Plattsburgh, New York, Thanksgiving Day.
SOMETHING WAS OFF. Sean watched Aisling from the corner of his eye as they walked up the driveway. Sean Michael and the rest of the family waited inside the farmhouse. Dinner was just about ready, but he needed a minute with her. She was dying to see their son, but she was subdued. Gabriel’s revelations had shaken her to the core. Stiff and closed off, she wouldn’t even talk about it. That was yesterday. They’d spent last night in Rome, holding each other in the tiny bed. He had wanted to comfort her, but wasn’t sure how, so he’d wrapped his arms around her, kissed her with tenderness, and rubbed her back until she had fallen asleep. Then he stared at the ceiling all night, praying for the words to make her understand, praying for the words to make them a family.
She tugged on his hand. “I’m ready. Let’s go inside. I really need to hug Sean Michael.”
Steering her away from prying eyes, he turned her into his arms, and kissed her softly. “Wait. I need to say something, and it’ll be chaos the second we walk into that house. Hear me out?”
Her eyes glittered at his somber tone, but she tightened her hold on his waist and pressed her cheek to his chest. That trusting gesture shattered him.
Breathing in the coconut fragrance of her hair, he let it ground him before saying, “Look at me.”
A little shy now, she lifted her eyes and smiled uncertainly. “Sounds serious.”
Cupping her cheek, he gazed into those eyes and felt the final lock slide into place. He was never leaving this woman. “I don’t know how I’ve lived without you. I thought I was living, but the truth is I was never satisfied, never whole. You call to me, love. You’ve stripped me bare and left me on my knees. My soul is crying out for you; crying and begging that you’ll stay beside me where you belong.”
“Oh, God, Sean . . .” Tears rolled down her cheeks; her mouth quivered.
He pressed his lips to hers and gently parted the crease with his tongue, tasting her sweetness, tasting her tears, tasting forever. She opened her mouth, taking him deep as the tears continued to roll. Her surrender ignited a yearning so buried he was stunned to discover it.
Drawing back, he thumbed the tears from her eyes and whispered, “The dark is only an absence of light.” He nibbled at her jaw and buried his face in her hair. She was shaking in his arms, so he clutched her hard enough to bruise, and pled hoarsely, “Be my light.”
She burst into sobs.
Aisling lost it. Her protective walls crashed with a roar the moment he touched her with such tenderness. She’d been hanging onto her control by a thread since yesterday, but it was gone now. Years of refusing to feel because the pain made her raw, vanished with his husky words. He touched her as if she mattered, as if she was important to him, as if he loved her. His need ripped her armor away, leaving her naked and vulnerable. Vulnerable to him . . . Strangely, that didn’t scare her. She knew without any doubts that he had already saved her.
Helpless to stop, she wept her heart out while he gave her shelter from the storm. She released the grief and anger that ruled her past and let it all go. The nightmare was finally over.
“Better now?” Sean’s voice was still ragged with emotion.
She nodded and dug for a tissue in her bag. After making herself less monstrous, she eased up on her toes to look into his eyes. “Did you mean it when you said you loved me?”
“With everything I am.”
Hours later, with the chaos of their homecoming and the huge dinner a memory, Aisling sat curled on the end of the couch with her two favorite men. Sean held them tucked against his chest as if it were the most natural place for them.
“Dad, can I ask you a question?”
Sean bent to drop a kiss to the top of the little boy’s head. Stealing a glance at her, he grinned at the oh-so-serious question. “What’s up, little man?”
Twisting around to face them, Sean Michael scrunched his face in concentration as he searched for the words. After a few seconds, he dragged his fingers through his hair, making it stand on end. Aisling’s heart clenched at the unconscious habit. Just like his dad. They were both too adorable for words.
Finally, he blurted, “Are you moving in with us? There’s lots of room, and I swear I’ll be really good. I’ll never get into trouble! You can sleep in Mom’s room because she has the biggest bed. But you can have my race car bed if you want it. I have a sleeping bag so I can sleep on the floor. Rambo and Winchester will be good too. I promise. Please, Dad!”
As if the plea in his voice wasn’t gut-wrenching enough, he worried his bottom lip and blinked two huge tears down his cheeks.
Sean sat perfectly still, but his eyes were locked to hers, searching, questioning, promising. One eyebrow lifted, and he smiled slow and easy. To Sean Michael, he replied, “It’s up to your mother.”
Leaning across their son, she drew Sean into a soft, lingering kiss, and said, “I can’t think of anything I want more.”
Sean Michael threw his arms around them and sighed happily before crowing, “I knew you didn’t hate each other! I just knew it! I can’t wait to meet my baby sister! Her powers are really strong. She’s been talking to me.” He pointed to his temple with a nonchalance that was frightening. “We need to give her a good name.”
Whoa! “Baby sister?” Her hand automatically went to her belly.
Sean burst out laughing and kissed her knuckles. “Well, you have to admit that we were pretty epic in Vienna.” He smirked with way too much manly pride. “I’m not surprised.”
Feeling a little dizzy, she closed her eyes. Two kids, two dogs, and a . . . a what? Boyfriend? Lover? What was Sean, exactly?
“The word you’re searching for is husband, love. Now that you’ve ruined me for other women, we have to make this official. You and me for eternity. What do you say? Will you marry me?”
His eyes gleamed with love and promise and a sexy warmth that she couldn’t resist. To find true joy and love after so many centuries of loneliness was a miracle, and she knew exactly who to thank.
“I don’t know, Sean. We should ask Raphael first.” Glancing Heavenwards with a cheeky grin, she asked, “Should we get married, Raphael? Is this your plan?”
All of the lights in the house blinked off and then burst back to life. A single clear note drifted through the windows, growing louder as the lights grew brighter.
Sean Michael jumped down from their laps, shouting, “That means yes! That means yes!”
Aisling could only smile through the tears pricking her eyes and the lump in her throat. “I can’t wait to marry you.”
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