The Final Hour (Dublin Nights Book 5)

by Brittney Sahin

  “Julia,” I said against his mouth.

  “Mm. No, beautiful.” He took a fistful of my hair and gently tugged. “You. The real you. That’s who I want tonight and every night after.”

  His words stole my breath. Sean’s love once scared me, but now I couldn’t imagine life without it. To be loved by this man was a privilege I almost lost. But I was lucky he was strong enough not to let me push him away.

  When our heated confrontation in the office of his parents’ home on Christmas Eve had him turning away from me, I realized how he must have felt each time I rejected or denied the truth of his feelings. It was as if my world was suddenly crumbling and falling apart right before my eyes. That was the moment I knew I would do everything in my power not to lose him.

  “Forever,” I whispered, and that one word had his tongue working my lips open for a hot and passionate kiss. The kind that made my knees weak and my core clench.

  My nails bit into his biceps and then raked over his chest.

  Maybe, oh God, maybe I ought to tell him my true feelings now. Give him my gift. What if I died without him knowing he opened my heart up to not just the possibility of us but to loving him like I’d never known I was capable?

  Fate brought Sean into my life ten years ago, and he was back here with me now. I finally believed doors had been opened for us, but it was up to me to walk through the right one.

  “Where are you?” Sean whispered, stroking my cheek with his thumb in small circles. “You’re not here with me. Thinking about tomorrow? Well, technically today.”

  “Thinking about us,” I admitted.

  “I know you said no gifts for your birthday,” he said a moment later, “but I couldn’t help myself. I’d like for you to wear it now.” He let me go and was off the bed and digging into his suitcase a moment later. He presented me with a medium-sized box wrapped in red paper, a nervous smile parked on his lips. And now he had me nervous.

  “Never opened a birthday gift in the nude,” I said with a laugh and rested my back against the headboard, stretching my legs out in front of me.

  Sean hopped back on the bed and knelt between my feet, then slid his hands up my legs. He took a moment to appreciate my center, a hungry look in his eyes, before swiping a thick finger along the seam of my sex and then bringing it to his mouth.

  “You taste so damn good,” he groaned.

  I felt intoxicated by the sheer eroticism of it all. The sight of his masculine hands on my body, the seductive way he moaned as he licked me from his finger had me bending my legs at the knees and parting my thighs, ready for him to have another taste. “Your gift first, love.” He lightly swept his palm over my abdomen, caressed my breast, all the while I held the box off to my side on the bed.

  What gift? I just wanted this man to devour me multiple times over.

  Sean shifted to sit alongside me, his back to the headboard. He stroked his hard length, precum glistening the tip, distracting me from the box. “Open. It.” The command sent shivers up my spine and had me bringing my thighs tight together once more when need strummed between my legs.

  We hadn’t made love all week. Sean felt the need to give me time to come to terms with the fact Papà had withheld the truth about my real mother even to his dying day.

  But when we arrived at the hotel ten minutes ago, Sean and I had stumbled around the room ripping each other’s clothes off like lust-thirsty teenagers. Well, after we did a thorough check of the room first. No way would we let another camera wind up watching us have sex.

  “Sweetheart, I’ve lost you again.” He tucked my hair behind my ear, his warm skin sending shivers down my body.

  “I usually don’t like endearments,” I confessed, “but . . . say it again.” I gripped hold of the wrapped present, my lust squeezing through me.

  He gathered my face in both palms. “Sweetheart,” he repeated before licking my lips open and pushing his skilled tongue into my mouth. “I’ve missed you,” he said a moment later. “Please open the gift, so I know whether or not you hate it, and then we can either have passionate sex or angry sex.”

  “Oh.” I kind of liked both options. Angry sex with this man, when he lost control and let the dominant alpha out to play, was so freaking hot. But sweet lovemaking was on another level as well. That kind of love lasted a lifetime, and no one had ever been able to give me that before him. “Regardless,” I said with a sultry smile, “I want angry sex followed by love sex.”

  “Present.” He pulled away and pointed to the gift, and I swear, if I didn’t love this man so much, I would smack him for making me wait so long to have him inside me again.

  I bit into my lip as I eyed the box. Too big for a ring. I wouldn’t ever make the mistake of having such a disastrous reaction to his gift as I did to the necklace. I was still angry at myself for ruining that moment and right in front of his family.

  I slowly removed the paper and stared at the square box in surprise. It was a glass bottle with the line, For the woman I love, and for the friend and sister she lost that will never be forgotten, printed in italics on a soft yellow label. And in smaller black print beneath those words was the Coco Chanel quote, In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.

  “Chanel loved that quote,” I whispered. “How’d you know?” Tears filled my eyes, and judging by his narrowed eyes, that wasn’t the reaction he’d hoped for.

  “I looked up Coco, and that one stuck with me. Reminded me of you. Irreplaceable. Different than anyone I’ve ever met.” His lips tipped into a small smile, and he removed the silver top. “I called up someone I know that works at Chanel, and I asked if they’d make a special one-of-a-kind bottle for you. I told them about you. Your strength. Courage. Determination and bravery. Your beauty.” He nudged the glass bottle closer to my nose, and I inhaled the heavenly scent. “What do you smell?”

  “Love,” I mouthed, choking up with emotion. I lost hold of the bottle to loop my arms around his neck. “Love sex first. I changed my mind.” I set a kiss to this thoughtful and amazing man, and before I knew it, he had me flat on my back and straddling me.

  He gently stroked my cheek, and he leaned closer, but I stopped him from kissing me again. A firm hand to his chest as he held my eyes.

  “Sean McGregor,” I said in a shaky voice, “I fucking love you.” I blinked, startled by how that came out, and a slow smirk spread across his face. “I mean I love to . . .” Screw it. I couldn’t lie. My only gift to give was this. “I love you. And you’re irreplaceable and so, so different.” I sniffled. “And I’m so thankful to have someone love me as much as I love them.”

  Tears filled this strong man’s eyes, and I guided my hand around the nape of his neck and pulled his mouth back to mine. Taking everything I wanted, everything I never knew I needed.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Emilia

  New Year’s Eve

  Penelope Castellanos-Laurent was stunning in an elegant, Mediterranean-blue evening dress that skimmed the floor and sparkled as if it were sprinkled with diamonds. Her long dark hair flowed over her shoulders, the front pinned back from her face and held with a glittering clip. She looked like a Greek goddess. And she was my mother.

  She hadn’t noticed me as I stood on the edge of the thick crowd of wealthy guests in the massive ballroom of the hotel, but I hadn’t been able to take my eyes off her since Sean and I arrived thirty minutes ago.

  “Sure you don’t want anything to drink?” Sean asked.

  I stole my focus away from Penelope to behold the handsome man I loved. He looked brilliant in a black jacket with a crisp white shirt and black bow tie. And any other night, I’d be imagining slowly stripping him out of all of it at the end of the night, but I needed to keep my focus.

  My floor-length gown was plainer than Penelope’s but no less eye-catching, at least according to Sean. Blood red silk and clean lines hugged my body, the only enhancement a deep V cut out of the back that ended just above my ass. And right now, Se
an’s free hand rested on the small of my back, dangerously close to dipping below the line of fabric to touch my nude panties.

  I love you. I’d actually said it. And not because I was worried I might die tonight—well, maybe a little worried—but it was the truth, and he deserved to know.

  Unlike Papà and Penelope, I would no longer let people or their rules dictate who I could love or with whom I was allowed to spend my life. I would do better. Be better.

  “No, I shouldn’t drink.” I was far too nervous just being in the same room with Penelope and Atlas, never mind the rest of tonight’s agenda. There was too much on the line to risk clouding my senses with even a sip of champagne.

  Sean held a tumbler of bourbon in his hand, keeping up the appearance of enjoying the party by taking a casual sip every few minutes.

  I doubted Sean would be drinking if he knew the real plan, the one I forced Sebastian to keep from him. The one Roman helped prepare. Sean would be part furious and part terrified when I put all the cards on the table.

  My stomach clenched with anticipation as I waited for Peter’s arrival. Still a no-show, but he’d be there at some point.

  I surveyed the room and spotted Atlas conversing with an older gentleman. The man seemed to be doing all the talking while Atlas stood there looking bored, which gave me a chance to take in Atlas’s features. He was built similarly to Sean and was also in a tux. His dark hair was tapered at the sides and purposefully unruly at the top. Tall, broad shoulders, square jaw with a beard. Dark eyes like Chanel’s. Like mine.

  My brother.

  No, half brother, I reminded myself. He still had Simon’s blood in him. But he also had Penelope’s, and that part had me shaky and confused whenever I considered the plan. The plan Sean would be furious about once he saw the pieces falling into place.

  I stole a look at another man and woman in the room who were pivotal to tonight’s plans. Roman and Harper. Roman’s family in Spain were rich and powerful, so he’d used his connection to them to gain access to the event tonight. I envied Roman’s parents giving up tradition to move to America and raise their kids differently.

  Harper looked beautiful in a navy-blue gown that wrapped around her curves and crisscrossed just above her breasts. Roman was in a black dress shirt and trousers instead of a tux, and he seemed more interested in Harper than surveilling the room. Of course, he had a comm in his ear and a team he’d brought with him standing in the wings watching over all of our moves. Until Peter arrived and the signal was given, Roman and Harper were simply a wealthy powerhouse couple partying on New Year’s Eve.

  I’d felt a little guilty asking Roman to bring Harper to Monaco to assist us, especially after he told me she’d been left for dead years ago while on a job in Monte Carlo. But her cyber skills surpassed those of anyone we knew. I supposed if she were like me, that experience would have made her stronger and more resolved to maintain her calm while here.

  “Hey,” Sebastian said on approach a few minutes later, his large frame blocking my view of Atlas. “You good?”

  “As good as can be,” I responded while doing another survey of the room, spying Cole and Alessia in position near the terrace doors.

  “While you’re here, I’m going to go have a quick word with my cousin.” Sean rested his hand on my back, his warm palm comforting against my chilled skin. He guided me to face him and gently brought his lips to mine.

  Longing to continue the kiss, I pushed up on my toes and leaned in closer, but I was worried Sean might somehow sense my anxiety if I lingered, so I stepped back.

  His forehead creased as he studied me, a conflicted look moving across his face, and his hand on my back tensed up as if he was having second thoughts about leaving.

  “I’m fine,” I told him, then lifted my chin, motioning for him to go. He hesitantly nodded but left to speak with Cole.

  “I’m worried,” Sebastian announced as soon as Sean was out of earshot.

  “About the plan?” I side-eyed him discreetly.

  “No, your plan may be dangerous, but it’s genius.” He set a hand on a small bar-top table off to his left. “I’m worried Sean will punch me as soon as he discovers we lied to him. If someone put Holly in danger—”

  “I’m not Holly,” I reminded him, but my heart sank at the sight of Sean talking to Cole, his back stiff. “He’s definitely going to want to hit you, though.”

  Sebastian faced me, hands diving into his pockets. “You sure this is what you want to do? We could still go with the original plan?” His eyes moved to Atlas for a brief moment before landing on my face.

  “As we’ve discussed, Luca might see through that plan, and we can’t take that risk. You and I know him better than anyone else. This he won’t expect.” When I fully faced Sebastian, I saw the internal battle he was fighting playing out in his dark brown eyes. “Ah, the promise you made to Papà.”

  “Forget the promise. I want to keep you safe because you’re like a sister to me. I care about you.” That had to be hard for him to say because he really wasn’t great at expressing his emotions with anyone other than Holly.

  I reached for the necklace Sean gave me, then realized it wasn’t there. I hadn’t wanted to risk losing it, and I was worried Sean’s feelings had been hurt when he watched me set the lion necklace aside instead of putting it on. “I’ll be fine.” I almost added I promise, but promises felt so meaningless after Papà’s lies. “Maybe let Sean get in one good punch.”

  “I’ll try,” Sebastian answered with something of a growl, then touched his ear a second later. “Luca’s here,” he informed me.

  “And Peter and Bridgette just arrived,” I said while spotting the couple entering through the double doors from the hall.

  Sean had a comm in his ear as well, which explained his abrupt glance our way.

  “I’ll move into position and alert our two men outside.” Sebastian set a hand to my shoulder, his brows tightening, then gave me a squeeze and walked away.

  My gaze shot to Atlas, and I noticed an immediate shift in his posture when his eyes caught sight of the newest attendees.

  The German model’s entry into the ballroom elicited quite a few audible gasps and murmuring erupted throughout the room. She moved gracefully in a sheer silvery gown, which had sequins artfully pieced together over her feminine areas. Her breasts, ass, and the V between her legs were concealed but not by much.

  Judging by his glacial stare, the gown didn’t seem to impress Atlas as much as it angered him. He ignored the gentleman talking to him and cut across the room toward Bridgette, completely forgetting himself. Forgetting she wasn’t his, not yet. Nor would she ever be if Luca had his way.

  “Well, someone is jealous and possessive,” Sean spoke up now that he was at my side again.

  “Looks that way.” I briefly closed my eyes at the thought that my half brother was about to throw his plan to have Peter killed out the window all because of a sexy dress. He was out for blood now. “Devil incoming,” I whispered when Luca materialized to serve as a blockade to Atlas in his path of destruction.

  It was hard to be in the same room as that bastard. Even harder to have Sean at my side, knowing it was brutal for him to remain fixed in place when he wanted to throttle the life out of him.

  Luca wore all black, and his longish brown hair flipped at the collar of his shirt. His beard was thicker than he’d ever worn it in the past, most likely to hide the evil grin always on his face.

  “I want to kill the fecker,” Sean said out of the corner of his mouth as he reached for my hand.

  My grip went lax at the realization Atlas had found a new target to stare at—me. His jaw hung open, brows slanting inward as if he were seeing me for the first time.

  Luca followed his eyes to me, and he dared to smile before walking away.

  I was fairly certain someone else was watching me now, too. I felt her watching me before I turned to confirm she was there.

  My mother.

  Standing l
ess than ten meters away was the woman who abandoned me. Penelope’s glass fell from her hand as she looked back and forth between Atlas and me, likely in shock at seeing her children in the same room. Knowing her son was planning to kill her only living daughter.

  Atlas stalked across the room with purposeful strides, moving past me without stealing another glance, and headed straight for his mother as one of the servers cleaned up the drink she’d spilled and the broken glass.

  “Where’d Luca go?” Sean asked as he scanned the room.

  “Shit, I don’t see him.” I’d been distracted. “I don’t see Peter now, either. I think it’s time. We need to make our move soon, so they don’t beat us to it.” I’d worked the words loose from my tightened throat, regretting I was about to deviate from what he thought was the plan.

  Penelope remained frozen in place while someone replaced her drink as Atlas talked to her, his back to me.

  “I need to go.” I ripped my focus from my mother and half brother to peer at Sean. I pushed up on my toes and set a kiss to his full lips. “I love you,” I murmured before he captured my mouth again, this time in a hot and searing kiss, one that left a mark on my heart.

  “This isn’t goodbye,” he said as if reading my thoughts. “Just get it done quickly. Promise me.”

  “I promise,” I said in a shaky voice. Another broken promise. “But I still want to tell you that I love you.” I stepped out of his reach, which was harder to do than I’d expected.

  He nodded, his mouth tight, then he touched his ear. “You’ve got the perfect chance to make your move now. Peter’s alone in the men’s room down the hall,” he relayed the information that had come over his comm as I didn’t have one.

  Four of Roman’s SEAL buddies were in position as our eyes for tonight. And Peter in the bathroom alone was almost too good. Could I get that lucky?