“The one of me wearing the lingerie you ordered?” I asked coyly, closing my eyes in ecstasy when his hand slid beneath my top to cup my breast. “I thought that was the whole reason you bought it.”

His thumb grazed my nipple and I swear I felt it all the way down between my legs. “I opened the message during a meeting with my agent. Do you know how inconvenient it is getting an erection while trying to discuss work opportunities?”

I let out a guffaw of a laugh that quickly transformed into a moan when Sean threw me onto the bed and mounted me, his hard cock pressing between my thighs. The bed creaked loudly. A second later there was a knock on the wall, followed by Ronan yelling, “I don’t want to hear that shit, Cassidy. Keep it down.”

I giggled and Sean put his hand over my mouth to stifle the sound. “We really should have gotten a hotel room. I want to fuck you loudly tonight, and I can’t exactly do that with your brother in the next room.”

“Fuck me quietly. Tomorrow when he’s out we can be loud,” I smiled.

Sean groaned and began divesting me of my shirt and bra. “I’m not sure I can wait that long. I’ve missed you so bloody much.” His eyes travelled over my face for a second. “God, you’re beautiful.”

That blasted emotion clutched at me again, and I nearly got weepy because I’d missed him so much, too. Then my mind tracked back to what he’d said a minute ago.

I stared at the top of his head as he kissed his way down my body. “Sean.”

He glanced up. “Yes?”

“Why were you discussing work opportunities with your agent? You already have a job.”

He went still, the muscles moving in his jaw as he exhaled. The quiet went on for so long I began to grow worried. “Damn it, I wanted to wait until tomorrow to tell you. I had a whole day planned.”

“Tell me what?” I said, my body tensing and my heart pounding.

Now he looked up at me, those blue eyes of his so bloody handsome I couldn’t take it sometimes.

“I’m retiring from the team, Lucy,” he said.

My mind reeled. My voice barely a whisper. “You’re what? Why? How?”

“I’m getting old.”

“You are not old.” I smacked his shoulder, making a face at him.

“For professional rugby, I’m ancient. I’m not going to be able to play forever. There are younger players out there more than willing to take my place. It’s time.”

Suddenly, everything he was telling me sank in, and my heart pounded for a very different reason. This wasn’t bad news. It was good news. The best news I’d ever had.

“Are you…does this mean you’re moving over here?” I practically squealed.

When he smiled it was glorious. Moving up the bed, he took my face in his hands and kissed me delicately on the lips. “Yes, love, it means I’m moving here. I’ll be working with ESPN, New York office, as their international rugby liaison.”

“Is this for real? Am I dreaming?” I asked, hardly able to contain my smile. Seriously, I was smiling so hard right then my jaw hurt. Everything inside of me rejoiced. Sean was staying. I didn’t have to go through the pain of watching him leave again.

“You’re not dreaming, Lucy,” Sean murmured and gave me another kiss. “I can’t stand it when I’m not with you. I feel like a piece of my heart is missing,” he went on and I knew exactly how he felt, because I felt it too.

“God, I love you so much, so, so much,” I told him between kisses.

“I love you too, Lucy. It feels like you’ve always been here, is that mad? I can’t remember my life without you. It feels like someone else’s life.”

“I feel exactly the same,” I said, sucking back the happy tears at his murmured declaration. I lost myself in him, his body, his taste. I was a whirl of emotions, so many wonderful thoughts swirling between my head and my heart. Then, the most exciting realization hit me, as I pulled my mouth from his and looked him dead in the eye.

“Oh my God, you do realize what this means, don’t you?”

His smile was indulgent. “What does it mean, darling?”

I grinned so wide my face hurt again. “It means we can finally get a dog!”

***

For a long time, circumstances had been against us. Annie’s apartment building didn’t allow pets and Sean travelled too much to be able to care for one properly. So, I volunteered at the shelter as often as I could, giving all my love to the animals that didn’t have families while desperately wishing I could take all of them home with me.

Now, two weeks after Sean had moved to New York permanently, we signed the lease on a top floor apartment with a roof garden. The best part of all? Pets were permitted in the tenancy agreement. I wasn’t sure who was more excited, me or the big hunk of rugby muscle who currently held my hand as we walked through the kennels at the shelter, saying hello to all our friends.

“Hello Sam, hello Patch, hello Charlie, hello Buddy, hello Hampton,” I sing-songed as Sean went to greet his favorite canine.

Being such a large dog and almost six years old, Hampton had a hard time getting adopted into a home. Sean had sponsored him at the shelter and visited with me whenever he was in town. I knew without even having to ask that he was the one Sean wanted, and I was already mentally preparing to purchase a year’s supply of lint rollers and some sort of handheld vacuum cleaner to deal with all that long black fur getting everywhere.