The Inside Man: A Dublin Nights Novel

by Sahin, Brittney

  “You’re the bossy one now, huh?” His lips tipped into a slight smile, and his eyes lit up.

  “I prefer you to be, actually.” I shimmied, rotating my pussy against his cock, anxious to feel him, for him to take me. “The bossy thing is growing on me.”

  “Yeah?” He arched a brow and went flat to his forearms on top of me, bracing most of his weight on one side as he slid a hand between our bodies, and my toes curled when he slid a finger inside of me.

  I lifted my back off the bed to brush my nipples against his chest, every part of me so damn sensitive. He brought his tip to my center, and it was a painful tease. “This will hurt.”

  “And I don’t care,” I whispered.

  I bore down on my back teeth as he kept our eyes connected, then pushed into me in one hard thrust, and my back went into the air, totally off the bed as my thighs clamped around his legs.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, his mouth near the shell of my ear, and I nodded so he could feel my answer. My words caught in my throat by the overwhelming emotions I was feeling.

  He began pumping harder, moving faster.

  I matched his movements once he’d stretched me to a comfortable position.

  Our breaths mingled, a slight mist-like feeling between our bodies as we made love.

  Feeling him inside of me, with nothing between us, our souls and bodies connecting, I’d never experienced anything like it in my life.

  My hands went to his muscular ass cheeks, which flexed with every thrust.

  “I never want to stop,” I admitted as I rotated my pussy, creating additional friction. “And I’ll never run from you again.”

  He quietly studied me before asking, “You promise?”

  An achiness filled my chest at the reality he was still nervous he’d lose me. My stomach muscles banded tight, emotions building like a tsunami about to crash ashore.

  I lifted the back of my hand to his face, never losing the rhythm of our bodies as we moved in perfect tandem. “You have my word.”

  “Then come for me, because I can’t hold back much longer, and like hell will I come before you,” he said through gritted teeth, desperately hanging on. “Come for me, baby,” he hissed. “Now,” he growled, and it was all I needed to send me over the edge, and he joined me in the moment, reaching ecstasy with me.

  I was panting. So was he.

  We were sweaty and still united.

  And we were exactly how we were supposed to be.

  Together.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Alessia

  “What time does your flight leave?” I called from the en suite. A quick look in the mirror confirmed the theory that fantastic sex made one’s skin glow. It also confirmed that “sex hair” was definitely a real thing.

  Hearing no answer, I stepped into the doorway leading to my bedroom and paused at the sight of Cole standing at the foot of the bed. Naked. A navy-blue tie suspended from his right hand. A sexy smile on his handsome face.

  “Nice tie.” I dragged my eyes over the length of his impressive frame, from his chest to his six-pack, and down to his other hand slowly stroking his shaft, root to tip.

  Easing out of the doorway, I sauntered toward him with a naughty smile and accepted the tie. “You want to bind my wrists?”

  “There are several possible uses, but I promise you I’ll never look at my ties the same again after tonight.” His tone was low and husky, weighted by desire. Full of lust despite making love twice tonight.

  I still needed to open up, to tell him the truth about everything, but we were encapsulated in a bubble, and I wasn’t quite ready to free ourselves yet, and apparently, neither was he.

  I placed the tie around my neck and lightly tugged the ends on the strips of fabric hanging down over my breasts to hide my nipples. He’d have to earn the view.

  “I used to imagine showing up at your flat wearing nothing but a tie.” I smirked. “Well, you know, I’d wear a coat to get to your place.”

  He released his length and set a palm to my hip. “I would have lost my bloody mind. Gone full-on caveman on ya.” His tone dipped even lower, softly caressing my skin and creating even more slickness between my thighs.

  “Will you do that now?” I wanted him to. He’d taken it easy on me tonight. He’d shown restraint. It’d clearly taken a lot of self-control, but he was strong, and he’d done it to protect me even though I’d urged him to have his way with me.

  He tilted his head a fraction. “Do you really want me to?” His voice held a whisper of excitement.

  I nodded and licked my lips. “I want you to do so many things to me, I don’t even know where to begin.”

  “Do you now?” Curiosity mixed with heady desire charged his words as he nudged aside the fabric over my breast to roll and pinch my nipple between his finger and thumb.

  He continued to work my nipple, tugging and pinching harder, while he flattened his other hand on my hip and traced the palm along the curve of my ass before squeezing hard. I yelped with pleasure, with the preview of what was to come.

  “I want to do so many things to you, too.” A cocky, but sinfully seductive smile met his lips. “But I don’t need pain. I don’t need anything other than you.”

  “And if I don’t want vanilla right now?” My voice was husky, sexy, unfamiliar to my ears.

  Instead of responding, Cole held my gaze for one hell of a long moment, then snatched the tie from around my neck.

  He scooped me into his arms and set me on the bed, then parted my legs with his knee before straddling my naked body with his powerful thighs.

  “First, I’ll blindfold you. We’ll bind your wrists later,” he grated out, his words heavy, his voice thick with need.

  “Yes, please.” My body quivered with excitement as he secured the navy material around my eyes.

  “Keep your hands on the bed next to you.” At his firm order, I grabbed hold of the comforter with both hands to force myself to obey, to not search for him above me and touch him.

  Naked. Exposed. Every nerve ending tingling.

  He slowly painted kisses up the inside of my thighs, to my abdomen, then back down to my ankles. To every part of me but my breasts and sex, and I thought I might die.

  His light, feathery touches stroked every place but where I was desperate for, and my body longed for the climax.

  “Good girl,” he murmured, the warmth of his breath fanning over my clit, causing my hips to buck involuntarily.

  Nothing yet.

  “Cole,” I hissed, growing crazy with need. Unsure how much longer I’d be able to follow his rules if he didn’t relieve the tension between my legs soon. “This is pure torture.” I fisted the comforter harder and mewled into his mouth when his tongue traced along my bottom lip.

  No kiss, though.

  Just a tease.

  There would be payback later . . .

  But my inability to see had truly heightened my senses. The soft silk of Cole’s tie covering my eyes felt sexy as hell, the tantalizing musky fragrance of his Paco Rabanne cologne awakened butterflies in my stomach. I squirmed against the comforter, the texture of the fabric almost exhilarating.

  When his mouth swept along my bikini line, my body locked tight with anticipation, my heart pounding in my chest.

  His tongue slowly caressed my flesh, then dipped to trace a line along my seam, flickering quickly with flutter-like kisses. And then he was gone, but when the weight of the bed shifted, I anxiously anticipated what would happen next, parting my mouth in preparation.

  His tongue slipped between my lips, and I could taste myself on him.

  “What do you want, my love?” he asked, breaking his mouth from mine. “What would you like me to do to you?”

  “Fuck me hard. I want to see stars.”

  I inhaled a sharp breath when the head of his cock slid over my wet seam but didn’t enter.

  He removed the blindfold. “I have to see your eyes when I plunge into you.” He tossed the tie to
the floor then held his shaft against my slit.

  I raised up on my forearms, our eyes meeting. “Make me yours.”

  His brows knitted. “You’re already mine,” he said in a throaty voice as he joined our bodies with one thrust, painfully forcing my tight walls to expand to take all of him. The pain was gone in a second, replaced by pure pleasure and ecstasy.

  Tears hit the corners of my eyes, and he stilled. “Alessia?”

  “Yeah?” I cried, grabbing hold of his arms.

  “Sex or no sex, I’ve always loved you, and I always will, but being together with you like this—”

  “I know,” I said with a shaky nod. “And I love you, too.”

  * * *

  I set my coffee on the kitchen counter the next morning, not sure how to transition from heavenly bliss and the official declaration of our love to a Hey, by the way, I lied to you, and I’m a killer.

  Cole hadn’t pressed last night, hadn’t pushed me into talking. His flight for London left in two hours, though, and I was running short on time. Would I be able to convince him to board that plane after he heard my confession?

  He’d studied my scars last night, more times than I could count, alternating between anger and reverence at the sight and feel of those lasting reminders of my time in prison. I’d felt his torment and did my best to turn his attention to my love for him instead. When Cole exited the bedroom where he’d slept the previous nights, he had on black work pants and a pressed, black collared shirt he’d yet to tuck in. The top two buttons undone. No tie. No socks or shoes yet.

  The man was so incredibly sexy it hurt to look at him sometimes. And while it sounded cliché, it was also true.

  As much as I would have liked to join him in the shower he’d just taken, I also knew we needed to transition from sexy to serious. God, what a horrible book or movie title that’d make. It should have been Serious to Sexy, that’d be more fun. But I was procrastinating by thinking about the veins on top of his feet, his corded forearms, and that thick cock of his that’d been roped with—

  Shit. Come on, brain. Focus.

  Reality was here again.

  Bubble popped.

  Cole entered the kitchen and pressed a kiss to my cheek, setting a hand on the small of my back.

  This felt completely normal, like we were any other couple getting ready for work.

  What I was going to tell him would destroy our world of normal in a minute, though, and I had no idea what kind of fallout we’d face.

  I needed to get this over with. To remove the lies. To unveil my secrets. To seek justice for Dimitri. Try and find redemption for myself. Protect my new and extended family of McGregors.

  “You smell good,” he said into my ear.

  “I smell like you.” I smiled as the hand on my back slipped beneath my red silk pajama bottoms and to my ass.

  “No panties,” he murmured, his lip sliding between his teeth while he leaned in and settled his palms on the counter on either side of me.

  Leaning closer, so our chests nearly touched, he softly brushed his lips to mine before taking command of my mouth. Owning my tongue. Dominating me with his kiss just the way I’d discovered I loved. I guess I had some kink in me, too.

  When he pulled back, he offered me his signature sexy grin, one he once buried, probably to hide the fact he’d been eye-fucking me the same as I had him.

  “I’m totally fine with smelling like you, by the way, but I didn’t want to share your intoxicating scent with anyone I see today.” His hand went between us, and he palmed my center over the silk fabric. “I’m greedy like that.” He playfully touched his nose to mine, one hand on the counter, the other caressing my sex. Teasing. Distracting.

  “You’re going to London.” I was worried I’d pull out the chickenshit card and back out of telling him the truth.

  He let go of me and pushed away from the counter like I’d struck him, which hadn’t been the reaction I’d expected. He threaded a hand through his hair, which I’d swear he styled to look like he’d just been laid instead of had a shower. “You can’t expect me to go to London after what happened last night.”

  “Because we had sex?”

  “Petrov. The casino.” His brows slanted inward. “And you promised to tell me the truth about your scars.”

  I folded my arms over my chest, a sudden chill coaxing my nipples to harden. “You still need to go, even after you hear what I have to say next.” I had to stand my ground, convince him he could be my protector while also doing his job.

  His mouth drew tight as concern occupied his gorgeous features and took up residence in those dark brown eyes of his.

  I forced myself to look away, setting my focus on the box of letters that’d remained undisturbed on the hallway table.

  He must have followed my gaze because when I glimpsed him, he was also studying the box. Sexual tension had been replaced by anger.

  “Would it make it easier if I start there?”

  “Yes,” I breathed out the word, relieved he knew me so well. “Thank you.” I chewed on my lip for a brief moment, nervous.

  He found my eyes. “Nothing will change how I feel about you.” A warm and comforting hand circled my wrist. “You know that, right? You know I’m going to love you no matter what?”

  “Even if I’m a killer?” My lower lip trembled as a mix of shock and concern crossed his face. “Even when you discover what I did? That I chose to live while someone else died? That I killed someone to keep you safe?” There was more to it than that, a lot more, but . . .

  He released his hold of me and cupped his mouth, his thoughts clearly swirling.

  “I have to live with what I did, but if you—”

  “I can’t live without you,” he cut me off. “We’ll figure the rest out. But I got you.” He nodded, tears in his eyes. Mine, too. “I have your back.” His one hand went to his heart. “It beeps only for you, remember? Unconditionally.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Alessia

  Somewhere in Russia – Three Months Ago

  “This may be the last time you fight.” Luca stood calmly before me in my bedroom. “You’ve been doing well, but we’ll see what happens today.”

  “What are you talking about?” What sick games was he planning now?

  He slowly circled me as if appraising the changes that’d happened to my body in the last three months. The tone and definition as a result of training with Dimitri when Luca wasn’t around and the guards gave us time together.

  “Your brother made a deal with The Alliance to step down from power to protect Holly McGregor.” His words were a right hook to the face, followed by an uppercut to the jaw. “The final phase of my plan is nearing completion.”

  My legs grew unsteady even though Dimitri had trained me to stand up to this man.

  “Today’s the day Dimitri dies.” His lips curved at the edges into a smug smile, watching me intently, waiting to see the kind of reaction his words would provoke. “I have heard about your relationship with him. Is it more than friendship?”

  Was he jealous? The sick bastard.

  “Tell me, have you finally moved on from Cole McGregor?” He tsked. “But with a Russian mobster this time. A murderer. Do you think Dimitri hasn’t spilled blood?”

  I knew how many lives Dimitri had taken. He’d told me about his past and how he’d been trying to be a better man before Luca took him.

  I knew a lot about him and his family, but if Luca thought he’d press me for information since Dimitri wouldn’t speak, he was wrong. I’d never betray Dimitri’s trust.

  “Which guard do I need to kill? Which guard let you two fuck?” Luca’s smile was gone.

  I sat back on the bed, my stomach churning. There would be no acceptable answer. If he knew the truth, that Dimitri and I had become friends, he’d be pissed. But I doubted he’d believe anything I had to say.

  But lovers? No. My heart was with Cole.

  Clearly, though, one of the guards betr
ayed Dimitri and me. Someone had to have told Luca because we’d been careful, pretending to hate each other in his presence. Luca hadn’t been around much lately, and that made me nervous. Had he been with my brother?

  “Today, Dimitri dies,” he said again when I remained quiet. “And you will kill him.”

  I lurched to my feet at his words. “Never.”

  “I need him gone. He’s become a liability.” He weaved his fingers together and pressed his clasped palms to his chest, his eyes gleaming and sinister. “You begged your brother never to kill again, and I can’t help but find some small pleasure in turning you into what you hate. A murderer.”

  “I won’t do it. You can’t make me,” I spat out and quickly turned my back on him to stare out the window, my mind racing with questions. I refused to look at him, to see the look of satisfaction I knew was on his face. Luca loved nothing more than to get a reaction out of people by delivering unsettling news. I didn’t think I was able to handle any more of his bombs without doing something stupid, like trying to kill him with my bare hands.

  Sebastian was stepping down, giving up his position as League leader? Who would take his place against The Alliance?

  Luca was plotting against my brother once again. What was he planning this time? Something horrible. Something that could get Sebastian or others killed.

  And now I was to take Dimitri’s life?

  No, it was too much to handle. To process.

  When Luca wrapped a hand over my shoulder, I attempted to jerk out of his grasp, but he secured a palm on my arm and forced me to face him.

  “Dimitri will try to kill you in that ring today, I promise you. And if you don’t fight back, this will be one time I don’t step in to help.”

  “You’re lying.”

  “Maybe you’ve become a liability, too.”