When he turned to face me, my heart pounded. He was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. He sat down beside me and, quietly and gently, began removing my clothes. Impatience filled me, and I pulled the rest of them off myself. When I was naked his hands caressed me from shoulders to toes. His breathing was ragged. I could stand it no more and reached up and pulled him down on top of me. We moved together in a single rhythm, as if our bodies had long known each other. I called out his name as my passion mounted and I abandoned all reason and control. If this moment meant I was going to Hell, so be it. I didn’t care. All I wanted was to cling to this man and never let go. When he entered me with a gentle thrust I felt a sharp, distant pain, but it melted away as soon as it came. His thrusts grew stronger, and I urged him on, faster and faster, raising my body to meet his. We reached the crescendo together, calling out each other’s names aloud before collapsing, our breathing hard.

“Don’t ever leave me, Delia,” he whispered.

Nora

Nora

Kearney brought me back to the hotel. He was spitting nails that I hadn’t persuaded Mr. McCabe to sign over his lease.

“Mr. Sullivan’s not going to be pleased,” he said.

“Sure don’t I know that.”

When I was in the safety of my room I took out the lease McCabe had signed and threw it on a table as if afraid it might explode in flames. My heart was beating a mile a minute. What in the name of God had possessed me to lie to Kearney? I should have been over the moon at landing the biggest lease in the county. Sullivan would have been so pleased, he’d probably have given me a massive bonus. Now, he’d be more likely to thrash me within an inch of my life—or worse.

I began to pace the floor, gathering my thoughts. The sooner I legged it out of Dallas the better, that much was clear. But where would I go? I didn’t know anywhere besides New York. If things had been different with Dom, I could have stayed with him, but as it was . . . I blinked away the image of Kathleen standing in her red petticoat, sneering at me. I could find Delia and tell her what I’d done. But my courage failed me. I still couldn’t face her. Going back to Donegal was out of the question—I’d never go back there with my tail between my legs. I sighed. There was nothing for it but to go back to New York and hope Sullivan wouldn’t find me. A small voice told me it was a foolish hope.

* * *