As he’d done last night, he fetched a cloth from the bathroom and cleaned us both up, then dropped it unceremoniously beside the bed and flopped down beside me, kicking at the sheets until they, too, fell to the floor.
Transferring his weight to his right side, he caressed the swell of my stomach, then trailed a fingertip through the soft curls at the juncture of my thighs. “Have you ever removed this?”
My eyes widened at his out-of-the-blue question. “What?” I asked, even though his question was perfectly clear.
“Or had it waxed, maybe?”
I flinched at the very idea. Having my legs waxed was bad enough. To wax my pussy… it would hurt like fuck.
“No.”
“Hmm.” He licked along the underside of his top teeth. “I’d like to. Let’s add it to the list.”
I shifted my elbow into his side, giving him a sharp nudge. “Okay. Let’s add it to the same list where I wax your balls.”
He pressed his head back into the pillow and laughed. “Yeah, no.”
“Then you waxing my bits is off the table, too.”
“How about shaving? Would you let me do that?”
“Let you loose with a sharp blade? Try again, mister.”
He tugged his bottom lip between his thumb and forefinger. A sharp stab of desire punched at my stomach. Those lips, that tongue, his cock. I now knew what he could do with all of them, and I wanted more. So much more. I wanted to steal every part of him.
Slow down. You’re going too fast.
Ah, screw it. I was having far too much fun. I needed this release to ground me, given everything else going on in my life. I could handle my emotions, keep a lid on them. Recognize this for what it was—a couple of singletons having a good time. No future. No problem.
“What about if you did it and I watched?”
I rolled my eyes. “You are a hell of a kinky bastard, you know that?”
A chuckle left his mouth. “Oh, mon petit chaton, you have no idea. But as soon as we return to Canada next week, you will.”
The fine hairs on the backs of my arms stood to attention, goose bumps propping them up. “Oh yeah. When you show me your ‘weapons’?” I accentuated my point with air quotes.
He arched a brow, leaning up onto one elbow, his head resting in the flat of his palm. “Are you mocking me, kitty cat?”
I clasped a hand to my chest. “Would I?”
In an instant, I found myself beneath him, caged by his broad shoulders, lean hips, and strong thighs. He reached for a condom, slipped it on with practiced ease, and nudged the head of his cock at my entrance. “I guess this weapon will have to do for now.”
25
Garen
I hovered at the end of the hallway as Catriona slipped inside her room with a grin and a wave. She’d worried that her grandmother would catch her sneaking back wearing the same clothes as she had last night, and had demanded I act as a human shield, a part I’d reluctantly played. Getting into a confrontation with the fearsome Mrs. Kelly was an experience even I’d prefer to avoid.
Catriona needn’t have worried, though; the house lay silent with only the sound of the birds chirping outside disturbing the peace.
I virtually skipped downstairs, a lightness to my shoulders that hadn’t been there in some time, and while I battled with the coffee machine—Sunday was Lia’s day off—I thought back to the confession I’d made to Catriona last night, the one I’d fully expected would have her sprinting back to her own room and wishing me dead. Except she hadn’t. She’d stayed and given me several of the best orgasms I’d had in my entire life. If not the best.
But nagging at the back of my mind was the truth I’d uttered.
I didn’t do relationships.
I got bored once I’d been on one or two dates.
For me, the fun was all in the chase. Once caught, women lost their luster in seconds.
Last night counted as one date. Catriona and I would probably have two more, maybe three at an absolute push, before I treated her with disdain, bored with the monotony of fucking the same woman over and over.
And when that happened… well, she couldn’t say I didn’t warn her.
“Good morning, Mr. Gauthier.”
I spun around to find Catriona’s grandmother entering my kitchen. She peered at me with suspicion, and I wondered whether she knew that I’d spent most of last night and a good portion of this morning screwing her granddaughter.
“Call me Garen,” I said, gesturing to a seat at the large glass-topped table that overlooked the gardens at the front of the house. “Would you like a coffee, or a tea, maybe? And something to eat?”
She stiffly dropped her slight frame into a chair. “Coffee sounds good.”
“With cream and sugar?”
“Just cream, please.”
I managed to coax another cup out of the machine after a lot of spluttering and spurts of steam. I set it down and took one of the chairs across from her, then sipped my own drink and waited for the inquisition to begin.
“Did you take good care of my granddaughter last night?”
Oh yes, I did. Very good care.
“We had a nice time,” I said, nodding and thanking good fortune that reading minds was only possible in fantasy books. “The restaurant has a lovely view, although it was a little dark to appreciate it fully.”
She knitted her fingers together and lay them in her lap. “May I offer you some advice?”
She framed it as a question, but a steely tone to her voice told me I didn’t have a choice other than to listen. “Of course.” I swept my hand out to the side as a sign for her to go for it.
“My granddaughter is a good girl, a thoughtful girl. A trusting girl. She’s fiery and headstrong, but she cares very deeply about those who mean a lot to her. She appears tough on the outside, but she has a heart that can break very easily.” She set those emerald-green eyes on me, so reminiscent of Catriona’s. “Please take that into account.”
I locked gazes with her and nodded. “Mrs. Kelly, I like Catriona very much, but I will be as honest with you as I have been with her. I am not a man who has a history of long-term relationships, and right now, I don’t expect this liaison to be any different. Catriona is aware of my shortcomings, and she accepts them and our involvement for what it is. Two grown adults who have a mutual attraction, enjoying each other’s company.”
Her lips, thinned with age, curved in a faint smile. “I appreciate your honesty. My granddaughter means everything to me. If, as you say, she’s comfortable with the temporary nature of your… entanglement, then that is her prerogative. But if you don’t treat her with respect, you shall have me to deal with.”
A chuckle spilled from my lips. “You are magnificent, Mrs. Kelly. Has anyone ever told you that?”
Her lips twitched again. “My late husband may have, on occasion.”
I opened my mouth to continue the conversation when a shuffling in the hallway alerted me to someone else’s presence. Catriona appeared with Aiden in tow, her newly washed hair teased into waves, a light dusting of makeup gracing her smooth skin, and a pair of tight jeans clinging to her pert ass and narrow hips. A tingle shot up my spine. Fuck, the woman was sex on a stick, one I wanted to lick over and over.
“Morning, Grams.” She flicked her gaze in my direction, then cut away sharply and kissed the top of her grandmother's head. “Sleep well?”
Something in the way her grandmother twisted her upper body which brought us both into her line of sight made me sit up and take notice.
“Better than you, I should imagine,” Catriona’s grandmother replied sarcastically.
I laughed, then tried to stifle it so it came out as a half-snort instead. Catriona shot me a glare. “I had a good night’s sleep as it happens, Grams.”
A sip of coffee, a tightening of the eyes, and an arch of a brow was followed by, “Hmm, well, I guess you young ones manage very well on a couple of hours.”
This time I couldn’t
help it. I burst out laughing, draped my arm around Catriona’s shoulder, and squeezed. “She knows.”
Aiden’s gaze bounced between the three of us as Catriona’s gaze snapped to mine, dismay swirling in the depths of her eyes.
“How?” she mouthed.
I didn’t get to answer because Aiden cried, “Oh my God. Are you two doing it?”
“Aiden!” Mrs. Kelly barked while Catriona turned beet red, bowed out of my hold, and mumbled something about making breakfast.
“You are so busted, Catriona,” Aiden continued.
His giggles stiffened Catriona’s shoulders, and her knuckles turned white as she gripped the countertop. I searched for a way to divert his attention away from mine and Catriona’s sex life. Not for my benefit. I didn’t give two shits if her teenage brother found it highly amusing that me and his sister were fucking. But Catriona’s body language told me she was horrified at the direction of the morning’s conversation, and that bothered me. An unusual reaction, but I’d go with it for now and examine my motivations later.
“How are you feeling today, Aiden?” I asked, an idea coming to me. “If you’re not too tired, would you like to go sailing with me and Catriona? You’re very welcome to come along, too, Mrs. Kelly.”
My diversionary tactics worked when Aiden exclaimed, “Sailing? Like on a real boat?”
I nodded, catching Catriona’s eye across the kitchen. I winked. “A real boat, yes. How about it? You game?”
“Hell, yeah,” he gushed.
“Aiden!” his grandmother scolded again. “Language, young man. And thank you, Mr. Gauthier, but I think I’ll leave bobbing about on the water to you young ones. I plan to sit in your garden with my knitting and enjoy the sunshine.”
“Of course,” I murmured, secretly relieved she’d decided not to take me up on my invitation. Mrs. Kelly saw far too much and wasn’t afraid to share her thoughts. This way, once we’d set off, I’d ask the skipper to show Aiden how to sail and I’d get Catriona all to myself. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a few work things to attend to first. Please help yourself to breakfast, snacks, anything you like. Shall we meet here at eleven-thirty?”
Aiden beamed. “Excellent.”
I smiled back, unable to stop myself. He was a nice kid, unusual for most teenagers I’d come across, most of whom I’d stick in the ‘fucking brat’ box. Maybe the serious illness he faced made him different than other kids, but whatever the reason, I had a surge of pride that I was able to help him. Sure, my original intentions had been immoral rather than philanthropic, but even now I’d achieved my primary aim of bedding his sister, it made me want to help this family more rather than less.
I withdrew to my office to work, setting an alarm on my phone, a necessary step given my ability to forget the outside world existed once I became engrossed in ROGUES business. Before I knew it, the reminder buzzed. I sent a final email, locked my laptop, and went to meet Catriona and Aiden at the prearranged location.
I found them sitting in the kitchen nibbling on cookies and chatting, or rather teasing, the banter between them the kind that came from a deep love. Growing up as an only child, I found the idea of having a sibling was a foreign one, but when I examined it, I guessed the relationship I had with the other ROGUES guys was similar. In some ways, better, because we chose to spend time with each other.
“Ready?” I asked, seizing Catriona’s half-finished cookie from between her fingers and taking a bite.
She snatched it back. “Hey.”
Aiden leaped to his feet. “I’m so excited. I’ve never been on a sailboat.”
I held out my hand toward Catriona, pleased when she took it. “Then let’s go.”
My driver dropped us off at the quayside, and I led the way to the mooring. Catriona gasped when she saw the sleek, white yacht floating on the crystal-clear waters, its red sails fastened to the mast.
“Whoa…” Aiden declared.
“This is your boat?” Catriona asked.
“One of them, yes.”
“You have more than one?”
I grinned. “I like sailing, so I keep one wherever I have a home.” I pointed to the side of the hull which proudly sported the boat’s name. “They’re all named after my mom. This is the first one I bought, hence Giselle I.”
Catriona’s eyes softened as she looked up at me, while Aiden tore up the gangplank where the skipper, Laurin, waited to greet us. Once the introductions were complete, I gave them a guided tour of the boat including the private areas below deck which included a lounge, galley kitchen, two bedrooms and a shower room.
“Somehow I imagined you with one of those super yachts with about seven decks, and are like two thousand feet long or something,” Catriona said as we emerged from below deck back into the sunshine. “Although this is luxurious, it’s quaint, too.”
“Confession time,” I said. “I do have a mega yacht. It’s moored in Monaco.”
Shielding her eyes from the sun, she tipped back her head and squinted at me. “You have a lot of money. I should have demanded double for my studio.”
Aiden had his back to us, so I bent my head and stole a kiss. “And if you had, I would have paid it,” I whispered. “Your negotiation skills suck.”
“Is that so?” she hissed, folding her arms over her chest, but I could tell she wasn’t at all mad. “Let’s see if you still think that the next time you try to get me into bed.”
I gave a fake shudder. “I can’t wait.”
She slammed the heel of her palm into my shoulder. “Jackass.”
Grinning, I called over to Laurin, “Ready to take her out, skipper?”
“Yep.” Laurin set off toward the wheel located at the stern. “Want to help me, Aiden?”
“Do I ever.” Aiden jogged after him.
I draped an arm around Catriona’s shoulder, and together, we walked to the bow. I gestured for her to take a seat on the long leather bench on the port side.
“Did you tell Grams about last night?” she asked as soon as we’d sat down.
“No,” I said. “I didn’t have to. Your grandmother is a very astute woman.”
“Tell me about it,” Catriona muttered.
“I got my second warning in as many days, though.” I laughed.
Catriona’s mouth popped open, and her eyes went saucer-round. “You’re kidding.”
I pulled in my lips to suppress the laugh that threatened at her horrified expression. “She has this uncanny ability to make her point by saying very little.”
Catriona flattened her lips, and her jaw flexed, causing a nerve to beat in her cheek. “I shall have words with her as soon as we get back.”
I reached for her hand, curling my fingers around hers. “No need. She loves you very much.”
“What did you say to her?”
“I told her the truth. That I like you, but I’m not looking for any kind of a commitment, and that’s something you’re aware of. That we’re two adults having fun, nothing more.”
I caught a flash of some kind of emotion crossing Catriona’s face, but then she schooled her expression and nodded. “Good. Next time, you have my permission to tell her to mind her own business.”
I chuckled. “I value my life far too much to take such a risk.”
The boat eased out into open water, and Catriona tucked up her feet and nestled into my side, a soft sigh leaving her lips. As for me, a heavy weight settled on my chest, squashing my lungs and filling my veins with unease.
26
Catriona
The excitement of the sailing trip sapped every ounce of Aiden’s energy, and by the time Garen’s car drew to a halt in front of his mountain retreat, he’d fallen asleep, his head on my shoulder, his breathing soft and steady.
I twisted my head and found Garen’s hooded gaze on me.
“Thank you for today.”
He nodded. “It was my pleasure, but maybe a little too much for Aiden. I should have known he’d get tired and insist we return e
arly.”
“I’m glad you didn’t. Once his treatment starts tomorrow, he won’t feel like doing much of anything for a while. The doctors warned us that extreme fatigue is a known side effect. At least he’ll have a nice memory to call on in the coming weeks and months.”
Fear for what my brother had to face—alone—caused pain to twist in my gut. Sure, he’d have Grams by his side, and I’d come visit as often as I could, but as much as I wished to swap places with Aiden, this was a battle he’d have to tackle on his own.
“He’ll be okay, you know.”
Garen’s smooth, deep baritone pulled me from the dark thoughts swirling in my mind. I offered up a faint smile, but it fell away almost as soon as it touched my lips. “I hope so.”
He grazed his knuckles over my cheekbone. “I’m learning that the Landrys and the Kellys are made of stern stuff. He will make a full recovery, Catriona.”
“Yeah,” I said, unwilling to commit one hundred percent to a future filled with uncertainty.
“I know we’re due to fly back to Canada on Tuesday, but I can rearrange my schedule if you’d prefer to stay with him?”
Shock widened my eyes, the unexpectedness of Garen’s gesture coming at me from left field. “You’d do that? Allow me to stay?”
“Only if I’m allowed to stay, too.” He captured my hand and pressed a soft kiss to the inside of my wrist. “I don’t want to return without you.”
I froze in place, my mind struggling to make sense of Garen’s words. The push and pull was confusing to say the least. “What’s going on?”
His lips twisted to one side in a wry grin. “I don’t know. Suffice to say I’m as confused as you are, but for now, I’m going with it.”
“But last night you said—”
“I know what I said, and I meant it. I don’t do relationships, and at any moment, I might realize I’m bored and have no further interest in you. Sorry if that sounds blunt, but it’s the truth.” He pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “I’ve done a lot of thinking today, and the only thing I’m certain of is that where you go, I go. If you want to stay here to see your brother through his first set of treatments, or all of his treatments, I’ll make it work. I’ll have to return to Canada on occasion and make a trip to New York once a month for the ROGUES board meeting, but if you want to stay here, then I will relocate for the foreseeable future.”
Entrapped: A Billionaire Romance (The ROGUES Series Book 3) Page 14
