Kiss Shot (Dublin Mafia: Triskelion Team, Book 2)

by Zara Keane

  “Do you want to get out of here?” he murmured. His breath tickled her ear, sending a wave of molten desire searing through her body.

  Ruthie looked Shane in the eye and ran her palm over his short beard. “Yes,” she whispered. “I’d like that very much.”

  22

  They took a taxi back to his place and rode the elevator up to his apartment. Flash, thank goodness, was asleep and didn’t wake up when Shane and Ruthie tumbled through the door, leaving a trail of clothes in their wake.

  “You’re so fucking beautiful,” he said when they lay on his bed naked. “My balls ache every time I see you.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “It is, trust me.”

  Her eyes darkened and she ran the tip of her tongue over her upper lip. “I want you inside me this time, Shane. Will you do that?”

  Shane laughed. “Hell, yeah.” He touched the soft skin of her thighs and skimmed the back of her knees, tickling them and noting the sharp intake of breath as she reacted. Before their encounter in the shower, he’d only come close to sleeping with her on one memorable occasion five years ago, yet he still recalled her erogenous zones and where she liked to be touched as if they’d been screwing for years.

  “Don’t stop,” she whispered against his cheek.

  “I have no intention of stopping, Ruthie. Not unless you ask me to.”

  “Oh, I won’t tell you to stop. I want this, and I want you. Maybe I shouldn’t, but I’ve never been very good at doing what’s good for me.”

  “That’s something we have in common,” he murmured, bringing his hand to her upper thigh and stroking her slit. She gasped when he touched her, turning him even harder.

  No, they shouldn’t be doing this, but right at this moment, Shane couldn’t recall the reasons why. All he saw was the beautiful, sexy woman in front of him, begging for his touch. He was more than happy to oblige. He played with her for a few minutes, gently at first, then increasing the pressure. He let her guide his hand, show him exactly where to touch her and how much pressure to use. She was slick and wet and ready, her breathing shallow and her eyes dark with lust.

  “I want you, Shane Delaney. I want you inside me.”

  “Not so fast. I intend to torture you a while longer.”

  “You’re an evil man.”

  He chuckled. “I take great pleasure in torturing you, Ruthie. When you come, I want it to be the best damn orgasm you’ve ever had.”

  “After the one you gave me in the shower, that’s a tall order,” she teased, licking her lips. The sight made his hard-on throb.

  “It’s an order I intend to fulfill.” He leaned down and put his head between her legs. She arched her back and gasped the instant his tongue made contact with her clit. He teased her with light licks, slowly working up to sucking on her. She tasted so fine. Like strawberries and cream and all his favorite things rolled into one. Shane massaged her thighs with one hand and cupped her buttock with the other, relishing the heat of her silky soft skin.

  “Oh, Shane,” she moaned. “This feels so good.”

  It felt pretty damn good to him, too. He liked giving women head, and Ruthie was especially responsive. There was no practiced artifice in her reactions. What she experienced, she displayed. Every moan, every expression, every movement came from the heart. That was what had made the experience in the gym’s showers so memorable.

  Growing up with a lap dancing club-owner as a father—not to mention the brothel in the basement—Shane had lost his virginity early and spent his teen years getting laid by lap dancers and pros. He’d grown bored by the practiced professional moves before he’d hit twenty, preferring a laywoman’s natural reactions.

  And man, did Ruthie react. Everything she experienced was displayed on her face, in her sounds, and in her movements.

  “Oh, God,” she gasped. “If you don’t stop, I’ll come.”

  He stopped long enough to laugh and tickle behind her knees. “That’s the whole idea.”

  “I know, but I have plans for tonight, and they include me coming while you’re inside me.” She pushed herself up to a sitting position and ran her palms down his chest. “How does that sound?”

  “Amazing,” he conceded with a chuckle. “I like a woman with a plan. But you know you can come more than once, right?”

  For a moment, uncertainty flickered in her eyes. “Uh, sure.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Haven’t you ever had multiple orgasms before?”

  “Not exactly.” She flushed a becoming shade of pink.

  “Well, then.” Shane’s stomach contracted in anticipation and he brushed his lips against her cheeks. “Let’s make tonight a first.”

  “Okay. As long as you let me tell you what I like and what I don’t like.”

  “Hey, if you want to boss me around, I’m game.” He pinched her bottom, laughing at her squeal of outrage. “Just don’t knock any more of my teeth out.”

  Ruthie cupped Shane’s face in her hands and kissed him. His warm lips meshed with hers. The kiss deepened and her breathing grew shallow. She’d come so close to going over the edge, but if she only had one night with Shane, she wanted to do it right. For years, she’d fantasized about having sex with him and wondered what it would be like to be his girlfriend. She’d never get to experience the latter, but she could, if just for one night, make her sexual fantasies come to life.

  Tonight was all about pure seduction. She was willing to do whatever it took to bring Shane Delaney to his knees. This wasn’t just about the job. This wasn’t just about her family. This was about her own needs. Everything she’d done over the last few months had been for someone else. She’d accepted the Jarvis Agency’s offer to salvage her pride. Accepting that her dream to become a top MMA fighter would never happen had been gut-wrenching. The last thing she’d wanted to do was crawl back to Ireland with no degree and no job prospects. The agency’s proposition had seemed a godsend.

  And then Kevin had contacted her, and events had spiraled into a knot of complications.

  She pulled back from Shane and hauled in a deep breath. What had she been smoking when she’d agreed to this mad scheme? She was no spy. And as for playing the role of the femme fatale, what a bloody laugh. Ruthie could barely get it together to flirt with a guy, never mind seduce one. The not-so-small matter of her brother’s debt to a violent drug kingpin called for drastic measures, even if those measures included faking a sexual confidence she didn’t possess.

  Ruthie met his gaze and exhaled. She could do this. She pulled Shane into a kiss and ignored her racing thoughts.

  Feeling his warmth melted the last of her reserves and reminded her how good they’d been together. They were both at least a little drunk, but she didn’t care. Before the night was over, she’d intended to get good and shitfaced. She’d also intended to get laid.

  Without breaking the kiss, Ruthie slipped a hand between Shane’s legs and cupped his balls. She drew a finger along his hard shaft, marveling at the smoothness of his skin. When she teased the tip, he pulled away from her. “Ruthie, you’re killing me.”

  She stared at him for a long moment, taking in the dark eyelashes most women would kill for and the deep blue eyes she’d never been able to forget. Her throat constricted. Once upon a time, she’d loved this man. Now she was about to seduce and betray him. “Do you have condoms?”

  He grinned. “A whole box. Brand new, just for you.”

  “I’m touched.” She shoved him back onto the pillows and took him in her mouth. Tentatively at first, then gaining confidence. The idea of giving a man oral sex had grossed her out, but the reality was an unexpected pleasure. The skin of his shaft was smooth and taut. Her tongue glided upward and paused to tease the tip of his cock. Shane guided her gently, and showing her what he liked, but always making sure she was okay with it. From a sex guide she’d read as a teenager, she remembered a few tips and tried them out, enjoying his gasp of surprise when she pulsed her mouth over the
top section of his erection. “God, Ruthie,” he groaned. “You’re incredible.”

  At that moment, she believed him. Being with Shane made her feel invincible.

  Shane placed his hands on her shoulders and stilled her movements. “I want to be in you, Ruthie.”

  Her heart skipped a beat and, for a second, she couldn’t breathe. “I want that too.”

  He rolled her over onto her back and ran his palms over her thighs, and then over her slit. “You’re wet.”

  “Oh, yeah.” She smiled up at him. “You made sure of that.”

  With a wink, he reached into a drawer and produced a foil wrapper. She watched in fascination as he rolled it over his erection. Pulse pounding, she squeezed her eyes shut and basked in the moment. She could do this. She’d faked confidence in many situations in her life. Surely sex wouldn’t be any different? And at her age, what was the likelihood he’d even notice she’d never done it before?

  And then he was between her legs, pushing into her. He paused at her opening before entering her in a single thrust.

  Ruthie gasped, and squirmed in pain. Ow, that hurt. A stinging pain ripped through her, subsiding only when he stopped moving.

  “What the hell?” He stared at her, his face a tableau of horror. “Ruthie—?”

  “It’s fine,” she said through gritted teeth, and forced a smile. “Keep going, and we’ll talk after.”

  He blinked for a moment, then shook his head.

  “Please don’t stop,” she said, her voice rising a notch. “I want to do this. Honestly. I want to have sex with you.”

  “Hang on a sec.” Shane withdrew his cock, and she instantly felt empty. A wave of humiliation washed over her. Of course she hadn’t been able to pull this off. Naturally he had no interest in having sex with a virgin.

  But then he was back again, brandishing a tube of lubricant. “Condoms can be a bit dry. I’ll put this on, and it should make things easier for you.”

  Moments later, he slid into her again, and the rawness ebbed away. His movements were gentle at first, only gaining in speed and depth when she pulled him deeper into her. “Faster,” she whispered.

  Shane obeyed. Each thrust made the memory of her initial discomfort hazier and brought her orgasm closer. He explored her body while he moved within her, kneading her buttocks and massaging her breasts. Ruthie returned the favor. She explored the contours of his back, marveled at his arm muscles.

  As her need grew, the room receded around her, leaving only her, him, and mounting ecstasy. Her breathing became labored, and waves of pleasure built inside her. Each movement pushed her need nearer to the edge, receded, and then built again. Over and over. When her climax hit, Ruthie cried out, not giving a damn if she woke the entire building. Shane came seconds later. When the last wave subsided, Ruthie collapsed onto the bed in a state of exhausted bliss. “That was even better than the one in the shower,” she gasped. “I didn’t think that was possible.”

  Shane kissed her on the cheek and snuggled against her. “Why didn’t you tell me you were a virgin before we started having sex?”

  She froze in his arms and her cheeks burned. “I didn’t know how to tell you,” she said. “I was embarrassed. Most women my age have had multiple partners, and I hadn’t even had one.”

  “All you needed to do was say the words.” He stroked her shoulder, and the tenderness of his touch nearly undid her. “I would have been more careful.”

  “It was fine. Really. Okay, I was sore at first,” she amended, “but that soon faded.”

  He pulled her around to face him. His creased brow and worried expression brought a rebellious giggle to her lips. “Do you mind telling me why you waited?” he asked. “You’re a lovely-looking girl. You’re funny, confident, and fit. What man wouldn’t want you?”

  She gave him a wobbly smile. “When I look in the mirror, I see the gawky teenage girl I used to be. I find it hard to talk to guys. Hard to talk to people in general, I guess. After my mother died, I could have become the woman of the house. Instead, I became one of the boys.”

  “There’s more to this than you feeling awkward with men. You’re not disinterested in sex, that’s for sure.”

  “No, I…” She squeezed her eyes shut for an instant to block the memories, then forced them open and looked straight at Shane. “When I was a teenager,” she said in a shaky voice, “something happened. It made me wary of guys in general and hard to let down my defenses when one got close.”

  He sat up straight, horror and trepidation written on his face. “What happened?” he asked hoarsely. “Did someone hurt you?”

  She tasted bile but swallowed past her fear. “Two of Kevin’s friends tried to rape me. If my father hadn’t come home early that night, they would have succeeded.”

  “I’m so sorry, Ruthie. That’s an awful thing to experience.” He slipped an arm around her waist, tentative, as if waiting for her okay to touch her. “Did you see a counselor?”

  She shook her head. “I preferred to deal with it by taking up martial arts. I couldn’t tell Dad what had happened—he’d have killed them and ended up in prison. So I did the next best thing. I asked him to arrange for me to have self-defense classes with a friend of his. I said I’d feel safer at night.”

  “I’d say Big Mike was all over that idea.”

  Ruthie laughed. “He was. Only he didn’t expect the classes to spark my interest in learning taekwondo and kickboxing.”

  “I’ll bet.” Shane’s expression grew serious. “I hurt you tonight. I hate that your first experience of sex was painful.”

  She smiled past her embarrassment. “It was more pleasure than pain, Shane. I’d definitely do it again.”

  His mouth quirked with amusement. “I’d be honored to be the man you choose to do it with.”

  “I don’t want to do it with anyone else,” she said softly. “I trust you.” Just as much as you shouldn’t trust me…

  He kissed her lightly on the cheek and stroked her hair. “Why did you wait so long? What held you back from getting help after what happened to you?”

  “Even before the assault, I found it difficult to talk to boys.”

  He frowned. “You never had trouble talking to me.”

  “Yeah, but you were different. You treated me like a cherished younger sister.”

  This made him laugh. “Hey, you were willing to play Settlers of Catan with me for hours on end. That totally deserved a bit of cherishing.” They fell silent for a moment until he said, “And what about when you left Ireland? Did you not feel able to put the past behind you and have boyfriends?”

  “When I left Ireland, I thought it would be easier, but I found it was better to keep my distance from men on the mixed martial arts circuit. As a woman, it’s hard to be taken seriously. If I’d slept with any of them, I was afraid it would be used against me. Even once I got past that fear, I still couldn’t do it. I can joke and banter with guys, but I can’t flirt. I’m not girly and I don’t fawn.”

  “That’s part of the reason I like you,” Shane said. “You’re not like other women I know.”

  “Yeah,” she said, hearing the bitterness in her voice. “I’m unfeminine.”

  “Hardly.” His hand skimmed her breast, making her shiver. “You’re not the only woman in the world who prefers casual clothes and no makeup.”

  “I enjoyed dressing up for Siobhan’s party. I didn’t expect to, but I did. I can imagine doing that every once in a while, including the makeup, but it’s not what I want to do every day.”

  “You should dress to please yourself, not anyone else. And as you know—” his clever fingers tickled her belly, “—I find your sports bras adorable.”

  “Just as well. The lacy bra and knickers combo is the only lingerie I own. And, frankly, they itched. I don’t know how women wear underwire bras all the time.”

  Shane laughed. “They look like torture devices to me.” He trailed kisses over her shoulder. “Thank you, Ruthie.”


  “What for?”

  “For trusting me enough to tell me all of this.”

  Guilt crawled over her skin. She hadn’t told him everything. Not even close. “I’d hoped you wouldn’t notice I was a virgin. I’d read that the hymen often breaks on its own by the time a woman reaches a certain age. I guess mine didn’t.”

  “Are you very sore?” He trailed kisses along her collarbone, making her laugh.

  “I feel a little…used…in that area, but it’s not painful. I expect the discomfort will have gone by tomorrow.”

  “It’s already tomorrow,” he said with a laugh.

  “Oh?” She leaned to the side and glanced at the bedside clock. “Shit. I need to get up in four hours. I guess we’d better try to get some sleep.”

  “Yeah…” He sighed. “I guess we should. I’d rather make love to you all over again, but I’ll be sensible and try to sleep instead. Why don’t I save the next seduction for tomorrow?”

  A tomorrow they’d never have…She gave him a wobbly smile and stroked his face. “Sleep well, Shane.”

  23

  Ruthie checked Shane’s breathing for the fifth time. He was asleep. Slowly, she pushed back the sheet and climbed out of bed. Her heart pounded against her ribs and she had to wipe her sweaty palms down her T-shirt twice. She’d spotted his laptop earlier that evening while he’d been removing her clothes. Taking a deep breath, she snuck out of the bedroom.

  She tiptoed across the open plan living space and retrieved her clothes. When she was dressed, she fetched the flash drive she’d concealed in her handbag and crept to Shane’s desk. Like the rest of the apartment, the desk had a modern but lived-in look. In other words, it was untidy, but in that bachelor-pad manner of minimalist furniture and dark décor.