To Love A Wild Irishman

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

Cassandra was fuming with anger and also disappointment as she stripped from her shoes and dress and stood before the full length, gilded mirror in her underclothes. What did whiskey and gambling have that she did not?

She would be damned if she knew.

She was a beautiful woman, she'd heard it enough in her life to know it must be true. Her aunt and mother had let her know many times that she had the type of body that many men desired. She was long and soft with curves in all the right places so why did Finnegan seem to find her so easy to resist at times?

Snorting at her own foolishness, Cassandra was about to strip from her underclothes when a knock came upon the door. "Little Cass, Little Cass, let me in," Finnegan called from the other side.

I'm in no mood for your games, Finnegan," Cassandra warned, cursing the smile that tried desperately to curve her lips. Apparently her resolve was weak when it came to Finnegan Callahan.

"I'll simply pick the lock again if ya refuse, Little Cass. I need to speak with ya and this is my room too, remember."

Cassandra could hear the determination in his voice and knew that he was speaking the truth. If she did not simply open the door then he would pick the lock.

Cassandra rolled her eyes and stomped to the door. She threw it open feeling angry and aggravated. "What could you possibly have to say—" Cassandra's voice was cut off when she saw the hunger on Finnegan's face. Gone was any boyish charm and in its place was the look of a man who knew what he wanted and had that desire in his sights.

"Not a thing," he whispered, his voice deep and almost pained.

Cassandra was going to reply but Finnegan leapt upon her then and she lost all ties with both sense and reason. Their lips joined in a fiery union that stole Cassandra's breath and had Finnegan growling in the back of his throat as he kicked backward and closed the door behind him.

Cassandra knew she should push him away. She knew what this kiss was going to lead to and after his stunt in the alley she knew she shouldn't give in to him. Not when he had proven out there what really mattered to him.......

Finnegan's hand traveled gently up her waist and Cassandra lost her train of thought, lost all ability to think, as his thumb brushed against her breast through her thin underclothes.

Instantly her body tightened and it was clear that Finnegan noticed as he ran his thumb across her swollen breast and hard peaked nipple and his mouth curved into a smile against hers. "Little Cass..." he whispered as his mouth moved to her ear, "Ya are the best thing that's ever happened to an Irishman like me. I want to kiss ya," his lips went to her neck. "Taste ya," his tongue flicked against her heated skin and Cassandra would have fallen if not for his strong arms closing tight around her waist.

"I won't come second to gambling," she somehow managed to whisper, though her voice sounded throaty and not quite her own.

Finnegan raised the hand that was not caressing her breast and sending her into mindless oblivion, and laid it gently against her cheek. "You come second to nothin', Little Cass. I am not a perfect man and have many flaws but please don't ya ever believe that anythin' means more to me than you. I'll do my best to be a better man for ya, Cassandra. I'll try harder than I've ever tried at anything else."

"I know you will, Finn," Cassandra replied. She should push him away. It was too soon for this step with him, too soon to lose her innocence and the very last bits of her heart and soul to a man who knew nothing about commitment but she could not.