Decker's Fate (The Decker Brothers Trilogy Book 1)

by K. R. Richards

  “I can’t wait!” Brody grinned. “It will be awesome.”

  “I’ve always wanted to go,” Harper admitted. “Let’s hope we can finish this soon. An Ireland trip gives us something to look forward to.”

  “It does. And can we see Tara and Newgrange?” Erin asked.

  “Absolutely, Erin. You don’t even have to ask. I’ll take you to all the magical fairy places,” Fianna assured her.

  “I want to see all of that, the hill where Ardagh Castle stood and the Drombeg stone circle too,” Liam offered.

  “For sure we’ll make certain you see all the O’Flynn, Murphy, McCarthy, and O’Driscoll sites. It’s part of your heritage,” Niall told them.

  “I don’t think it is part of my heritage. Liam has been unable to find a trace of McCarthy in my bloodline.” Harper exhaled.

  “Oh, it’s there somewhere, dear,” Aunt Neave assured her. “You’re the image of my aunt Mairead McCarthy. And she hailed from the McCarthy at Blarney.”

  “As in the Blarney stone Blarney?” Harper asked.

  “Yes, the Blarney stone is at Blarney Castle, the seat of the ancient McCarthys,” Niall provided.

  “I want to kiss the Blarney stone!” Harper grinned.

  “Then you will.” Niall gave her a wink. “Did you know you have to lie upside down at a great height to manage it? They have a couple of strong lads to hold you while you do it.”

  “No! On second thought, maybe I won’t kiss the Blarney stone.” Harper held up both hands.

  “If the McCarthys have something to do with Blarney, then you’re definitely one of them. Isn’t Blarney the gift of gab?” the corners of Brody’s mouth turned up as he turned to give Harper a wink.

  “Ouch,” he said, bringing his hand up to rub his upper arm where Harper’s fist just landed. “Apparently the McCarthys are violent too. I volunteer to hold you while you kiss the Blarney stone. I won’t drop you.”

  Harper gave him a look. “I should trust you to hold me upside down at a great height? Uh, no, I’ll pass. I think that gab and blarney are more in your line of expertise, actually.”

  “You don’t trust me, Harp?”

  Harper laughed. “What do you think?”

  Brody shrugged. “Whatever. I truly wouldn’t drop you.”

  Aunt Neave rose from the sofa. She stifled a yawn. “It’s midnight and I’m for bed. Good night dears.”

  “We’ll walk with you Aunt Neave,” Erin yawned. “Harper and I are turning in too.”

  Brody took Max out to do his business before he went to bed. Niall, Liam, and Fianna joined him on the deck.

  Decker rose and pulled Jade to her feet. He put his arms around her and pulled her close.

  “Are you ready for bed?” Jade asked him.

  Decker’s hand slid from her hip to the band of her jeans in the back. He slid his fingers into her jeans. They curled around the black lace band of her thong.

  “Yeah, it’s about black lace time, babe.”

  His eyes darkened with desire as he smiled down at her.

  “Well then, let’s say good night to your brothers and our cousins.” She grinned up at him.

  Decker slid his hand from her jeans as the sliding glass door opened.

  “We’re heading to bed pretty quick too.” He took Jade’s hand. They walked into the kitchen to join the others and say their goodnights.

  When they returned to their bedroom, there was champagne chilling, and strawberries dipped in chocolate.

  Decker picked up the note.

  He smiled. “A going away gift from Niall and Fianna.”

  “How sweet, and very thoughtful.” Jade came to look at the gift left for them. She picked up a plump strawberry and bit into it. “Mmm.”

  She pressed the rest of the berry to Decker’s lips.

  He opened for her and took the tidbit into his mouth, managing to swirl his tongue around her finger in the process.

  He kissed her afterward then turned his attention back to the offerings left by his cousins.

  “Champagne?” There was a pop as he opened the bottle.

  “By all means.” Jade smiled.

  He poured them each a glass. He offered her one then picked up his glass.

  “It’s time for our private celebration. To love. To us!” He took a sip of the champagne then dipped his head to press his lips to hers.

  “Long may the O’Flynns, Deckers, and Murphys reign. May our love always be strong and true.” She lifted her glass and smiled up at him.

  “Yeah, babe, I’ll drink to that.” This time he kissed her passionately. “I love you, Jade Murphy,” he whispered when he raised his head and looked into those mossy green eyes that had darkened to the color of the emerald in her Claddagh.

  “And I love you Mike Decker, with all my heart!”

  “To sexy, black lace.” He lifted his glass and displayed a decidedly bad-boy, roguish grin.

  He took her glass from her hand after she took a long sip, and set them both back on the shiny, silver tray. “Now, I want to get your clothes off.”

  “Oh, you want me naked already?” she teased.

  “I didn’t say naked. I want everything off except your underwear. I have a date with you and some black lace, remember?”

  “Oh, yes. I do seem to remember that.” Her gorgeous eyes sparkled and a seductive little smile turned up the corners of her mouth.

  “Come here.” His eyes danced with mischief, his grin was devilishly sexy, and his voice was deep and husky. His hands were busy, pulling the green lace tank over her head, pulling down the black skinny jeans, removing them and her shoes. “I do like the lace,” he murmured in appreciation as he drank in the sight of his woman, the woman he loved, sporting a very sexy, black lace bra and thong. As he straightened, his hands moved to splay over the smooth skin of her nice, firm bottom.

  “And you,” she breathed as she hooked her fingers into his waistband and pulled him closer. She toed up to give him a sensual, enticing kiss as she worked quickly at unbuttoning and unzipping those well-fitting jeans. She reached inside.

  “Oh, commando tonight?” She raised an inquisitive brow at him.

  “Uh huh. I’m on vacation. Besides, commando goes well with black lace, wouldn’t you agree?” he breathed huskily as his hands moved to explore the black lace bra and the beautiful breasts beneath with eager hands. He inhaled sharply as her hand wrapped around him and she explored in her own way.

  He pulled his shirt over his head. “I’m sorry I don’t have black lace,” he teased in a throaty whisper as he nuzzled her neck, distracting her from her task.

  “That’s fine with me, because I want you absolutely naked,” she purred as he lifted her and carried her to their bed.

  “I promise that you can have me absolutely naked any time you want, Jade.” His eyes, dark with passion, swept over her lying in his bed wearing only the sheer, sexy, black lace bra and panties. He reached out to trace the tiny lace ruffle along the top of her thong.

  He wanted to move on and enjoy that lace thong but her hands were busy now. His clothes disappeared as quickly as hers had. Her mouth tasted and teased as she removed each piece of clothing. He reached into the drawer of his nightstand and pulled out the silk scarf he’d decided to keep for a special occasion. This was it.

  “See. I do have a surprise,” he held it up.

  Jade’s seductive smile encouraged him. “Oh!”

  For the time being, they forgot about demons and curses. They could concentrate on that tomorrow. They took time to express their love and later, in the afterglow of their lovemaking, they spoke of the bright future they planned to make together.

  Decker did enjoy the black lace. He made sure Jade, the woman he loved, thoroughly enjoyed the wearing of it, along with his use of the silk scarf. And what happened while they flew.

  In the dark recesses of the hidden rooms beneath the crumbling, gray castle ruins, Ciaran rested upon his massive, hand-carved bed he had owned for centuries. He
was alone. The soothing silk sheets were the only thing he could stand touching his raw, inflamed skin. He lay motionless, wounded, in pain.

  His only solace was in planning the deaths of the O’Flynns, the Murphy woman, the crone and those interfering guardians. The two other women would die too for their sins against him. Where had their power come from? He had killed the McCarthy and O’Driscoll women, one in London and the other in New York. He thought he had killed the right ones.

  It came to him as he remembered the warrior and the black-haired woman as they held hands and controlled the water. He realized then that she favored Rionach, the O’Driscoll, who had married Lonán O’Floinn. So there were five? He hadn’t known there were five gathered. Now he did. Perhaps the Guardians truly had hidden some away. Well then, he’d kill the O’Driscoll bitch first. They wouldn’t expect it. They still assumed the blonde was his target.

  The thought of swooping in and killing the black-haired woman without any warning made him smile. He could just rip her throat out as he passed by her.

  With that comforting thought, he was able to close his eyes and rest. He needed rest. It was why he had returned to the source of his power. The place where it was born.

  Excerpt from Book 2, Liam’s Spell

  Erin excused herself and walked toward the restaurant restrooms.

  Liam left the others at the table, and rose to follow her. He didn’t go into the men’s room; he just waited outside for Erin. He noted the hallway made an L and that this was a relatively private spot.

  When Erin came out, she looked a little surprised to see him but she gave him a smile.

  “Hey, I want to talk to you, do you have a minute?”

  “Sure.” Erin’s smile faded when she noticed his serious expression.

  “Well,” Liam began then stopped. He ran a hand through his hair.

  “Well?” Erin encouraged.

  “The energy today, when we did that thing with the water, it was pretty intense, huh? At least it was for me. Was it for you?”

  “Yes.” Erin nodded. “It was very strong,” she agreed. It had been so strong and vibrant; she was still reeling from it. They had connected in a way that hadn’t happened before, even when they had been learning and worked together as a pair. The energy today was hot, strong, and pulsed through her. It had made her feel so alive. She remembered looking into Liam’s vivid blue eyes just before they worked their magic. When they joined hands, what she had seen in his eyes had made her feel wonderful. It had also terrified her. Now there was a different kind of look in those brilliant blue eyes altogether. Desire!

  “Yeah, so, I guess what I’m trying to say is, well, for me, the energy between us has always been strong. Whatever this is between us...” He noticed that wary look creep into her pale, crystalline eyes. He didn’t want her to freak out and shut down before he said what he wanted to say. He searched for words, and none came.

  “So, um, oh hell!” Liam reached out and grabbed Erin by the shoulders.

  She gasped when his strong, muscled arms crushed her against his broad chest. Liam had muscles upon muscles. He was big and strong and hard everywhere, but warm. Oh, God, he was so warm. When his very sensuous lips covered hers, the gentleness of his kiss surprised her. It wasn’t the kind of kiss a guy gave you when he was trying to get in your pants. Erin was quite familiar with those.

  This was different. This left her knees shaking and her head spinning. What exactly was this? She honestly didn’t know.

  “Stop thinking, Erin. Kiss me back,” he murmured as his lips left hers for a second.

  She looked up into those deep, dark pools of blue. Saw the tenderness there. Wondered. When he caressed her cheek, with that big strong hand, so very gently, so reverently, she couldn’t help it; she sighed and closed her eyes. Then his warm lips were pressed against hers again, his tongue probing. What else could she do, she kissed him back. Their kiss was…heaven, unlike anything she’d ever experienced before, passionate, but tender.

  Her thoughts jumbled. She was so confused, but the only thing that came to mind was to kiss him more. So she did. And this kiss was even better. It was oh, so passionate, but still he touched her with that gentleness, that reverence. Those were the only words she could think of to describe it. The energy built and intensified. Feelings, needs, urges, and emotions tangled and swirled inside her. Desire surfaced and flamed. Liam’s lips became more demanding, and she gave him what he wanted. Demanded in return.

  She was drowning. She didn’t know what to do. Oh, she didn’t want to stop, but she was scared to death. She didn’t know how to have a relationship, and had never been in a good one. As for Liam, well she just knew that was the only option for him. Relationship, just the word scared the hell out of her. The whole idea of having a relationship with Liam terrified her. She would mess it up. She always did. She wasn’t like Jade and Harper. She didn’t have good memories of dating, or her childhood.

  He lifted his head and breathed, “You’re thinking again. Don’t think, baby, just feel.” He moved a bit and slanted his mouth over hers again. This kiss was deeper, his tongue probed and explored.

  She did feel. So Much. Too much. She returned his kiss. How could she not? It was the most amazing thing she had ever experienced. That incredible, delicious energy filled her again. There was heat, so much heat, coupled with intense energy pumping through her. There was no word for how good she felt right now. Whatever this was, it was strong. Overpowering. Mind-blowing.

  He lifted his head and smiled down at her.

  “Yeah, that was what I felt out there. It wasn’t just the magic. It was you and me, baby.”

  She looked up at him. “It was strong, yes…” she shook her head and looked away.

  “Take a deep breath, Erin.” With the light touch of his finger along her cheek, he captured her attention. She turned to face him again.

  She took a deep breath and looked into those deep blue eyes. A woman could drown in them.

  “Take a couple more breaths, baby,” he encouraged in a gentle tone.

  “Liam, I, we can’t, I-”

  “We did. We are. It’s started, and it’s nowhere near finished. We have a long way to go yet.”

  “Liam! I don’t know how, um, I mean I never had a good-”

  He placed the tip of his finger against her lips. “Erin, I know you’re scared. Baby, we’ve talked a lot as friends. You’ve been hurt. I understand that. I’m not going to hurt you. We’ll take things very slow. I want you. I like being with you. I feel like I’ve been struck by lightning whenever I’m near you. Just now, when we kissed, it’s the best feeling I’ve ever had in my whole f-ing life, baby. Tell me you’ll give us a shot, please. You have to. You’re my one. I’m yours.”

  She shook her head and whispered, “I’m not good at relationships. I’m afraid I’ll mess it up. I always do.”

  “You won’t,” he whispered against her ear and paused to nibble on it. Next, his lips moved to the sensitive skin behind her ear. “I won’t let you,” he whispered as his lips pressed against her ear.

  She sighed. It felt so good. He felt so good.

  “You won’t mess it up. We’ll get through it, together,” his voice was husky. He placed a chaste kiss to those beautiful lips then looked into those fathomless, crystalline blue eyes.

  “Tell me you aren’t attracted to me, you truly don’t want this, and I’ll leave it alone.”

  “I…” she ran a hand through her short black waves. “I can’t.” Tears formed in her eyes. “I don’t want to disappoint you. You are the last person I want to hurt. I’m not very good at this!” she persisted.

  Liam tucked a strand of her wavy, black hair behind her ear. “You could never disappoint me, and you’re going to get really good at this.” He smiled at her. It was a very sexy smile. He straightened then took her long-fingered, delicately boned hand in his and led her back down the hall.

  “Liam, you come from a wonderful, loving family atmosphere. I told
you, my family is and always has been the most dysfunctional family in the world. I’ve made a mess out of every relationship I’ve been in. I like you, Liam. I value our friendship. I don’t want to mess that up. I can’t lose that.”

  “You won’t. We’ll still be friends no matter what. You won’t make a mess out of our relationship. I told you, I won’t let you. We’re going to get this one right, together.” He bent to kiss her yet again.

  The clearing of a throat had Erin jumping back away from Liam.

  “Hey. What’s up?” Brody, his brother, stood there grinning from ear to ear.

  “I, uh, was just heading back to the table.” Erin pointed and hurried past Brody.

  “Hmm?” Brody turned his head and watched her walk away. He turned back and grinned at Liam. “Bad timing on my part, I guess?”

  “Yeah. It was.” Liam wanted to reach out and wipe that grin off Brody’s face. But he didn’t. He could still smell her scent, patchouli, sandalwood, and something sweet. He loved her scent.

  “Sorry, bro, but I have to take a leak and you’re in the hallway here, right in front of the men’s room, so…” Brody shrugged.

  Liam said, “It’s all right. But if you should ever happen to walk up on something like that again, could you just turn around and go back the other way?”

  “Sure. If I don’t have to take a leak and you’re in front of the bathroom.” Brody chuckled as he pushed open the men’s room door.

  “Take a piss outside then,” Liam growled after him. He let go a big sigh as he walked down the corridor. He’d have to try to catch Erin before she went to bed tonight. He thought he might have made some progress, but be couldn’t be sure. He might have scared her enough to push her away. He’d find out. He needed to know, so he knew how to proceed.

  Erin was his one. It was not his intention to let her go.

  Excerpt from A Bachelor No More

  Book 1 in the Quest for the Shroud series,