Liam's own heart was pounding, a feeling of giant waves in his chest. He pulled Lily closer, kissed her. Stars flashed in the sky, in his eyes. Her body was so hot, as if she had a fever. When they stopped, he still held her tight, their gazes locked.

“Lily, I want to marry you,” he said.

“Oh, Liam—”

“I always have. Don't you know that, Lily?”

“We've loved each other for so long,” she whispered. “Even before I knew it.”

“Do you know it now?”

“I do,” she said.

Her eyes were shining, and Liam swore he saw happiness for the first time that night. It gave him the hope he needed, reinforced the ineffable connection they had had for so long.

“Lily, I want us to get married right away. This weekend, as soon as we can get the license. I want to adopt Rose. So he can't come after her at all.”

Lily led him down the porch steps, around the house, to the grassy strip between the cottage and the seawall. The grass was cool beneath his bare feet, and she pulled him down and slid on top of him, her body firm, hot, and glistening with sweat. Liam could hardly breathe, his mind on fire with everything.

She ran her hands down his body, sliding them up under his shirt, untucking the tails from the waistband of his jeans. He felt her undo the button, start to tug the zipper down. Her mouth was on his, open and ravenous. He held her with his one good arm, letting her work her way down his face, his neck, kissing his collarbone.

Liam's thoughts flew out of his head. They had spent too much time operating with their minds—every step of the way had had to be negotiated, navigated, calculated. Lily had been on the run, and that had been her prison: so far from home, trapped by the need to stay hidden. He felt her breaking free, and he was right there with her.

They made love with their bodies, and maybe for the first time ever, they weren't thinking at all. Liam just felt their bare skin on the cool grass, Lily's body hot from running and his aching for her touch. A chilly breeze blew off the water, signaling that August's end was coming.

He held her afterward, their heartbeats slowing to something close to normal. Seagulls cried out on Gull Island. He remembered when their sound had made Lily break down, with all her worry and fear bottled up over Maeve and what Edward might try to do. Right now she lay flat on her back, staring up at the sky, holding out her arms as if she could catch all the stars.

“Liam,” she said.

“Lily,” he said back.

“How many stars are there?”

“More than anyone can count.”

“That's not a very scientific answer,” she said, laughing.

“Well, there are about one hundred billion stars in our galaxy.”