C’mere To Me
Book Five of the O’Farrell Legacy
Finally, and at long last, here is Book 5 of the O’Farrell Legacy, “C’mere To Me”.
The family has grown and changes are happening faster than anyone could imagine. Henry and Siobhan’s daughter is leaving the nest…but does that mean the nest will remain empty? Niall and Michael are adopting a baby, but it’s not smooth sailing for the handsome duo. Even the family matriarch, Kathleen, is not immune to things going awry. As for the others? Only a read through this steamy finale will answer those questions!
It’s interesting to note this series is read worldwide, from Asia to Australia, from Europe to North America, and is now available online through Apple, Barnes &Noble, Draft2Digital, Smashwords, and Amazon, as well as a host of others. Pretty heady stuff!
Read Below for a sneak preview:
Everyone else filed out of the old hotel, down the steps toward the path. Just out of the light from the large dining room windows, Henry grasped Siobhan’s hand, holding it lightly, stopping her from following everyone just then.
“Wait,” he said, and watched until there was some distance between themselves and the rest. Even Emily had run ahead, as if she were still ten instead of nearly eighteen.
“What?” asked Siobhan, looking unsure with the moonlight glancing off her cheeks and reflecting its light in her eyes.
Henry couldn’t stop himself. He leaned over and kissed her, urged her mouth open with his. He wanted more than a peck on her lips. He wanted her to know how much he loved her, because suddenly he was scared. Scared he was going to lose her. As her mouth opened for him, his tongue went inside and she came into his embrace to spear her fingers through his hair. He wanted more, wanted it now, but it would have to wait until later. He’d packed bags for them all; had booked rooms for themselves and Emily despite the close proximity to Killarney, but hadn’t said anything yet. He wanted this night to be perfect. Not just as a celebration of Emily’s graduation, but to show Siobhan how much he loved her. He’d already had flowers delivered to the room and asked for extra bottles of soda to be on hand. If ever there was a night he wanted to celebrate with a drink, this would be it; but he remembered that one time when it had become too much and Siobhan had given him the ultimatum: it was either a life with her and Emily or the drink. Because, as she’d told him, she wouldn’t allow him to take the girl with him if he was just going to drink his life away.
It had been a wake-up call. Siobhan hadn’t understood at the time why he’d got completely ossified that night, more than he’d ever been in his entire life. So dangerously flaming that had he not puked it all up, he would have landed in hospital with alcohol poisoning. But then he’d compounded the sin and driven home. Siobhan had been livid. Had railed at him about driving drunk and the no forgiveness rule by the authorities if he’d been caught. But he hadn’t seemed to notice, and she’d taken away both the car and truck keys and made him sleep on the sofa. He woke in the morning to hear that his mam had already picked up Emily and taken her for the weekend. And then Siobhan went to town on him.
Henry hadn’t had a drink since. Couldn’t trust himself. But he’d never told Siobhan why. Had never said that he’d lost a good friend that day, had seen the stone fall from where they’d been placing it and crush the man. It had been Henry’s fault. He was supposed to have been on that part of the job but he’d been late back from town with supplies and Jimmy had elected to go ahead. As he watched the stone totter, saw the crane operator misjudge the placement, he’d tried to call out a warning, but no one could hear over the sound of machinery. And then it was too late.
Henry had liked and respected Jimmy. His death reminded him all too well of how his da had been killed, of the truck rolling over and the stone shifting and crushing him, and it had brought home how quickly things can go from bad to worse. It should have been Henry who’d been killed. It had been too real and he’d begun to shake. He was only going to have one drink, he told himself, just enough to steady his nerves. But one drink had become two, and two…well, he’d lost count after the first. Whiskey went down far too easily, he knew.
“What?” she asked again when he’d released her mouth but still held her close. “Nothin’,” he answered, his words a hoarse whisper on the warm night air, “I just had to do that.” He grinned at her and chuckled to see her grinning back.
“Ye’re a terror, ye are, Henry O’Farrell,” she laughed quietly. “Let’s catch up to the others.”
“Why? Let them get ahead. I’d just as soon enjoy this bit of time with you. Ye know, alone, without the crowd. I love my family, I’m grateful for them, for all of them, but is it wrong to want ye to myself? We’ve never really been alone, ye know. We’ve had Emily right from the time we said our vows, and before. So I’m thinkin’ how nice it’ll be, just the two of us, if Em decides to move into that flat with her friends.” He’d been caressing her back, not just rubbing it, the urge to undress her here, now, beneath a full moon, so strong that he moved his hand down to cup the globes of her arse.
“Henry,” she admonished, but he knew she felt it, too. That she could feel his chubby through his trousers, pushing against her body, there but for a few layers of clothing. Her hands mimicked his and cupped his arse, pulling him closer as he thrust against her, as if there was no barrier at all, and Henry bent his head to stuff his face into her cleavage.
His tongue tasted the side of her breast and he heard her intake of air, the warm night breeze being inhaled and then let out on a sigh. “Aw, feckit, Siobhan, we should just go upstairs,” he chuckled.
“So ye did get us a room here. I’d wondered.”
“Well, I couldn’t very well drive all the way back to Killarney with a chubby,” he joked.
Siobhan joined his laughter. “Come on, let’s get walkin’. It’ll take yer mind off yer lower half for a bit.”