Chapter Forty-Nine

Her body tingled as the wind shifted and carried to her the scent of the man she'd been longing for. Turning around, Fallon took in the sight before her.

Ian stood there, dressed in a pair of carpenter blue jeans, black boots, and his Seahawks jacket over his charcoal shirt. His auburn hair, a tad longer now, moved with the wind and his gray eyes were sharp and clear as they stared at her. He had his hands were shoved in the pockets of his leather jacket.

"Ian," she said with a sigh of pleasure. "You're looking really well."

He prowled towards her, never dropping her gaze. "How would you know how I'm looking? I haven't seen you since I got released from the hospital." His tone was accusatory.

"You seemed busy." Fallon bit the inside of her cheek to keep from jumping into his arms.

"Never too busy for you, Fallon. I'm never too busy for you."

His words banished the chill of the day. "What are you doing down here?" she asked.

"I called Shawn and asked him where he thought you'd be and he brought me here. He said you were thinking of leaving." He stopped right before her, forcing her to look up at him if she wished to keep eye contact.

"That's true." She was. It was time for her to figure out what she was doing. There had been a request for her to come to a training camp for a unit of Marines, Force Recon Marines.

"Why would you leave?" Ian backed her up until the rail stopped her from going further.

"It's my job." Each inhalation brought his masculine scent to her nose and sent up tremors of desire inside her.

"And me?" he questioned, reaching out with one gloveless hand and threading his fingers through her hair.

"Seems to me you're a very popular man. Promotions and offers from the feds."

"I don't care about them, Fallon." His gaze was direct.

This was the Ian she loved. So straightforward. Not one to hedge about his feelings. Swallowing, she whispered, "I wouldn't have left without saying goodbye."

"You didn't even tell me you got shot." His thumb caressed her cheekbone.

"You had just woken up, my scratch wasn't all that important."

He frowned at her. "After all that time you spent with me in the hospital, why did you vanish when I was released?" Despite the chill of the day, his skin was warm and his caresses did strange things, powerful things to her innards.

"What do you want from me?" she mumbled as his touch sent her body into overdrive.

"I... I... have something for you."

Cocking her head to the side, Fallon waited in silence for him to continue. She took a deep breath as his hand dropped from her hair back to his pocket.

"You know how I feel about you, Fallon. I know you do, and before you leave, I want you to have this. I had meant to ask you to marry me, but I think you'd just run away from me. So, I just want you to accept this."

Fallon stood there speechless as Ian set her coffee on the ground and pulled off her left glove. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring. Tears filled her eyes as he slid it on her ring finger.

"We'll call it a promise ring if that will keep you from bolting on me. Just please say you'll accept this."

Still in awe, Fallon looked down to the ring that fit so snugly on her finger. White gold with yellow gold text between the thin bands that read "Mo Anam Cara" and nestled between each word rested a small Claddagh.

"Oh Ian," she breathed. "This is absolutely beautiful." Licking her lips, Fallon met his gaze. The love and passion in his eyes nearly sent her to her knees.

"I know it isn't much, but I didn't know what to get a woman who rarely wears jewelry."

"No," she said, "this is perfect. What does this mean? The writing on it?"

"Mo Anam Cara? That means 'My Soul Mate'." He tipped her face up to his. "That's what you are. I don't want to live without you."

Looking at the ring one more time, Fallon erased the distance between them and slid her right arm up around his neck. "You know something, Detective. I don't think I've ever heard anything more beautiful. But I don't want a promise ring from you." She caught the tensing of his jaw and a siren's smile filled her own face. "I'll accept this only if you consider it an engagement ring."

The smile barely had time to cross his face before he was kissing her. Fallon whimpered into his mouth as his tongue plundered her depths. When he pulled away for a breather, his eyes shone like silken quicksilver.

"You drive a hard bargain, Fallon Delu, but I accept." His lips teased hers again.

Time slipped away as he kissed her thoroughly. When her body was limp and drenched with desire for him, he ended the kiss. It was as if he knew she was a puddle of mush.

"Open your eyes, baby," he whispered against her swollen lips.

She did so, slowly, and saw his arrogant grin. "I want you, Ian," she admitted as she stood back from him and tugged on her glove over her new ring.

"And I you, Fallon." He leaned down and retrieved her coffee for her. "Here you go."

She winked. "Not sure I need any more heating up."

"Let's go," he said. Fallon sucked her lower lip in her teeth. Ian sighed and touched her face with his hand. "We'll get it all figured out, Fallon. Let's just go spend some time alone with one another."

He knew her so well. Slipping her right arm through his, she rested her head against the smooth leather of his jacket. "Okay. Let's go."

"Are you sure you don't want a more traditional engagement ring? With stones or something like that?" he asked as they walked to where she parked her vehicle.

"No, this... this is more than I could have hoped for. I love it." Fallon moved her head against his jacket. The rest of the walk to her SUV was done in comfortable silence.

Ian stopped beside her Xterra and turned her to face him. When their eyes met, her breath caught in her throat. There was just something about the way he watched her.

"What?" she asked.

He took one hand and followed along the curvature of her face before his fingers trailed lightly over the nearly faded scar on her neck, from the knife wound. "Do you know how much I love you?"

The sounds of the parking garage faded into the background and her world consisted of two people. Herself and Ian Cavanaugh. "I think so, Detective," she murmured. "I think so."

Ian kissed her until her toes curled. With an arrogant smirk, he helped her into the passenger seat and slid his large body behind the wheel. Fallon didn't say a word as she buckled her seatbelt, perfectly content to let him take over.

They held hands as he drove carefully through the highly decorated streets of Seattle towards his home. As he pulled up to his house, Fallon sat up and frowned. There were a few vehicles in his driveway.

"Unexpected company?" she asked, as she heard his muted curse and bit back her laughter.

"Trust me, baby, the plans I had for us definitely didn't include anyone else being in the same room, much less the same house."

She smiled at the frustration in his voice, and yet she couldn't disagree. It'd been way too long since she'd felt him love her. "We won't know who it is until we get out."

"Well, they're not on the porch so that means my parents are there and are inside."

Leaning across the middle, she pressed her lips to his cheek. "Come on, Detective. Surely you aren't scared of your parents." She shook her head as she opened the door and left the warm interior.

"I'll plead the fifth on that," he sassed as he undid his belt and climbed out. Ian reached for her hand as they walked up to his front door. Fallon gave it a gentle squeeze and was rewarded a sexy smile and wink in return.

Fallon's eyes grew wide as she followed him inside his house. There was a big banner hanging down, directly in sight from the door that read: CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ENGAGEMENT!!! Standing beneath the sign were her brothers, Laura and the girls, some of his fellow detectives, and Ian's parents. They all had smiles on their faces and were holding out pieces of cake.

"Congratulations!" they all shouted.

Slanting a glance at Ian, Fallon teased, "Just a promise ring, huh?"

He shrugged sheepishly and she could see the tint of the blush on his tanned skin. "I had no idea."

As they were separated by family and friends, pulled into hugs and given more best wishes, Fallon knew it would be a while before she and Ian got to spend any time alone. As if he knew what she was thinking, he met her gaze and sent her an apologetic smile. She blew him a kiss in response, smirking to herself at the flare of passion in his mercurial gaze.

Later on, as everyone sat around eating cake and drinking coffee, Kylie, who sat on the floor beside her leg, looked up and asked, "Will your baby boy be named Dylan?"

Fallon's hands shook as she tried to find an answer. Ian covered her shuddering ones with his own strong fingers and replied for her, "I think Dylan would be a wonderful name for our son. Do you think he would approve?"

Kylie smiled at them both. "I know he would. He told me so." She pushed up from the floor and leaned over to kiss Fallon. "He's okay, Auntie Fallon. He wants you to be happy."

Fallon blinked back tears as she pulled Kylie in for a hug. "Thank you, Kylie."

Unaware of the gravity of what she'd done, Kylie lifted her shoulders easily. "You're welcome. Will you hurry up though? I'd like a little brother and mommy and daddy say they aren't gonna give me one."

Laughter erupted in the room. "I'll see what we can do, Kylie," Fallon said.

Ian's arm settled around her shoulder, pulling her tight against him. Turning his head, he swiped his lips across her temple. "Are you okay?"

"Yes."

Plans were made for Christmas dinner, and Donal and Brighid were getting along well enough that there was no bickering between them. Fallon would swear she saw longing glances between them.

As she stood with her brothers, Fallon knew she'd finally come home. This was what she'd needed. Ian was what she needed. She half-heartedly listened as Shawn and Clay swore they'd kick his ass all the way up and down the coastline if he ever hurt her. Her eyes moved across the room to where, Ian stood talking to Herschel and Bill. His gaze was waiting for her.

I love you, he mouthed.

I love you, too, Ian Cavanaugh. She smiled and raked her eyes up and down his physique. She licked her lips before turning back on her brothers. With a quick sneaking glance over her shoulder, she read the promise lurking in his eyes.

"You seem happy, sis," Clay said. "Really happy."

"I am, Clay, I promise."

And why shouldn't she be? She had a man who doted on her, would do anything he could for her and treated her how she deserved to be treated. Fallon was...

The Detective's Lover.

The End