by Katee Robert
It was all too easy to paint the picture in his head, of her on her back on the bed, her eyes closed and her fingers working between her thighs. He removed his hand, ignoring the way she allowed her nails to rake across the back of it. “Let’s get one thing clear—”
“One thing? I have a goddamn list.”
He bracketed her throat, putting just enough pressure there to stop her words. “Did you change your mind?”
She narrowed her eyes but didn’t try to pretend she had no idea what he was talking about. “You play your game your way. I’ll play it mine.”
Disobedient and willful to the very end. He couldn’t decide if she was trying to provoke a response or if she was just that opposed to being locked down in any way. In the end, it didn’t matter. “I should bend you over this counter and fuck you into submission.”
“Don’t think for a second it would work.” Charlie rolled her eyes. “And beyond that, we’re already going to be late, so unless you’re looking for a quickie, fucking me in any way is out of the question.”
The irrational side of him, which always seemed to come into play around her, rose to demand he throw caution to the wind and prove her wrong. He reined it in, but only barely. Every time she pushed him, intentionally or not, he slid a little closer to the edge. It was only a matter of time before he went over—and took her with him.
Aiden let go of her and stepped back. He didn’t like the confusion on her face—or the flicker of hurt that rose as he moved to the dresser across the room. For all her spikes, there was something fragile about Charlie, and he’d have to be a special kind of bastard to want to shatter her, no matter who her father was.
He opened the drawer at the bottom that had been empty until a week ago. “Take off your panties.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
He gave her a look. “You heard me.”
“I’m waiting for you to explain.”
Aiden shook his head slowly. “There aren’t two separate games—there’s only my game. Either play along or deal with the consequences.” He picked an item out of the drawer and held it up. “Here’s your first punishment.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong.” But her eyes lit with interest at the small blue vibe in his hand.
He motioned her forward, giving her plenty of time to tell him to go to hell.
But she didn’t.
Charlie moved to stand directly in front of him. He lifted her dress to the tops of her thighs, bunching the shimmering fabric. “Hold this,” he ordered.
“You are aggravating in the extreme.”
“So I’ve been told.” He pulled her panties down to her thighs. It was tempting to kiss her there, but he forced himself to stay on task. Aiden held the small vibe against her clit as he shifted the lace back into place. It took a few seconds to maneuver it to exactly where he wanted, but then he sat back on his heels. “You can let go now.”
“This is an important night, Aiden.” She shifted, a frown on her face. “We don’t have time for your sex games to distract me.”
He pulled out his phone and brought up the app he’d downloaded when he bought the sex toy. A flick of his finger and her entire body tensed. Aiden didn’t bother to hide his satisfied smile. It fell away when he touched his pocket and the little box it held. “One more thing.”
“I swear to God, I draw the line at anal plugs, so don’t even think about it.”
That surprised a laugh out of him. What surprised him even more was how good it felt. When was the last time he’d laughed freely in a way that wasn’t calculated?
Aiden couldn’t remember.
He stood and pulled out the ring box. “I’d go down on one knee, but that isn’t the kind of relationship we have.”
“No, it’s not.” She looked a little sick, but she held out her hand so he could slide the ring onto it. “Aiden, it’s beautiful.”
“It was my grandmother’s.” It had taken some shady work to figure out Charlie’s ring size after he’d first met her, so that he could get the ring resized. He hadn’t told anyone about it. Though he’d been as sure of her as he could be of a near-stranger, he hadn’t wanted to admit the lengths he’d gone through, in case things didn’t pan out.
If anything, she looked even more horrified. “I can’t wear your grandmother’s ring. It’s not right.”
“You have to. As oldest son and heir, that ring rightfully belongs to my future wife. It would be more than a little suspicious if I didn’t give it to you.”
She touched the massive diamond. It was in the same setting as when his grandfather had proposed, little rubies and garnets surrounding the diamond, to represent colors in the O’Malley crest.
It felt a whole lot like he’d just branded Charlie.
It didn’t bother him nearly as much as it should.
CHAPTER NINE
Charlie was going to kill Aiden. He didn’t let up on that goddamn vibrator for a second during the ride over to the party. Between that and the giant diamond ring that she swore was weighing her hand down, she didn’t feel like herself anymore. She wasn’t herself anymore.
By the time the car pulled to a stop, she was panting a little, her body so primed for him, she was putting serious consideration into breaking her own rule and begging.
And then the vibrations between her legs … stopped.
She took a breath, and then another. “I hate this.”
“No, you don’t.” Aiden glanced out the window and then at the expensive watch at his wrist. “We have a little time.”
“What—oh.” She found herself in his lap, her back against his chest.
“You might think this is a mercy.” He pulled her dress up and slid his hand into her panties. “It’s not.”
She didn’t care. All that mattered was his hand working between her thighs, taking up where the vibrator had left off. Charlie let her head rest on his shoulder as he fucked her with his fingers. “God, Aiden.”
“Tonight, bright eyes. If you make it through this dinner without sticking a fork in my jugular or embarrassing us both, I’m going to be inside you tonight.”
And just like that, she was coming, his free hand over her mouth to muffle her cries. He didn’t gentle his touch, ruthlessly driving her over the edge again, until all she knew was the man at her back, his fingers buried inside her.
He adjusted her panties, and she sobbed out a breath as the vibrator came into contact with her oversensitive clit. She was aching from the orgasm, and the sheer deviousness of what he’d just done struck her.
Charlie pushed off him, cursing. “Maybe I don’t want that cocktease of yours.” She couldn’t catch her breath. He wasn’t doing this. He couldn’t. When he made a move to get out of the car, she grabbed his arm. “Aiden.”
The desperation in her voice was clear. She didn’t even try to hide it.
He stopped, closed the door that he’d just opened, and turned to look at her. She could almost feel his attention sliding over her, and she saw the exact moment he realized this wasn’t just a game of protesting for the fun of it. “You don’t want this.”
“This?” She motioned between them. “This is fine.” But now wasn’t the time for bravado—not when she was about to climb out of this car and face down the man who’d been instrumental in her being branded a dirty cop. Charlie took a deep breath and muscled past her pride. “I like the games—when it’s between you and me. You can’t honestly expect me to go out there with a goddamn vibrator in my panties.”
He was so still, she wasn’t sure he was breathing. Finally, Aiden smiled. “I don’t.”
“What?” She pressed her hand to her chest to hide the relief that made her shake. “What are you talking about?”
He had her dress up and the vibe removed before she had a chance to tell him she could do it herself. Then Aiden pulled her back into his lap and rested his chin on the top of her head.
Charlie stared blindly into the shadows of the town car while Aiden … comforted her.
She’d be lying if she called it anything else. He didn’t say anything, and she didn’t know what to say, so they sat there in silence as he rubbed her back and held her. The shift happened so fast, she was surprised she didn’t have whiplash.
I don’t even know what’s happening right now.
Movement on the outside of the car drew her attention. People were walking through the front doors, each dressed glitzier than the next. “What are we doing, Aiden?”
“You were worried about meeting Romanov tonight. Now you’re not.”
Charlie froze. All this was a distraction? For her? To put her mind at ease because he knew how nervous she was to finally face the man behind her downfall?
She didn’t know what to think of that—of any of this. Just when she thought she had his number down, he went and did something to make her question everything she thought she knew about him. She wasn’t fool enough to believe that he had a soft gooey center beneath all those barriers and masks, but maybe he wasn’t as much of a cold bastard as she’d originally assumed. “Thank you.”
Aiden shifted her off his lap so he could climb out of the car. He adjusted his slacks before bending to offer her his hand. “If you get overwhelmed and need a break, just take my hand and I’ll get you out of there.”
“I can handle it.” Her body still hummed from pleasure, but she felt much more in control now. Like she might actually be able to do this.
Because of him.
“I know.” He looped a possessive arm around her waist, a clear signal to anyone who looked that she was his and his alone, and headed into the building.
Charlie didn’t look to the right or the left as they made their way into what was probably a very impressive ballroom. It might as well been a shack, for all she cared. The location didn’t matter—the act did. She let herself lean a bit more into Aiden, telling herself that she was selling the lie, rather than taking comfort from his being so close.
“Brace yourself, bright eyes.”
There was no mistaking his meaning as he guided her toward the dark-haired man standing on the other side of the room, his people flanking him. He was attractive, though not in the flashy way that Aiden and his brothers were. This man had an earthier handsomeness that screamed violence even though he looked perfectly at home in his suit. His men, on the other hand, were almost caricatures of bad guys—all dead eyes and poorly concealed weapons. As a group, they looked out of place in the finery of the ballroom—wolves among sheep.
Except the O’Malleys are wolves in their own right.
“Romanov.” Aiden’s arm tightened around her. “You made it.”
And there he was, the object of so much of her hatred. Charlie had seen pictures of Dmitri Romanov before, and he had always seemed so completely unremarkable. Tall, dark, and handsome, sure, but there was nothing there to indicate he was one of the most dangerous men on the eastern seaboard.
Standing here in front of him, she suddenly understood all too well.
“I prefer to be punctual.” He turned those inky eyes on her. “Who’s your …” His gaze flicked to her left hand, where the ring felt like a line of fire against her skin. It didn’t matter that it was all in her head. She was suddenly half-sure that Dmitri could see how uncomfortable the piece of jewelry made her.
He arched his brows. “A fiancée. Aiden, I didn’t think you capable of surprising me, but I stand corrected. Delighted to meet you …”
“Charlie.” She could barely get her name past her lips, couldn’t do anything but stand there like a statue as he lifted her right hand and kissed her knuckles. It wasn’t anything like what Aiden had done that one time—it was perfectly polite and without the slightest bit of heat.
That didn’t stop her from wanting to bolt to the nearest restroom and scrub at her skin to remove any trace of him.
“I can see why you’ve turned our mutual friend’s head.” He took in everything in a single sweep, and she realized with horror that he’d noted every indication of her arousal before he turned back to Aiden. “Now, where is my fiancée? I have something I’d like to give her before this circus begins.”
“Romanov.” The steel in Aiden’s voice had the other man looking at him with polite disinterest. But he was looking. “You might be planning on marrying my sister, but if you touch her before the ceremony, I’ll skin you alive.”
The Russian smiled, and the sight chilled Charlie despite the warmth of the room. Dmitri picked a phantom piece of lint off his jacket sleeve. “I can’t be responsible for her actions. They are her choice, after all.” He must have seen something on Aiden’s face, because his shark’s smile widened. “Your request is noted.” And then he was gone, moving through the growing crowd, two men trailing behind him.
“I’m going to kill him.”
It was only then that she noted the tension in Aiden’s body. He was holding himself like he was half a second from chasing the Russian down and beating the shit out of him. She stepped in front of him and looped her arms around his neck. To anyone watching, it would appear she just couldn’t get enough of her man. No one was close enough to hear her murmur. “He’s trying to provoke you.”
“It’s working.” His hands on her hips held her tightly enough to bruise, but they relaxed as he took one breath, and then another. “Sorry. That asshole gets under my skin.”
“I understand.” He did it on purpose. She leaned back enough to look at his face.
“I suppose you do.” His slow smile was confirmation enough. “You did pull a gun on me the first time we met.”
“You deserved it.” He’d scared her half to death and chased her through the streets. For all she knew, he’d been sent by Romanov to tie up the loose end she represented.
“I did.” He exhaled, the last of the tension bleeding from his body. “Thank you. I won’t lose control again.”
Wouldn’t he? She didn’t think anyone—least of all Aiden—realized how close to the edge he stood. Words she had no business saying rose to crowd against her lips. You can lean on me. Trust me. Let me help you bear the burdens you carry. She didn’t say any of it. He’d told her to back off earlier, and she’d be a fool not to do exactly that.
Charlie was only an interloper in Aiden’s life—there for a short time and then gone again. She couldn’t try to force him to lean on her just because it bothered her to see him struggling.
So she smiled and took a step back, pausing to adjust his tie. “Don’t worry. I know you won’t.” But she wasn’t going to leave his side for the duration of the night.
Just in case.
* * *
Keira had tried to sneak out for a smoke break, only to find every exit blocked by O’Malley men. None of them were too thrilled at the idea of her leaving the room. Her constant disappearing acts had created more work for them, which was something she suspected she’d be paying for until she was shipped off to Dmitri.
At least his men won’t know to lock me down so tightly.
Wouldn’t they, though? Dmitri was the one who kept finding her, even when she thought she’d done a good job of slipping away unnoticed.
It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered anymore.
Keira walked into the ladies’ room, leaving a frustrated-looking Liam at the door, and hopped onto the counter. She wouldn’t crawl out a window, no matter how much she wanted to. Tonight was too important to her brother. She didn’t like being traded like chattel, but if she left now, Aiden would catch heat for it.
So Keira didn’t run. She just pulled a joint out of her clutch and lit it. The first inhale burned her throat like a hot poker, and she luxuriated in the feeling, even as her thoughts slowed down. One toke wasn’t enough to blitz her out—or even half the damn joint—but she wouldn’t smoke the whole thing. All she wanted was some much-needed distance to get through the night.
The door opened, and she spoke without looking up. “Bathroom is occupied.”
“There are several stalls. Greedy of you to deny them to ladie
s in need.”
She jerked her head up so fast, she almost fell off the counter. “What are you doing here?”
Dmitri closed the door behind him and flicked the lock. “Your brother and his men are aggravating in their zealous desire to protect you.” He crossed to stand in front of her. “Should I tell them exactly how many times you’ve been in my tender care and walked away unscathed?”
“Three.” She held up the appropriate number of fingers. “You talk like it happens on the regular. It doesn’t.”
He moved closer, and she didn’t realize his intent until his hand flashed out and snagged the joint from her. Keira grabbed for it, but Dmitri was too fast, flipping on the faucet and dousing it. “What the fuck?”
“Nasty habit of yours. Tell me something, Keira—when was the last time you spent an entire day sober?”
How dare he sit there and judge her. She started to hop off the counter, but Dmitri was there, his body between her knees. He braced his hands on either side of her, not quite touching her but leaving her feeling exposed all the same. “Answer the question.”
She froze, torn between the need to fight her way out and the traitorous desire to spread her legs a little more and invite him in. She already knew how the latter would play out. Dmitri might want her, at least in part, but he had turned her down too many times for her pride to allow her to keep throwing herself at him.
She tossed her hair over her shoulder and glared. “That’s none of your goddamn business.”
“Maybe not yet. But it will be.” His gaze raked over her, a heat like she’d never seen before kindling in his gray eyes. He seemed to realize he’d given her a glimpse of it, because he took a careful step back. “I got something for you.”
“I don’t want anything from you.”
“Liar.” There was the heat again, just as quickly smothered. “But that’s not what I’m offering at the moment.”
Of course it wasn’t. She refused to feel disappointed. Keira crossed her arms over her chest and waited. “Fine. Give it to me.”
