"Are you sure this is the right one?", Tara asked and closed the door of the wooden cabin behind her. She was cold and hungry, and hoped she and her older sister Caitlin were indeed right. One more step to walk and she would just fall over and sleep for what could easily be the rest of her life..
"Well, it seems to be. Or why else would the keys Robert gave me have fit into the lock, mhh?!" Caitlin turned around to face her sister and winked at her, before she put the suitcase she was holding in her right hand down to the floor and started to unfasten the buttons of her coat. Tara pulled a face at Caitlin for her being the smarter one AGAIN, and stepped closer to the little window beside the door which she had closed behind her just moments before. It was snowing, had nearly all day long. Everything within her view was white, all white, with snow still falling down and covering up all of the frosty ground around the cottage they were in. Tara loved it. That was exactly the way she had expected her holidays to be. A cozy little cottage, with snow all around them and enough time just for the two of them. Most of the time of the year she and Cate were separated due to Tara studying in London and Caitlin working as a photographer in Dublin. They hardly ever saw each other, so moments like this, where they were all to themselves and had enough time to enjoy each others company, were appreciated by both of them. Not that there weren’t enough fights and disscusions between them, because there in fact were a lot, but at the end of the day they were sisters. Sisters going trough thick and thin, no matter what..
"Coming upstairs with me?", Caitlin asked and pulled Tara out of her thoughts. She stepped closer to her little sister and put her arms around her from behind to hug her close. It was so good to have her back again, if only for a little while. From the day Tara had been born, Caitlin had always been the big sister looking out for her, guiding her and protecting her whenever necessary. Of course she could be a real pain in the ass sometimes, but most of the time they got on pretty well. Well enough to say that she loved her little sister, enjoyed every little space of time with her and always tried to make sure that Tara felt comfortable.
"Allright, let’s go. I’m dying to know what’s up there. Robert didn’t overdo in his descriptions. I dunno about you, but I definitely love it here. Ok, we just ignore the fact that there won’t be a single person up here expect the two of us for a whole friggin’ week."
Caitlin laughed. "You mean there won’t be a single man up here, is that it? Come on, you can do without them, at least for some days. After that you just go back to London and continue on seducing all the sexy guys out there. I’m sure they’re loving every second of it!"
"I hope they are!", Tara giggled before she followed Cate up the wooden stairs to take a look at all the rooms they hadn’t seen yet. On the ground floor were the big living room with a large chimney in the middle of it, the kitchen and a little bathroom with just a toilet and a sink in it. When they walked up the stairs, Tara and Caitlin were even happier with what they saw. One big bedroom on either side of the floor, both of them furnished with an even bigger Kingsize bed that was covered with cozy down comforters and hundreds of woolly pillows. PERFECT! At the end of the floor there was another bathroom, just bigger this time, including a sink, a toilet, a shower and a huge tub. Even more perfect..
"Tell Robert I love him!", Tara shouted before she ran back from the bathroom to one of the beds and with a huge cry jumped on it. "Cate, this is the best, honestly! How did ya get him to give you the keys for this lil mansion? Oh wait, DON’T tell me. I let my imagination run from here!", Tara grinned and was answered with a huge pillow hitting her face full force. She laughed as she picked up another cushion and threw it back at her sister who was now bouncing on the bed trying to defeat her.
Their little battle went on for another couple of minutes before they decided to go down again and unpack their suitcases. It took them quite a while and by the time they were done, both of them longed for food and something hot to drink. Neither of them had noticed that the snow outside had become more and more and was now beginning to fall even harder and more steady against the windows of the cabin than it had before. Only when the lights in the kitchen started to flicker, both Tara and Caitlin slowly realized that the situation outside had become more frightening than they had actually expected it to be.
"Allright, these are the last candles I could find upstairs. Do you think they are enough?", Tara asked while she put the candles down on the wooden table of the living room. Caitlin was running around, lighting all the candles they had already put up for the lamps weren’t working anymore. Within minutes, the living room was illuminated in a warm and inviting way, making the girls feel even more comfortable than they already had in their cozy sweaters.
"That should be enough for some time now. A great way to start our holidays, huh?! The heaters are not working anymore, so I hope everything will be in shape by tomorrow evening again. Otherwise we’ll just freeze to death." Caitling sighed and let herself fall on the big sofa behind her, cuddling up with a soft pillow that lay beside her. She didn’t know whether she should be happy about the situation or not. Of course, everything was even more cozy now and offered a great atmosphere for a lot of talking and cuddling, but on the other hand they wouldn’t be able to cook or get themselves warm when necessary.
"We still have the chimney, don’t we?", Tara said and took the place beside her sister, cuddling up close to her. "To be honest, I have no idea about how to use it, but it should be worth a try." She then closed her eyes and sighed. She had always been a party animal, so had been Caitlin, but right now she couldn’t have been any happier. Sure, there were no boys around, not even a nice drink to enjoy or pop music to dance to in a trendy club where she was usually to be found. No, this was different. And she loved it. For once there would be nothing to annoy them, no other people making choices for them or telling them what to do and what not to.
"Happy, lil sis?" Caitlin kissed her forehead, before she leaned back against the soft cushions and closed her eyes too. She didn’t know about Tara, but she herself had loved every minute they had spent in the cabin so far. Her thoughts went back to the little meal they had prepared just minutes before in the kitchen. They had joked around and made fun of each other, then gone back to serious talking before another joke had brought them back into joking mood. It should be this way more often, she thought, but in the same time knew that this was impossible. Their lifestyles were completely different from each others, with Caitlin being the established, well-known photographer in Dublin and Tara still trying to settle down in London. But right now - everything was the way she wanted it to be.
"Very happy. Love you."
"Love you more."
"Oh, what is it with you always wanting to have the last word, huh?" Tara tried to sound annoyed, but in the same time snuggled up closer to her sister. Then her gaze went back to the window, amazed by the wild storm that seemed to rage out there. She was glad for the cozy sweater that covered her and was sure that there wouldn’t be a single soul out there right now - the knock on the door proved her wrong.
"Did you hear that?" Tara sat up straight, listening to the whistling wind outside.
"Of course I have or do you think me completely numb?", Caitlin gazed at her sister, a little cry escaping her in the same time when there was another harsh knock on the door. This couldn’t be, she was very sure of that! Robert had told her before that there were only few people knowing the way up to the cabin, most of them skier. Maybe one of them had seen the dim lights in the cabin and was wondering whether they were allright. But what if not? What if they were now to face a crazy psychopath trying to kill them? Now this was ridiculous - but Caitlin still couldn’t get her mind off that thought.
"What now?", Tara whispered, covering her mouth with a hand as another knock left her frightened. She scolded herself for being so childish, but could do nothing against it. They were supposed to be alone for a whole week, and now somebody seemed to knock down their door!
"Hello! Anybody in there? Answer me please!", a male voice suddenly shouted, combined with another knock. Caitlin looked back and forth between Tara and the door, before she suddenly made up her mind and stood up. They had nothing to lose and still could defend themselves if necessary. But she doubted that, for a madman wouldn’t have kindly asked them to answer him. He would have just knocked down the door or something like that, Caitlin was sure of that.
"What are you doin’, Cate? Come back here, now! You are not going to open that door, are you? Then we might just as well kill ourselves! Whoever that man out there is, we don’t know him and we are for sure NOT indebted to answer him! He will go away if we just keep quit!", Tara was quick to assure her sister. She didn’t want her to open that door and she for sure didn’t want her to let that man come in. But she knew Caitlin - and she knew that she would do whatever was in her mind right now, no matter what! With a frustrated grunt, Tara joined her sister at the door and looked out of the window, but was unable to see anything at all. Just great.
"Whoever is out there might be a mad killer scaring the hell out of us, but he might be as well be somebody who needs help. Hide if you want to, but I am going to see who’s out there. Wanna join me or just run away like a scared little child? Be free to do so.", Caitlin said but at the same time knew that Tara wouldn’t made a move now. She had challenged her little sister’s pride, which was rewarded with an angry grunt and an even more angrier glare from her.
"When this is over, I’ll get back to you for this, believe me. If you wanna open the damn door, then just go ahead. I’ll be right behind you.", Tara said and moved closer to Caitlin. Another knock on the door told them to hurry.
"Fine. Ready, steady, go." In one swift move, Caitlin opened the door and immediately tried to make out the figures that were standing right in front of her. There were two of them - TWO! She stepped back and took her sister’s hand, afraid that they had made the wrong decision.
"Finally! We were giving up hope out here.", one of the men standing outside the cabin said, and took off his ski goggles to give Caitlin and Tara a better view of him. His hazel green eyes danced with relief when he stepped closer into the dim light of the cabin and revealed a smile that touched Caitlin in a strange way and felt quite familiar to her. She immediately relaxed, stroking steadily over Tara’s hand to calm her. Then she spoke up. "I’m sorry that it took us so long to open the door, but we were busy in the kitchen." Caitlin didn’t want them to know that they had actually considered the idea of hiding in one of the large bedrooms. "Come in!" She held the door open, ignoring Tara squeezing her hand when she talked to the strangers. Caitlin wasn’t afraid anymore. Whoever this guy and his friend were, she knew that they would be safe with them, though she didn’t know why she was suddenly feeling this way.
Tara leaned in closer to Caitlin when the men walked in. "What the hell made you do that? We don’t even know them! They have no right to be here with us, none at all. Tell them to get out of here RIGHT NOW!", she hissed and glared at the guys who were slowly taking of their caps, gloves and anoraks.
Caitlin turned a bit so that she could face her sister. "That wouldn’t be fair and you know it! God knows what will happen out there tonight and we can’t force them out of here when a storm is building up outside! Just for tonight, Pooh. Don’t ask me why, but I just know that they won’t do us any harm. I could see it."
"You could SEE it? Come on, that’s just ridiculous! He might be a good looking guy and don’t tell me you didn’t notice because I know you did, but that doesn’t say anything about him! Think about it Cate, because I for sure will lock up my room tonight if they stay here." Tara then turned her gaze from Caitlin back to the guys again, focusing on the brown eyed guy that had spoken to her sister just minutes before. He indeed WAS gorgeous, but that didn’t stop her from glaring at him when his eyes met hers. Meeting him under other circumstances would have maybe caused her trying to bed him herself, but right now she just wanted him out of here. He and his friend who was standing next to him, still fighting with his scarf.
"Sit down and make yourself comfortable, guys. Want anything to drink or eat? You two look freezing cold.", Caitlin said and turned her back to Tara so that she could face the guy that had spoken to her before. Tara was right, she HAD noticed how good looking he was and was now unable to stop herself from looking at him. His smile, his eyes - everything was so familiar to her, as if they had met before. But where?
The brown eyed guy spoke up again. "Something like tea would be great, but we really don’t wanna cause any circumstances. The weather seemed to be fine a couple of hours ago, but we were fools to underrate the power of nature. By the time we wanted to go down with the ski lift again, they had already closed it down. We walked around for some time, desperately trying to find something we could stay at for the night. Your cabin is the only one around here.", he said apologetic and flashed another smile at Caitlin. Tara just had to look at her to know that he had won. They would stay.
"I know, we already figured that out. Well, sit down and make yourself feel all comfortable. I’m sure we’ll find a good resolution for the night that satisfies each and everyone of us.", she answered with a quick look at Tara and smiled. She couldn’t help herself, but whoever this guy was, he was adorable. No matter how often she had looked into his eyes the past couple of minutes, she just wanted to go on with it forever. His smile was charming and warm, leaving her with a funny feeling she couldn’t describe. No way she would throw them out this night.
"I really hope so,-" He stopped, for it was obvious that he didn’t know their names. Caitlin was quick to change that. "Oh, call me Caitlin and that here is my little sister Tara.", she said and pointed back at her sister who had now crossed her arms, her objection very clear.
"Fine, it’s Caitlin and Tara then. I’m Shane and that here is my mate Kian. Nice to meet you."
Tara closed the door of the kitchen behind her and sighed. It was nearly ten now, and she had spent the last two hours sitting in the living room, watching Caitlin and her guests talking and laughing. She hated it. Hated the way Shane was talking to her sister, looking and smiling at her. Whatever was in his mind, it had to be something she knew she wouldn’t like. He had no right to be here and for sure no right to charm Caitlin the way he did, though Cate herself seemed to enjoy the attention he was giving her very much. Damn it all.
With a frustrated grunt, she opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of wine, before she rummaged trough one of the kitchen cupboards and finally found a big glass that pleased her. If nobody was going to talk to her, she would make herself feel comfortable. Not that they hadn’t tried, because they had, but she was just not in the mood to put up with all their foolish giggling and laughter. They were getting on her nerves big time.
"Mind sharing?" Tara whirled around when she heard a low, husky voice behind her. She hadn’t heard him come in or cross the room, because he now was standing right behind her. What did Shane say was his name? Kian? Whatever, just another good looking guy who was disturbing her holidays, nothing more. She couldn’t care less about his name.
"Sorry for saying so, but yes I do. Caitlin already gave you something to drink and eat, that should be enough for tonight, don’t you think so? Why don’t you go back to Cate and your friend, I’m sure they are already missing you and looking out for you. I’d prefer some time alone now.", she said before she turned her back to him again and tried to open the bottle once more. She failed miserably for the cork didn’t want to pop, but before she could try another time, Kian grabbed the bottle and opened it within seconds. Then he put it back on the kitchen table and smiled. "Thanks.", Tara murmured, but refused to look at him or even try a smile. They were giving him a bed for the night, so opening up a bottle wasn’t the hardest thing to do. In fact it was the least he could do. Ignoring him, she poured some wine into the glass and took a long gulp.
"You don’t like me or Shane, that’s one of the things you made very clear. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t wanna pester you or your sister, but regarding the way things are right now, we should try to find a way to deal with each other. I hate this as much as you do, believe me, but Shane and your sis seem to get on pretty well with each other. I couldn’t bear tearing them apart so soon." Tara couldn’t help but smile when she heard him speak. He was trying to warm her up and it worked. Without answering him, she pulled another glass out of the cupboard and filled it. She then handed it over to Kian and smiled.
"Here ya go. Don’t drink too fast, I don’t like sharing too much. Wanna have a seat?", she asked and pointed to the chairs that were gathered around the kitchen table. Kian nodded his head and followed her to the table, sitting down with the glass in his hands.
"Tell me something about you. I don’t like the fact that Caitlin invited you to stay for the night, but a little bit more knowledge about you might change that.", Tara said and looked at him closely. If Shane was gorgeous, Kian would have been Mr. Gorgeous himself. She had noticed that earlier but had refused to let it cross her mind for more than once. Now she was sitting right in front of him, his beauty more aware to her than ever. His blonde hair was a bit longer than Shane’s, the ends of it curled up at the back of his neck. She wondered what it would be like to run her fingers trough the little curls, up and down his neck until she’d have him moaning her name. As soon as Tara became aware of the thoughts she had, she pushed them back to the very corner of her head. That was NOT what she was supposed to think. Not at all.
"So you wanna know more about me then?", Kian said, feeling that Tara had observed him in a manner that sent goose bumps down his back. She might have not noticed it herself, but he had been able to see it in her eyes - for a moment, she had wanted him, ignoring the fact that they had met for the first time just a couple of hours ago. Little did he know that he was feeling exactly the same, just from the very beginning. He took a long gulp from his wine, before he put the glass back down on the table and leaned forward. "You already know my name. Kian Egan, short form of Kian John Francis Egan. I’m 22 years old, another fact you are already aware of. What else do you wanna know about me?"
Tara shrugged her shoulders. If he was trying to play little games with her, he would fail miserably, she would make sure of that. "Everything you want me to tell. It’s not that hard, is it? Or do you have something you wanna keep secret, just to yourself?", she asked lowly, leaning forward the same way Kian had minutes before. Their eyes were staring at each other, not moving an inch. Tara didn’t know where the sudden change in their talking had come from, but she was beginnig to enjoy it. She knew when a hot guy was worth to get her attention and willing to give it back. Kian Egan without a doubt WAS a hot guy - and very interested. Maybe the invitation her sister had given to him and Shane wasn’t as bad as she had thought it to be.
"No secrets, no. I’m just not sure where you want me to start, that’s it. It actually surprises me that you don’t know more about me than you do right now. Never read the newspapers?" Kian knew he was pushing his luck, but he honestly didn’t want to spend their time with mindless talking. There was more about this girl to figure out and he had every intention to do so. As far as he was concerned, they would stop talking very soon...
Tara popped an eyebrow at him, not sure what he was on about. But she didn’t care. He would tell her soon enough. "Why should I read newspapers in order to find out more about you? Don’t tell me you are some kind of celebrity being on holiday right now, I wouldn’t believe you.", she said and took another gulp from her glass, her eyes never leaving his. The wine was beginning to work his way trough her body, and she was sure that her imagination would soon be flicking over if she kept looking at him like she did that moment. Her gaze focused on his upper arms, slowly travelling down the length of his right arm and to his hands. She imagined them to explore her body, clutching her hair, caressing her face..
Tara caught Kian’s eyes again and nearly blushed when she realized that he had been very aware of her gaze travelling down his upper body. Well, she didn’t care really. It was obvious that he was enjoying every second of it, maybe wishing that she would do more than just looking. "Then don’t. Let’s just say that I took some time off to relax and to get away from all the people that kept pestering me over the year. It’s a hard job I’m doing, but I still love every minute of it, though my body sometimes does not. It needs a break and that’s exactly what it’s getting right now. How about you? Anything you want me to know about you?", he asked, looking over the edge of his glass and smiling. What else did he need to know about her to see how beautiful she was? Long brown hair and blue eyes, nearly as intense as his own. She had a mouth that begged to be kissed and curves that seemed to scream for his touch. Would she let him?
Tara leaned back against the chair. "Little by little, Kian. Right now, you know everything you need to know about me. Maybe I’ll let you find out more, maybe not." With that she stood up and took the bottle of wine, that was still standing on the cupboard, back to their table. She then placed it in front of Kian and smiled. Oh yes, she started to love all this..
"Oh my god, don’t you ever do this again or I’ll just die of too much laughter, I swear!", Caitlin cried while holding her stomach which was beginning to hurt. Shane was doing another Moonwalk of Michael Jackson and she was afraid to even look at him for she feared to burst out into giggles again. She sat back against the cushions behind her and breathed out long and slow, though she couldn’t stop her giggles when Shane sat back down beside her again.
"Allright, no more Michael Jackson tonight. But I told you it’d be good! Why don’t you try? I bet you’d get it at once!", Shane encouraged her, leaning slightly over to touch her shoulder. He didn’t have that much fun in months! And now he was here, a beautiful girl right beside him, laughing his head off over the stupidest thing he’d ever done. And he was enjoying it!
"Yeah right, just so I can make a fool out of myself. No way! I’ll leave all this impressions to you, you seem to be quite good at it. Just don’t do it again tonight, you already have me in stitches. Want something more to drink?", she asked as soon as she had calmed down and stood up. Shane shook his head no and grabbed her hand to pull her down to him again. Caitlin was surprised by his action, but in a good way, and sat down again.
"No, thank you. Just sit here with me some more and talk to me. It’s been quite a while since I enjoyed female company that much. Apart from that, I don’t think Kian and Tara would appreciate any disturbance right now. So that leaves you all to me. Think you can handle it?", Shane grinned and threw a little pillow at her. Caitlin immediately got it back to him and laughed when he pretended to fall off the couch.
"Come back here, my flying Shane. You want to talk to me some more, so that is exactly what we will do right now." Caitlin had never been shy with guys, neither had they been shy with her. She didn’t rush things and wasn’t on for One Night Stands, but apart from that she was open to offers and went out with a guy when she got the chance to. Most of them were very interested in her, thanks to her feminine curves every woman would kill for and her natural self-confidence. She enjoyed male company, though she knew that a lot of them were only looking for what she had to give from the outside, not from the inside. But she didn’t give much about them. One day she would meet the man she’d dreamed of all her life, she was sure of that. And now she was just testing if Shane Filan fullfilled the conditions for a ‘man of life’ to be.
Shane crawled back onto the sofa and took the place right beside Caitlin, at once inhaling the scent of her parfume. Very nice. "Your wish is my command, lady. If you want to talk, we will talk. Any specified wishes? Otherwise I’ll just start talking about my boring life and the even more boring Shane Filan. Think about it carefully!", he chuckled and moved closer to Caitlin which went by completely unnoticed by her. She was busy shaking her head in disbelief.
"I don’t know much about you so far, but there’s no way you could be boring! You have so much more to give and tell that I’m sure that there won’t ever be a point where I could get bored of you. So just go ahead and spill the beans, mister! I’m dying to take a more careful look at you and your interests. Scary, huh?", Caitlin laughed as she noticed his gaze that had changed trough her talking. Maybe she had gone too far and he would now tell her that all of these things weren’t her buisness. She slightly shook her head when she realized that she was afraid to hear that. No matter what, she desperately wanted to know more about him and without a doubt would be disappointed if he refused to tell her more.
"Not scary, not at all. I’m pleased you want to know more about me, because I in return want to know more about you. If you think about it carefully, you exactly know who I am, don’t you?", Shane said and looked at her closely. He had known it from the very first moment he had laid eyes on her. She had have this funny look in her eyes, as if she knew who he was but was still figuring out whether she should believe it or not. Maybe he had gotten her gaze wrong a couple of hours ago, but he was more than sure that he hadn’t.
Caitlin cleared her throat, not sure if she knew what he meant. He WAS familiar to her and she had seen him before, but she still didn’t know exactly when and where. Had they worked together before? She saw and spoke to a lot of people while working, but she was sure that a man like Shane would have stayed in her mind in some way or another. When her eyes turned to meet his, she shrugged her shoulders. "I know I’ve seen you before, but that’s all. Why don’t you just spill your secret and tell me who you are, mhh?! Otherwise we could easily spend the whole night sitting around here, and I honestly don’t like that thought! There are two huge Kingsize beds awaiting us later, and regarding that couch here, I’d always go for the bed.", Caitlin grinned. She hoped he hadn’t got the wrong impression of her now, because she didn’t want to look like she was easy to have. She was not and just because she had already fallen for Shane in one way or another, she wouldn’t give up all her principles. Still she couldn’t take his eyes off his handsome face with the big brown eyes and the full kissable lips she always clinched to when he spoke.
"Allright, here we go. We’ve never met, but you’ve maybe heard of me before. I know this must sound just boastful now, but I’m quite proud to say that most of the people in Ireland and Great Britain know my name, not to mention the rest of Europe. I think everything will fall into place for you if I say I’m in a band called Westlife." Shane smiled before he leaned back against the cushions in his back and crossed his hands behind his head. He was waiting for her reaction, the things she would say. Most of the girls he met would now begin to give him extra special attention, actually throwing themselves at him just to get a glimpse of glamour and the celebrity life he was living. It was hard to find a girl that would be interested in him and ONLY him, not the band and all the other things involving this. This was his way to test Caitlin, to see what was behind all her smooth talking. He somehow hoped she wouldn’t fail.
Caitlin now had the missing piece she’d been searching for. She should have known from the very beginning! Here she was, a well-known photographer all around Ireland and Great Britan, and had completely ignored the fact that she was sitting right in front of Shane Westlife Filan! Now she remembered all the TV shows he’d been on, the newspapers she had seen his pictures in. And now - now he was sitting on her couch, looking at her and waiting for her reaction. She blew out some air and shook her head in disbelief. "Damn, I should have known. Shane Filan from Westlife, the famous irish band every little girl admires. And just to complete the picture, the man in the kitchen talking to my sister now is Kian Westlife Egan, your bandmate and sex on legs for most of the women in Ireland and Great Britain. Well, now I’m surprised. I knew you were someone I’d seen before but you being the member of a boyband was the last thing I had on my mind. I actually know most of your songs, though I like your impressions of Michael Jackson much better. No offence.", she said and winked at him.
Shane threw his head back and laughed. He somehow felt relieved now, for Caitlin had passed his inspection even better than he’d thought she would. He gazed his eyes back at her, loving the sight of her. She was beautiful, there was no doubt about that, though Shane still couldn’t believe he showed interest in a woman he’d only met a couple of hours ago. He knew that there’d be hardly a chance for them to meet up again after this night, but this girl was worth every try - and he knew it.
Tara giggled when she and Kian made their way upstairs and into their bedrooms. They had emptied their first bottle of wine a long time ago and had gone for another one, now facing the effects the wine was causing on them. She tried not to fall over when she walked up the stairs, but missed a step and fell hard against Kian, who was in front of her and was trying not to stumble himself. Her hands went around his hips at once, holding on to him as he dragged the both of them up the stairs. Everything was dark around them, so all Tara could hang on to were the giggling noises Kian made in front of her.
"Allright, here we are. Do you need my help to get into your bed or think you can handle it on yer own?", Kian whispered as to not wake up Caitlin and Shane, who had obviously gone to bed much earlier. He pulled his arms tightly around Tara while he was speaking, his hands caressing her back. For certain reasons he didn’t want to let go of her too soon but knew that they had no other choice - if they didn’t want to end up in bed together. They had talked themselves quite into a mood that could have easily turned them into lovers if one of them had given it the chance to. And as much as Kian wanted her, he knew that it was unwise to make up while they were drunk, or at least very tipsy.
"I think I can manage, my lovely leprechaun.", Tara giggled and moved closer to Kian. She knew he didn’t like her giving him that name, for he hated his ears that made him look like a leprechaun, but she didn’t care. She already loved his pointy little ears and wanted nothing more than to just run her hands over them, over and over again.
"Say that again and I’ll drag ya outta here into the snow. Would ya like that?", Kian asked and leaned in closer to her. He sounded annoyed, but Tara knew that he wasn’t. He just couldn’t. After all the time they had spent together in the kitchen, she was almost sure that he wouldn’t do her any harm, no matter just how much she teased him.
"Don’t get all angry with me now, loverboy. I like leprechauns very much, so do most of the people I know. I’ve been a good girl and have treated you with respect, so you may now give me my three wishes.", Tara joked and tried to make out his face in the dark. She knew that he was smiling down at her, but god only knew what was going on in his head about her three wishes. Well, she was sure that she’d find out soon enough. For now, she stepped up closer to him and kissed his cheek, before she wriggled out of his embrance and opened the door to the bedroom she was sure Caitlin would lay in.
"Good night sweetheart, when it’s time to go..", she heard Kian softly sing as she closed the door behind her. For a moment Tara stood still, listening to the sounds Kian made as he went into the other room. Then she slowly made her way to the bed, careful not to fall over, and sat down at the edge. Immediately Caitlin sat up straight, trying to make out her sister’s figure.
"I thought you’d stay the whole night down there. Changed your mind?", she asked sleepily and rubbed her eyes, throwing back the sheets so that Tara could easily climb under them.
"Cate, he’s so damn hot! Did you look at him? He’s gorgeous! I wouldn’t mind them staying here for at least another couple of days. I had so much fun just staring at him and listening to his voice. God, did you hear his voice? I was fast loosing ground down there, believe me. I wonder what it would be like to kiss him.", Tara whispered while she undressed. She had in fact spent most of her time in the kitchen secretly observing him, trying to figure out just WHAT fascinated her so much on him. He was beautiful, no doubt, but she had seen thousands of good looking men and even went out with some of them. Kian was intelligent and funny, but so had been most of the guys she’d been with. Still none of them had ever mesmerized her the way Kian did now. She wondered why..
"Promise me that you won’t do anything you might regret later. He’s a nice guy, that’s for sure, but you don’t know much about him. That’s what you told me a couple of hours ago, remember? We know nothing about them, and it won’t do us any good to just forget that." Caitlin yawned and pulled the covers tightly around her, trying to avoid the cold that was claiming the room. She was happy for her sister, knowing that she and Kian got on great with each other, but in the same time she wondered what he was really on about. Shane had told her earlier on that Kian was a ladies man, always aware of the attention women were giving him - and he was enjoying it. Sometimes he would take them up to his room, taking what they were willing to give him. Caitlin didn’t want her sister to be one of these girls. She deserved much better.
"Don’t tell me you and Shane just sat there and quietly stared at each other. I heard you laughing, Cate. You were enjoying your time with him, weren’t you? He was giving you special attention so don’t even try to deny the tension that’s building up between the two of you. He’s in for you Cate.", Tara said quietly and enjoyed the warmth that surrounded her as soon as she’d crawled under the covers. If her sister tried to teach her a lesson, she would easily keep up with her. After all SHE’d been the one to hook it off with Shane as soon as he’d entered the cabin.
"You’re trying to change the subject here, missus. Shane is a great guy, no doubt about that one, but I’m very aware of the fact that they are leaving by tomorrow morning. We had a nice talk and I honestly had difficulty in taking my eyes off of him for more than a second, but that doesn’t count. Back home in Dublin I’ll find a guy like him in every corner of the street, so stop giving me that funny look of yours, lil sister.", Caitlin smiled and ruffled Tara’s hair. It was dark and she could see absolutely nothing, but she just knew that Tara was giving her the best ‘I don’t believe you’- look ever. Maybe she wasn’t fully honest about what was going on with Shane, but she wasn’t lying either. It scared her a bit when she realized just how much she’d actually enjoyed his company. They had talked for quite awhile before going up to their bedrooms to catch up on some sleep. By that time, she’d wanted to kiss Shane desperately - and THAT had definitely scared the hell out of her.
"Whatever. I saw the way he was looking at you and if you don’t make a move, he for sure will. Just make sure he leaves his friend to me while he’s giving you some special attention.", Tara giggled and arranged the pillows under her head. Kian was up for some playing, she knew that, and as far as she was concerned, she’d keep up with him. While her sister was always in for something serious, Tara enjoyed some quality time with guys AND was determined to keep her freedom in the same time. One thing she’d learned about Kian was that he was sharing her opinion on that concern, something that made him even more attractive for her.
"Stop your gob and go to sleep, Tara. You’re not up for any serious talking about guys right now and I don’t wanna even think about all the naughty thoughts that might be in that little head of yours right now.", Caitlin said and leaned forward to softly kiss her sister’s forehead. She knew the both of them and was sure their conversation would easily go on for another couple of hours if she didn’t stop it. Fortunately, Tara agreed and closed her eyes, sleep already claiming her.
"Love you.", she murmured and slid down further into her blanket.
"Love you more."
Caitlin opened her eyes and yawned as the first sunbeams made their way trough the bedroom window. She stretched herself and glanced at the alarm clock beside her, trying to figure out what time it was. Nearly 12 now. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept that long - and that good. Her job claimed most of her free time, including the nights. But she wouldn’t think about that now. NOW she was on holidays, and she’d make sure she would enjoy every second of it.
Looking at the sleeping form beside her, Caitlin knew that it would take some time until her sister would finally get out of bed. Maybe she could use the free time to prepare a little breakfast for her and the guys, whom she still thought in bed too. She pulled the covers from her legs slowly, trying hard not to wake Tara and took the warm sweater she’d worn the night before. The room was still cold, and just the thought of her having to walk around only in her nightgown left her freezing.
She closed the door behind her and walked down the stairs, when the smell of fresh coffee suddenly captured her nose. Walking into the kitchen, she was greeted with a nice backview of Shane, who was rummaging trough one of the cupboards. Caitlin opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again and leaned against the doorframe, still observing him. She heard him humming a song and smiled when she noticed that it was one of his own. Her gaze travelled over his back down to his firm bum that fit perfectly into one of Robert’s jeans she had given him the night before. Just the thought of her fingers slightly touching him there left her breathless. He WAS adorable. "Good morning.", she finally said and stepped fully into the kitchen, closer to him. Shane turned around to face her, a puzzled look on his face which fast turned into a smile.
"Good morning. I didn’t hear ya coming down. Did you sleep well? I managed to make some coffee and scrambled egg, I hope you don’t mind. The electricity is back, so everything is working again now.", Shane said and proved his point by stepping aside and showing Caitlin the working stove in front of him.
"That’s good to know. Our room upstairs is freezing cold, I practically had to drag myself out of bed. Tara is still asleep, she won’t be down for at least another couple of hours. Where’s Kian?" Caitlin moved closer to Shane to see what he was doing and smiled at him when he caught her gaze. She wanted to snuggle up close to him and bury her head in his neck, but knew that it was best to just stay away from him and be happy with what she got so far. She didn’t trust herself with him, not at all.
"It’s the same with him, he’s still in bed and hopefully won’t be around us too soon. Don’t get me wrong, he’s one of my best friends, but just the thought of us having to put up with his mood right after he wakes up leaves me frightened. I dunno when he went to bed exactly, but it must have been pretty late. Believe me, he’ll stay in bed as long as we’ll let him." Shane took two cups out of the upper cupboard and filled them with coffee, before handing one of them over to Caitlin. She smiled at him and took the offered cup, then walked over to the kitchen table and sat down. Shane filled two plates with the scrambled egg he’d made and followed her. He sat a plate down in front of her, before taking the seat beside Caitlin, wanting to be as close to her as possible. His eyes went to her bare, tender legs she’d crossed only moments before. It was useless to concentrate on food now, for once again he noticed just how beautiful she was. Even in the old sweater she wore, she looked all pretty and adorable. How he wanted to touch her, if only for a second! The thought crossed his mind and was immediately rewarded with a soft grunt by him. Women had never affected him the way Caitlin did now. Even Gillian, his long-term girlfriend whom he had broken off with months ago, hadn’t excited him that much. And now he was sitting in a kitchen he didn’t belong into and was staring at a woman he’d met the day before and who was clearly holding some distance to him.
"Shane?", Caitlin suddenly asked for she had noticed that he’d been miles away. His eyes snapped back to hers while he was trying to get his thoughts back in order. He definitely needed to make up his mind, otherwise he’d make a complete fool out of himself.
"Sorry, did ya say something?" Shane smiled apologetic and turned his attention back to her, not wanting to give her the feeling that he wasn’t interested in her talking. He in fact WAS very interested in what she had to say, but her legs were making it nearly impossible for him to stay alert.
"These eggs are delicious. You seem to have lots of talents I was unaware of. If the music buisness isn’t working for you anymore, you should consider the idea of becoming a cook or something like that. I’d be a regular in your restaurant." Caitlin smiled and lead the fork Shane had given her to her mouth again. That was exactly the way she wanted to wake up every single morning, with a man like Shane by her side, taking care of her.
Shane smiled and slightly blushed. "Thanks. I’m glad you like them, usually I don’t even get the water to heat. My mum is a great cook though, always spoiling me when I come home. I love her irish breakfast. Wait, what am I saying? I love ALL of her cooking!", he laughed and looked out of the window. The sun had been shining trough from the first minute he’d entered the kitchen and was still standing high.
"Can you just leave your eggs for a minute and come to the front door with me?", he suddenly asked and stood up. There was something he had to show her. Something he knew he somehow liked, but he wasn’t sure whether Caitlin would. When she nodded her head, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the living room, up to the front door. Without hesitating, he opened it.
Caitlin gasped when she saw just what Shane had been on about. That couldn’t be! The snow had stopped falling hours ago, there was now way they could have been snowed in. When she looked at the mass of snow that was covering half of the door, she knew that there in fact was a way! Puzzled, she stepped forward and held out a hand to touch the white cover that lay nearly as high as her hips. No way she was going out there!
"Surprised? My eyes nearly popped outta my head this morning," Shane laughed. "I just hope there won’t be more snow the next couple of days, otherwise we’ll be forced to stay here even longer." He watched her closely as he spoke, trying to find a hint about whether she was ok with what he said or just scared. It had only taken him a few minutes to accept the situation they were in and to vow that he’d make the best out of it. He had some days off, so had Kian, and they weren’t supposed to go back to Dublin until the end of next week. If they were really forced to spend these free days in the cabin, he wouldn’t complain. That only gave him more time to take a closer look at Caitlin.
"Don’t even get started about that one! Tara will explode when she sees this, I know it. She can handle a week up here, but more than that will just freak her out! I mean, we are forced to stay in here now, and god only knows for how long." Caitlin took her hand away from the snow and turned around to face Shane, who’d stood behind her and was now looking down at her. She didn’t know why, but she had the funny feeling that Shane didn’t regret the situation as much as she did. Did she even regret?
She spoke up. "Whatever, we’ll just have to deal with it, right? And who knows what all that snow is good for."
"Ohh.", Tara groaned when she finally woke up. Her head was aching, so was the rest of her body - at least she felt that way! She tried to sit up, but failed and decided to lay down again. It was already getting dark outside again, and Tara couldn’t help but wonder whether Kian and Shane were still there. She hoped so, for she at least wanted to have the chance to say goodbye to them. Not because she was a nice and friendly person, but because she wanted to have a last glance at the body she’d dreamed of all night long. Yes, she had and blushed violently when she thought back to the dream where he’d kissed and touched her and done oh so much more she didn’t want to think about right now.
With a groan, she finally managed to get out of bed and decided to have a long, hot bath. She was sure that at least Caitlin was waiting for her downstairs, but she honestly couldn’t have cared less about that. Her body needed something good now, and hot water definitely WAS good! Apart from that she wanted to get all that crazy thoughts she had out of her head - as fast as possible. She rummaged trough their wardrobe and pulled out fresh underwear and a red sweater, compared with a new jeans she’d bought recently and wool socks. Then she went out of the room, closing the door behind her and made her way into the bathroom.
Walking over to the tub, Tara turned on the water, fiddling with the jets until it suited her. She then pulled out a huge bottle from underneath the little stool she’d laid her clothes on and poured some of the bubble bath into the water, waiting for the bubbles to come. Just moments after she undressed and slid down into the water, sighing when it touched her skin. That was exactly what she’d needed. Closing her eyes, Tara leaned back against the edge of the tub and sighed again. Wonderful. Now relaxing, her thoughts wandered back to the night before, remembering the talk she and Kian had shared. Her actions towards him had surprised her, though she’d always been a little flirt when it had come to guys. But yesterday, she’d done more than that - she’d made clear that she was interested, VERY interested. Luckily, Kian had nearly done the same, letting her know that his intensions were covering her own. She now wondered whom of them would make the final step..
Tara nearly jumped out of the tub when she felt two hands suddenly touch her shoulder. She turned around furiosly, only to see that it had been the man of her thoughts who had entered the bathroom quitly and was now sitting on the edge of the tube, with boxershorts only covering his private places. She didn’t know whether she wanted to hit him or just be blown away by his sudden appearance. He looked even more gorgeous with his tousled hair, not to mention his upper body Tara had a free view on now.
"What the heck are ya doin’ in here? I can’t remember inviting you round.", she finally managed to say and leaned back against the edge of the tub to relax once more, somehow grateful for the foam that was covering her now. She’d tried to sound annoyed, but knew that it had done nothing to Kian. He was still sitting there, his hands still on her shoulders and she just knew that he wouldn’t make a move now. Instead she felt his hands go down lower, caressing her upper arms over and over again. He was very aware of what he did to her, she was sure of that, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of getting lost in his touches. Not yet.
"I didn’t mean ta frighten you, I’m sorry. The door was open and I wanted ta take a shower, that’s all. Want me to go?", he asked huskily, not sure that he would be able to control his actions any longer. He wanted to touch her, hold her, be with her and all in the same time. Still he knew that it was up to her to make a decision and that he would have to accept it, like it or not. He moved his hands down her arms, touching her forearms that were laying on either side of the tub. Heavenly..
Tara thought about it for a moment. He was leaving it up to her to choose the destination they were heading to. She liked the idea of that, having full power over him and the things that might happen. "No. I don’t want you to go, stay here with me. My neck is hurting like hell, maybe you can do something against it.", she answered softly, leaning her head into his hands which had gone back to her neck. He immediately began to rub over her shoulders, caressing her hurting muscles. She couldn’t avoid a little moan that espaced her lips when his hands touched her sensitive skin over and over again.
"Better now?" He’d leaned down to whisper into her ear, his mouth just inches away from her face. She didn’t dare to open her eyes now, for she was sure that they would betray her. Instead she turned her face away from Kian, trying to gain some control back. The water was getting far too hot for her!
"Ya won’t answer me darlin’? Then don’t, it’s ok," Kian said and moved on with his little massage. "I like touching you, your skin is all soft and ready for me. I can only imagine what it would be like to have your body all over me, touching you and having you near. Do you imagine what it would be like - you and me?" Kian couldn’t stop the words, even if he’d tried to. They were flowing out of his mouth, with him unable to do anything against it. His need for her had taken on new dimensions now, with her all willing under his touch.
Tara had now idea whether she was able to answer him. Not because she didn’t know what to say, but because she was now facing a passion that was nearly painful. She tried to concentrate on his hands on her shoulder, but felt unable to stop her thoughts from returning to what Kian had just said. Yes, she’d imagined the both of them together - nearly all night long. Still she didn’t want to give in to him too soon. SHE would be the one to start the game, not him. "Would you like the thought of that, Kian? Me imagining the two of us together?", she asked, her voice nearly as husky as his now.
Kian moaned lightly when he heard her pop his question at him. That was more than he was cabable of bearing! He pressed his hands fully into her shoulders, fighting back the wish to pull her out of that tub and just do her. He’d met many women that had tried to challenge him, but there for sure hadn’t been a single woman that had turned him on the way Tara did now. He doubted that she was unaware of what she was doing to him, for she had obviously planned to lead the game. That was fine with him, as long as she’d give him what he asked for. "I like the thought of you being all spread out in front of me right now, baby. That and the feel of your skin under my hands. I’ve longed to touch you since I first laid eyes on you yesterday, and I don’t think I could stop right now, even if you asked me to. But you wouldn’t do that, would you? Answer me, Tara.", he demanded and started to kiss the little spot behind her left ear. She smelled so good, her perfume leaving him nearly panting with want. He would have her, there was no doubt about that.
Tara couldn’t help but moan loudly, when his lips touched her skin for the first time, automatically pressing herself closer to him. "No, I wouldn’t do that. I wouldn’t do that.", she repeated over and over again, her defence vanishing. She got lost to his kisses and his soft moans that were mingling with her own. Whatever Kian was trying to do to her, it worked!
With all the strength she had within her, Tara suddenly moved away from Kian and turned around a bit to look at him. "I don’t want you to go away. I want you to come in here. Now."
Caitlin looked out of the window again, sighing once more when she realized that the situation outside hadn’t changed a bit. They’d probably be stuck in the wooden cabin for the rest of their lives! She glanced at her watch, wondering just what took Tara so long up there. Usually, she’d be up by now, ready for a coffee and something to eat. It was already getting dark outside again, but still there was no sign of her. Caitlin considered going upstairs to have a look at her, but decided that it would be better to stay were she was. Tara was old enough, she would join her and Shane when she felt ready to.
"Anything interesting out there? You seem to stare out of that window every two minutes." She turned around when she heard Shane’s soft voice behind her and smiled. He’d kneeled down in front of the chimney, trying to get a fire started. Caitlin’s heart missed a beat when Shane returned her smile, a smile that left her wanting to cuddle up to him and never let him go again. She was behaving like a teenager, she knew that, but still wasn’t able to do anything against it. She didn’t even want to! They’d spent most of the afternoon on the couch, all cuddled up with him stroking her hair while talking. That’s how she wanted it to be, and she’d be damned if she fought against it!
"I’m sorry, I don’t want you to think I’m trying to get away from you here. It’s just that I still hope all that snow would go away somehow. What if we’re forced to stay up here the next couple of weeks? We’ll just die of hunger or freeze to death if you don’t get that damn thing over there started soon." She fell back onto the sofa, observing Shane as he once again tried to get the fire started. He cared about her so much, it nearly frightened her! When she’d said she was cold, he’d not hesitated a bit and immediately started to put on a little fire in the chimney. How cute!
"Don’t worry about it too much, Cate, that won’t get you anywhere at all. Just sit down and try to relax, anything else will fall into place." He flashed another gorgeous smile at her, before he turned around to concentrate on the chimney once more. It only took him some more minutes until the wood finally catched fire and the room started to warm up. He then stood back up, went back to the sofa and sat down behind Caitlin, pulling her back into his arms again. He loved the way her body relaxed against his while he was stroking over her hair. She’d been shy with him at first, but was now beginning to open up a bit and give him the chance to move closer to her - in every way.
"Where are you?", he whispered into her ear when he noticed her miles away. It surprised him that he was actually caring about her and her toughts so much already, but in the same time knew he was unable to change it. Never had he thought about getting himself into something serious again so soon, but now, with Caitlin in his arms, he wondered what else it’d take him to completely change his mind and to just go for it. She was a great girl, that he’d figured out already, in his eyes all beautiful and lovely. Still he didn’t want to rush things, for he feared she’d think him completely crazy. He’d make her see that there could be more than just nice talking between them anyway, so why hurry now?
Caitlin snapped back into reality, almost feeling guilty for drifting away. But the feel of Shane’s body against her own was far too good to not get lost into it. "I’m right here. It’s getting warm again - finally! You did a great job down there.", she smiled and pointed at the little fire that was burning quite good. He had lots of talents, that was for sure now! With a sigh, she leaned in closer to him and closed her eyes as he began to stroke over her hair once more. What just a single touch of him could do to her!
"Yeah, it’s getting quite cozy now. Want me to get you another blanket, just in case?", Shane asked and stroked over her cheek gently, wanting her to feel comfortable and safe with him. He buried his nose into her hair, taking in the sweet scent of it. Everything about her seemed to be perfect, so who could blame him for losing his heart to her?
"No, I’m ok now. Just talk to me. I like your voice." Caitlin smiled when she heard his soft chuckle behind her, amused by her words. But she meant it. His voice alone almost made her fall in love with him. She’d asked him to sing earlier that afternoon and had been blown away by it. He was a master at it, his voice soft and tender when he lost himself in a lovesong, putting all his feelings and emotions into it.
"Oh, you’re not the first one to say that, but thanks anyway." He laughed when she turned around a bit to look at him, the impressions on her face making clear what she thought. "Right, that made me sound like a real snob now, didn’t it? Allright, I feel honoured to hear you say that. Better?"
"Much better.", Caitlin said and settled down again, her head on his shoulder just a few inches away from his own. She could smell his aftershave, something that made her wanting to kiss and touch him even more. What would he say if she just gave in to her need, slid up to him and kissed him? Not that she considered that option for she was too afraid that he’d turn her down, but she still couldn’t get that thought out of her head. What would it be like to kiss him? Would he return her kiss or just ask her to stop and turn away? Many questions, few answers..
"I’m learning fast.", he finally answered and pulled the blanket that covered them, much tighter around the both of them. "Do you still worry about the weather outside? Maybe Kian and I could try to shovel some of the snow away later on. If he ever decides to show up, that is. He must have had a hell of an evening yesterday. I think your lil sister entertained him quite good. Think they’ll go for each other?"
Caitlin shrugged her shoulders, not wanting to deepen that topic. She knew that her sister had a major interest in Kian, especially in his body, but that was it. Tara seemed to have fun in changing her mind like underwear when it came to men. "I dunno. At least they seem to have one thing in common - I can’t believe they are still sleeping! But on the other hand I’m quite happy they didn’t come down here yet. You’re good company, mister, and I wouldn’t mind keeping you to myself for at least another couple of minutes. Don’t even think about saying something stupid now!", she said and turned around to shot a warning look at him. Shane cracked up laughing, but still managed to hold up his hands in defence.
"I’d never do that! Let’s just hope they’ll stay in bed, at least long enough so that we can enjoy each other’s company a lil while longer. How would you like that?", he asked softly, his lips touching her forehead while he spoke. Her words had chuffed him and were now encouraging him further. She wanted him to be with her, something he could fall back to later on.
"I would like that very much.", Caitlin whispered and smiled up to him. She loved the way he looked down at her, full of warmth and affection. Whatever would go on from here, she was sure she’d like it. Maybe it was crazy to think a couple of days together would expose everything about the man she was cuddlep up to, but she’d at least try. Tara would be busy seducing Kian and so it’d be the other way round, so she herself would have enough time to figure out what really lay behind the sight of Shane Filan.
He softly chuckled and pulled her close. "I knew you would. Did you ever hear about the Irish christmas traditions? I bet you British don’t have a clue about how we celebrate christmas."
Tara turned around a bit and smiled up at Kian, who was now trying hard to not lose control over himself - she could see that in his eyes. Her offer had surprised her a lot, so she could only imagine what HE was thinking now. Oh, it was too good to be true! She wondered whether he’d accept her offer and climb in with her. If so, there would lay much more ahead for them, she was sure of that! "What are ya waiting for, loverboy? Don’t tell me you came in here to just LOOK! There’s more for you in here, and you know it. You won’t regret it, I promise." Another tremendous smile that only showed her confidence once more. She didn’t want him to think she was overly surprised or even ashamed by his appearance - if that was the way he played his games, then she’d go along with it.
"Don’t make me promises you maybe won’t be able to keep, darlin’. What if you can’t keep up with me?" Kian grinned down at her, knowing at once that he’d slightly annoyed her with his words. But he hadn’t said that to anger her, he just wanted to make sure that she exactly knew what she was getting herself into. Once started, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop, even if she asked him to. He didn’t want to scare her away, or worse hurt her - whether it’d be physically or emotionally.
Tara couldn’t help but laugh when she heard him talk. "Are ya being serious here? Come on Kian, you should know better by now. The question is, will YOU be able to keep up with ME? Most of my hunger can only be satisfied by real men and I can’t help but wonder whether you’re one of them." She giggled, completely aware to what she’d just said. Oh Lordy, she was exaggerating beyond anyone’s imagination! Of course, she’d been with men before, but she was sounding like a wild animal chasing helpless men here!
"Don’t even dare to think about that one again, sweetheart. You want a prove? Here we go, baby." Kian wouldn’t give her a second chance to change her mind. She wanted him to be in there, and he for sure would get in there - NOW! He let go of her shoulders and stood up, then made two steps forward, so that he was able to look at her when he lowered his boxershorts down slowly. Her eyes were steady on his own, suddenly not daring to go any lower than to his face. What had happened to his little wildcat?
Tara still just focused on his eyes when he stepped into the tub, a low sigh escaping his mouth. She desperately WANTED to travel lower with her eyes, but in the same time feared that the expressions on her face would betray her - and give him a sort of satisfaction she didn’t want to give away yet. She smiled when he finally sank into the bubbles across from her, welcoming the warmth of the water that was suddenly surrounding him. Let the games begin! "You like it?", she asked, at once stretching out her legs so that she was touching the skin of his inner thighs with her toes. Whatever it would take her to get him excited, she’d make sure he’d get it. Judging by the fierce look in his eyes when he caught her feet underwater, she was succeeding quite well so far.
"More than is good for you, darlin’.", he answered trough clenched teeth, being very aware of the fact that he wouldn’t be able to control himself much longer. He hadn’t planned to love her in a tub, regarding the huge Kingsize bed they were blessed with, but if that was the way she wanted it to be, he wouldn’t complain! His mind was racing with all the different things he wanted to do to her, WITH her. They were only getting started now!
Tara didn’t answer but reached for the shampoo behind her. "Would you please let go of my feet?", she asked him kindly, smiling when he slowly nodded and placed his hands on either side of the tub. She then went to her knees and moved closer to him. Without saying a word, she straddled his hip and took the washcloth that lay beside him, smiling when she saw the bewildered expressions on his face.
"What the fuck are ya on about, Tara? You like playing little games, don’t ya?" He moved his hands down to her hips, pressing her to him at once. She excited him to no end and he wanted to make sure that she knew. A smile captured his face when he heard her sudden gasp. Now she knew. "Think ya can handle me?", he whispered into her ear, starting to place soft kisses right underneath her earlobe.
Tara shivered under his touch, enjoying the feel of his lips on her skin. He’d be a fantastic lover, she had no doubts about that. "I’ll try my best. Lay back down against the edge, honey. You don’t mind me soaping ya, do you?", she asked sweetly, immediately feeling the reaction her words caused. Of course he didn’t mind.
"Just go ahead, I’m all yours for now.", he managed to answer huskily, leaving her earlobe to lay back like she’d told him to. Whatever was in her mind right now, he had no doubts that he’d enjoy it throughout. She was a player, so was he, and no matter where they would lead each other - they’d both be pleased with it. Very pleased.Tara smiled at him mischievously, before she soaked the washcloth with the shampoo and placed it on his upper arm, slowly travelling down. Kian was giving her a hard time with him holding her so close, but she still managed to go down his arm completely, before she went to the other arm and repeated the procedure. She took her time, admiring his strong and nicely built arms that seemed to be all ready for her to wrap herself up in. Then she moved to his upper body but was forced to look up when Kian caught her hand and refused to let it go. Tara gazed into his eyes, just to be faced with a look that had nothing in it but pure desire.
"Kiss me.", he demanded softly but still firm. He wouldn’t let her rub all over his body without himself touching and kissing her. That was more than he could take! His hands moved behind her head, pulling her to him until his lips finally touched hers. He moaned when he sneaked out his tongue, wanting to explore her mouth completely. She happily let him in, at once pressing herself closer to him when his tongue found her own. It felt so good!
"I’m still not done with you yet, lover.", she said between kisses, moving the washcloth in her hand lower while she was still kissing him. She travelled over his belly, immediately realizing his kisses to become more fierce and demanding. When she reached his belly button, he moaned into her mouth, pressing her closer still. His hands went from her hair to her back down to her butt, giving it a good squeeze. He was losing it - fast!
Tara gently laughed when she realized that there was hardly any space left for the washcloth to move lower. She tried to wriggle out of Kian’s embrace to end what she’d begun, but found it impossible when Kian wouldn’t let her move an inch. "Getting all impatient now?", she asked while stroking over his stomach, feeling his inner muscles contract. She had him where she wanted him to be - craving for her and her touch.
Kian looked into her eyes, slightly frustrated that she’d broken the kiss. Yes, he was impatient now! He fought with his mind, trying to make up an answer that would satisfy her and let him go on with his touching and kissing. "You’re sitting on my lap right now, doing things with your hands that leave me mindless with want for ya, babe. Your mouth has been all over mine for the last couple of minutes and you still have to ask?! Fuck yes, I AM impatient now!" The look in his eyes even strengthened every word he said. There was no doubt about just how serious he was!
Caitlin wasn’t aware that she had fallen to sleep until she woke up. The room was pitch black and quit and for a short moment she felt completely disoriented. Then the memory came back - along with the smell of an aftershave she was already getting used to. Her hand reached out to stroke over Shane’s arm that embraced her while she was laying with her back to him. They’d watched a film and somewhere inbetween she must have fallen to sleep. She sighed and pressed herself closer to Shane, loving the feel of his body against her own. His breath was steadily brushing over her cheek, a sign that he was still asleep. Caitlin turned around in his embrace, facing him. She couldn’t see much, but the moon that was shining trough the window allowed her to make out his face. At once her fingers moved up to his cheek, caressing it softly, then brushing slightly over his closed lips.
"You are so beautiful, Shane Filan.", she whispered more to herself than to him, once again completely struck by his beauty. She lightly chuckled when she repeated the word in her head - beautiful. Most of the guys she met she thought to be hot or stunning, but not beautiful. But the man in front of her WAS beautiful, more than she had ever thought a guy to be capable of. He was perfect. That thought frightened her, because she knew that she was already beginning to succumb to this beauty. The way he talked to her, cared about her or even looked at her just left her completely helpless. Was she falling in love with him? No. She had already fallen in love with him.
"You are very beautiful, too." Caitlin startled terribly when she heard his voice echoing in her head. Now THAT was a surprise! Shane opened his eyes and looked into her own, a smile building up on his face. Oh god, she just wanted to die right there and then. It was one thing talking to him like that when he was asleep, but it was another when he was right awake! She only hoped that he wouldn’t make fun of her now - then she’d just kill him.
"Well, thank you. I’m sorry, I thought you were asleep. Otherwise I wouldn’t have said that. Sorry." She tried to break free from his embrace, but was stopped by Shane who immediately pulled her back into it. His fingers cupped her chin, forcing her to look at him. The smile had left his face.
"Why not?" He was all serious now, wanting to know just what lay behind her shyness. Why was she trying to hide from him? Of course, they’d just met and she was maybe not sure as to what to think of him, but he could tell that there was already some kind of bond developing between them. There was no way she could deny that! Why else would she have told him so much about herself already? Why else would she have tried to be near him whenever possible?
"Because I- I don’t know. Maybe because I didn’t want you to know." The words bubbled out of her, with her not being able to stop them. She didn’t want him to know - that was it. Not because she didn’t trust her feelings or his, but because she knew that these feelings wouldn’t stand a chance. The idea of being with him for some more days pleased her, very much, but she would have been a fool to believe that there’d be more for them than just these days. He was a popstar, with thousands of girls fancying him, and only god knew how long it would take him to find another girl - a girl just like her. She doubted that he’d have any trouble with that.
"You didn’t want me to know? Cate, what’s the problem with you telling me that I’m beautiful? Allright, I wouldn’t have mind you calling me hot and sexy, but beautiful is fine with me, too." He smiled, wanting her to feel better and relax once again. Whatever was on her mind right now, he just hoped she’d tell him.
Caitlin couldn’t help but return the smile. "Come on Shane, you know that’s not what I’m talking about. It’s just that I feel so stupid saying that about you, TO you! You’ve probably heard that a thousand times before and must think of me as lovesick, little teenage-bird right now." Her voice was getting quieter with each word she said, with her trying to survive the embarrassing situation somehow. What if he would laugh at her now? She couldn’t bear that thought.
Shane started to gently stroke over her cheek, feeling overjoyed by the words he’d just heard. Lovesick. "Yeah, you’re right, I’ve heard these things a thousand times before, if not more, but I’ve never heard them to be spoken that soft and tender - and never did they have that much meaning to me than they have right now." His thumb started to softly caress her lips, wanting to explore every little bit of her. There’d never been a better time to make the next step - and he wanted to make it desperately. "Cate, would you kiss me?" His voice was as quiet as her voice had been just minutes before. He could see the sudden surprise in her eyes and hoped that she wouldn’t turn him down. He longed for her kiss, her touch, and if she was to deny him all that, he’d be gutted.
Caitlin knew that this was the point where she was able to stop and keep up the distance she still had to him, but in the same time didn’t even want to think about this distance anymore. HE had asked HER to kiss him, not the other way round, and if his wishes resembled her own so much, it couldn’t be wrong. She hoped her hand wasn’t shaking when she reached out to him, her fingers starting to trace softly along his bottom lip. Oh how she loved touching it, something she could go on with for hours! Her gaze caught his when she ran her fingers into his hair, pulling him closer to her. Then she closed her eyes and pressed her lips on his, sweet and tender. That was how she wanted it to be, how she had IMAGINED it to be.
She felt how his fingers found the way to her hips underneath the blanket they were covered with, pressing her tighter to him while he responded her kiss. He snaked out his tongue and ran it along her lower lip before plunging it into her mouth to explore. Heavenly! He wanted to go on with it forever, kissing her mindless. She tasted so sweet, so very right for him. A moan escaped his lips when her hands went under his sweater, her fingertips caressing the soft skin they were greeted with.
Their lips parted with a smacking sound when the lights in the living room suddenly went on. "Lookie, lookie! I think I’ve chosen the wrong time to come down here. But just try to ignore me, you won’t even notice me. Want me to turn off the lights again?" Tara came down the stairs, a huge smile on her face. What she’d just experienced upstairs had taken her very breath away, but that down here seemed to be even better! Her own sister snogging the hell out of a guy she’d just met some hours ago..
Caitlin at once sat up straight, blushing slightly. She opened her mouth to answer, but Shane got in first. "Well, just if you wouldn’t mind, darling. We have some unfinished buisness here and I think so do you upstairs." He ignored Caitlin’s surprised look and grinned at Tara, knowing that she exactly knew what he was talking about. Maybe Caitlin hadn’t noticed yet, but he for sure had! Kian and Tara had hit it off very well from the start and only god knew what they were doing upstairs. Regarding the fact that Tara wore nothing but a towel, they were obviously doing pretty well.
"Allright, I just wanted to get something to drink anyway. But regarding the situation here, I’ll go upstairs again and try to not die of thirst. Enjoy yourself!" With a wink she went up the stairs again, leaving Shane and Caitlin to themselves again.
Shane turned his head to Cate once again, smiling. "Fancy another kiss?"
Tara stepped into her dark bedroom, closing the door behind her. That had been massive fun! Caitlin could not have hidden the embarassement shown clearly on her face, even if she’d tried to for her own life! For Tara, it had been clear from the very start that her sister would hitch it off with Shane - and now she had! Tara couldn’t help but giggle when she remembered the scene she’d just been faced with a couple of minutes ago.
She jumped when two hands suddenly touched her, pressing her closer to the door. "What-", was all she could manage to say, before gentle lips touched hers and started to move over her mouth. She instantly smiled when she recognized what was going on and put her hands around Kian’s neck, enjoying his nearness big time. They’d spent a great time in the tub together, and Tara was curious about whether there was anything that could top that. She honestly doubted it.
"What’s so funny, lil wildcat?", Kian whispered before he lifted her up so that she could put her legs around his hips. He then carried her trough the dark, gently lowering her down to the bed when they reached it.
"Oh nothing. Just the thought of my sister getting all cuddly with your friend. You should have seen that!", she answered between kisses, getting completely lost to his touch again. It surprised her that she was still longing for him so much - since she was most likely to loose interest in a guy very quickly after she’d been with him for more than a couple of hours. Kian was a great lover, that she had figured out earlier on, but still there seemed to be something more about him that captured her and her interest in him. She didn’t know what - but as far as she was concerned, she liked it. Her hands moved down to his lovely firm bum, giving it a slight squeeze when he deepend their kiss. She loved the way he was touching her, but more did she love touching HIM!
"No Shane Filan for me tonight, thank you. I’ve seen him with all his girls for more than once, so now I will just focuse on that beautiful lady right in front of me." Kian leaned in to kiss her once more, but was stopped when Tara suddenly pushed him away forcefully to stand up. She stumbled over to the light switch and turned it on, ignoring his groans when the glaring light touched his eyes that were now only used to the dark.
"Shane Filan and ALL his girls? Just what the hell is he up to down there? Don’t tell me he’s chasing for another trophy, because if he is, I will just go downstairs now and beat the lifelights outta him!", Tara said furiously, trying to ignore the fact that Kian looked too damn sexy in the towel he wore around his hips, with his hair all mussy and a look on his face she wanted to kill for. If it wasn’t for her sister, she would have just went back to bed with him, repeating everything they’d experienced in the tube earlier.
"Fuck, Tara, where does that come from now? I have no feckin idea what he’s on about, so would you please just come back here - now!" Kian tried to not sound impatient, though he was getting tired of her games. He wanted to love her up good, and NOT talk about her sister or Shane. That wasn’t their buisness anyway, so why bother? When he saw the determined look on her face, he knew that she wouldn’t make a move if he didn’t give her a satisfying answer.
"Look darlin’, I know that he has a big interest in your sister, because that’s what he told me this morning. Still, I have no idea what direction this interest is leading to. Maybe they just enjoy each others company for a couple of days, maybe there’s more to come. But they are old enough to make their own decisions, they don’t need a little sister watching over them." He smiled, but the smile immediately left his face when he saw just how angry she got by his words. Now that was stupid! There was no reason getting furious just because Shane wouldn’t marry her sister right there and then. He knew that she didn’t have that in mind for herself and him, so why bothering about Shane and Caitlin? He didn’t understand.
"Oh, so you do know what the both of them need? Then tell me, because I am dying to know! She wouldn’t kiss him like she did if she didn’t have feelings for him, and if he is about to hurt these feelings, he’ll regret it, I will make sure of that! We are players, Kian, she is not! You will make that clear to him, understand me?" Tara pointed her finger at him, not caring about his furious gaze at her. If he didn’t like that topic, fine. She didn’t like it either, but some things just needed to be said. Caitlin was her sister, and she loved her deeply - nobody had the right to hurt her!
"Don’t you ever talk to me like that again, missy! I’m not one of these little guys you can mess around with. If you have a problem with Shane, you can go down and become clear with him on your own, that’s none of my fucking buisness! I won’t tell him what to do with his girls and what not to, because if he was doing the same with me, I would just kick his ass! Leave them alone and try to grow up, darlin’." Her behaviour had amused him at first, but now he was truly pissed off! She had no right to judge Shane, for she didn’t even know what situiation the both of them were in most of the time - with thousands of girls around them, practically throwing themselves at him and Shane. He could have told her, but he didn’t want to. That would have only given her another excuse for her dislike against Shane. Apart from that, he liked the thought that she felt attracted to him because of HIM, not because of Kian Westlife.
Thanks to her temper, Tara had the big wish to slap him. "Maybe YOU are the one who should grow up! I’m going downstairs now, getting my sister the hell away from your horny friend." She whirled around and opened the door, turning around to him once more. "Oh, and when I come up here again, you’re better gone. You might go into your room and wait for Shane, then you’ll be able to enjoy each others company the whole night trough!" With the sweetest smile, she closed the door and clattered down the stairs, turning on the lights as soon as she found a light switch. Shane and Caitlin were fast asleep, still cuddled up under the blanket. Tara didn’t hesitate to pull it away, waking the both of them up at once.
"Come on Cate, it’s time to go to bed. I’m tired and I think so are you. Say goodnight to Shane, we’ll have the pleasure to see him again in the morning." Tara pulled her sister up, ignoring the confused expressions on her face as she got up. There was no time for explanations since Kian was coming down the stairs now too, probably determined to defend his friend. They would have enough time to discuss this in the morning, now Tara just wanted to get Caitlin away from her lover.
"Well, goodnight." Caitlin didn’t know what was going on, but judging from the look on her sister’s face, something was terribly wrong. She looked down at Shane, who seemed to be extremly unaware as to what was going on. He gazed back at her, smiling sleepily. Then he got up right beside her and leaned in to her, kissing her lips softly.
"Goodnight to you too, sweetheart. Sleep well. Night, Tara. Take care of her, will ya?" He was disappointed, but he didn’t show it. There would be enough time for the two of them to spend the night together, so there was no need to push anything. Still he would have liked her to be cuddled up to him all night long..
"Don’t worry about that one, Shane. I will take very good care of her, believe me." Tara forced a smile at him, then took Caitlin’s hand and dragged her up the stairs.
"Tara, do I ever get the chance to speak to you again? You can’t ignore me forever, ya know." Caitlin sat down on the bed and watched her sister fumbling around in one of the drawers to find something clean to wear. Morning light had dawned early, together with a disscusion that had soon turned out into a huge fight.
"I can at least try to. Why don’t you go down to Shane? I bet he’s already waiting for you.", Tara answered without looking at her, still trying to get her anger under control. She’d just tried to help her sister and prevent her from getting hurt and all SHE’d done was to tell her to mind her own buisness. Great! With a frustrated grunt, she closed the drawer and slipped into a pair of jeans and a blue sweater. There was no way she was going to talk to anyone in that house again!
"I don’t care if he’s waiting, I care about you! I’m sorry about the things I said earlier, because that’s not how I meant them. You just wanted to help me and I had nothing better to do than to yell at you. But can’t you just try to understand me? Shane’s a great guy and I just know that he wouldn’t do anything that could hurt me. Maybe things won’t work out like the way I plan them to, but that doesn’t mean he’s an asshole or any of the other names you gave him earlier." Caitlin grinned, for she could see that a smile was building up at the corners of her sister’s mouth. She knew how she was getting to her, and once again it seemed to work.
Tara still tried to keep up her defence, but knew that it would be impossible from now on. Of course she could understand Caitlin, because in some way she was experiencing the same with Kian, but still she feared that her sister might get hurt by it. Tara finally turned around and looked at her, shrugging her shoulders. "He didn’t kiss me, so I’m allowed to say these things about him. Allright, if you are ok with the situation, then I am too. But promise me that you won’t let him hurt you!", she demanded softly before she ran into her sister’s embrance, already regretting their fight.
"I promise. If he does, we’ll just go and kick his cute litte ass, right?", Caitlin laughed and kissed her sister’s forehead. She wanted to sound optimistic and happy, not afraid and insecure - even if she felt that way. It had scared her that she’d been able to fall for Shane that quickly, and now she couldn’t even bear the thought of him leaving. Jesus, they had done nothing more than kissing and still she wanted him to be the man of her life - how stupid could somebody be?
"Right, and I’ll get the first kick. I mean, you would be too soft and tender with him, and I want the kicks to really hurt, ya know. Then I will go to Kian and do exactly the same, and I will enjoy every second of it.", Tara said with a frustrated grunt. It had hurt her ego that Kian had accused her of being childish and treated her like a little baby. Now she just wanted to make sure that he regretted it.
"Come on, whatever he said to you, I’m sure he didn’t mean it like that. He wanted to tease you and now it’s your turn to tease him. That shouldn’t be hard for ya, sweetheart." Caitlin smiled, before she stood up and grasped her thick anorak that was laying on the bed beside her. "Let’s get down now, the boys are probably waiting for us. Don’t even try to make up an excuse, you’ll come with us! We’ve been stuck in here for nearly two days now and if we can get out, we WILL get out. So get into your ski suit, I’ll wait downstairs for you, ok?" With a meaningful gaze that left no space for protest, Caitlin went out of the room. Tara sighed, before she pulled her hair up into a ponytail and then stepped into her ski skuit. She didn’t want to go out there for two reasons: It was cold and there was Kian. But she knew her sister and therefore knew, that there was no way she could get out of that. So she decided to spend a couple of minutes outside, before she would go into the cabin again. When she went down the stairs, all three of them were already waiting for her.
"Look, who finally decided to join us. Good morning, princess." Kian grinned at her, knowing that it would only increase her anger. He had been furious when she’d turned him down, leaving him to Shane and a lonely bed for the night. But he wouldn’t give her the pleasure and show it - no, he would do whatever was necessary to have her craving for him again.
"Shut up, Egan. I’m not interested in any of your stupid comments or jokes. Just leave me alone.", Tara said without looking at him and pulled the cap over her hair, then opened the door. She wanted to give him a good piece of her mind, but knew that would only satisfy him more. So instead she kept her mouth shut and stepped out into the snow, at once forgetting about all the anger and frustration that had built up inside of her. The sun was standing high and shining down on them, leaving the snow nearly sparkling.
"Wow, that’s just amazing!", she said and leaned down to grab some of the snow. Then she stood back up again and turned around to face the other three who were still standing inside the cabin and waiting for her to move so that they could finally get out. "Sorry, you want me to step aside,right? Then don’t just stand there and look at me, open your mouth! Oh well, I know that’s a bit hard when you’re kissing the hell out of each other.", she said with a glance at Shane and her sister, then turned around again and stepped out into the snow.
Caitlin blushed slightly, before she kissed Shane once more, then followed her sister out. She wanted to embrace the world and knew that he was doing a lot to deepen that feeling, even if he didn’t recognize it. He was listening to her, caring for her and doing everything a woman wanted a man to do to her. What else could she ask for? Well, she knew the answer for that question - but she didn’t want to let it cross her mind right now. There would be enough time for that when she was laying in her bed all alone again, facing the wall and crying her eyes out..
"Now stop all that kissing and cuddling, it’s getting on my nerves!", Kian shouted before he reached for some snow and threw it after Shane. Within minutes, the four of them were running around screaming and laughing, hitting each other with their snowballs.
"Kian, get off of me. I’ll hurt you, I swear!" Tara tried to wriggle out from underneath him, but found it impossible since the both of them were laughing their heads off and couldn’t get up. "I don’t like you and I don’t wanna talk to you, so MOVE!" She made a last effort, but didn’t really want him to get off anyway. Somehow she enjoyed laying there underneath him, with snow surrounding them and the sun shining down from up above. It was so..so - romantic..
"Kiss me and I might consider standing up." Kian grinned down at her, loving the thought of having her finally near again. He didn’t care about Shane and Caitlin, who were still chasing each other, he just wanted to get what HE was chasing for since they’d first kissed.
"One kiss and you’ll get off of me, promise!", Tara demanded and smiled when he nodded and made a puppy face - that definitely made HER wanting to kiss HIM. She closed her eyes when he leaned down and touched her lips with his, sighing and enjoying the familiar feel of his lips against her own.
Shane smiled when he turned around and noticed the both of them laying in the snow. He’d known that it wouldn’t take them long to make up again - now they wouldn’t mind him getting away for some time. Walking over to Caitlin, he took her hand and smiled at her, then led her back into the cabin..
"Aww, I knew it! Shane Filan is giving up because me and my snowballs are getting just too dangerous for him." Caitlin grinned and closed the door behind her, then started to wriggle out of her coat. She had enjoyed herself quite a lot out there, with Shane chasing her and demanding a kiss from time to time.
"Don’t overrate yourself, darlin’. I just wanted us to get a little bit warm in here. Your snowballs did absolutely nothing to me.", he answered and laughed when she punched him slightly, then turned around to start a fire in the chimney. It didn’t take him long, so within minutes the cabin started to get warm and cozy again. Finally pleased, Shane slid out of his anorak easily and let it fall to the floor, before he went back to Caitlin and sat down on the couch beside her. For a moment, none of them spoke, being completely lost in each other. Shane couldn’t take his eyes off of her, even if he’d tried to. He’d yearned for her all night long, had wanted to be close to her, to touch her and kiss her. Whatever she was doing, it fascinated him and just made him fall for her even more.
"Come here, baby." He finally held out his hands to her, which she readily took and moved over to him until her head was just bare inches from his away. It had been a long night without him, and now, with him being so close again, she didn’t know how much longer she would be able to resist the urge to love him. His hands were touching her back now, one of them moving down under her sweater to softly caress the skin there while his eyes never left hers. She didn’t know where the shivers in her body came from - from his tender touch or the look in his eyes that made her want him even more. She sat up a bit and moved in closer to him, then started to softly kiss him. Her tongue sneaked out a bit, slowly travelling over his bottom lip before exploring his mouth. They kept it slow and easy at first, but after a little while their passion took over and left the both of them breathless between their kisses.
"Cate, I want-", Shane started but then stopped, unsure about how to tell her. He wanted to love her so badly that it nearly hurt, but in the same time feared that he would go too far. After all, he still hadn’t told her about his feelings that seemed to get stronger every minute - so how was he going to tell her that he wanted to make love to her?
"Shh.", Caitlin answered and started to kiss him again. She knew what he’d wanted to say and didn’t need to hear him say it. All she wanted was to be in his arms for as long as possible - there was no need to discuss that. Maybe their ways wouldn’t cross again after these days, but she would never ever forgive herself if she rejected him now.
When Shane realized that there was no need for doubts and any hesitation, he rolled Caitlin to her back and gently laid upon her, a hand moving up to her hair to softly caress it. His lips found hers again, a soft moan escaping his lips when she started to slightly wriggle underneath him. That definitely turned him on! Without stopping to kiss her, one of his hands sneaked under her sweater once again, moving over her belly and up to the satin fabric of her bra, then again all down to her waistband. His fingers started to fiddle with the button there, finally popping it trough the strap. There was no way he could wait any longer, and by the way she kissed him back, she couldn’t either. Caitlin pressed herself more tightly against him when his hands started to move over her bare skin, leaving goosebumps all down her back. She deepend their kiss, then let her hands wander down to the hem of his sweater, pulling it up a bit so that she had free access to the skin of his back. He felt warm and soft, just the way she’d imagined him to be. Her fingernails digged into the warm flesh carefully, then made their way up to his shoulders and back down, over and over again - a deep groan his answer.
As much as he hated it, Shane knew that they couldn’t stay where they were at that moment. With a frustrated grunt, he stood up and lifted Caitlin up into his arms, carrying her up the stairs. He went into the first room that came their way, closing the door with his foot before he gently layered her down to the bed, laying upon her once more. As soon as they were settled in, he moved between her legs, pressing himself fully into her. He wanted to be as near as possible to her and cursed the clothes that were still keeping them apart. Caitlin pulled the sweater up over his head and tossed it aside, sighing when she touched his bare chest for the first time. He felt so good! Her hands roomed over his upper body while she went on kissing him, wanting him. When he stood up to open his trousers, she sat up straight for a moment, getting rid of her sweater and then laying down again, awaiting him.
Shane stood there for a moment, fascinated by the view he was blessed with. There she was, all perfect and beautiful. He had imagined her body so many times, now it was for real. Slowly, he crawled onto the bed again, before he started to undress her, only leaving her bra and slip on. Pure Perfection. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her, nor his hands which roomed her body all over. One of his fingers slipped into her bra and softly started to caress the warm skin underneath, making her gasp.
He smiled down at her when he crawled on top of her again, kissing her deeply. They wouldn’t have to wait any longer..
+++++
"Ki, why don’t we just go inside? It’s getting freezin cold out here!", Tara complained again, sitting down on the old wooden bench in front of the cabin. It had been fun to play around in the snow for a little while, but now she desperately wanted to go inside the cottage and enjoy the warmth of a fire building up in the chimney. She’d noticed Shane and Caitlin leaving earlier, so why couldn’t they just get in too?
"Honey, can you just think about that for a moment? Shane and your sister went in about half an hour ago, and I really doubt that they’re just playing cards or something like that. Get my point?" Kian, who was still forming little snowballs and throwing them around, looked at her and grinned.
"You mean - wait, you mean they’re DOING it?" Tara gasped in surprise, not sure whether she liked it or not. She’d observed the two of them for quite a while, watching them kissing and cuddling, but never ever had she thought of the two of them having sex! She didn’t know about Shane, but her sister wasn’t someone who just jumped into bed with a guy she hardly knew - now that was a first!
"I’m pretty sure of that, darlin’. So why don’t we just give them a bit of privacy and stay out here for a lil while longer? You can’t be sick of my company so soon, can ya?", Kian smiled and winked at her. Tara pulled a face before she stood up and moved over to him.
"I can’t believe we’re doing this. They’re having the time of their lives and we’re freezing to death. Kian, that is just mean! They are kissing and cuddling and loving each other and we just sit here.", Tara said with a frustrated grunt.
"Try to be a little bit more patient, sweetheart. If you’re a nice girl and give them their time, I’ll reward you for that later on, I promise. Deal?", Kian asked and smiled. Tara returned the smile when he leaned down to kiss her, immediately putting her arms around his neck. That definitely was a deal!
Tara yawned and stretched out, enjoying the warmth of the fire that was tickling her bare feet. She cuddled up closer to Kian under the blanket they were covered with and put an arm around his naked upper body. Her mind wandered back to the last couple of hours, a satisfied smile on her lips. They’d played in the snow for a little while longer before going back into the cabin and making sweet love in front of the chimney. She’d never experienced something like that before in her life and was now nearly overflowing with all the different feelings and emotions that were building up inside of her. After all, she’d thought that they were just having sex with each other and not making love, because that was a big difference to her. But Kian had proved her wrong by gently layering her down to the warm blanket that had been arranged in front of the chimney and loving her in a way she’d never been loved before.
"A penny for your thoughts, darlin’.", Kian said sleepily and kissed her forehead, then slid down a bit so that he could face her. One of his hands stole up to her hair, softly twisting it and sticking it behind her ear finally. She could see the fire reflecting in his beautiful eyes that were piercing her, yet in the same time seemed to be full of care and trust.
"Better keep it, you would only waste it. I’m not thinking about anything special right now, just the ordinary stuff that noone is interested in.", Tara whispered back and kissed the tip of his nose before she rested her head against his shoulder again and started to gently stroke over his upper body with her fingernails. She didn’t want to share her thoughts with him right now, for she was afraid that he would get it wrong and feel uncomfortable with it.
"That’s rubbish, T. I’ve figured out so much about you already, and believe me, you’re far away from ordinary. No, there’s something in that pretty head of yours that you don’t wanna share with me. Don’t even try to deny it, darlin’.", he said and put a finger to her mouth when she opened it in order to say something. By now, he knew her well enough to know that she was very outgoing and wouldn’t mind telling him her opinion whenever she felt to. So now, when she kept her thoughts back and refused to tell him what she was thinking about, he had the strange feeling that something was wrong.
Tara leaned up on her elbow and rested her head on a hand, looking down at him while she went on stroking over his shoulders and upper arms. In some way, she wanted to thank him for all the feelings he’d shared with her, but then again her head told her that it wouldn’t be wise to do so. "Don’t get all angry with me now. All I want is to enjoy my time with you here and not worry about anything else. So try to smile, loverboy, and stop making such a worried face." She smiled down at him, suddenly relieved when he finally returned it. It startled her when she realized just how much that smile meant to her already. She had to be careful with all the mixed emotions within her, otherwise there would maybe something happen to her that wasn’t planned. A little bit of fun in the snow, that was all she’d been looking for, and she would definitely leave it to that.
"Allright, no profounded discussions tonight. But if there is something that I have to know, I will find out. Yes, you may take that as a promise.", he answered her questioning look before he softly rolled her on her back and slid on top of her, pressing himself closer to her. His lips went immediately down to hers, his tongue starting a soft dance. A hand slipped between them, further down to her belly button to softly caress the warm skin there. He slightly smiled when he heard her sigh, suddenly wondering if he ever got tired of touching and loving her..
++++
"Mhh.", Caitlin mumbled when she felt two warm lips kissing her neck, then moving to her shoulders and back again. Her eyes still closed, she lazily turned around and snuggled up deeper into the sheets she was covered with, a hand resting on the belly of her lover. She still wondered whether the last couple of hours had been a wonderful dream, but knew that they had not when Shane moved closer to her, putting an arm around her hips to keep her near. They had been passionate and full of need at first, then had made love slow and soft a second time.
"I swear, if it wasn’t for eating and drinking, I would never ever put my feet out of this bed again.", Shane said hoarsely, his voice still soaked with sleep. He had drifted off to sleep after they’d made love, enjoying to have Caitlin in his arms, inhaling the scent of her hair. Loving a woman had never felt so right to him than it had when he’d been with Caitlin, kissing and touching her without wanting to stop. In return, she’d pleased him in a way he would’t have been able to imagine, ever.
"We don’t have to get up if we don’t want to, at least not for a while. Please tell me you’re happy, because I’m overflowing with joy and happiness right now.", Caitlin giggled and leaned up a bit, looking into these hazel green eyes she wanted to die for. He’d made her believe that she was the only woman on earth he cared for, by loving her in a manner that had completely blown her away. She wanted to go on like that forever, with him standing by her side and holding her close whenever necessary, taking all her fears and sorrows away. Making love to him had only strengthen the feeling that once had just been a hint of suspicion - she’d fallen in love with him. Deeply.
"Oh baby, don’t even get me started about how much I love this right now. I’m far beyond happy now, believe me. As far as I’m concered, I’d like to stay in here forever - just the two of us. Then I could kiss you whenever I want to," he said and started to softly kiss her, a hand sneaking down under the sheets, stroking over the bare skin of her back. "I could touch you whenever I want to," Another kiss. "and just love you whenever I want to. See, I AM happy right now." He kissed her once more and then stopped, looking down into her eyes to make her see just how serious he was. He didn’t want to tell her how much he’d fallen for her already, because right now it would just look like he was saying it out of lust and need. No, he wanted it to be special and he wanted to be sure that she exactly felt the same. Until then, his mouth would keep shut.
Caitlin put her arms around his neck, slowly stroking trough the little hairs in the back of his neck, playing with them. She wanted to believe every single word he said, though she somehow knew that they probably wouldn’t even haven a chance to experience all that - to kiss when they wanted to, touch when they wanted to and love each other when they wanted to. It was just something she wished for, nothing that would ever become real - but she didn’t think about that when she pulled his head down to kiss him, enjoying the feel of his warm and tender lips against her own. Her hands started to stroke over his ears when she deepend the kiss, wanting to have him as near as possible.
"So you ARE believing me then, mhh?", Shane chuckled lightly when their lips parted. He took one of her hair strands and put it behind her ear, just so he had an excuse to touch her. There was no way he would ever give up on that without fighting. If she didn’t see that yet, he would make her see! But regarding things right now, everything just went perfect for him.
"Yes, I do.", she answered without realizing the meaning of the words she’d just spoken. "So now stop talking around and give me an example of how much you want to kiss and touch me."
"Your wish is my command, lady."
"Kian, for the last time, take your fingers away! There won’t be enough left for the rest of us if you keep on stealing food like that.", Tara complained and gave his fingers a little slap, then tried to push him away from the stove with her hips. They’d went into the kitchen about half an hour ago, trying to get something to eat done.
"Well, I don’t think they fancy coming down so soon, so they won’t mind me getting myself all full. Be a nice girl and let me taste that.", he said and reached out a hand, only to get another slap from Tara. She tried to look angry, but couldn’t hide her smile when Kian pushed out his bottom lip and started to fumble with the hem of his sweater. Nobody could expect her to deny him something when he looked like that! Rolling her eyes, she turned around and dived the spoon into the sauce she’d prepared for the spaghettis, then turned around again to put it into his waiting mouth.
"Babe, you’re a true goddess. I honestly can’t decide whether you’re a better cook or a better lover.", he said all serious, but bursted out into laughter when she shot him a harsh look and started to slap him. He loved winding her up, and already knew all the buttons he had to push in order to anger her, though he wouldn’t risk to get her really angry at him. He’d spent one night all alone after their amazing time together and he didn’t want to risk that again! Only God knew when they would have to part again, so he wanted to make sure that they utilized every second of their time.
"Okay kitten, that’s enough. It really starts to hurt now.", he laughed between her slaps and tried to get hold of her hands that were still attacking his arms and upper body. "Tara, you’re killing me! Think about that, if you do me any harm, there will be nobody left to make your naughty fantasies come true!" Again he cracked up laughing, while he was still trying to get Tara under control, who now seemed to get even more furious than she’d already been.
"Kian Egan, I can’t believe you said that! I don’t have any naughty fantasies involving YOU, my dear, just to set that straight! You apologize right now or I won’t ever talk to you again!" Bang. Another slap. She heard his laughter that just seemed to get louder every second now, knowing at once that he was enjoying every little bit of it. Tara herself was laughing now too, but refused to let him get away with it too soon. Instead, she went on with her attacks, even kicking his knee when he didn’t stop making fun of her.
"Ouch! Tara, what the fuck made you do that? You’re making a friggin invalid out of me! Now stop, it’s enough!" He was holding his knee with one hand and trying to make her stay away from him with the other, but found it impossible when she wouldn’t let go of him. Now he knew just one way to silent her and get her all calmed down again. Without warning her, he suddenly straightened up and gripped her hands, pushing them over her head roughly as he pressed her against the refrigerator with his whole body, keeping her there. His mouth went down to her lips, nearly crushing them when he kissed her hard, not making any compromises when he still felt her fighting him. His tongue sneaked out and demanded entrance into her mouth, finally succeeding. Kian couldn’t help the moan that escaped his lips when her tongue started to play with his, driving him mad with want for her. It didn’t matter that they’d just made love a couple of minutes before, he just couldn’t get enough of her! She tried to free her hands, but Kian didn’t let go of them yet, enjoying the sudden feel of superiority he now had. He wouldn’t hurt her for anything in the world and made sure that he didn’t, but in the same time wanted her to completely surrender before he released her. Without breaking their kiss once, he took both of her wrists into one hand and let the other one wander down to her waistband and up under her sweater, stroking over her belly and then moving to her backside, finally slipping into her jeans to squeeze her bare bum cheeks. They were both moaning now, unable to stop. Eventually, he released her hands that went immediately to the back of his neck, pressing him closer to her still. Her fingers slid up into his hair, ruffling and tousling it. None of them would have been able to stop, if a funny noise hadn’t disturbed them. They parted in surprise, their lips still puffy from the heavy kiss they’d just shared.
"Sorry, we just smelled the food and thought we’d come down to eat with you, but obviously you are already having the dessert." Shane smiled at them and then sat down on one of the chairs, taking Caitlin with him and making her sit down on his lap. His arms went around her hips immediately, holding her close. He wouldn’t have mind staying in bed a little while longer with her, but hunger had gotten them out of it finally. Now they would snack something and then go upstairs again - at least he hoped so. He wanted to spend some quality time alone with Caitlin, and regarding his friend and Tara, they wouldn’t care about it anyway.
"Well, look who’s talking! I think you were the one who kidnapped my sister in order to do all the things I don’t wanna go into detail right now. So better stop smiling around like stupid and try to do something useful. Then you might get my permission to take her up into your bed again." Tara gave them their widest smile, pleased when both of them seemed to blush slightly. Of course she felt embarrassed now, because getting caught snogging the hell out of each other did NOT belong to her favourite things in the world, but she wouldn’t let Shane and her sister have fun on her expenses. Still smiling, she wriggled out of Kian’s embrace and went over to the stove, trying to concentrate on her cooking.
"Allright guys, you two focuse on the table. That means plates, glasses and stuff like that. Think ya can handle it? I’ll go into the livingroom and renew the fire, so that we will have it all warm and cozy afterwards." Caitlin kissed Shane on his lips and jumped up, then walked trough the door and closed it behind her. She smiled when she saw the crumpled blanket in front of the chimney, knowing at once which function it had fulfilled earlier on. A song she just remembered on her lips, Caitlin put the blanket aside and sat down in front of the little fire that was soon fading out. She was just about to throw in some of the wood when she heard footsteps outside. Confused, she stood back up again and walked over to the little window, trying to look out. It was already getting dark again, but she could clearly make out a dark figure in front of the cabin. The man held a lantern in his hand and was looking up and down the front of the cottage, probably trying to find out whether there was someone in there or not. Caitlin didn’t hesitate to open the door.
"May I help you?" She stepped out a bit, recognizing the man in front of her as the one who had explained them their way to the cabin a couple of days before.
"Good evening, ma’am. I just wanted to let you know that the ski lift is working again now. It took us quite some time to get it started again, but now everything is in shape. Fortunately, the weather seems to get better every day now, so you shouldn’t have any problems going down into the valley if you want to."
"Well, thank you." Caitlin exchanged another couple of words with him, before she closed the door as quit as possible and went back down to the chimney, hoping that none of the others had overheard her conversation. She’d actually been shocked by the news brought to her, and now didn’t know what to do. Shane and Kian actually just waited for the ski lift to work again so that they could get down again, so she was supposed to tell them - but then she heard the three of them laughing in the kitchen and decided that she wouldn’t say a single word to them..
"Jesus, Cate, what are you doing? You’re waking up the whole country with your noises down here." Tara rubbed her eyes and closed the door of the kitchen behind her, yawning. It was early morning, and she wouldn’t have mind staying in bed at least a couple of hours longer, but Caitlin was already eager preparing breakfast - and not being very quit while doing it.
"Good morning, sleepy-head. I tried to be as quit as possible but since breakfast is something you have to work for, noise just can’t be avoided completely, ya know.", Caitlin answered and turned around a bit to face her sister, smiling. Then she threw her attention back to the pan in front of her, where eggs and sausages were already sizzling. "Where did you leave your second shadow? Still sleeping?"
"Where did YOU leave that pain in the ass called Shane,huh?", Tara shot back, her grumpyness just too obvious. She’d figured out the bad sides of Kian that night - he was stealing blankets! A good-looking guy without any bad habits would have been too good to be true anyway..but still, she had at least hoped. She tried to look innoncent and smiled widely when Caitlin turned around to give her a harsh look, then shook her head and turned back around again.
"Remember me to give your little head a good smack for that one. That pain in the ass, as you called him, gave me the best night of my life and if you can’t keep up with that, it’s not my problem. Maybe Kian should go and get some advice from Shane since he doesn’t seem to be able to please you, sweetheart." Caitlin couldn’t help her satisfied grin when she said that, knowing at once that Tara wouldn’t just take and swallow it.
"God help me, you’re exaggerating beyond anyone’s imagination, my dear. Shane gave you the best night of your life because you didn’t spend a night with a guy in ages! No wonder his efforts are highly appreciated by you.", Tara answered and started to giggle when Caitlin threw a cloth at her, shaking her head in disbelief. "You started it! And instead of looking at me like that, you should be thankful for my reticence, my dear. Lying is such a bad habit, Caitlin."
"What- you mean, you heard us?" Caitlin put the pan aside and stepped up closer to Tara, her eyes wide with surprise for she immediately knew what her sister was talking about. She hadn’t told anyone about her talk to Mr. Leary, afraid that Shane and Kian would leave too soon. Whatever was necessary to make them stay for a little while longer, Caitlin would do it. She couldn’t believe she was that posessed with Shane staying, but who could’ve blamed her for that? Their bonds were just getting stronger with each minute they spend together and Caitlin honestly feared the day were reality would finally set in again and tear them apart.
"Of course I heard you, it was hard not to. I wanted to get one of my sweaters from upstairs and stepped into the livingroom just as Leary announced the big news. Now don’t lose it, I promise I won’t say a single word to the guys about it. If you want to keep Shane, we will keep Shane and if you want to spend some more time with Shane, we will spend some more time with Shane. Apart from that I’m having a bit of fun myself, so my mouth will keep shut, though I don’t understand why you’re lying to him." Tara put one of her feet up on the chair next to her, looking at Caitlin closely. It was obvious that her sister had fallen for Shane big time, and that she was now afraid to do something wrong. When Caitlin didn’t answer her immediately, Tara went on. "Look, of course you have your doubts about all the things that are going on right now, but why making it so hard for yourself? Cate, just the fact that he cares about you so much already, makes me love him. It’s so damn obvious that he’s crazy for you and can’t get enough of you, so stop worrying about stuff that isn’t even there. He is for sure giving the two of you a chance, so you should just do the same and look where it leads to. Go to him and tell him what Mr. Leary said to you, then you will see that he won’t make a single move until you tell him to." Tara got up and hugged her sister close, trying to make it all better. Her big sister had helped her out so many times that Tara had stopped counting, so for once SHE wanted to be the one giving good advice.
Caitlin opened her mouth to say something, but stopped when the door opened and a very sleepy Shane stepped into the kitchen, ruffling trough his hair with one hand. "Good mornin’ ladees." He tried a smile but yawned instead, then went over to Caitlin and kissed her lips before looking down at the eggs and sausages. "Jesus, that’s exactly what I need right now. That and the wonderful lady right in front of me. Did ya sleep well, darlin’?" He leaned in to kiss her once more, then sat down on one of the chairs and took her with him, his hands immediately going up into her hair to play with it. There was no way he could ever get tired of that or looking at her. She was just too perfect for him than to NOT look and touch.
Before Caitlin could answer, Tara stood up and cleared her throath, suddenly wanting to have a bit of a cuddle her own. "Uhm, I so don’t want to see what you’re doing next, so I will just go upstairs and take care of that sleepy-head there. Call me when breakfeast is ready." With a last gaze at her sister, she went out of the door and up into her room, hoping that Caitlin would find the courage to tell Shane about her little ‘secret’.
"The next time I wake up, I will make sure that you’re still lying in bed with me. I missed you." Shane gently started to rub over one of her exposed legs, loving the feel of her skin underneath his hands. Caitlin immediately put her arms around his neck, her fingers digging into the opening of his shirt to stroke over his back with her fingernails a bit while her mouth moved down to met his. She couldn’t help the sweet sensation that hit her whenever she was kissing him or kissed by him. His lips were sweet and gentle, yet in the same time demanding and pure expression of his passion for her. Then there were his hands, stroking all over here bare skin while kissing her, moving up and down her leg and then going up to her arms. His little sighs mingled with her own when her tongue sneaked out, eager to get more of him. They went on like that for a little while longer before their lips finally parted, giving them the time to catch up on some air.
"You’ve been with me all night long, so I just thought I’d give you some time for yourself and prepare breakfast." Caitlin smiled down at him, kissing the tip of his nose before stroking trough his hair, trying to get it into shape again. Her mind wandered back to the night she was speaking of, a soft sigh escaping her lips. He was all she’d ever dreamed of - he loved to cuddle and kiss, but in the same time seemed to be full of passion and need, driving her mindless when he wanted to. He cared about her thoughts and opinions, yet didn’t mind to discuss things with her on a fair basis when he had another view of things. He could be serious and playful, reserved and outgoing - and apart from that was the most handsome man she’d ever met! There was no way she could be that lucky..
"I don’t need any time for myself when I have you around, baby. You should have figured that out already, otherwise I would be forced to make that clear again, not that I would mind it. Give Shane a kiss now." He put out his bottom lip and looked at her, giving her the best imitation of a little puppy than he was probably able to. Caitlin laughed when she leaned in to did as she was told to, her lips moving over his softly. Then she pulled back again.
"And Shane always gets what he wants. Come on now, sausages and eggs are waiting for us. I bet Tara and Kian won’t come down for breakfast, so that leaves everything to us. Afterwards you can make clear whatever you want to, loverboy."
"Stay ‘ere.", Kian mumbled and tried to get hold of Tara’s hand when she slipped out of bed. She smiled down at him and kissed his forehead, then went out of the room and came back a couple of minutes later. Wasting no time, she climbed under the blankets again and moved over to Kian once more, resting her head on the pillow beside him so that she could face him. As suspected by Caitlin, they’d stayed in bed and not went down to breakfast, instead enjoying some quit time together, all cuddled up.
"Where have ya been?" Kian’s hand went up into her hair again as soon as she’d settled down, leaning over a bit to kiss her. He knew that they had to get up somehow since he was starving, but still he didn’t want to. Even if he tried to, he couldn’t deny the strange feelings he had whenever he had the time to think about the last couple of days he’d spent with Tara. She was so different from all the girls he’d met before - in a good way. He hadn’t even told her about his lifestyle he was living far away from the cabin they were staying in, and still she wanted to spend her time with him, getting to know him better. It amazed him how fast they’d developed a kind of closeness that would always remind him of her once he was back to showbuisness. She wasn’t one of these superficial girls that were just interested in taking, not giving and Kian now realized that he wasn’t bedding her because of his sexual needs and the fun he usually searched for, but because he’d always yearned for the things Tara was now giving him - she respected him for what he was, not interested in anything else like his career or the money he had. They could be sweet and tender with each other, then again wild and fierce or discuss over things anyone else would laugh about. She had so many sides he desperately wanted to figure out completely - he just hoped Tara would give him the time for that.
"I just went into the bathroom, nothing to worry about. Is there any chance that we will get up today?" Tara sighed, enjoying the feel of Kian’s hands in her hair, softly twisting it. She was a sleepy head anyway, but with a man like Kian in her bed she didn’t even want to think about getting up. She honestly envied the girl that would marry him someday and be able to enjoy his company all night and day long.
"If you don’t kick me ass to get me outta here, no. But what if I just grab us some food downstairs and then come back up here. We can have breakfast in bed, how’s that?" Kian immediately loved the idea he’d just had. They could have breakfast and still be cuddled up like they wanted to. Perfect. He didn’t wait for Tara’s answer, instead got up and put on his jeans and one from Robert’s shirts that were laying around. Turning around again, he laughed and winked when he saw Tara’s dissapointed face and her outstretched hand to him. "Oh, don’t look at me like that, or we will never be able to get our food, babe. I will hurry, I promise." He leaned down quickly and kissed her lips, then went out of the room and downstairs into the kitchen.
"Mornin’." He waved his hand at Shane who was still sitting at the kitchen table and then went over to the refridgerator to find something to eat. "Shit Filan, you seem to eat like a feckin’ horse! Where has all the food gone?" Kian turned his head to look at his friend who only shrugged his shoulders and then gave him his best smile. In return, Kian only shook his head and then fumbled trough the shelfs of the refridgerator, desperately trying to find something that suited his taste.
"You don’t really believe this guy who said you can survive with the air you breath and the love you make, do you? I was starving, and if you need hours to get your arse down here, then it’s not my problem, mate. I’m sure Tara won’t mind just having you for breakfast, so stop complaining." Shane chuckled when Kian glared at him angrily. It was just too good to take the mickey out of him! But instead of going on with mocking his friend, Shane took the empty plate that was standing in front of him and put it in the sink, then rested his hands on the shelf and looked down at Kian who was still sitting down in front of the refridgerator. "I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make fun of ya. It just seems that the two of you can’t keep your hands off of each other. What are ya on about, Ki? Something serious?"
"Maybe." Kian stood up and placed the food he’d picked out on the kitchen table, then started to search for some plates he could use. He himself didn’t really know what was going on between him and Tara, so how was he supposed to answer that question? He knew that he wouldn’t be able to hide anything from Shane, so he might be as well honest with him from the very beginning. With a sigh, Kian sat down and looked at Shane. "I have absolutely no idea what will happen from here. She’s a great girl, and I know that she enjoys my company as much as I enjoy hers, but still it seems as if she’s desperate to keep me on distance. I mean, who can blame her for that? We hardly know each other, but then again I think that that isn’t even necessary. I figured out so much about her already just by being with her, enough to say that she’s one in a million. So what the hell am I supposed to do?" Kian looked up at Shane, at once feeling completely helpless - and he hated it. He was used to get what he wanted, and what he wanted now was Tara.
Shane smiled, before he took the chair beside Kian and sat down. It surprised him just how similar the emotions were that both of them were going trough now. "Look, in the past you got every girl you wanted, even if just for a night. It’s damn obvious that Tara is in for you, more than she wants to admit probably. She came here to spend some time with her sister, and all she’s doing now is to be with you, day in and day out. Why would she even bother to do that if she didn’t care for you? Give her the time she needs, and she’ll realize that there’s no way to resist you." Shane grinned widely, then slapped Kian’s shoulder and stood up.
"Shit, I’m sitting here like a schoolboy getting advice from my dad. What the hell is wrong with me?" Kian tried to laugh, but in the same time knew that he’d failed miserably. He couldn’t believe that he was behaving that way - and all that because of a girl he’d met some days before. That wasn’t himself and he didn’t really know whether he liked it or not. He wasn’t used to insecurity, but in the moments he thought about Tara and the way things were going for them, he exactly felt that way.
"I know what’s wrong with you, but I won’t say it because I know that you don’t want to hear it. But if the things between you and Tara get any deeper, there will be no way that you can let her go, mate. And you know it. I myself will take every chance to make Caitlin see just how much I want her to be with me, and you should do exactly the same. Tara might be quite different from Caitlin, but at the end of the day they are still sisters with the same hopes and feelings. I won’t go without her, Ki, and neither will you go without Tara."
"I have it bad for her, Shane, and I’m not really sure whether that is right or wrong. For once I hope that you are right, mate. I can’t believe we are falling for girls we hardly know and who don’t seem as if they are planning their future with us. We can have them all Shane, so why these two? Why the only two girls in the world that can walk out of this cabin and just forget about us?" Kian fumbled around with his hands in the air, shaking his head in disbelief. Shane watched him, laughing when he saw the clueless impression on his face. Here they were, two adored men all over the world - desperately trying to hold two girls that didn’t want to be hold.
"Well, then we will have to make sure that they don’t WANT to forget about us. Let’s just pray that there’s more snow coming down, then we’ll have all the time in the world to do what needs to be done."
Tara stormed up the stairs and into her room, shutting the door behind her with a loud bang. How dare he! She’d heard every bit of Kians conversation with Shane in the kitchen just minutes ago, and all she wanted to do now was to kill the both of them! Without thinking about it twice, she opened the drawers of her wardrobe and began to threw out all the clothes she was getting into her hands. There was no way she would stay!
"Allright babe, I tried really hard but - what are ya doing?" Kian stopped in the middle of his sentence, completely confused when he saw the open suitcase on the bed and Tara running around furiously. Carefully, he set the tray he was carrying aside and took a step closer to Tara, but was stopped by her angry glare at him.
"It’s damn obvious what I am doing, isn’t it? I’m really sorry, but there won’t be any time left for me to come to my senses and to realize just what a gorgeous, young man you are! I don’t know what kind of friend Shane is, but he should stop lying about the so called feelings I am supposed to have for you! I do NOT care about you and I am NOT interested in getting to realize anything at all but the fact that you are a damn fucking liar!" Tara pointed her finger at him, then went on packing her suitcase. She wanted to get out of here as fast as possible and not ever come back. They would have a great time without her anyway, so why should she spend her time getting herself into something she didn’t WANT to get into?
Kian blew out some air, trying to gain control over the sudden anger that was building up inside of him. She had overheard his conversation with Shane, but what the hell gave her the right to get mad at him like that? He hadn’t said anything bad about her, neither had Shane, so there was no need for her to talk to him in a way like that! "I have no fucking idea why you think all that shouting and running is necessary right now, but would you please just sit down for a moment and let me explain? T, PLEASE!", he said trough clenched teeth once more, fast loosing his patience with her. He hated the thought of her moving away from him, but he would not let her play one of her power plays with him.
"There’s no need for you to explain anything! I heard everything I needed to hear down there, so just get out of here! YOU were the one who told me that we aren’t in for something serious, and minutes later you’re sitting down with your friend, telling him how you want to make me see what a great gift you are to me! If you can’t hold on to the rules, then I won’t either. I’m not interested in any relationships at all, and certainly NOT interested in a relationship involving you! Shane talked about you getting every girl you want, so why don’t you just leave me alone and search for another bunny you can have fun with?!", Tara shouted back, unable to control herself anymore. She knew that she was completely loosing it, but she just couldn’t help herself. Minutes ago, she’d been more than happy with Kian at her side, knowing that he wouldn’t push her into anything just because they’d slept with each other a few times - and now she had to face the fact that he had lied to her.
"Just wait a second, I’m not getting your point here, missy. First you are judging me because I want to be with you and hope that there is more for us to come, and just seconds later you are all jealous when talking about other girls. I think now YOU are the one to explain something! What the hell is your problem? You don’t want to be with me, but in the same time can’t bear the thought that I am having other girls. If you don’t care about us like you told me, there’s no need for you to freak out like that! You made your point very clear to me, and I honestly can’t be bothered to make you see anything at all!" He had never been a fighter, but right now he just wanted to shake and slap her until she came to her senses. Tara could be really difficult if she wanted to and that seemed to be one of the moments where she wanted it to be more than anything else. He just didn’t understand what was wrong with her now. She didn’t want to get involved into something serious, that he DID understand, but he didn’t see any sense in the fact that she was in the same time getting jealous over nameless girls he’d been with years ago. If she still wanted to pretend that she was just being with him for fun, then she could go on with it for as long as she wanted to- but he wouldn’t let her insult him!
"Fine, because I don’t want you to! You seem to be a true ladies man, so I bet you won’t have any trouble finding a girl that is dumb enough to keep up with you for the rest of her life! I’m not in for anything like that at all, so I won’t let you fool me anymore! You promised me that there wouldn’t be anything but a bit of fun and variety between us, and the next second you tell Shane about all your plans to catch me. Do you really think I am that stupid? Then wake up!" Tara knew that she was probably confusing him, but she just had to get all that anger out of her and therefore didn’t have the time to sort out all the different thoughts in her head. She was angry at him for lying to her, or at least not being fully honest with her, and she was angry because of all that talking about girls and how Kian was getting each and everyone of them. She knew that it made absolutely no sense, but she couldn’t change it anyway, so why bother?
"You know what, I am fucking sick of your attitude! If you want to go home, then just leave, I can’t care less about it. You are the one who needs to wake up and realize that life is not just about having fun, Tara! I’m mature enough to know that, but you are obviously not. I wasn’t about to push you into anything! I wanted to give us all the time we need to figure out whether we can go on or not. I wanted to get to know you better and see how much more I am able to fall in love with you. Well, but you just made your point very clear now. Go on packing your things, I won’t bother you anymore. There’s obviously no need for us to figure out anything else at all." With a frustrated grunt, Kian turned to the door and opened it, unwillingly to try a second time. He wouldn’t beg her, no matter how much he wanted her to stay with him for at least a while longer. Closing the door behind him, he started to curse violently, then went downstairs. He had to get away from her, but didn’t want to disturb Shane and Caitlin who were in the other room, so he just went into the kitchen and sat down on one of the chairs. That wasn’t the Tara he thought he’d fallen in love with. She didn’t even give him the chance to explain! He had never ever thought about forcing her into a relationship with him, he’d just wanted to see how far he could take things with her. But regarding the situation now, he’d been a damn idiot to believe that he already knew her well enough and that they would be able to try as a couple! He did NOT know her at all and had no idea about what was going on in her mind. More than that, he’d been mistaken with her and her feelings for him. Completely mistaken.
He heard footsteps on the stairs and got up, knowing at once who it was. Opening the door once again, he was proved right when Tara came down with the suitcase in her hand, already heading for the door. She stopped when she saw him standing there in the doorframe, looking at him with an expression in her eyes he couldn’t interpret fully. Though he was more than angry with her, he somehow hoped that she would suddenly change her mind and stay with him. They needed to talk, and if they didn’t do it now, there would never be a chance for them to do it. "So you’re leaving?", he asked, able to hide the mixed emotions that were fighting inside of him.
"I told you so, didn’t I? I left Cate a note on my night table, just in case she’s wondering. Give Shane my love, though he probably can’t be bothered. Bye." Afraid to look at Kian once more, Tara turned her head down and opened the front door, then walked out. She welcomed the fresh air that hit her face as soon as she made the first steps down the little path that was leading away from the cabin. A hand went up to her cheek when she kept on walking, the tears suddenly starting to flow down.
"I can’t believe she’s gone. These were supposed to be our holidays and she has nothing better to do than to leave. I’ll give her a good piece of my mind for that one." Caitlin folded the last pullover that was laying on the bed and put it into the suitcase, then went back to the wardrobe to look if there was anything left to pack. She’d read the note from Tara long after she had left the cabin, and had therefore been unable to stop her. Both, her and Shane, had tried to speak to Kian afterwards but he had refused to tell them anything detailed. Instead he’d just went up into one of the rooms and locked himself in, probably destroying some of Robert’s furniture.
"Don’t judge her too soon, hun. She didn’t do that to offend you, but probably because she felt that she had to go. I don’t know what went wrong between her and Kian, but since he refuses to talk about it, it has to be something pretty bad. You love her, and she loves you, so there will be a time when she’ll be able to explain everything. Stop worrying about it." Shane got up from the little wooden chair that was standing beside the bed and went behind Caitlin, softly shoving her hair aside so that he could kiss her neck. He didn’t want her to be upset when they were leaving the cabin, the place where they’d found love for each other. Of course he could understand her wish to go back to London in order to find out what was wrong with Tara, but in the same time he felt disappointed because of the little time that was only left for the both of them. He hadn’t spoken about his plans for the both of them with her yet, and he honestly feared that there wouldn’t be the right time to do so.
"Shane, she’s my little sister, I won’t ever stop worrying about her! I told her to be careful with Kian but she wouldn’t listen to me and now she’s probably sitting at home crying her eyes out, though she would never admit it. I wonder if she will ever grow up." Caitlin sighed, unsure whether she did it because of Tara or because of Shane’s soft kisses gently assaulting her neck. She pressed herself closer to him, then rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. What would she do without him? The last couple of days had been the best of her life, and she feared the moment where they would say goodbye to each other. Unable to control her emotions any longer, she turned around and put her arms around Shane’s neck, hugging him close.
"Woah! I knew that you love my kisses, but I didn’t know you love them that much, babe.", Shane softly chuckled and stepped forward a bit, still holding her close when he let himself fall down onto the bed. He pulled her on top of him, gently taking her head into his hands to look at her. There was something that worried her and he knew that it wasn’t Tara she was thinking about at that moment. "Tell me what’s in that pretty head of yours right now. I want to make all the sorrows that are bothering you go away." He pulled her head down and kissed her lips, then turned away a bit to look at her. It seemed strange that he was able to read her that easily after just a few days, but he didn’t complain. He’d known right from the start that she was someone very special, and he would do just everything to make her see that.
Caitlin smiled down at him, completely blown away by his worry about her. She didn’t even have to say anything, he would guess it anyway. But what if she now told him what was going on in her head, would he understand? Regarding the fact that they were leaving in a few hours, she had nothing to lose. "It’s nothing to worry about, honestly. Well, maybe a bit worrying but still not too worrying." She started to laugh when Shane popped an eyebrow at her, completely clueless to what she was trying to say. Still laughing, she leaned in to quickly kiss him, then lifted her head again to meet his eyes. "I’m sorry, that was way too confusing. It’s just that I don’t know how to say this without scaring you away or making a complete fool out of myself. Sorry." Caitlin lowered her head, suddenly blushing. It was unbelievable, but she felt like a teenager admitting that she was having a crush on someone. Why was it so hard to just ask him?
"Babe, can you just look at me for a second?" Shane captured her chin with his fingers, then slowly pulled her head up. "Don’t be afraid about my reaction or the things I might say to you. Whatever you have to say, say it. I want to share your thoughts, your fears and your sorrows, and I have absolutely no intention to make fun of you whatsoever. Understand?" He smiled when she slightly nodded and pulled her head down once more to kiss her. This time he didn’t let go of her too soon, instead he just rested his lips on hers for a little while before pulling away slowly. Maybe it was hard for her to believe him, but he wanted to make sure that he tried everything to take her doubts away.
"I DO understand you, it’s just that I don’t want to do anything that might change things between us the way they are right now. Allright, you want me to spill the beans, so I will." She looked at him. "I want to go home with you, that’s it. Now I’m done and you can start screaming." Without giving him a chance to say anything, she practically jumped up and turned her back to him, then started to fumble around with some of the clothes that were still laying around. She couldn’t believe that she’d actually asked him a question he would turn down anyway! It was one thing to get comfy with each other for a couple of days without any commitments, but it was another to ask the man you’ve practically just met to take you home with him. She would slap herself later on for that one!
"Cate, I can’t answer you if you keep on turning your back to me. Turn around, darlin’. I want to look at you." He sounded calm and relaxed, still Caitlin feared his reaction. She put the clothes aside and did as she was told to, nervously playing with her hands. She couldn’t remember the last time she had behaved that way, but she certainly didn’t like it! Her eyes met his, unsure about whether she should just run away and wait until he was gone or better stay and take the answer as it was coming to her. Shane straightened up and stretched out his hand to her, pulling her onto the bed again when she finally took it.
"Don’t look at me like that, there’s no way to be frightened or scared. I wished you’d asked me that question much earlier, because that would have spared me a lot of thinking. Cate, I WANT take you home with me, so much that I probably wouldn’t have taken a no for an answer. No, let me talk first.", Shane said when he saw Caitlin opening her mouth and put a finger to her lips. "I wanted to say so much to you, but in the same time feared that I would scare you away with it. I never experienced anything like that, Cate, and I honestly didn’t know how to deal with it. You’re a beautiful woman, without a doubt, and at first I was trying to justify your attraction to me with that. But then I started to look into your very heart and soul, and I can honestly say that you touch me more than any other person I’ve met in my life before. Yes, I want to take you home and yes, I want to do anything to make this relationship work. You might not see it yet, but I believe that some things are just meant to be, and you and me together seems to be one of those things. I know that a relationship won’t be as easy as we want it to be, but I swear that I will do everything to make this work! It only took you a couple of days to steal my heart, so there is no way that I will let you go without at least trying. We’ll go to Dublin today and leave the plane as a couple. Whatever will come from there, we’ll just take it and deal with it. But I would never forgive myself if I didn’t do everything possible to give you the life and the love you deserve. We will grow and so will our love, I’m damn sure of that." He smiled as he saw a single tear building up in her eye and reached out his hand to gently brush it away. There was no need for them to cry - for once he was sure that he’d made the right decision, and that neither of them would regret it. Ever.
"Just another three days to go until you’re finally back in my arms again. That’s nothing compared to the two weeks we’ve already behind us, is it?" Caitlin tried to sound cheerful, though she was getting much more impatient herself these days. Shane and the band were still promoting somewhere in Asia and she couldn’t wait for the day where he would planting his feet on irish ground again. Thank God the record company payed for all their telephone bills, otherwise she would’ve been a tramp by now. It was hard going to bed and waking up in the mornings all alone, after they’d spent nearly two month together, thanks to the guys recording new songs for their forthcoming album in Dublin. It was their first time apart, and Caitlin knew that she wouldn’t be able to take more than another three days away from him. First Shane had been determined to take her with him, but they later had decided otherwise since they hadn’t gone public with their relationship yet. It was something Caitlin was grateful for, because she feared the fan’s reaction and though Shane always tried to tell her otherwise, she couldn’t really believe that the public would make any efforts to accept her.
"Yeah, I know. We’ve come a long, long way.", Shane softly chuckled. Then he became serious again. "Miss you, little fairy. I swear, I love my fans and I love my job, but if they ever put me trough this again, I’ll quit. Nix and Geo are snogging the hell outta each other, so are Kerry and Bry and even Mac and Egan get their girls. So what about meee? I’m left all alone in my room and there’s just noone to cuddle up to. That’s simply not fair." Caitlin smiled when she heard his complaints, fully able to imagine him sitting in his room, probably with his bottom lip pushed out. She wanted to hug him and hold him close so much it nearly hurt. Days without him were lonely days now, though she tried everything to distract herself. Work was beginning to claim her again since she’d been getting lots of offers lately, but whenever she had the time to, her mind would wander back to Shane and the thousands of miles that were keeping them apart.
"I’ll make it up to you, I promise. You’ll be busy with work until we see each other again, so there won’t be any time left for you to be sad. Apart from that, you should remember my promise to rip your head off of your body as soon as you leave the plane, my dear. I got another bunch of roses today, so you better just enjoy your last couple of days in freedom!" She looked at the flowers that were standing on the bedside table, shaking her head in disbelief. He’d completely spoiled her with presents and always made sure that she would get something from him each day. She’d told him to stop it a million times, but still she was getting flowers, chocolate and even jewelry, each time provided with a little love note from him.
"You’ll have no time to rip anything off of me, sweetheart, because as soon as I leave the plane, I’ll drag you into the next dark corner in sight and get my share with you. THAT is a promise too, darling." Caitlin rolled to her side and cuddled up to the pillow beside her - the pitiful substitute for Shane she’d sprayed with his aftershave the day he’d left. She knew what was on his mind right now and couldn’t wait for him to fulfill his promise. Her body missed him as much as her heart did, and regarding the fact that she’d been getting used to sweet and gentle lovemaking each night recently, she craved for the day where she would have him near again. Only another two days..
"See, no woman in the world needs flowers and chocolate if she gets promises like that. I just want to have my loverboy back, and that as soon as possible. I’m getting lonely here all by myself. Tara cancelled her flight. She won’t come." Caitlin sighed, unable to hide her dissapointment. After Tara had refused to spend Christmas together with her and Shane and had instead partied with some of her friends until morning hours, Caitlin had at least hoped that her sister would join her on her birthday party. It had taken her days to talk Tara into coming, but then again she’d just changed her mind and said that she wouldn’t be able to make it because of a reason that Caitlin knew was a lie. Their days back in the cabin seemed to have changed something between them and Caitlin hated it. She’d been close to her sister for all her life, and now it looked as if they were drifting away from each other with each day they were spending in different cities. Caitlin knew that her sister was happy for her and supported her relationship with Shane wherever she could, but she still seemed to be angry about the things that had happened after their return from holidays. Tara had found out about Kian’s job and also realized that Caitlin had know about it from the very beginning and not told her anything about it. And just when they’d thought they had become clear with everything, they’d started to argue about Tara’s sudden departure and her behaviour towards Kian. Without wanting it, Caitlin had supported Kian, completely unaware to the fact that she’d hurt her sister with it. Deeply.
"She will come, I will make sure of that. It’s your birthday and I want it to be perfect, and if she won’t stop behaving that sturbborn on her own, I will just fly over and drag her with me. Tara’s old enough, so she should be able to deal with Kian and behave like she’s supposed to. He won’t make a big deal out of her being there, so she shouldn’t either."
"Shane, she misses him. She didn’t tell me, but I just know. Whenever I start talking about Kian, she aks me to stop and changes the subject. That’s just not her. Tara wouldn’t mind talking about him if she didn’t care about him anymore. But she does, and that definitely leaves me with worry since she’s a whole country away from me and refuses to open up a bit. I want her to be here with me and I want her to be happy. Right now, she’s far away from both." They’d discussed that topic more than once, but never reached a solution that would be able to please each and everyone of them. Caitlin couldn’t imagine her future without Shane, but knew that it would be difficult if her sister kept on behaving like she did so far. Why couldn’t everyone be as happy as she was right now? Caitlin smiled when she answered the question herself - because there just wasn’t a second Shane Steven Filan in town..
"But I don’t want you to worry about it when I’m so far away from you and unable to make it any better. Talk to her again, and if that doesn’t work, I will try to think of something that will finally make her change her mind. Promise me to cheer up a bit now, ok? Otherwise I’d be forced to jump right into the next plane and fly over to you." He chuckled, then made a little break before he moved on. "Cate, I can’t wait.There’s noone to gently wake me up in the mornings and cuddle up to me. Noone who shares a good, hot shower with me or joins me for a lovely bubble-bath. See, I do so damn poorly without you, babe."
Caitlin smiled and reached out for the framed picture that was standing on her bedside table. It had been taken shortly before Shane’s departure to Asia, with her sitting on his lap, his arms tightly around her hips. Bryan had told them to look at him when he’d been taking it, but instead they’d been lost to each other again, staring into each other’s eyes and smiling. She loved the picture and never forgot to kiss it before going to bed, though Tara had scolded her for behaving that childish and kissing a pic! Well, she had no idea.."Oh yeah, you’re such a pitiable young boy! You probably spend your evenings all alone in your hotel room, crying your eyes out for ME! Even the lovely and sexy girls that throw themselves at you can’t change the fact that you miss me terribly and can’t take another day without me. Shane Filan, I don’t believe a single word!" She laughed, before looking at her watch. It was far past midnight in Asia now, and she knew that Shane wouldn’t hang up if she didn’t make him to. "Go to bed now, Anto won’t be pleased with you tomorrow morning otherwise. I miss you and love you and can’t wait to be with you again. Bye love." Then she hung up.
"That’s exactly what kept me alive through the days in Asia. The thought of us laying together in bed, all cuddled up. You have no idea how much I missed that. Next time you’ll come with me, that’s for sure." Shane leaned down a bit and gave Caitlin a soft kiss, then sank deeper into the blankets again. They’d arrived from Asia about three hours ago, by then ready for some time alone with their respective girlfriends. He sighed when he remembered the nights he’d spent alone in his hotelroom, with his mind drifting off to Caitlin for more than once. Their regular phone calls had helped him a lot to make it through the day, but it was completely different to finally come home again and be with her. He loved it.
"As far as I’m concered, there won’t be a next time. I’ll just keep you in here and make a boytoy outta you. I could do all the things to you that were controlling my thoughts over the last weeks." Caitlin grinned and reached out a hand to softly trace over his bare upper body and down to where the sheet that covered him, began. Then she cuddled up to him again, a sigh escaping her lips. "I missed you so much. I was actually starting to talk to myself just to have some company. Bryan always says, talking to yourself is the first sign of madness. See what you do to me?" She looked up at him with the best innocent look she could give, knowing at once what it did to him. Her eyes closed when Shane placed one of his hands behind her neck and pulled her close, then kissed her softly. His tongue sneaked out while he gently rolled on top of her, careful not to hurt her. One of her hands went into his hair to play with it, the other one she placed on his back, softly dragging along the line of his spinal column with her fingernails. She felt how his kisses became more urgent and responded them in the same way, unable to do any other. The way he touched and kissed her would never leave her without a reaction - and combined with the way he smelled, tasted and feeled, there was no way for Caitlin to ever reject him. Her hand went down lower and under the sheet that covered half of Shane’s back, starting to caress his bum. She heard him moan into her mouth while he went on kissing her and smiled, feeling that he was pressing himself closer to her still. One of his hands caressed her right upper arm, then went down lower to stroke over the thin blanket that was covering the rest of her body. "We have to get rid of that.", he murmured hoarsely and started to pull it away, with the help of Caitlin finally suceeding. He threw it away carelessly, then struggled out of his own sheet. It was a hard task since he refused to let go of Caitlin’s mouth while he was doing it, but not impossible. Finally pleased, his left hand started to stroke over her bare body again, leaving her nearly shaking with want while he supported himself with the other hand. His mouth went over her chin to her neck, where he started to softly kiss her, but still with a determination that left nothing to her imagination. She couldn’t help a moan when he pressed himself fully into her and bent her bare slim legs to hold him close. Her hands went up into his hair again while she was kissing him passionately, unable to stop only for a second. It didn’t matter that they’d just made love a couple of minutes ago - she wanted him and she wanted him now. Regarding the way Shane was kissing and touching her, there was no doubt that he was feeling exactly the same. He kissed his way down to her belly, then sneaked out his tongue to circle around it, holding her down with both his hands when she thrust her hips up a bit, completely taken away by the sensation of his tongue on her skin. She forced him to come up to her again and kissed him, in the same time cupping his bum into her hands to give it a good squeeze. She could be quite the impatient girl! Her legs went up around his hips, keeping him close. Shane immediately started to touch and stroke over her thighs, then let his hand wander to her backside and down to her bum. Softly squeezing it, he let out a husky cry when he entered her, kissing her even more firm and passionately. Caitlin opened her eyes to look at him, recognizing that he was completely lost in the feeling of loving her when he thrust gently into her over and over again. She joined his slow and easy rhythm and went up to his lips with her hand, stroking over it with her thumb while he was loving her. They were still puffy from their heavy kissing - and so soft.. Her hands pulled him down to her again when she felt herself starting to tremble. She cried out for him when he pushed himself into her as far as was possible, in the same time experiencing relieve from her passion as he. With a groan, he collapsed against her, his lips moving over the skin of her neck lazily. It didn’t take long for them to fall to sleep, with Caitlin still holding him close..
Caitlin let out an annoyed moan when she heard the doorbell ring, wanting it to go away. She didn’t know for how long she’d slept, but she didn’t want to let go of her bed and Shane yet. She tried to ingore it and instead of answering just cuddled deeper into the blankets, but whoever was standing outside wouldn’t let her fall to sleep again. Swearing, Caitlin finally got out of bed and reached out for Shane’s shirt that was laying on the floor, putting it on. She kissed the forehead of her sleeping lover and went out of the bedroom, closing the door behind her as quit as possible. Then she crossed the livingroom and went up to the front door, once again regretting the fact that Shane had forgot about a door spy. There weren’t that many people that knew about their relationship, so opening a door in just his shirt wasn’t the best idea.. still, she was sick of the person practically knocking down the door.
"What the hell - Tara?!" Caitlin had been ready to give her visitor a good piece of her mind, but she for sure hadn’t expected her sister to just turn up on her front door! Tara gave her a short smile before she passed her by and stepped into the appartment, putting down the traveling bag she was carrying with her. Caitlin closed the door again and looked at her sister, completely surprised by her sudden appearance. "What are YOU doing her?", she asked and stepped closer to Tara, watching her as she wriggled out of her jacket.
"What am I doing here? Good question. Well, I remember you inviting me to your birthday party, and since I’m your sister, I refuse to spend the days here in Dublin in a hotel that’s not even worth a second look. So try to relax and stop looking at me as if I’m an alien or sumthing like that. Don’t worry, I will NOT disturb you and your lover, that’s a promise. But regarding your dressing style today, I have already." Tara looked at her sister from head to toe and then up again, a smile building up on her face. Caitlin slapped her playfully before she held out her arms to Tara. She was afraid that Tara would reject her, but she didn’t and instead went into her arms, hugging her close. It had been so long, and it felt good to know that they for once weren’t fighting each other like they had the previous week in one way or another. When Caitlin finally turned back, she had a smile on her face that was easily to light up entire Dublin. "You know how much I want you to be here with me, but you said you wouldn’t make it! How come you changed your mind? And even if you would have agreed to come to my birthday party, I wouldn’t have expected you until next week!"
"I know, I know. I realized how stupid I’d been to reject your invitation, so I just packed my backs and jumped onto the next plane. Your birthday party is still a couple of days away, but I thought we could spend some time together. After all, I’ve treated you like a sick maniac and that wasn’t fair. Forgive me?" Tara felt relieved when Caitlin took her into her arms again instead of an answer. It had taken her days to finally make the decision to come over to Dublin and apologize. She knew that she’d behaved terribly and accused her sister of things she hadn’t done and was far away from doing. Tara had figured out just so many things over the past weeks that she now had to desperately sort them all out. She had fooled her sister and more than that, had fooled herself. And just when she’d found out about that one, she had been faced with another fact she could hardly handle on her own. Decisions needed to be made now - and for that, she needed all the help she could possibly get..
Two days later, Caitlin and Tara were busy running through the shops in Dublin and buying everything that came their way. It was a sunny day, which was quite unusual for this season, so they tried to make the best out of it and spent a whole morning and afternoon walking around and enjoying some time alone. They ate at Cate’s fave restaurant before doing a bit of sightseeing and going on with shopping afterwards. Their last stop was a shop for underwear that Caitlin was eager to get into. She spent an eternity running around between all the dessous of different colour and fabric, but then she eventually disappeared into a changing room to try on her selections.
Tara sat down in front of the cabin and waited patiently. "Try on the red one, I like it the most. Or the black one, though I wouldn’t spend that much money on a bra that’s nothing more than kind of a rope. And what’s the point in buying underwear when Shane takes every opportunity to get you naked? Darling, I think that’s what people call senseless!" She giggled when Caitlin popped out her head from behind the curtain and gave her one of her ‘Everyone can hear us!’- looks. She then disappeared again, mumbling something that Tara didn’t understand. But instead of asking Caitlin to repeat what she’d said, Tara leaned back against the chair she was sitting in, closing her eyes. It had been a stressful day and though she’d enjoyed every second of it, she couldn’t wait for them to get back to the appartment where she would be able to lay down and have a rest. She was getting tired very easily these days, though Tara tried everything to not overdo it and do as the doctor had told her to. She knew that she had to tell her sister somehow, but she did NOT know how to do so. First, she’d thought that it would be a good idea to come to Dublin and ask Caitlin for support, but now she had doubts about it. If she would ask her sister to keep her secret and not spill it, she would also lead her into a situation that wouldn’t be easy to handle. After all, she couldn’t ask Caitlin to lie to Shane just for her own benefit! No, she had to think of something else..
With a sigh, Tara opened her eyes again and nearly jumped when she saw who was standing just inches away from her, his eyes focused on the garment he held in his hands. Tara looked around, desperately searching for a place she could hide. Without a second thought, she got up and ripped open the curtain to Caitlin’s cabin, then got in and closed it behind her again. She completely ignored the surprised look she got from her sister, and instead opened the curtain a bit to see where Kian had gone.
"Are the cops already searching for us or is there another reason that made you practically jump on me?" Caitlin pushed her sister aside carefully and opened the curtain again, just to close it seconds later. She should have known. "You should try to say hello to him instead of running away. He’ll be at the party anyway, so you better start to cope with him. He won’t bite, ya know.", Caitlin encouraged her sister, but knew in the same time that she wouldn’t succeed. It was too damn obvious that there were still feelings in the air Tara was desperate to hide - and whenever she had made up her mind about something, she was far too stubborn to change her opinion. Caitlin would just have to live with the fact that Tara would try everything to deny her feelings for Kian and would have to wait for the moment where Tara would finally come to her senses and admit them.
"Oh, he DOES bite.", Tara answered and couldn’t help a foolish giggle when she remembered the days in the cabin - and especially the nights! She would never ever forget about them..because she wouldn’t get the chance to. "I will deal with Kian when I have to, not a single day earlier. And regarding the fact that we are pretty safe behind this curtain, I don’t see any sense in going out there and making my life any harder than it already is. Kian’s quite happy with his life, and so am I, so we better just try to avoid each other for as long as possible. Otherwise I might be tempted to kill him for all the things he said to me." Tara tried to sound funny, but didn’t feel like it at all. Her life was a mess right now, but she was too proud to admit it. There had to be a way to get her out of all this confusion that was going on, and for now she would just try on her own. IF she failed, she would MAYBE ask for help, but she was determined to make it on her own. All she needed was a little bit support from her family, the rest she would sort out herself. And Kian belonged to the rest..
Caitlin didn’t believe a single word her sister said, but kept her mouth shut and started to get dressed again. It wouldn’t be easy to make Tara see how much she needed Kian, but it wouldn’t help anyone to force her into anything right now. "Do whatever you think is necessary to be done, sweetheart. Come on now, I’ve made my decision and can’t wait for Shane to take a look at all the things we bought.", she said with a wink at Tara before opening the curtain and stepping out. She immediately looked around and searched for Kian, but he was nowhere to be seen. Taking Tara’s hand, she went up to the cashier and put her belongings down in front of him, then turned around to smile at Tara. She looked tired and tense, but probably just needed to get out of here and right into her bed. Caitlin paid her things and then took Tara’s hand again, leading her outside. She wanted to say something to her and therefore turned around..a mistake, for she didn’t see the man in front of her and bumped into him full force.
"Woah, did you leave your eyes at home, sweetheart?" Caitlin stepped back and smiled relieved, recognizing that it had been ‘just’ Kian she’d bumped into and not some psychic guy who would yell at her and call her all the stupid names that came to his mind. She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when she saw that Kian had already focused on her sister. It wasn’t easy to read the expressions that were forming up on his face, but it had to be something between surprise and pain, hope and rejection. Caitlin didn’t even have to turn around to know what her sister was doing. She probably gave him the nastiest look ever, trying to make clear just what she thought of him.
"Hy Kian.", she finally answered, stretching a bit to kiss his cheek. They’d become good friends over the last three month, and though Caitlin knew that she had to get her sister away somehow, she didn’t want to give Kian the feeling that he was being ignored by both of them - one girl was enough for now. "I spent the whole day running around and throwing money out of the window, so my brain is already working on a kinda low battery. Sorry for running you over, I just want to get rid of all these shopping bags. Coming to the party next week?" Caitlin could honestly FEEL the look her sister was giving HER now, but she didn’t care anyway. She wouldn’t push Tara into anything, but she would at least give her the chance to make up her mind about Kian and her feelings for him.
"Sure, Shane would kill me if I didn’t show up. So be sure to spare a dance for me, I want for once be able to get on the dancefloor with you without Shane wanting to shoot me afterwards.", he laughed, but Caitlin couldn’t get rid of the thought that he was feeling extremely unwell in his current situation. She wanted to answer, but couldn’t when Tara spoke up first.
"I’m sure there will be enough time left for the two of you to talk about all that dancing and killing. Shane is waiting for us and I myself can’t wait to get away from here. See ya." She took Caitlin’s hand and started to walk away, but stopped and turned around again. Her gaze fell on Kian’s little plastic bag printed with the trademark of the shop they’d just come out of. "Oh, and I’m sure blue suits your girfriend just perfect. Make sure to bring her along next week, I can’t wait to meet her. For now, just give her my love." She smiled her best smile at him before she turned around again and dragged Caitlin along with her, not losing another word to her or Kian. She was angry and didn’t even know why. He hadn’t made anything wrong.. but she had about three month ago, and now she had to face the fact that Kian Egan’s world was in fact still rotating - without her.