Chapter 12
The sound of Nolan talking quietly off in the distance pulled Caitlyn from a deep sleep. Slowly raising an eyelid she saw the room was already bright with the day. He was sitting on the far side of the room in his boxer shorts on the couch, hair a beautiful, sleepy mess, with his phone up to his ear. She could tell by the way he was still keeping his voice down low he hadn't noticed that she was awake yet.
"I can see it in her eyes, yeah its obvious. Mum, if ye coulda saw her face, ye'd understand. Her eyes say everything she's thinkin', damn but they're gorgeous. No, she won't even let me come close to bringing it up. I'll come 'round for tea once she's off to da states. I dunno, its gonna fuckin' hurt, I can tell ye that. No, no I'm sure. I know, I love ya. Bye, Mum." Caitlyn watched his profile as he talked. The emotions playing across his face told her more about the conversation that the bits and pieces she was catching. Nolan was really close to his mother, probably confessed all of his problems to her, but she was getting the impression he hadn't mentioned this to her yet. He sat there staring at his phone looking like he wasn't seeing it, for a few minutes before thankfully getting up and walking into the bathroom. She was starting to feel like a creeper pretending to still be asleep. The thundering sound of the shower turning on echoed through the room.
Caitlyn was sitting at the desk writing to her sons when Nolan walked out with a towel wrapped carelessly around his hips, hair still dripping wetly down his shoulders. "Good morning. I heard the shower start, so I figured while I wait my turn I should send my boys all the cool pictures from the cliffs yesterday."
"Ye could've joined me love." He leaned down and laid a sweet kiss on her temple before walking away to get dressed.
"I'll keep that in mind for next time." She said while she typed. Transferring the pictures from her phone onto the laptop, she put all of the ones of Nolan into their own folder labeling it 'N'. She was staring at the one from yesterday, with his head resting on hers when he walked back over.
"That's a good one, that." He rubbed his hands over her shoulders, fingers massaging the muscles. He was a man who gave his affections freely, always touching her.
"Yeah, it really is. They all are, have you ever even taken a bad picture in your life Nolan?" She joked.
"A time or two I'd guess." He said pulling abruptly away and tucking his hands down in his pockets. "I was gonna send some clothes out to be washed, if ye'd gather up yers I can take care of that while ye take a shower."
"Uh, yeah, thanks. I've been putting everything in the bag the hotel provided for that, its in the bottom of the closet. Let me make sure I didn't forget anything." She said standing up to scan the room, thinking something she said had hit on a nerve. Nolan didn't look mad, but something had closed down in his whole demeanor. He didn't say much as he grabbed the bag out of the closet, and with a little wave walked out of the room.
Caitlyn stood under the hot spray wondering what had happened. Maybe he was insecure about his picture being taken? But he had posed happily for it. No, he had even said he liked how the picture looked. Maybe what she said reminded him of something that someone had said to hurt him before? She couldn't even apologize, since he didn't seem upset. Just shut down, pulled back from her. It left a loneliness deep inside of Caitlyn that she knew was only just hinting at how she was going to feel when this was all over in a few short days. Stepping out of the shower she did her usual routine mindlessly on autopilot. She was dressed for the day in a fitted white t-shirt, and dark rinse cropped skinny jeans. She had cuff bracelet with turquoise stones in a pretty design, and a pair of matching turquoise dangles hanging down from her ears. Her hair was down, and drying in wild curls all over the place. The weather looked like it wasn't sure yet if it was going to rain, but wasn't all the way sunny either. She was stepping into the cute ballet flats when Nolan walked back in to the room.
Watching his eyes closely she said, "thanks Nol, I appreciate it. I've been meaning to get around to that before I run out of clean clothes."
"Mmmm, and that would be such a tragedy, spending the whole day naked with ye." He sent her a cheeky grin. Whatever had been bothering him was gone now, her charmingly easy Nolan was back. The dull aching tension in her chest slipped away.
Walking over and wrapping her arms around him she laid her head against him, inhaling his familiar scent. Warm, and slightly spicy. Locking it deep within her mind. "I don't want to be a tourist today." She said into his chest.
"Oh, so yer a local bird now? Well beautiful Caitlyn from Dublin, whatcha wanna do today?" Nolan said his hand stroking a lazy pattern on her back.
"Let's go to the movies!" She said feeling inspired.
"The cinema, yeah, we could catch a picture. I'll even share me popcorn with ye for a kiss." He said playfully, as his fingers tickled into the sides of her rib cage. Caitlyn squirmed in his arms and laughed full on, head tipping back before Nolan leaned down and kissed her. They decided to walk, so Caitlyn grabbed a thin cherry popsicle red cardigan before heading out.
They had all day in front of them, and soaking up the moments felt like the right thing to do as wandered the streets of Dublin. In no hurry they made their way slowly to the cinema, as Nolan had called it. Deciding between the silly frat boy comedy, the sappy romantic comedy, the explosion heavy action, or the zombie horror movie was surprisingly easy. Caitlyn wasn't in the mood to watch people pretend to fall in love when her feelings were swimming just barely under the surface. The longer she spent with Nolan, the harder it was not to tell him how much he was coming to mean to her. Remembering he said he loved scary movies she voted for the zombie flick, and he was all too happy to agree with her.
Nolan paid for their tickets, and they got two drinks and a large popcorn to share. Like her, he preferred to sit way in the back, and since it was only midday, the theater wasn't overly crowded. Setting their drinks in the outer cup holders, Nolan lifted up the arm rest between them, and wrapped his arm around Caitlyn, pulling her full against his side. "No need to be scared, I'd never let anything happen to ye." He whispered in her ear as the lights went down. Their giant popcorn was completely gone within the first half hour, which was a good thing because that's about the time things in the film started getting intense. Caitlyn wasn't sure how much popcorn she could have eaten watching the zombies rip savagely into people and gobble down their organs.
One scene where a small group of people were fighting off a dozen of the hungry zombies had her burrowing her face into Nolan. He pulled her even closer and whispered when that part was over and she could open her eyes again. He hadn't laughed at her, or made her feel like a baby for getting freaked out. He just held her, and let her know when it had passed. This man was a serious treasure, and she was almost pissed off at the fates for dropping him all the way on the other side of the world from her. But she had to admit he would be missing some of that appealing charm without that irresistible Irish accent. It was such a part of Nolan, that she couldn't even picture him without it. She was laughing thinking about him with her own accent as they walked out of the movies.
"What?" He asked with a confused little laugh of his own.
"I was thinking what it would have been like if you were from my neck of the woods. Its hard to imagine you without that sexy accent though." She shared, laughing again looking up at him.
"Oh, I can sound like I'm from where ever you want me to, babe." He said in a completely flawless American accent with a wink.
"Holy shit!" She said stopping and staring up at him with a dumbstruck look on her face. He laughed, raised an eye brow at her, and proceeded to knock her the rest of the way on her ass. He could do an Australian, Spanish, British, Scottish, and Russian one as well. All she could do was stand there shaking her head in disbelief. "That's fucking incredible! How are you so good at that?" She asked completely impressed.
"Always have been, really. It just comes naturally to me." He said back to his natural Irish accent. "I used to bug the hell outta me Mum with it growing up." He admitted with a shrug.
Thinking of the multitude of ways her own sons found to get under her skin she said knowingly, "oh, I just bet you did."
He linked hands with her as they started walking again. They wandered into a few random shops. The kind most tourists passed right by and didn't even notice, but people who lived here loved. In one while he used the toilet she saw a navy newsboy flat cap that she knew would look awesome on Nolan. She quickly brought it up to the counter and bought it before he came back out. As they left the shop he didn't ask her what she bought, and she figured he assumed it was some trinket for herself.
They passed a few restaurants, their scents teasing the air, and he asked her what she was in the mood to eat for dinner.
"Remember Nol, I'm a local gal, I want dinner in our favorite pub tonight." She said with a wink.
"C'mon then." He said, his eyes twinkling with humor he swung their hands happily between them.
When they walked into the pub Sean called out a booming greeting. "Heya Caitlyn, still bummin' around with this lad, eh? Nolan, whats the craic?" Caitlyn saw Tom was sitting on his designated stool, and she made a beeline right up to him and hugged him.
"Tom! I'm so glad we didn't miss you. When I came in here the other night you had already left."
"Aren't you a sight? Sean mentioned our boy Nolan here had caught yer fancy." He said patting her back comfortingly as he hugged her back. Nolan chatted away with Sean, and she filled Tom in on everything she had seen. Pulling out her phone she showed him a dozen different pictures when Danny the waiter from the other night came up.
"Give it here now, I'll take yer picture." He held out his hand for her phone.
Looking over to see Nolan was grinning from ear to ear she said, "We have to get Sean and Keely in it too." Sean yelled loudly for his wife, who walked out looking happily annoyed.
"Caitlyn wants her photo with the lot of us. God only knows why." Sean laughed pulling his wife in close and leaning them into the picture.
"Well, hold on Danny, I'm after a shot too." She said handing him her phone. They all pulled in tight, faces alight with happiness for a second picture.
"Anyone else?" He asked cheekily as he handed Keely her phone back before head off to wait on his tables.
"Smells like bangers and mash tonight Keely." Nolan said leaning across the bar to flirt shamelessly with Keely.
"It is, and if ye leave me be I'll send some out for ye. Caitlyn, are ye wanting some too?" She asked her after sending a wink at Nolan and patting his cheek affectionately.
"Absolutely, I wouldn't miss out on that after having your stew." Caitlyn said as Sean set pints of Guinness down in front of her and Nolan. Keely nodded and walked back into the kitchen through the swinging door.
Once again, the food didn't disappoint, it was comforting and delicious. Keely sure had a way. Tom said his goodbyes after their first pints were gone, heading on home to his wife waiting there. Sean kept a steady supply of drinks in front of them, as they chatted and laughed with the regulars and flirted with each other. The room was swaying pleasantly by the time they climbed off their stools and headed out of the loud comfortable pub into the dim night.
"Nol, I think I might be a little drunk." Caitlyn whispered to him as they walked arm in arm back to the hotel.
"Oh, we're right pissed, love. Ye wanted to be a local, remember." His accent was even thicker with the help of all the Guinness.
"Pissed? I'm not mad." Caitlyn said quite confused.
"It means drunk here in Ireland baby." He said as they walked through the lobby towards the elevator, Caitlyn swinging the bag with his hat tucked safely inside. They made their way into the room, after a few failed attempts with the key card. Caitlyn threw her stuff down in a heap, and pulled herself up kissing him. It started out as a simple kiss, but the heat whooshed up, quickly engulfing them both. Moaning into her mouth Nolan yanked her shirt up over her head. Caught up in the urgency Caitlyn followed his lead, tearing clothes off him as fast as she could. His hands were racing hotly all over her body, as he backed them clumsily toward the bed. Touching her everywhere she needed, but still not easing the starving ache inside. The backs of her legs hit the bed, and without thinking she turned around bending down, pressing her breasts into the soft white comforter.
Nolan leaned down low over her kissing a scorching line down her spine. Caitlyn lifted her ass towards him, in desperate unspoken invitation. Grabbing her hips, fingers digging in, he held her tight as he swung his hips forward burying his dick deep inside of her. Caitlyn let out a thankful moan, happy to finally have him exactly where she wanted him. Nolan pumped into her pussy in a steadily devastating rhythm. Driving them both madly towards the end, as she cried out encouragingly with every stroke. She could hear his labored breathing, as her body clenched deliciously around his and she flew over the edge screaming out her orgasm. Nolan stuttered twice before burying himself deeply, his dick twitching hotly.
Caitlyn leaned there against the foot of the bed feeling wonderfully boneless, having lost all the feeling in her legs. Nolan helped her up into the bed and they collapsed completely spent in each others arms, falling asleep.