Secrets Left Neglected

Chapter 32

Caoilainn

The water from the flume dries by the time we run underneath the boards later, laughing like the two young people in love that we are. We can hear the racket of the amusements and people above us, as well as the quiet of this place's cool darkness.

The sand is cold to the touch on the bottom of my feet. I had taken off my shoes before coming under, and can now feel the slip of the grains between my toes. I wiggle them in the sand and smile as Tadhg takes my hands within his own.

When he reaches up to gently wipe my hair from my eyes, he places his forehead against me and whispers seriously, "I love you, Caoilainn Noreen." His eyes never waver from mine as he speaks. My hands move to his biceps and I can feel the iron muscle he's been building while in boot camp.

I stand on my tip toes and touch my lips to his before pulling back to look at him afterwards. "I love you, too, Tadhg Madoc. I've missed you so much."

He moves forward and wraps his arms fully around my body, pressing us together so that we are melted against one another. I inhale and let the scent of Tadhg wash over me.

I understand his need to serve our country. I love him for his commitment to keeping us safe and protected. I know the sacrifice he's making to leave and go overseas, but that doesn't mean that my heart isn't breaking at the thought of Tadhg's impending departure. The idea of him being gone for months on end is tearing me up inside. For just this moment in time, however, I refuse to let those thoughts invade our sacred space. I'm determined to relish the love I feel. I'm going to take in all that is Tadhg and hold him inside of me for as long as I can. Tomorrow will be here all too soon, so I will savor the time we have together today.

There are many things I must share with Tadhg before he leaves, but for this moment, just this moment, I'm content to forget them all. For just right now, I want to hold onto Tadhg and know nothing but him.

As we lay down in the sand, and I feel his mouth on my throat, a warm suckle traveling the nape of my neck and over my now-exposed breast, my mind goes blank. I'm wrapped in a warm cocoon of love. When his hand glides up my inner thigh to the apex between my legs, I'm lost in his touch. The world slips away and we become one; a place where all that we are is a beautiful co-mingling of carnality and love, intimate in a way no other two people in the world can be. A miracle of love wrapped in friendship and loyalty that transcends all else.