Destroy Me (Southern Nights: Enigma Book 3)

by Ella Sheridan

  Siobhan couldn’t hide the worry in her eyes, but then, she couldn’t hide the pride either. He let that bolster him as he turned to see Lyse standing in the doorway. She’d looked broken when she’d stepped out of the toilet earlier, face obviously tearstained, black circles under her eyes, fear written so clearly in the way she held her body, the white around her mouth. But she hadn’t backed down from her decision to return and face the consequences of her actions.

  Staring at her now, standing in the doorway, his heart squeezed so hard he couldn’t catch his breath. She was so beautiful to him, so delicate, but inside that body was a core of strength he hadn’t recognized for far too long. She’d fight him if she had to, just as she had when he first tracked her down, but she didn’t want to. She wanted him to fight beside her.

  And because he loved her more than life itself, he had no choice but to do as she asked.

  He held out a hand. “Take a walk with me?”

  She eyed his hand, raised an eyebrow. “You aren’t going to kidnap me, are you?”

  He hadn’t thought he could laugh right now, but she always surprised him, didn’t she? “I’ve been after considering it,” he said, a grin curving his lips, “but no.”

  “Okay.”

  When she came close enough, her hand slid into his. He wrapped her fingers up just as he had his mam’s, holding on tight. Without looking back, he led her out the door.

  He’d never much cared where he lived, either in the desert or the city or the woods or the rainforest. All had been part of his life, but he hadn’t realized until he came back to Ireland how much this land was a part of him, how calm his soul was when he walked the earth where he’d been born and raised. Maybe he hadn’t dared think on it, knowing Ireland was barred from him for life. But he let that calm take him now as they rounded the house together and started up the lane that led to Mack’s place, Lyse quiet beside him.

  It wasn’t really a matter of not knowing what to say. He knew what was coming; he wasn’t afraid to admit how he felt. He stayed silent more because he needed to prepare himself for what came after. Losing Lyse was a helluva lot scarier than loving her.

  At the end of the lane he stopped, turned to the woman beside him. His wan. Taking her face in his hands, he forced a deep, steadying breath into his lungs, then spoke the most important words of his life on the exhale. “I love you, Lyse.”

  “You…what?”

  Not the response he’d expected. Amusement lightened the fear in his heart, as it almost always did when he was with her. Leaning down, he brought them nose to nose. “I love you. Maybe I have for years; I don’t know. What I do know is that I don’t want to lose the most important thing in my life.”

  Lyse shook her head, but her hands came up to cup his cheeks all the same. “Siobhan is the most important thing in your life.”

  “Not anymore.”

  Those hands started to shake. “Fionn…I…” She slid her fingers into his hair, gripping him tight as if afraid he’d disappear. “Are you sure?”

  “That I love you?”

  “That this isn’t just…sex. That…”

  “I don’t just want you because you’re convenient? Because I can’t go without and you’re here?” That should hurt him, but he’d earned his reputation, hadn’t he? “Nothing about you is convenient, Lyse—and believe me, that’s exactly how I like it. I love you. It may take you time to believe it, but I’m giving you the words now. I love you more than life itself.”

  She stared into his eyes, the hazel in her own deep and unblinkingly beautiful, and as he watched, acceptance dawned in her gaze. Trust. Love. She pulled him in until her lips met his, their breaths becoming one. “I love you so much, Fionn. I always have.”

  “I know, love. You always were one step ahead of me.”

  A watery laugh passed from her lips to his, and then he was kissing her, the spark that waited just beneath the surface flaring to life as their tongues met in a kiss more potent than any they’d shared before. That was what love did. That was the difference between Lyse and anyone who’d come before her: this power. This depth. He wanted to explore it, revel in it until everything in his past was wiped away and only Lyse remained.

  Finally, when need threatened to have him backing her against a tree, he forced himself to break away. “I might’ve come to all this a little late, but don’t doubt that my feelings for you are just as strong, yeah? They’ll stand the test of time, no matter how hard that test is.” He took the hands that had slid down to his chest in a firm grip, grounding himself. “Which is why, when we go back tomorrow, I want you to come home with me. Stay with me, at least until we know what’s going to happen.” If he had his say, once he got her in his home, he would never let her leave, but there were too many things up in the air right now. At least he could give her—and himself—security until some of those questions were answered. “Please?”

  Lyse gaped up at him, and he almost let a smug smile escape. He’d surprised her. He knew better than to let her see his satisfaction in that, though.

  When she didn’t speak, he shook her hands a bit. “Lyse?”

  Her name seemed to startle her out of whatever fog she’d dropped into. “Uh…yeah.” Her eyes widened. “Wait. You want me to live with you?”

  “I want you to live with me.”

  Those eyes went bigger, large and startled, dominating her face, but that meant he could see clearly when acceptance began to seep into them. “You want me to live with you,” she repeated, a bit dazed. And then, “Of course. Yes. You— Uh…absolutely, yes.”

  He did grin then, scooping her into his arms for a kiss that sealed the deal and more, especially when her knees came up to grip his hips and settled her core against his cock as though they were a lock and key. A perfect fit. He’d never imagined anything could feel that right.

  Tearing his mouth free, he buried it against her neck. “I promised myself I wasn’t going to be backing you against a tree out here,” he growled.

  Lyse’s legs squeezed harder, allowing her to rub herself against his now straining erection. “I have no objections.”

  He shifted his hands to her ass, grinding her even tighter against him. “Feck, woman.”

  Lyse nuzzled the stubble along his throat, nipped his racing pulse. “I love it when you ‘feck.’”

  That word on her lips sent fire deep into his gut. Within seconds he had her against the nearest tree, showing her just how good a feck could be.

  Epilogue

  “After speaking with the president and board of Global First, we’ve decided we won’t be pressing charges, Lyse,” Mark Alvarez told her.

  Lyse staggered back, her knees banging into the chair behind her. She had no choice but to plop into the seat—it was either that or sprawl in undignified glory on the floor. Either way, her legs weren’t holding her up any longer. She’d embarrassed herself enough for one day, thank you very much. “You won’t?”

  Mark had always been an intimidating man, but looming above her, a scowl marring his handsome face, his arms crossed over a chest that easily matched Fionn’s broad muscles, he was, honestly, terrifying. “We won’t.”

  She swallowed hard, unsure how to respond. Unsure if saying the wrong thing would change his mind. Still… “I cost GF a lot of money; I’m more than aware of that. I don’t expect—”

  “You shouldn’t expect anything,” he said, dark brows drawn down over his near-black eyes. “Replacing that wing of the hospital was, indeed, enormously expensive. I’m sure we can come up with ways for you to compensate us. Freelance work, for instance. A…gift…from you to us.”

  Freelance. Because they would never willingly allow her access to their security again. She decided not to tell him she had access whether he was willing or not. Their new head of technology, Tucker, was good, but not as good as she was. “Of course.”

  She could afford any gift Mark demanded, and she’d give it willingly, not only to make up for her mistakes, but because it
meant not being away from Fionn. Not being locked up for the rest of her life.

  “Lyse…” Mark planted his fists on his desk, looming over her. Intimidating her. “I understand why you did what you did. I know you felt like your choices were limited.” He didn’t mention Fionn, for which she was grateful. Nothing made her feel more naive, more…rash…than people pointing out that she’d blown up a multimillion-dollar building for love. “That doesn’t mean I’m not disappointed in you.”

  Ouch.

  “You came to us very young, straight out of intelligence training. You were bright, smarter than anyone I’d ever met, and I had high hopes that you’d be with Global First for the rest of your life. We certainly needed you. The fact that now, in light of everything, I can’t trust you to come back…” He shook his head. “Disappointed is putting it lightly.”

  “I understand.” The words tried to clog in her throat, but she forced them out. She did understand, no matter how much it hurt. And she’d do anything Mark asked to make it right.

  “I’ll have Tucker go over some protocols with you once we put them in place.” Protocols to keep her out of their system, she presumed. “After that, you’ll hear from us.”

  The words were a clear dismissal. She stood, glad her legs would support her. She kept her hands at her sides, afraid Mark would refuse to shake one if she held it out. Fionn’s love had healed some of the “misfit” insecurities she’d carried for so long, but not all of them. Instead she dared to look him in the eyes, trying hard to convey all the things she couldn’t bring herself to say. “Thank you, sir.”

  Mark’s nod was sharp. Without waiting for more of a reply, she turned and made her way on shaky legs to the door. Only then did she pause. “Sir?”

  “Yes?”

  She dared another glance. “About Fionn…”

  Mark sighed. “Fionn will continue in his support role, Lyse. As long as we don’t detect anything…untoward. Keep your fingers away from your boyfriend’s security credentials, and all will be well. Don’t, and we may have to revisit this decision.”

  Relief coursed through her. “Thank you.”

  Mark grunted a reply, and she took the chance to escape. In the reception area, Fionn stood at the far end, his head tucked close to Deacon’s as they talked. She’d tried to leave him at his apartment, but the man was the epitome of stubborn. Honestly, if their roles had been reversed, she wasn’t sure she could’ve waited at home either. He needed to protect her as much as she needed to protect him, so here he was, waiting. Worrying. Anxious about being separated from her.

  A weird little flutter shot through her belly. They wouldn’t be separated now. Would he be okay with that, with her staying with him? Would he want her to move out? Would he—

  “Lyse.” He was across the room in a second, the yards between them no match for his long legs. Despite the receptionist’s eager gaze and Deacon’s knowing smile as he slipped out the door, Fionn snatched her into his arms. His face tucked against her neck in that hollow that she’d come to think of as his. “What did he say?”

  “It’s gonna be okay,” she told him quietly, not wanting to say more in front of an audience. Not able to say more, maybe. She wasn’t quite sure how long it would be before she could process it all.

  When Fionn raised his head, his gaze locking with hers, she could tell he understood. Without a word he circled her waist with a strong arm and hurried her out of the waiting room. That arm held her together in the elevator, across the parking lot, ushering her into the car. It wasn’t until the familiar seat took his place that reality hit her like a hammer and the tears began to flow.

  Fionn slid behind the wheel, turned the car on and the heat up, then gathered her roughly into his arms despite the console between them. Soft murmurs reached her ears without making sense. The beat of his heart pulsed against her cheek. She let it all flow over her even as the buildup of the last few days flowed out. Her fear. Her embarrassment. Her need to stand strong instead of letting Fionn step in and do it for her. She let it all go, right there in his arms, where she knew she was safe, secure. Accepted, no matter her mistakes.

  That’s what love was. Wanting him had nearly destroyed her before; now it put her pieces back together, and she knew she’d come through stronger than ever.

  “Tell me, love,” he said. “Tell me before I break down as well. I’m needing to know you’ll be all right.”

  She raised her head, swiped tears and snot from her face with shaking fingers. “It’s gonna be okay.”

  She’d said that before, hadn’t she? It was true. As she explained the deal to Fionn, she could see her own relief dawn in his eyes, see the moment when joy took over fear as he realized the gift they’d been given.

  “You’ll be staying with me,” he said. A statement, not a question. She wasn’t going to argue this time. She didn’t argue until he got her home and stripped her bare, then tried to lay her out on the bed beneath him.

  Her palm seemed so small against his bare chest when she pressed it there, but it had the power to stop him cold. One knee planted on the side of the bed, he glanced down at that hand, then back to her, and raised a brow.

  “Fionn.” She took a deep breath, then another, her heart hammering wildly in her throat. “There’s something I want.”

  “Anything.”

  She almost smiled. Okay, then.

  When she led him by the hand to the trunk at the end of his bed and urged him to sit, then knelt between his legs, understanding dawned in his face. He took her chin between finger and thumb, holding her steady as he stared deep into her eyes. Was he remembering, just as she was, that night weeks ago, before he’d known she was in Ireland? The night another woman had knelt between his legs? The similarities couldn’t be ignored, but she didn’t want this moment to be about remembering—she wanted it to be about replacing. She’d needed to do this for him for so long, but hadn’t dared. The fear of comparison, of competing…it had been too much.

  But she wasn’t competing here. She was reaching for what she wanted.

  And Fionn was giving it to her.

  “D’you have any idea how long I’ve been fantasizing about this?” he asked, voice raspy with anticipation.

  “No.” She shivered as his cock jumped at the wash of her breath over it. “I only know how long I have.”

  Fire turned Fionn’s green eyes molten. “Then put us both out of our misery and get that pretty mouth on me, love.”

  His cock looked big in her grasp, her fingers barely meeting around the girth. She held him steady and leaned forward, bringing her lips to the thick head. A tentative lick collected the teardrop of fluid he’d released in anticipation, the taste salty on her tongue, delicious, enticing her back for more. Fionn groaned as she licked his shaft, the ridge surrounding the head, the slit sticky with precum. And when she pulled him into her mouth and sucked… God, that sound. He’d groaned and moaned and growled as he labored over her in bed, but those were nothing compared to the sound, half shocked, half stunned, that left his lips as she sucked him in.

  “Lyse!”

  His fingers thrust through her hair to grip her tight, but he didn’t force her onto him. No, it was more like he needed an anchor as she took him over, sliding up and down his cock, swirling her tongue along the base and into that secretive slit, swallowing the head when it reached the back of her throat. His thighs went tight and his swollen balls bumped her chin with every descent, telling her how close he was, how she drove him wild. She loved it, loved his body and his response and him, and when he allowed her to push him over the edge and released into her mouth, she knew beyond a doubt that it was her he was thinking of, her he’d enjoyed.

  It was her he loved, now and always.

  “I love you, wan. God, I love you,” he croaked, then dragged her up his body, impaled her on his still-hard cock, and proved it to her all over again.

  ∞

  Did you enjoy DESTROY ME? If so, you can leave a review here to tell
other readers about the book. And thank you!

  For news on new releases in Ella’s series, free book opportunities, and more, sign up for her monthly newsletter.

  Before you go…

  If you enjoyed the heat between Fionn and Lyse, you would definitely enjoy rock guitarist Hank and his sweet baker, Sage. Check them out in:

  ONLY FOR THE NIGHT

  She needs a Dom with heart. He sees the lifestyle as heartless.

  Sage Lyndsey is in desperate need of an escape from the tragic loss of her mother and a too-public breakup with her Dom. Buying into Citrus Pointe’s bakery may be her best decision ever—a place to hide and heal. To do what she loves. But her ideal is broken when her new landlord’s dog steals her towel right in front of him. Now the hottest rock bassist ever, Hank Nash, has seen everything she has. Literally.

  Even more shocking? That she’d like him to follow up with his very talented hands, bending her to his will.

  Hank has enough trouble on his plate—his band is on the rocks and his muse is off the rails. Adding a spunky, sexy roommate is overload. Even worse, the urge to dominate Sage threatens his hard-won control. But he can’t give in. He’s seen what happens when dominance turns to abuse, and he won’t risk her, no matter how much she needs to submit.

  Or how much he hungers to keep her.

  * * * One-click your copy of ONLY FOR THE NIGHT today! * * *

  ∞

  Chapter One

  The sight of Citrus Pointe Market, even dark and closed up and quiet, was like a breath of fresh air as Hank pulled into the parking lot. His home. It didn’t matter if he was on the road with Weekend Washout for two weeks or six months, he always looked forward to coming back to the small town of Citrus Pointe and the life he’d built here. Not the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, just to the north, where he’d grown up. No, Citrus Pointe was a sleepy spot on the California coast with a market and a pub and a beach, and that was about it.