The smile etched on my lips stayed well into the morning when I woke up beside Fionn's sleeping form. His face was tucked into my neck and his arm draped over my body. I didn't want to move from his embrace. Like a chocolate with a liquid center, the outer shell had dissolved with just one touch, melting into a deeper, more vulnerable connection with one another.

After Kyle, the thought of letting another man past the walls I had so carefully built up was something I wasn't sure I wanted to let happen ever again. After all, I had given eight years of my life to him. How could I just jump right back in? But with Fionn, it was different. We both were burned before by our prior relationships. We were like two perfect puzzle pieces, each filling a void that the other was missing.

With Fionn, I felt whole again.

I turned over, running a hand along Fionn's chest as it rose and fell. My fingers traced the outline of the celtic knot tattoo under his right collarbone. The tattoo featured a triangle interwoven to form a circle in the center. It was simple yet daring and something I never expected from Fionn.

He shifted in the bed and draped an arm over my shoulders, tangling his fingers through my hair.

His blue eyes blinked open and he smiled at me, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. "Morning, Em."

My grin widened as I kissed him back. I couldn't believe this was real. "Morning."

"So, last night was pretty great."

"Mhm."

His fingers continued to lace through my hair, sending shivers of joy down my spine.

"Just so you know, I'm not typically the type of girl who sleeps with a guy even before the first date," I said.

Fionn chuckled. "Well, good. Because I'm not the type of guy who sleeps with girls before the first date either. Nor the second."

I pressed a kiss to his chest. "You are such a gentleman. I'm sorry I waited so long for us to have the conversation about stargazing."

"Em, I think we've both done enough apologizing." He sat up to readjust his position, letting the covers pool around his waist before pulling me back against him and the propped up pillows.

"Can I ask you a question?" I bit my lip.

"Aye."

I tilted my head up to look at him. "When you were telling me about the stargazing yesterday, you mentioned your mom."

Fionn's smile wavered and he pulled his fingers through his hair. "Right. I guess in the spirit of vulnerability, I should tell you. Mum and Dad...they were both so buried in their work even when I was young. But it was different."

"How so?" I asked.

"Dad would spend time locked in the study running numbers and attending business meetings that Cat and I weren't allowed to be part of," Fionn explained. "Mum was more adventurous; it's probably why she's an astronomer. Both my sister and I take after her, and she would take us on weekend trips to see the stars while Dad was out of town."

I looked at him in awe. He spoke about his mother with such admiration, a complete contrast to how he talked about his father.

His voice cracked and his expression darkened, filling his eyes with pain. "But when I was eighteen, she got sick."

My heart lurched, but I waited for him to continue. I knew how hard it was to lose a parent.

"The doctor suggested a change in scenery and her job paid her a bonus to live in Germany where she could have better air and one of the best astronomy jobs in the world. I thought we'd all move together, but Dad didn't want to leave the business."

My hand slipped over his, lacing our fingers together. I wondered, did he blame his father for what, to an eighteen year old, seemed like abandonment? "Do you get to see her often?"

Fionn shrugged. "Just holidays. When we're together, it's the one time a year when my dad and I get along."

I frowned. "Why's that?"

"Mum's charm." His smile returned. "The man buries his arse in work all weeks of the year but turns to mush when he sees her."

"Sounds like us," I teased. It was bold, having only known him for a few weeks, but it was the truth.

Fionn took that moment to playfully whack me with a pillow. I shrieked and he tackled me with kisses on the bed until I surrendered. When we returned to an upright position, his expression sombered.

"It still drives me mad," he said. "He's too stubborn to take more time off to see her."

"Nobody's perfect," I murmured.

"Yeah." He brushed his thumb over my bare shoulder. "Anyway, what would you say to a day out?"

"Oh yeah?" I raised my eyebrows. "Two days off in a row? My, Fionn. If you're not careful, someone might think you're spoiling me."

He laughed, his blue eyes shining.

"But, I accept. Where do you want to take me?"

"Mossyard beach," he replied. "It's the perfect little getaway for a day trip. I'll arrange everything with Lachlan."

"Sounds great." I leaned over to kiss him once more before rolling off the bed and hurrying to the bathroom to change.

As I glanced in the mirror to prepare for the day, I thought about Fionn's lips on my neck and the feel of his hands on my body.

Kyle's hands slipped lower and lower, teasing each item of clothing with a flick of his tongue.

The bottle of moisturizer crashed to the ground and I jumped back so that it didn't crush my toes. It had been days since memories of my ex clouded my mind. Fionn was the only other guy I had ever been vulnerable with, but he'd also opened up more to me than Kyle ever did.

Maybe I should've been more hesitant before sleeping with Fionn. Fionn certainly proved to me that he cared, but how did I know that what happened wasn't just a one time, heat of the moment...mistake?

I shuddered, brushing the thought away. It wasn't a mistake. It was real.

Still, I needed to know how he felt—emotionally, since I knew for sure how he felt physically.

When I returned, Fionn was sitting on the edge of the bed shirtless. I lingered in the doorway, twirling my hair.

Mm, I could get used to waking up to him beside me. I smiled at the thought.

He crossed the room and immediately wrapped his arms around my waist, lifting me up like he had last night. Pressing my body against his, he captured my lips against his mouth. My hands instinctively cupped his face, brushing my thumbs along his jawline.

He set me back down, breathless, tucking my hair behind my ears.

"We should talk about—" I started to say.

"C'mon, we should—oh, sorry. What were you going to say?"

I cleared my throat. "We should talk about, um, last night. And what it means—essentially—for, you know, us."

"Right." Fionn scratched the back of his head. "We should get something to eat first." He started for the staircase.

I ran down the stairs after him. "But what about your shirt?"

Instead of walking toward the front door, Fionn detoured to the office, returning a minute later in a navy blue sweater that matched his eyes.

He grabbed my hand, lacing our fingers together. "Before you say anything, yes. We should talk about last night. Is it okay if we eat first?"

I nodded and my stomach growled in agreement. We walked over to the diner together for the first time in days. It felt good to be back to the rhythm we'd created. Fionn led me to a corner table in the back of the diner so we could have more space to ourselves.

"Maidin mhaith! It's good to see the two of you out together again," Martha greeted us. "What can I get for you?"

"Eggs Benedict and an Americano coffee, please," I said.

She wrote it down before turning to Fionn.

"The usual, please." He smiled at her. Once she left, he reached across the table for my hand. "So, you wanted to talk about last night."

My heart thumped loudly in my chest. "Yeah. I hope, um, well I just want to—"

"Em, it's okay. Last night did mean something. At least, I hope it did."

I nodded, trying to formulate the words. "It did. But I want to know that it wasn't just a one-time thing."

Fionn chuckled. "I would hope n—"

"I'm being serious, Fionn." I lowered my voice. "I want to know where we stand now in terms of a...relationship since we've, you know, slept together."

Martha brought over our coffees and we waited until she walked away again to resume our conversation.

"Okay. Emilie Taylor," Fionn said, a hint of tease in his voice, "will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?"

Of course, with the raise of volume in his voice, we had attracted the attention of multiple customers. They now looked eagerly at us, anticipating an answer.

I bit my lip as my cheeks flushed. This wasn't exactly what I had meant, but the gesture was too cheesy and sweet to ignore. "Yes. Of course, yes."

He leaned across the table to kiss me, cupping my face in his hands, and the whole diner erupted into cheers.

***

When we returned from breakfast, we quickly packed up bags for our day out. As we walked outside, Fionn hesitated on the 'closed' sign above the door. The frown on his face made me wonder if he was actually more worried about losing money by closing the shop for the day or what his father would say over his 'lack of appreciation for the art of business'. Angus's words.

"It's one day," I tried to reassure him. "And technically, it's a holiday, so we can afford to be closed. Right?"

One of the days that Fionn and I weren't on speaking terms, I overheard a conversation with his father regarding his lack of work ethic for the shop. It took everything in me not to barge into the office and say something, although I still played out the conversation in my head as if I had told him off.

Fionn locked the door and smiled at me. "You're right." He turned to Lachlan who was waiting by the town car. "Mossyard beach, please!"

Lachlan grinned back at us and tipped his hat. "An excellent choice."

Fionn and I sat together in the back of the car as it rumbled down the road. Cobblestone streets and shops quickly turned into wide open pastures of green, green, and more green.

"Oh my god, sheep!" I squealed, pressing my face against the window as we passed a large green space dotted with fluffy balls of white.

Fionn laughed. "I have never seen someone so excited over sheep before."

I playfully whacked his arm. "I live in the city, remember?"

"I know, I just think it's cute." He laced our fingers together and pressed a kiss to the side of my head.

I hummed happily, leaning my head back against his chest. If this had been me and Kyle, all he would want was to make out in the backseat of the car. It was nice that with Fionn, I could just...be. He was in so many ways the exact opposite of Kyle. It was refreshing.

My eyes shot open.

We were dating. I was dating a man I'd met less than a month ago. What would happen when I went back to the states? Did I even want to go back? Of course, I had to. I was maid-of-honor in Brena's wedding. Whoever sent me the ticket was still paying for me to stay—or I assumed so—but when did that end?

Would this have to end? Did Fionn and I have a deadline?

"Em." Fionn frowned. "Is everything alright?"

I blinked, my gaze snapping over to meet his. "Mhm, yeah just got a bit lost for a minute."

Okay, calm down Emilie. We just got together. I couldn't let him know I was already thinking of what would happen when we had to be apart.

"...roads can surely be a nuisance," Lachlan's voice carried to the backseat. "Look out the front window if you need it. That should help with the nausea."

"Oh, right." I tucked my hair behind my ears. "I-I'm actually okay now."

The car continued down the road in silence, an unspoken tension settling in the backseat. I couldn't help but wonder if Fionn knew something was wrong. Maybe he knew I was having second thoughts.

What would he say if he knew?

Before I knew it, we came to a stop. With the windows down—Fionn thought the fresh breeze would be soothing—the salty air hit my nose immediately. I breathed in deeply. The beach was different from the harbor that I was so used to in Baltimore and I loved it.

Fionn jumped out of the car, murmuring something about 'quick business' he had to take care of before dashing over to the pub, Secret Escape Tavern.

It was an interesting name for a pub, but with the seclusion of its location the name felt very fitting. I could see myself coming out here more often for an escape.

"C'mon," Fionn said upon his return. A grin spread across his face. In his hands, he carried a picnic basket with a blanket laid over the top.

Hesitantly, I looked back at Lachlan.

"Go on," he urged. "I'll be at the pub. Fionn will come find me when you're ready to return, aye?"

I nodded. "Thank you, Lachlan."

I ran to catch up with Fionn who immediately tucked his free arm around my waist. Any nerves I'd had in the car washed away like the ocean waves at his touch.

Fionn led me down the beach, refusing to let me see what was inside the basket.

"Fionn, I'm hungry!" I said, laughing.

He grinned. "Just a minute. We have to find the perfect spot." Given the cool temperatures of the day, the beach was empty. Fionn led me further down the sand to an area with a beautiful glimmering pool of water dotted with rocks.

"Okay, we're here!" he announced. Fionn spread out the blanket on the sand and opened the basket. "Smoked salmon sandwiches. You mentioned once that it was a favorite of yours. And two bottles of ale, of course."

"Fionn, this is wonderful. Thank you." I leaned forward and kissed him.

"I'm glad you like it." He handed me a sandwich and popped open a bottle of ale.

We ate together, soaking in each other's presence. It was the best first date I'd been on in a very long time. Even my first date with Kyle had never been this elaborate.

But then again, nothing about Kyle was more than dinner at the arcade.

Why had I dated him for seven years?

When we finished eating, Fionn took me for a walk along the beach. We left our shoes with the picnic basket. The icy cold water lapped over my feet but that didn't matter. The coolness was refreshing.

"I'm so glad you suggested this," I murmured, lacing our fingers together and swinging them back and forth.

"I'm glad you agreed to come with me." He kissed my hair. "So I, um, wanted to talk to you about something."

I stiffened but stayed silent for him to continue.

"Tomorrow is Christmas," he said "and I usually go to my dad's in Glasnick. It's a quick drive, not too far from Wigtown. Cat flies in tonight with my mum and normally...well years past I've joined the night before too."

"Oh." My heart sank a little. Of course, it was family time for him. This was an important holiday. I couldn't be selfish; after all, he only saw his mom on holidays.

"I can take care of the shop. You should have the time with your family," I said, trying to hide my disappointment.

"Em." Fionn chuckled and spun me around in his arms so we were face to face. He brushed my hair back, cupping my face in his hands. "I want you to come with me, as my girlfriend."

I blinked up at him. "You w-want me to meet your family?" After my first interaction with his father, I didn't know how pleased he would be that I was now dating his son.

"Well, you already know Catriona and you've met my dad, so it would really only be my mum. What do you think?"

I bit my lip then smiled, pressing a kiss to his lips. "Yes, I'd like that."