by Kasey Krane
She raked her fingers through her red hair to smoothen it, then she looked over her shoulder and saw me.
“Oh! Good morning! I didn’t want to wake you,” she said with a weak smile.
“I wouldn’t have wanted you to leave without telling me.”
She came over to the bed and planted a kiss on my cheek.
“I should go see my mom at the hospital.”
I didn’t want her to go. I wanted to wrap her in my arms and pin her to the bed, keep her here.
The thought of losing her again made me angry. I still didn’t know what would happen next. Was she going to leave town again? Didn’t she have a whole life somewhere else? What would she do when her mother died?
A part of me wanted to march to the hospital and pay the doctors there, threaten them if I had to—do anything to force them to keep the woman alive for as long as possible.
That was ridiculous.
“Okay,” I replied. “I have to meet up with Colin.”
She nodded and I got off the bed.
Her eyes grew wider and hungry when she saw my cock. It was hard for her. I dreamt about her all night. But I put on my pants. We had a full day ahead of us, and as much as I wished I could stay locked up in this room with her all day—that wasn’t going to happen.
We both had shit to do.
“Well, I hope you have a good day. A productive day,” she said.
I pulled her in my arms and kissed her hard. She was breathless by the time she was able to get away from me. Her lips looked swollen and delicious. Her hair got tousled again.
I felt an urge to declare she belonged to me.
But I knew she didn’t. Neither of us knew what we were doing here.
“I hope your mother’s feeling okay,” I said before she left, and I meant it.
Just minutes after Leah left the apartment, there was a knock on my door. I’d just managed to put on the rest of my clothes.
I thought she’d come back for a quickie—that’s what was on my mind. A quickie with Leah was always on my mind.
When I opened the door, my brother Colin stood on the other side with his hands shoved into his pockets and his eyebrows furrowed.
“I thought I was meeting you at the office,” I groaned. He walked in past me.
“You’re late. And I’m glad I came over because I would’ve missed Leah Michaels running out of your apartment building.”
He went straight for the coffee machine in my kitchen and I followed him.
Fuck.
This wasn’t good.
This was exactly what I tried to avoid.
I didn’t want anyone from the family seeing her with me. I didn’t even want them finding out she was in town.
My brothers knew how fucked up I got when Leah disappeared. They thought she was a bitch for leaving like that. I was sure they would have wanted to make her pay for doing what she did. She had disrespected a Doherty brother and that shit didn’t go down well in these parts.
“Yeah, okay, lucky you,” I mumbled, grabbing a big bowl of Cheerios.
Colin watched me carefully, probably trying to figure out what went through my head.
“Are you going to tell me what she was doing here?”
“What do you think?”
“She’s back in town and the first thing you do is bang her?”
I shrugged. “For old time’s sake.”
“You kidding me?” Colin snapped. “That girl deserted you.”
“She left because she wanted to. I wasn’t going to hold her against her will.”
“What, she had somewhere else to be?”
I could see my brother wasn’t pleased. I didn’t blame him. If some chick did to Colin or any of my brothers what Leah did to me, I’d be fucking pissed off too.
But he didn’t know her like I did. He didn’t know the kind of hold she had on me. I tried to hide it from my family as best as I could.
“It’s in the past. It was five years ago. You guys should get over it. I have.” I tried to be casual about it.
Colin made a coffee and sat down at the table with me.
“So you're back together?”
I ate my cereal and leaned back in the chair.
“We’re back fucking, yeah. That’s all I want from her,” I lied.
The truth was, I didn’t know what I wanted from her. I didn’t know what she had to offer.
Even though Colin seemed a little suspicious, he decided to keep his nose out of my business. At least for now. I was grateful for that.
“I just hope you know what you’re doing.”
“She’s just a chick, man. It’s not a big deal,” I replied.
I hated lying to my brother, but right now—I didn’t have a fucking choice.
I spent the rest of the day overseeing the progress at a construction site with Colin and Killian. Thankfully, Colin didn’t mention Leah again in front of Killian.
My mind raced with the decision I knew I had to make. I would have to make it fast before someone else saw her around town. Worse—if someone saw her with the guy from the Baron family.
If any of my brothers or my father found out—she would be put on a hit list. There was no way she’d be spared. Nobody in my family trusted her after her past behavior. She didn’t exactly have a track record for being loyal, and I knew how bad it looked to be seen talking to a Baron guy.
If I asked her, would she tell me the truth?
By the afternoon, after my mind had been clogged by these thoughts all morning—I started to tell myself there had to be a completely plausible explanation.
Maybe they knew each other. Maybe they were related? Maybe they had been neighbors or childhood friends.
After all, Leah wasn’t connected to the Dohertys anymore. In fact, she became involved with the family or our businesses, so what would the Barons want from her?
Her meeting with that guy had to be completely disconnected from me. This had to be the reason why she didn’t think it was worth mentioning to me. It wasn’t important.
Around five, I decided I was done for the day.
I was itching to see her again. Killian had already left and Colin was on the phone when I made my way to the bike. Before I could ride away, he came running up to me.
“Are you going to see the Michaels chick?” he asked. I thought I detected a hint of concern on his face. It made me a little angry. Leah wasn’t a threat to him. She was completely harmless. The only way she was a threat was by being capable of fucking me over again.
This time, I was armed with a tall wall of defense. I wasn’t going to let her get to me. Or at least that was what I told myself.
“I don’t know. I haven’t decided yet. Either way, I’m the one fucking her, you need to stop thinking about her so much,” I remarked.
Colin smirked.
“Yeah, whatever. I’m just sayin’. See what Reese has turned Killian into?”
That made me laugh. Now I saw what was happening—Colin was freaking out because Killian had a woman and he didn’t want to lose another brother to a chick.
I thumped his shoulder and kicked my bike to life.
“Don’t worry, little brother. Leah doesn’t have that kind of hold on me.”
Another lie.
I felt it like a punch in the gut when I rode away. It had only been a few days since she was back in town and already, I couldn’t get her out of my mind.
I showed up at Leah’s door with two coffees in my hand and a bag of glazed donuts. I remembered she used to love them, especially because her mother wasn’t a fan of allowing sweet treats in their home.
Leah’s eyes glowed with joy when she saw the donuts in my hand.
“I haven’t had one of these in a long time!” she exclaimed, picking one out quickly.
I followed her into the apartment, smiling at how much she enjoyed the donut. The sugar coated her lips. I thought about kissing her, but decided to let her enjoy it first.
“Twice in one day. I
must have done something right!”
I sipped the coffee and she sat down on her couch. I sat comfortably close to her, handing her the other coffee.
“You definitely did something right last night.”
That made her giggle girlishly. Fuck. I was going weak for her every passing minute.
She’d changed into a pair of leggings that clung to her, showing off her every curve. Her top was silky and long, just about covering that ass I loved so much.
“How was your mom?”
She shrugged. I noticed how her eyes darkened a little. I wished I didn’t have to bring this up, but I knew it constantly played on her mind.
It was the reason why she was back in town after all.
“They’re doing their best to keep her out of pain. It’s the best we can hope for at this stage.”
“You’re being a good daughter, despite everything that’s happened in your past.”
Leah stared at her feet. The tip of her nose had turned a dark red. She was on the verge of crying and I really hoped she wouldn’t. I hated seeing her like that.
“Anyway, I thought we should plan a getaway. Spend a weekend somewhere away from here. Just the two of us.”
I wasn’t sure what made me say that. She looked surprised too. Just a couple of days ago, we were constantly arguing. I still hadn’t forgiven her for choosing to be obedient to her parents rather than choosing to stay with me. Could I even go? My family had certain expectations from me now that we were at the cusp of a full blown war with the Barons. I still didn’t know if I could trust Leah—but now the idea was out there.
Maybe we could spend a weekend together somewhere and just forget about everything else that was messy in our lives.
Leah seemed to swallow a lump in her throat. She hesitated. Maybe we weren’t on the same page like I thought we were.
Then she inched closer to me on the couch and gently rested her head on my shoulder.
Her hair fell over my arm like a curtain. I didn’t want to move because I didn’t want anything to fuck up this moment.
She was the only woman I could do this with—just be.
“I would love that, Aidan. That would be amazing,” she said.
Sixteen
Leah
In theory, the idea of going away with Aidan sounded like a dream. Maybe if we could just leave town for a few days. Go away somewhere exotic—maybe it wouldn’t even have to be exotic. Anywhere but here.
Maybe then I would have a chance to feel normal again.
But it was just a pipe dream. More like a joke.
There were too many reasons why we couldn’t go on vacation together. For starters, Aldo Baron would never allow it. He wouldn’t want me out of his sight. They’d follow me or force me to stay where they could keep an eye on me.
More importantly, how could I leave when I didn’t know what was going to happen to Mom? She could pass away in my absence, defeating my purpose for coming here. Or what if the Barons hurt her?
No, I couldn’t go.
But that didn’t mean I couldn’t dream about it.
It was nice to just get lost for a few moments in the idea of spending some time alone with Aidan somewhere far away from this place.
He held me close to him, while I rested my head on his shoulder.
We sat in silence together for a while, like we imagined a dream like that.
I reached for another donut, suddenly feeling very hungry and greedy. He looked pleased to see me enjoying what he brought me.
“Okay, so I’ve told you what happened after I left town,” I began, in an attempt to change the subject. “Can I ask what happened with you after I was gone?”
The smile seemed to droop on Aidan’s face. I knew I’d asked the wrong question. This wasn’t the conversation he was here to have, but I wanted to know.
How angry was he? How upset was he when I left?
I hoped we were slowly moving away from anger and inching closer to being able to have an honest conversation about it.
He sipped his coffee and looked away, like he was reliving those moments.
“I lost my mind,” he replied in a hollow voice.
Those words made me choke.
I knew Aidan liked me. I knew he was protective of me and wanted me all to himself. I knew he hated me for my disappearance because he didn’t like to be deceived. He always wanted to be in control.
However, I wasn’t expecting him to admit to a deep emotional wound I may have caused him.
“Oh!” I exclaimed.
He refused to look at me, and continued staring out of the window.
“I have never gone through anything like that since because nobody else has made me feel that way. I won’t allow it to happen again. It was shit.”
I reached for his hand, but he pulled it away from me.
When he turned his eyes to me now, I could see they were bloodshot.
This was a first for me—I witnessed Aidan Doherty at his most vulnerable.
“I spent a whole week looking everywhere for you. I camped outside your parent’s home,” he continued. When he caught my eye he gave me a weak grin. “Don’t worry, I made sure they didn’t see me.”
It made me sad to realize how much he had actually suffered because I left. I didn’t expect to find out any of this.
I expected him to be angry, to feel betrayed and become unforgiving towards me. Like a man going nuts because he lost his property.
“I just wanted to catch a glimpse of you. I had people looking for you, looking for leads, but nobody had seen you anywhere. It was like you’d suddenly disappeared. Fell off the face of the earth.”
My heart raced in my chest. I could tell from the expression on Aidan’s face—how hard he would have looked for me. How those sleepless nights had affected him.
“Apparently your parents told neighbors and friends at church that you’d left the country as a missionary. You wanted to go spread the word of Jesus Christ.” Aidan shook his head, his face turned dark. “I didn’t believe it. I knew that wasn’t you. I was ready to call my brothers and raid the house. I thought maybe they’d harmed you. Maybe they were keeping you imprisoned in the basement. I lost my fucking mind.”
Tears filled my eyes as I watched him rub his face with the back of his hand. I wanted to hold him, but I kept my distance. It looked like he needed it.
“But just before I was about to storm the house, I got information that some people had seen you leave on a train. That your father had dropped you off at the station.”
I nodded gently.
“They said you didn’t look agitated or like you were being forced to do anything. There was nobody else with you. It wasn’t a kidnapping. You had left town on your own, of your own accord.”
I couldn’t look at him anymore. It made me sick to recall how far from the truth that was. I was emotionally blackmailed and manipulated by my parents. I was made to feel like I had no other choice.
“So I gave up looking for you. There was nothing I could do. You left because you wanted to go, so I decided to let you disappear,” Aidan continued.
When our eyes met again, mine were filled with tears. This was the weakest I had ever seen him, and it was my fault. I hated myself even more now. I had broken him and I wondered if he would be the same again.
“I don’t expect you to ever forgive me,” I murmured.
“It doesn’t matter, Leah, because you taught me a very important lesson. That you can’t trust anybody. In the end, everyone fucks with you.”
I had to get closer to him. I yearned to touch him.
This time when I reached for his hand, he let me hold him.
Aidan’s face was hard. He had his lips pressed together in a tough line. His eyes moved as he examined my face, and I could see he was still hurting.
He was never going to trust another person because of what I did.
And the worst part was that he didn’t know half of it.
He had no idea I was p
regnant when I left or that I’d given our child away.
I felt so desperate for affection and a need to purge myself that I fell forward on him. He caught me, wrapping his arms around me as I kissed him.
I knew I didn’t deserve his kisses. The last person I deserved any affection from, was him. If only he knew the truth.
He kissed me back harder, pushing me backwards, pushing me into the couch. I loved the sensation of being crushed under his weight. He was so much bigger than me. And so much stronger.
I fumbled awkwardly with the buttons of his shirt, pushing it off his shoulders while he peeled my leggings down to my ankles.
“I have thought about you every night since you left. Even when I thought I’d forgotten about you, you were right there in my dreams. I just couldn’t shake you off.” His voice was a deep grumble as his mouth traveled all over my body. He licked and tasted every inch of my skin.
He pushed my top up so he could grab my breasts and squeeze them. I thrust my hips up towards him, grinding myself into him. I loved the way his thick hard cock felt against the softness of my thighs.
I raked my nails down his strong chiseled back, thrilling at how tough his muscles felt. He held me down on the couch, kissing me between my breasts then down my belly, until his mouth hovered over my panties.
“Please, Aidan, take me. Remind me…” My voice was a heavy whisper.
He pushed down my panties, then gave my moist throbbing clit a long slow lick with his long tongue.
My toes curled. My eyes rolled in my head. It was amazing. This made me forget. I didn’t have to think about anything I’d done.
He grabbed my legs and pushed them up, pulling my thighs apart so my wet pussy was open to him. He licked me harder, his tongue slid into my pussy. If he kept this up, he would make me come.
“No!” I screamed. He stopped, looking up at me suspiciously.
I didn’t want this moment to be about me. It had to be about him—pleasuring him. I wanted him to see how much I’d missed him too.
