I blinked in surprise at her shocking and out-of-nowhere confession, and her eyes widened as if she couldn’t believe what she’d just said. “What kind of issues?” Emotional? Fear of intimacy? Commitment? I could keep going with the running list I’d been compiling in my head, but I’d prefer to hear her answer.
“I didn’t mean . . .”
To say that?
“But yes, Roman said Harper is designing some special software program that will be able to triangulate Luca’s previous whereabouts using data from the tracker”—Emilia sped right ahead into business-mode—“when he was apparently without it and in disguise,” she said as if her confession hadn’t shaken the room.
“Sounds technical and impossible.” I frowned. “But after seeing Harper’s cyber magic in October, I’m confident she’ll come through for us.”
“Right.” Standing again, her eyes worked over me. Starting at my chest and then sliding down to my trousers. “Show me.”
“Show you what?” This time, I was certain she was purposely trying to give me whiplash. My palm went to the breakfast counter as I stood in front of her, and I’d swear this unflappable woman was growing flustered before my eyes.
“The damage. I want to see where it hurts.”
In my heart mostly. “Everywhere. But don’t worry, if you’re thinking about a repeat of Scotland, I can handle the pain.” And I just couldn’t help myself. After the fun and playful day we’d had, why not?
She brought her hands to the buttons of my shirt and began working them free. “I have some cream that will help. A special blend from Tibet.”
I snatched her wrist and stopped her from inspecting the bruises on my sides once my shirt was open. Those lips of hers were still glossy despite our passionate mistletoe kiss.
I wanted the arsehole Luca out of my head, and only this woman in my mind.
“A bath, then? It should relax your body. I’ll run you one.” The woman was stubborn, nothing new, but I wouldn’t object to getting naked in her bath, so I nodded and followed her into the bedroom.
“You joining me?” I asked while discarding everything except for my boxers. Not that the thin material could hide the hard-on I was sporting at the sight of Emilia bent over the tub, the black stretch material showing off her incredible assets. “It’s big enough for the two of us.”
She righted herself as the water ran, added some lavender-scented bubbles, and studied me. “What do you think, McGregor?”
I closed the space between us and circled her waist. “Why do you keep calling me that?”
“It’s your name.” A defiant lift of her chin had me wanting to tease my lips along her neck before taking her lower lip between my teeth and lightly biting.
“Using my surname won’t make you feel less for me, you know that, right?” I pushed back while guiding one hand up her silhouette to her cheek. “No one can see us here.” Her body was tense, a rigid and defensive line. She was keeping something from me. Maybe something new. I could feel it. But knowing this woman, she wouldn’t share until she was damn good and ready. If ever.
“I’ll get in with you,” was all she said before sidestepping my touch.
Tossing aside my boxers, I stepped into the water and did my best to act like a man and not yank my foot out at the feel of the heat shocking my body.
I sank into the Jacuzzi-style tub, and bubbles began rising over me, hiding my body. I bent my knees and set my hands on the edges of the tub, watching Emilia go through the motions of stripping. I did my best not to allow my gaze to lock on to the scar by her breast when she faced me.
But my fingers curled inward on reflex. Too bad the arsehole from South America was already dead.
“How does the water feel?” she asked while striding naked toward the tub.
“Good,” I managed to croak out while all my blood rushed south.
Those dark, luminous eyes of hers peering at me with what I wanted to believe was longing was all it took for me to lose control. I sat up and reached out to secure my hands around her hips. “Get in here,” I commanded, not giving two fecks about my bruises. The sight of her naked body had all worries about what she might be keeping from me fleeing my mind.
Emilia joined me in the water and nestled herself between my legs, her back to my chest. When she pressed her arse against my cock and turned her head, I couldn’t resist pressing my lips to the soft, warm skin of her cheek, now slightly flushed. She sighed and angled her head back farther, offering me her mouth, delivering what felt like sweet surrender.
But sweet wouldn’t last long. My hunger for her had been boiling all day. The Irish were known for boiling everything, and bloody hell, my desire had been simmering for too long.
“Sean,” she moaned. Sean, not McGregor. Good.
I cupped her breast, dragging suds over her hard nipple, and my other hand ran between her legs to part her sex as I deepened our kiss. Still soft, languorous pecks. Teases of her tongue into my mouth every so often but never fully giving it to me.
The dull, achy throb that existed in my chest was a distant memory with her this close.
My warm breath hit the shell of her ear as I told her she was beautiful in English and then in Italian, “Sei bellissima.” My mouth joined hers again as I pushed one, then two fingers inside her tight pussy. Each thrust of my hand had her clenching around my fingers and moaning against my lips.
“How is it you have no tan lines?” I asked when she shimmied on my lap a few moments later, our mouths breaking apart.
The jet streams vibrated against my skin, little massages on my back as I held her.
She began to shift around, so I withdrew my fingers, and she carefully straddled me. “I sunbathe in the nude on my terrace back home.”
The idea of her guards possibly seeing her made me crazy, but I ignored the thought because Emilia was mine. Well, right now for the holidays, but maybe . . .
“Does this hurt?” She swept her fingers over my skin where bruises were slowly beginning to show up. My muscles jumped at her touch, and I couldn’t help but wince in pain. But with her sitting on top of me like this, all I could think about was repositioning my body and slamming my cock inside her.
“I’m good. How’s your side?” I asked, realizing her bandage was gone.
“Don’t worry about me.” She set her palms on top of my pecs and lightly scraped her short nails down my chest, one of the few places missed by Adam’s right hook.
“Not possible,” I answered honestly and leaned closer to capture her lips. I wanted to bury myself balls-deep inside her. Have my thoughts forever painted with sounds of her whimpers and cries in ecstasy as she writhed, grinding against my cock. As if reading my thoughts, she placed her hands on my shoulders and lifted her hips. “Can I—?”
“Please.” She reached between us, set my tip to her center, and sank onto me, her mouth a rounded O from the movement.
Emilia moved slowly. Considerate of my injuries even though I didn’t give a shite about them. “Harder,” I told her, holding her one hip, my hand nearly slipping on her sudsy skin.
I palmed her cheek with my free hand and kissed her again as she shifted up and down on my cock, the water splashing violently out of the tub. She’d been tight at first from being in the water, but her desire had slicked her sex, and I was fighting to hang on as she rode me.
“Sean, oh yes.” Her words echoed in my ears as I stretched her tight walls, feeling them close around my stiff cock. I resisted the impulse to groan and close my eyes, not wanting to lose sight of this woman.
Her back bowed and her soapy tits lifted, and my jaw tightened as I bit down on my back teeth. I brought my palms to her breasts and swept the pads of my thumbs over her tight nipples, giving them a pinch that had her throwing her head back in ecstasy.
A few minutes later, she stilled her hips and leaned forward to catch my gaze, and I was struck by the emotion in those big, brown eyes of hers. I’d swear she looked at me as if she could see past
my flaws but managed to love me anyway.
Fuck. No amore. She didn’t love me.
But I’d pretend for tonight. Because I knew what I felt for her was amore all the way. Maybe it wasn’t an obsession. It was love. And twenty months of pretending it was anything else was absurd.
Chapter Seventeen
Sean
“The room and your flat are secure, sir.”
“Good. Thank you.” I ended the call and pocketed my mobile. Emilia and I had discreetly sent in a League team to sweep her hotel suite, as well as my flat, to do a thorough check for any listening devices, malware in our computers, and so forth. We couldn’t be too careful with Luca out there scheming.
I set a palm to the glass, looking out at the busy club Sebastian and Alessia owned. I was on the second level in a private, soundproof room. The wall of glass offered me a view, but no one down below could see me.
There was a Christmas party theme happening tonight, and the dancers were all in red and green. The DJ dressed like Santa kept throwing out candy canes to the crowd, and the bar had “Nice” and “Naughty” signs posted on either end.
Two years ago, I would have been down on that floor, pulling a scantily clad blonde into my arms to dance. Take her back to her place and ride her like a racehorse. Then slip out after without remembering her name. Without ever thinking about her again.
Now, I wanted what Adam and Anna had. They weren’t at the club tonight. Instead, they were comfortable on their couch at home watching a marathon of holiday movies at Anna’s insistence while their son slept.
I’d rather be on a couch, with my wife in my arms, my child asleep, than at a club. And I would give anything for that woman to be Emilia.
“Brought you something stiff. Thought you might need it.”
I turned at the sound of my sister’s voice and thanked her for the scotch. I did need something strong. The special Tibetan cream Emilia had provided me for my bruises had helped, but the scotch would hopefully help me with the anger. I’d managed to push thoughts of Luca out of my head while Emilia and I shopped yesterday and made love after. But we were without new leads, and I was growing beyond edgy.
“The others will be up soon. Just waiting on Emilia to finish her call.” Holly joined me at the window to view the crowd.
Emilia was talking to her friend Roman in Alessia’s office, looking for an update on our Luca problem.
“Still radio silence on the listening devices?” Holly didn’t normally involve herself in League business, so I wasn’t expecting her to bring that up.
I set my free hand into my pocket while stealing a sip of the scotch, and that quick sip turned into me throwing back the entire drink. “Bridgette must be using a new purse instead of the one she normally carries. The signal from the tracker shows it hasn’t left her home since she arrived back in Germany on Sunday. I’m getting the feeling that’s Luca’s doing. He probably followed us or predicted our next move would be to target Bridgette in Scotland.”
“Knowing Luca, I’m surprised Bridgette didn’t keep using that purse to feed you fake intel. Let you believe her conversations with her husband were legitimate to throw you off even more.” Her brow tightened as if mulling over her words. “Maybe Luca knew you guys would be able to see through it. Who knows with that crazy son of a bitch?”
“I feel like we’re at square fecking one,” I admitted and set the glass on the table in front of the lone leather couch in the small space.
“He’s a psychopath,” Holly murmured, “which makes it hard to predict his next moves or know his endgame.”
I went back to the window and set a hand to the glass, my gaze immediately settled on Emilia, who was entering the main floor of the club from the back hallway. My breath froze at the sight of her in a red sequin wrap dress with a plunging neckline so deep that I wondered what kind of magic she used to keep her breasts from tumbling out. Then again, her tits were magical, so I shouldn’t have been surprised.
I’d seen her in the dress earlier that evening. In fact, I’d shoved it up to her waist, dropped to my knees just inside the hotel room, and sucked her sweet pussy before we came here tonight. And yet, my breath was still gone at the sight of her striding through the club. A powerhouse of a woman moving like she owned it, and she drew every straight man’s eyes, but she intimidated the hell out of them.
Emilia lifted her gaze to the window. She couldn’t see me, but she knew I was there, and I was certain by the way my pulse jumped she knew I was watching her. She stopped to talk to Alessia, who had come around from the bar, and I focused back on my sister. She was in a similar dress to Emilia but in green.
I hadn’t felt as festive today and went for all black instead: black trousers, black button-down, black belt.
I’d suggested Emilia use my belt to stifle her moans earlier today, to keep my younger brother from hearing her with his bedroom right up against hers. But Emilia flipped the script and fucked me even harder.
Hearing him and Sara having sex should have been a mood killer. Ethan’s loud grunts and Sara’s yelling out how “godly” my brother’s cock was should have been like a bucket of cold water. But I was too far gone to care, and Emilia kept on riding my dick like it was her job and more than likely gave them something to listen to as well.
How we even heard them in the first place, I’ll never know. A headboard, sure. But you’d think that a swanky hotel would have been designed so that the master bedrooms of neighboring suites didn’t share a wall. I couldn’t even give Sebastian shite for it since he’d bought the hotel after it’d been built.
“So.” I smiled at my sister. “Know any psychopaths I could go to for some advice on how to better understand Luca?” I was only partially teasing.
“Sebastian has been particularly broody today. Maybe he can help.” She scowled.
“He’s always broody.”
“Not with me.” She sucked her lip between her teeth. “I made a decision. Tell me if I’m wrong, okay?” Her eyes focused on mine, a plea there. But I wasn’t sure if she wanted me to agree or disagree with her. “I know what I’m giving Sebastian for Christmas.”
“If it involves sex, please spare me the details.” I rolled my eyes. “Will it make him less moody, yeah, but—”
“Killing. I’m going to tell him it’s okay.”
My head jerked back in surprise. “You’re giving the gift of killing, huh? That’s, uh, special.” I shot her a puzzled expression and made it overly dramatic.
“You know what I mean.” She slapped my chest, managing to miraculously miss one of my bruises. “I want him to do what he needs to do to stay safe and keep people safe without feeling guilty anymore. No more angry make-up sex needed.” Her lips twitched. “Well, for that reason, at least.”
“Never thought I’d have this kind of conversation with my sister, but yeah, I think you’re doing the right thing. He’s out of sorts about it.”
Her shoulders fell with guilt. “So, what are you getting Emilia?”
“Still working on it. I might sneak out tomorrow or before we do the Twelve Pubs of Christmas thing on Thursday.” What do you get a woman who has everything but the one thing she keeps rejecting—her own happiness?
I spotted Alessia and Emilia walking up the stairs with Cole and Sebastian right behind them. Protective, even though they didn’t need to be.
“Do you think it’s wrong we’re keeping the truth from Ethan?” Holly asked softly.
“Yes,” I blurted, turning my focus back on her. “But I’m worried the more he knows, the more danger he’ll be in. And we still don’t know to what extent Sara is involved. Is Luca forcing her to help him? Is she voluntarily doing it? Or is she totally clueless and a pawn in his game?” I shook my head. “Or that cocksucker could have put her in our path just to throw us off. A red herring. When it comes to that man—”
“Anything is possible,” Holly finished for me.
“Started the meeting without us, I see,” Sebastian s
aid, and Holly and I faced him and the others filtering into the room. He shut the door behind them and went to stand by his wife. “You want to stay or go?”
“Stay,” Holly said with a firm nod, one that seemed to surprise Sebastian.
Emilia sat on the couch next to Cole and Alessia. I felt her eyes on me, but damn it, I couldn’t seem to rip my focus off her crossed legs. To stop thinking about how heavenly her pussy tasted. She always came so hard for my tongue, and I loved it.
“Ahem,” Emilia admonished, slightly clearing her throat to draw my attention.
I slowly worked my eyes up to her face, probably a dark, lust-driven smile on my lips reflecting the thoughts swirling around in my head, all of which involved Emilia naked and none of which included discussing Luca.
“What’d Roman have to say?” I asked, still unable to wipe away my naughty smirk. I also needed to find a way to adjust my crotch without my family noticing.
Emilia swept her tongue between her lips like a tease, slowly uncrossed her legs, and parted her knees ever so slightly. Oh, she knew what she was doing to me, but I kind of loved the fact we both were kicking thoughts of Luca to the curb in favor of more lustful ones.
“You two need a room?” I looked to my cousin who’d spoken, a devil of a smile on his face. The fecker.
“We’re in one, thanks.” Emilia didn’t miss a beat. “And no updates from Roman. We need to be patient. Luca is a master at fooling cameras, so we’re lucky to have Roman’s assist to even track down what he’s been up to.”
“No complaining. Appreciative,” Cole noted with a nod, then directed his focus to me. “But we do need to address the elephant in the room, and I’m not talking about that bulge you got in your trousers.”
“Cole.” Alessia playfully smacked her husband’s arm and blushed. Oh, I’d be going against my cousin in the ring after my body recovered. I cocked my head, turned to the side, and adjusted myself, to hell with everyone in the room. When facing them again, I glanced at my sister to find her fighting a laugh. They were all loving this pain I was in, so it seemed.
The Final Hour (Dublin Nights Book 5) Page 20
