The moment she got settled, she’d have to start working out again. No getting out of it – she needed to work off some of these excess carbohydrates.
For now though, Amelia spotted a stack of fluffy pancakes with her name on it, enjoying every bit. No doubt she’d work off some of the calories with Daniel a little later, but she also didn’t want to end up like her mother, overweight and with type II diabetes. Both her parents were young, compared to her friends’ parents, but neither was in very good health. Mom’s only form of exercise was walking through the mall while Dad preferred to spend his weekends training for the gold medal in beer guzzling.
She loved them both but hoped they’d take better care of themselves. In light of what happened to Poppa, she hoped it would act as the catalyst to force them to take better care of themselves. Only time would tell.
She stuffed the last bite of a curry sauce covered chip into her mouth and swallowed. “So much food…” Amelia groaned, pushing her plate away.
Deep, grumbling laughter vibrated from the man next to her. “I’ve never seen anyone put away what you just did. It’s like you’re planning on hibernating or something.”
“You ate just as much as me,” she said in her defense.
“Aye, I did.” Sliding an arm around her waist, Daniel pulled her flush to his side and planted a soft kiss to her temple. “Ah lass,” he sighed. His hand stroked up her bare skin, stopping beneath her breast.
She moaned. Then slapped a hand over her mouth. Half embarrassed, Amelia hid beneath the covers. They needed to get dressed and get on the road but since their shower earlier, she and Daniel couldn’t get enough of one another. She lost her heart to him and didn’t know if he felt the same. She might just be a stepping stone to him…the only woman available to give him his first tastes of freedom.
Her knee was almost heeled, too. Putting pressure on the joint hurt less now that it did when she first injured herself. Mostly, Amelia pretended, just so he’d stay with her. If he thought she didn’t need his help driving any longer he might want to part ways. Where would he go? What would he do? And how would she pick up the pieces of her heart?
She swallowed, holding her hands over her stomach. She felt ill enough to vomit, but not from over-indulging in the items they ordered from the kitchen. All the money in her bank account couldn’t keep Daniel in her life. She’d give it all away if he’d stay with her, all the way to Malin Head and beyond. But hoping for a future with Daniel meant hoping he’d give up whatever dreams he had.
“You’ve gone awfully quiet, love.”
Avoiding his penetrating stare, Amelia curled against the solid wall of his chest, sliding her arms around him. “We should get moving,” she whispered.
Errant fingers crept beneath the blanket she covered her bare form with, teasing her nipple to a stiff, aching bud. “Aye, I suppose we should…” He pinched and rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger “…or we could stay another night.”
With his hands on her, Amelia lost the ability to think. She surrendered to his touch. At some point he called the desk and booked them for another night, but Amelia couldn’t say exactly when. He swept her up in a torrent of need so powerful she ceased to exist as a singular entity and became one with Daniel.
And she knew, although lust played a big part, her heart felt just as much as her body with each moment of surrender to his touch.
The next morning Daniel and Amelia had breakfast in the small dining room. She drank her coffee while he sipped his tea and he considered their differences. Despite her shy exterior, Amelia had a deep well of strength. She impressed him at every turn, even called him out on his dumb arse behaviour yesterday.
He wanted her with a force that stunned him, and he feared he’d been too rough. Not even considering how perfect she was, and that he didn’t deserve her. God above he knew it was the truth, but resisting Amelia was the equivalent of denying himself food, water, even oxygen. Nothing mattered but Amelia. He knew without a doubt that he loved her, and he didn’t even know her last name.
“You okay?” She set her mug down on the table, her head cocked to one side, giving him an odd sideways glance.
“Fine.”
“You don’t look fine. I…I mean, you do, but you…” Amelia shook her head. “That came out wrong.”
The lovely crimson flush spreading over her ivory cheeks moved lower, covering her collar bone and, he imagined, her breasts. Last night he watched her blush during his descent from her throat to the soft, wet folds at the apex of her thighs.