Chapter Fifteen

Finnegan had no idea why he was doing what he was doing but Cassandra was a temptation that he simply couldn't resist. Finnegan had never had the ability to resist temptation and honestly the fact that he had gone this long without giving in to his urges where she was concerned was commendable.

Now he was done resisting.

He pushed all doubts from his mind, ignored the voices in his head that told him it was wrong and that he was bound to hurt Cassandra, and simply kissed her with everything he had.

The kiss caused him to feel dizzy and off balance. Never had he kissed a lass and felt this way. He had fallen in love with Cassandra when he'd been but a boy and life had forced them apart—all the women in between had simply been for fun but he knew Cass would be different. For him to continue to lie and say he was not in love with her would have been a foolish waste of time and while Finnegan was many things he was no fool.

This was his Little Cass. He had no idea if he could be what she needed, if he could even be good for her, but he was a selfish bastard who damn sure wanted the chance to try.

A little moan came from her back of her throat and Finnegan pulled her closer, desperate to have more of her--all of her.

He reached a hand around her head and buried his fingers in her thick blond curls. Quickly he found the pins that held them back and loosed them all, allowing her soft curls to tumble down her back finally free of their restraints.

Finnegan continued to hungrily devour her mouth. A mouth that could make him feel ten feet tall and bulletproof one instant and tear him down to the ground in the next. A mouth that defended him and believed in him but yet wasn't afraid to call him out on his nonsense when need be. Yes this was his Little Cass and she wouldn't be marrying any man if that man was not him—not that Finnegan wanted marriage. He still did not know for certain he could be a faithful man and he wouldn't go breaking vows the way his father had.

All thoughts were driven from Finnegan's mind when Cassandra moaned his name against his mouth and turned herself in his arms, straddling him with her long legs.

Finnegan felt her push herself up against his arousal and he tore his mouth from hers. They were both panting and Cassandra's cheeks were flushed quite nicely. "We need to be stoppin' this now, Little Cass, unless you're real sure and certain ya want to lose that innocence of yours here tonight. There won't be no stoppin' me once this goes any farther. I've longed to have you for far too long."

Cassandra's green eyes widened with surprise as she stared at him. "You have?" she whispered, a blush coloring her cheeks and spreading down her neck. She pulled off the spectacles he had stolen and sat them aside.

"Aye," Finnegan caressed her cheek gently. "I have."

Cassandra's tongue shot out across her bottom lip and Finnegan was about to lower his mouth back to hers when she wiggled on his lap, rubbing her groin against the hard ridge of his arousal. Finnegan's jaw locked and his one handed grip on the back of her head tightened.

"Finnegan?" Cassandra asked with a small frown as a crease formed in her brow.

"Yes?" Finnegan managed to hiss through clenched teeth.

"Why do you have two bulges?"

Finnegan wiggled his brows and smiled wickedly. "Double the pleasure for the pretty lasses."

Cassandra snorted and rolled her eyes. "Finnegan...."

"It's me knife, Little Cass," Finnegan assured her he nuzzled her long neck. "I keep a knife in the front of me trousers just in case. It's gotten me out of more than a few tight spots." He moved his lips to her ear. "Can we get back to the kissing then, Little Cass?"

"I was wondering when you would," Cassandra replied breathlessly.

Finnegan could not believe that his luck was finally changing. He was on his way to get a treasure that would get those he owed money to off his back and make him a rich man and he had Cassandra in his arms. Finnegan Callahan may have the luck of the Irish after all.

He moved his lips back to Cassandra's and felt the softness of her mouth. Eagerly he deepened the kiss, tangling their tongues and drinking in her sweetness. He placed one hand upon her waist and slowly slid it up, her throaty moans encouraging him as his thumb brushed against her breast.

Cassandra stiffened and then shuddered, her body sinking deeper against his own. Finnegan cupped her firm breast in his hand, hating the layers of clothing that were separating their bodies. He longed to feel her skin against his.

He felt himself twitch in his pants when Cassandra's lips moved away from his and began to brush against his neck. Her teeth grazed his skin and Finnegan trembled. He threw his head back and simply let her devour him, knowing she was enjoying his honest reactions to her touch.

He moaned out her name and felt her smile.

Then the passionate atmosphere inside their room was shattered when they heard a pounding from across the hall.

"Finnegan Callahan! Cassandra Little! You had better come untie me now!"

Finnegan cursed, pulled Cassandra off of him and leapt to his feet. "And here I thought that luck may just be on my side for once," Finnegan muttered with a groan as he adjusted his uncomfortably tight pants.

Cassandra was slumped on the tiny sofa, breathing hard and eyeing him hungrily. Finnegan nearly forgot about Seamus until the man yelled again.

"Shite!" Finnegan exclaimed with frustration. He held up his finger, "Just stay right there, right like that and I will be back as quick as a flash. I simply have to gag our good friend and comrade a bit better."

Cassandra only nodded and Finnegan forced himself from the room, closing the door behind him. He pulled the key to Seamus' room from his pocket and unlocked the door. His brother glared at him angrily from the bed where he was still hog tied. Clearly he had used his shoulder to move his gag down and yell for them.

"It is approachin' bed time, Dear Seamus," Finnegan scolded with a click of his tongue. "Do ya want to wake the sleeping passengers?"

"I want you and Cassandra to untie me."

"We are Gregory and Gretchen Peters, Dear Seamus, and we cannot untie ya because ya have already proven we can't trust ya."

"Finnagen, I will kill you good this time when I get loose—" Seamus stopped talking suddenly and he frowned as he tilted his head and studied Finnegan.

"Do ya like lookin' at me then, Dear Seamus? I shall get ya a picture to keep and ya can stare at it to keep ya occupied on those long lonely nights."

Seamus simply rolled his eyes. "Why are you all dressed up like that and why do you look like a man who was just spending time with a woman?"

"I know ya have trouble with the ladies, Seamus, but jealousy truly doesn't suit you. Grumpiness is your best feature," Finnegan was in no hurry to tell Seamus what he'd been doing in the other room but it seemed he didn't need to. His brother was a lot of things but stupid was not one of them.

"What are you and Cassandra doing over there alone?!" he demanded. "Finnegan you better not have taken that girl's innocence!"

"She's not a girl, Seamus, and her innocence is not anythin' for you to be concernin' yourself with. Now let me get this gag back in place...."

Finnegan attempted to get close to Seamus and the man snapped his teeth at him! Finnegan shook his head. Seamus was hog-tied, lying on his side in a bed completely helpless but still unwilling to admit that this time, (with Cassandra's help), Finnegan had gotten the better of him.

"Finnegan, she deserves better than you and I won't stand for you using her this way. She isn't one of your saloon whores!"

Finnegan felt his temper rise, "I know that, brother. Now lay there like a good little prisoner—"

Seamus cut him off, "You'll break her heart, Finnegan. Her heart will shatter just like mama's did every time papa found his pleasures with another woman."

And there it was. That sensitive nerve inside Finnegan's own heart. Could he be a faithful man? Could he be a man different from what his papa had been?

"Let me tell ya this, dear Seamus," Finnegan began, every ounce of good nature gone from his voice. "I don't know what the future holds for me and Little Cass. I don't even know what tomorrow holds. But I can tell ya this, her heart will never break because I am unfaithful to her. As long as she'll have me then I'll have only her."

Seamus' eyes widened in surprise and Finnegan used his brother's moment of shock to his advantage and put the fabric tight around his mouth, tying it off behind his head.

Seamus' brown eyes were angry when Finnegan looked into them once again. Finnegan grinned and poked his brother's nose, "If ya be good I will bring ya some bread after a while and allow ya to relieve yourself. Cassandra's papa is leavin' this train tomorrow mornin' and your mouth will no longer be such a threat."

Rage contorted Seamus' features but Finnegan simply patted his head and walked out, whistling a tune and sliding the door closed behind him. He locked it tight and then looked at the closed door to his and Cassandra's room.

He might have spoken boldly to his brother but Finnegan was scared. What if he did hurt Cassandra? He knew that if walked back in that room now they would bed each other and he was not ready for that and he knew Cassandra wasn't either. Each of them needed time.

She needed time to understand if it was truly Finnegan she was drawn to or the adventure and Finnegan needed time to come to terms with this sudden change of heart he was experiencing. It was as if he'd slid into a new pair of boots and it would take them some time to fit just right.

Letting out a breath he slid the door open a bit and saw Cassandra finishing up her dinner. "He should keep quiet a while now," Finnegan stated when her wide green eyes turned to gaze at him. Finnegan could see the yearning in her eyes and he felt it as well but he forced himself to toss her the key which she caught against her chest. "If he hollers just give him another whack with a pitcher. That seemed to work good last time."

"And where are you going?" Cassandra asked, her voice tight.

"He'll be needing food," Finnegan replied nodding his head back toward Seamus' room. "And I'd like to learn where your papa's room is so we can avoid it until tomorrow afternoon." It was a lie but a necessary one. Finnegan could not come back to this room until Cassandra was asleep.

"Should I wait up for you?" Cassandra asked with a tilt of her head and he knew she was judging his reaction.

"Get ya some rest, Gretchen. You'll have plenty o'nights still to take advantage of me."

Cassandra offered him a weak smile as he grabbed the spectacles and cane from the table beside the door and then, like the coward he was, he made a run for it.