at the pain. Breaking the kiss, I bend to blow gently on it, before I run my tongue over and begin to suck. First one nipple, then the other.
I bite again, quickly soothing it with my tongue. ‘Don’t… please… again…’ Her back arches and she sighs.
I want more from her, but once I start, I know I won’t stop.
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes.’
‘And you feel all right?’
‘Better than all right. I feel… different somehow. But in a good way,’ she adds when I’m about to step back. ‘I want this.Please. I need this.’
Teasingly slowly, she pulls her white cotton panties down, and I moan as I see the dark hair that forms a small triangle between her legs. Her confidence grows under my approving eye, and she drapes her arms around my neck, making no attempt to cover herself. I kiss her again and again, desperate to show her how sorry I am for leaving, and she pulls my shirt from my waistband, undoing the buttons with nimble fingers. She discards it on the floor as she runs her hands down my taut back, her fingers seeking to touch every part of me.
‘Should we?—’
