Claimed: The Complete Short Romance Series

by Nichole Rose

  "Thanks," Liberty says before I can apologize for embarrassing her.

  "That happen a lot?"

  She shrugs, which is answer enough. Her tits are incredible. I'm guessing assholes are always staring at them, imagining what it'd be like to have their hands on them. God knows, I've thought about it a time or ten. I want to leave my marks all over them.

  "What do you do when you aren't working, baby girl?" I ask, shifting the conversation back to solid ground. If I don't, we're not going to make it through dinner before I'm all over her. Sitting across from her without being able to touch her is pure hell.

  "I mostly read or watch Netflix. Sometimes, I hike or go out for drinks with Summer."

  "Summer?"

  "Dom's wife." She smiles, her whole face lighting up. "They're so cute together. They just found out she's pregnant, so he spends all his time chasing her around the office, trying to boss her around. She never lets him do it though."

  The image of her pregnant with my baby slams into me, stiffening my cock. It hits me right in the solar plexus, knocking me on my proverbial ass. Jesus, I want to see her belly round with my baby, see her cuddling him or her close.

  I take a deep breath, fighting through the crippling ache in my balls. "You like Summer?"

  "She's my best friend," she says, still smiling. "I love working with her."

  Well, shit. I guess I will have to let her go back to work at some point, then. There's no way I can keep her from her friend, especially when she lights my girl up like fireworks. Maybe I can convince Alessi to let her work partially at my office and partially at his. I make a note to look into it later.

  Right now, I have more pressing shit to deal with. Like convincing her to come home with me so I actually manage to sleep tonight.

  Chapter Five

  Liberty

  "You don't have to walk me to my car," I murmur to Killian, watching him out of the corner of my eye as we stroll through the parking lot, headed toward my Prius. Dinner was…interesting. He can be charming, but I don't think it's something that comes natural to him.

  I think it's sweet that he tried for me though.

  "Going to anyway," he says, putting his hand on my lower back.

  I fight the urge to shiver at the weight of his hand. His longer fingers curve around my hip and squeeze, making my entire body hum with energy. My legs literally shake beneath me.

  We walk in silence through the parking lot. The sun is slowly sinking behind the horizon, shadows creeping in to take its place. The parking lot has cleared out since we got here. We didn't talk very much over dinner—I don't think he says much as a general rule—but we both lingered like neither of us wanted to leave. I'm not even sure if this was a date, but I wanted to stay right where I was at, staring at him like a crazy person.

  He did a lot of staring of his own. Every time I looked up, his eyes were on me. He didn't even act embarrassed to be caught staring. His lips just kicked up into one of those signature tiny smiles and he kept on doing it. I liked it.

  I squeak when we step between two trucks and he grabs me around the waist. My back hits the side of the truck to the right, his hand cupping my head to keep me from cracking it against the window.

  His big body presses into mine. His face looms into view, his crystalline eyes on fire.

  "Killian, wha–?"

  His mouth crashes down on mine, stealing my question and my breath.

  My hands fly to his shoulders, a surprised gasp leaving my lips. He grabs my hands in his free hand, pushing them up over my head…holding me captive against the cool metal of the truck behind me. The dominant move liquefies my insides, turning me into a puddle of desire. My entire body trembles, shaking with the force of my need for this man.

  He places a sweet kiss to the corner of my mouth and then yanks my skirt up, cupping my center like he did in his office. Only this time, he presses against my clit, sending a powerful jolt through me. "Gotta see you coming before I lose my fucking mind. You going to let me? Right here, right now?"

  I nod, not trusting myself to speak. I should probably tell him no. We're in the middle of a parking lot in San Diego and it's not even completely dark out yet. Anyone could walk by and see what he's doing to me. But I don't want to tell him no. Not even a little bit.

  His lips kick up into another of those tiny smiles he gives me. He presses a kiss to the corner of my mouth and then to my temple. His hand dips into my panties. "Jesus Christ," he groans. "You're soaked."

  I know I am. I think I've been that way since I saw him sitting in Dom's office yesterday morning. I've definitely been that way since he kissed me this morning.

  He parts my folds, pressing his thumb to my clit.

  A jolt of electricity zips through me. I bite my lip hard to keep from crying out his name as he urges me to part my legs a little wider. He touches me like he knows exactly what I need, exactly how to make me come undone for him.

  Within seconds, I'm on the edge.

  "Can't wait to feel you wrapped around my cock," he says, using his whole hand to get me off. It's dirty and public and yet…I love every single thing about it.

  "Killian," I whimper.

  "Don't let anyone hear you," he warns me. "Those sounds are just for me."

  "I can't be quiet."

  "You can."

  He's wrong. He is so, so wrong…

  The orgasm hits me, heat flowing through me. I bite my lip to keep from crying out his name as it engulfs me, flinging me skyward. My legs tremble, threatening to buckle beneath me. He holds me up against the truck with his body, his mouth slashing down on mine to steal my cries.

  I come harder than I ever have before. It seems to go on forever, leaving me gasping and shaking in his arms. When it's over, he cuddles me up against his chest, holding me like I'm something precious.

  No one has ever held me like this before, like they didn't want to let me go. Tears sting at my eyes and squeeze my throat in a vise. I don't want it to end. I want to stay right here, soaking up the heat of his body until I'm old and gray.

  "Come home with me," he says…though it's more of an order than a request.

  I hesitate, torn between giving in and letting him consume me, and protecting myself and my heart. I could easily fall for him. I'm pretty sure I'm already falling for him. That scares me and excites me at the same time. But he told me today not to overthink it. So I'm going to take his advice. I'm not going to overthink. I'm going to enjoy whatever time we have together.

  I take a breath…and I take a leap.

  "I'll go home with you."

  Killian wants me to ride with him, but I convince him to let me take my car home instead of leaving it in the parking lot. He doesn't like it but agrees when I remind him that I either need to get clothes now or I'll have to go home to get ready for work in the morning.

  By the time we arrive at my condo, I'm a mess of nerves. I know what going home with him signifies…what it means. I'm a little worried I won't live up to the way he's built me up in his mind. To him, I'm a goddess. I feel more like an imposter though.

  He's older, hotter, a literal millionaire. He could have anyone or anything he wanted. It's crazy to me that he wants me as badly as I want him…that he could want me as badly as I want him. He's the sun, blotting out everything else. And I'm just me. A twenty-two-year-old virgin with abandonment issues.

  "You're overthinking it," he says, reading me like a book as soon as he opens my car door and helps me out. He gets in my space again, pulling my body flush against his. His hand skims down my back, gripping onto my ass. His lips seek mine in the darkness, his stubble scraping my chin. "Stop thinking."

  He makes that sound so easy.

  "I'm nervous," I whisper against his lips. "I've never…"

  "Done this before?"

  "Wanted anyone this badly."

  "Jesus." He bites my lip, using his grip on my ass to pull me closer. "Me neither, baby girl. Need to get my cock in you so fucking bad it hurts.
Need to make you fall for me."

  "What if you change your mind?"

  He growls. Faster than I can process, I'm caught between his body and the side of my car, held captive by his massive frame. He blocks me in with his hands on either side of my head. His crystalline eyes shoot off sparks when they meet mine.

  He eyes me for a long, silent minute, looking like a pissed off avenging angel. "I've spent my life looking death in the face, Liberty. I don't have regrets, especially not about you."

  "That's not what I meant."

  "I know what you meant. You're afraid to let me in."

  I nod, unable to deny it.

  He expels a heavy breath and then pulls me into his arms. "You don't have to be afraid with me, baby girl. You don't have to keep those walls up either. I'm not going to hurt you."

  No, but he might break me. I don't say that though. Instead, I let him hold me.

  "Going to teach you what it means to have someone to lean on."

  "I've never had that."

  "You do now." He kisses me again and then pulls me away from my car, holding my hand like we're two lovers out for a stroll instead of…whatever we are. I'm not even sure at this point. I just know that I don't want whatever this is to end because he's already claimed a big piece of my heart.

  "You live here alone?" he asks, guiding me up the steps toward my condo.

  "Yeah."

  He grunts. I love when he makes that sound. He communicates so much in the simple sound, more than I ever knew anyone could communicate with a grunt. It's way hotter than it should be.

  My hands shake a little when I unlock the door. He pushes it open, motioning for me to go in first. The alarm beeps a warning, so I quickly hit the lights and then disarm the system.

  Killian follows me inside, looking around. My place isn't fancy. Honestly, it's barely big enough for me, but it's mine. The living room and small kitchen are open, with my bedroom and bathroom down a short hall. The stackable washer and dryer sit beside the fridge, which isn't ideal. But my furniture is new. The deep purple accents look good against the cream walls and hardwood floors.

  I glance at him to see what he thinks, but he's staring at me again, his eyes dark with need. My body responds to that look on his face, desire blasting through me in a powerful wave. One second, I'm nervous. The next, I'm pretty sure I'm going to die if he doesn't kiss me again immediately.

  "Killian," I whisper, swaying on my feet.

  "Fuck." He grabs me by the hips, yanking me into him again. Somehow, he turns us so my back hits the door as his mouth crashes down on mine. A needy growl vibrates in his chest, the sound full of hunger.

  It touches me everywhere, coaxing a moan from deep inside. I clutch him to me, tugging at his shirt because I need to feel his skin against mine right now or I might burst into tiny pieces. He seems to know how I feel. He helps me rip his shirt off over his head, his lips leaving mine for only a split second before he's back again, licking inside my mouth and grinding me against his erection.

  I run my hands up and down his chest, trying to touch him everywhere at once. His body is literal perfection, made of smooth, contoured muscle and coarse hair. His chest and shoulders are covered in tattoos. He's all man, powerful and strong. And so damn beautiful. I rake my nails down his chest and abdomen, yank at the button on his pants.

  He grabs my hands before I manage to get it undone, trapping them against the door above my head. His mouth breaks from mine, leaving a line of kisses down my throat. Before I can protest the fact that he's not letting me touch him, he bites my nipple through my shirt. A shock of pleasure races through me, my legs threatening to give out.

  "Goddamn, I can't wait to get my mouth on these," he growls, letting me go to pull my shirt up. Within seconds, he's tossing it over his shoulder, leaving me in nothing but my bra and skirt. His gaze rakes over me, hot and hungry.

  I instinctively move to cover my stomach, trying to hide my flaws and imperfections from him.

  "No," he says, grabbing my hands before I can do it. He pulls them up over my head again, holding me hostage once more. "Those curves you try so hard to hide? Those are my playground, my temple. I worship them, Liberty." He places the sweetest kiss to the corner of my mouth. "Gonna teach you how beautiful you are, baby girl. You'll never doubt it again."

  "Killian." I melt all over again. For someone who doesn't say much, he sure knows all the right words. I love it so much. "I'm not self-conscious usually. Just…no one ever sees me, you know? They look through me or around me. Not you."

  "Never me." He presses his lips to mine and then pulls away. "You going to be a good girl and do what I say, or do I need to tie you up?"

  Oh. My.

  My legs shoot together, my core clenching so hard at the thought that I think I orgasm a little bit. Excitement races through me, adrenaline sending my heartrate spiking. The thought of being completely at his mercy is overwhelming. I want it. Bad.

  He notices my reaction. Pure wickedness flares in his eyes and his upper lip curves into a smile that I already know I'll never tire of seeing on his handsome face. He looks like a warlord, ready to claim his spoils.

  "Maybe not an innocent little lamb after all," he says. "You got a little bit of a devilish side, don't you?" He leans in and nips at my shoulder.

  "M-maybe," I whisper, my chest heaving up and then down as I try to suck in a breath that doesn't want to come. Lord, he's already got me sweating and overheated and he hasn't even really touched me yet.

  "Baby girl, I'm going to do more than make you sweat. I'm going to make you beg," he growls against my skin, letting me know I said that out loud.

  I whimper his name, desire boiling low in my stomach. Oh, God. I'm not going to survive this. He's going to ruin me, just like he threatened to do earlier.

  He kisses a trail down my chest, groaning long and loud. He buries his face in my cleavage, peppering every inch with kisses and little bites that have me gasping out loud and struggling against the way he's holding my hands hostage. His teeth close around my nipple.

  "Killian!"

  He adjusts his hold on me, capturing both hands in one of his. He uses the other to undo the clasp of my bra, growling in frustration when it doesn't easily come undone. He tongues my nipple through the lacy fabric and then bites down again. Finally, the stupid clasp releases.

  He releases my hands long enough to help pull the straps off my arms. I try to use that momentary reprieve to my advantage and get my hands on him again, but he's a lot faster than I am. He has my arms pinned above my head again in two seconds.

  "Fucking hell," he swears, pinching my nipple hard enough to have me sobbing his name, desperate for relief.

  My clit pulses in time, another flood of arousal drenching my panties. I chafe my thighs together, trying to find a position that relieves a little of the ache, but it's useless. I'm not even tied up and I'm completely at his mercy.

  He replaces his thumb with his teeth, closing them around my nipple. A growl rumbles in his chest, sounding for all the world like a territorial wolf. He licks and sucks and bites until I'm writhing against the door.

  "Please, please," I plead, not sure how much more of this delicious torment I can take. It's too much and not enough.

  "You need to come, baby girl?"

  "Yes!" I sob.

  As soon as the word leaves my lips, he releases my hands, dropping to his knees in front of me. I grasp onto his shoulders to hold myself upright because without him helping me, my legs are trembling too hard to do it myself.

  "Spent a lot of time in the desert, wondering what heaven would feel like," he mutters, leaning forward to nip at my stomach. "Didn't think it'd be this goddamn perfect, Liberty. Lift your foot." He taps my right calf.

  I do as instructed, lifting my foot from the floor for him. He pulls my shoe off, bringing my foot up to press a kiss to the top of it before he places it back on the floor and then repeats the process with my left.

  "One day soon, you'r
e going to dig those pretty heels into my back while I'm fucking you," he says, grasping my hips and pulling me forward just far enough for him to reach the zipper on my skirt. The teeth part slowly.

  His eyes meet mine, so blue I get a little lost in them.

  He tugs my skirt down, allowing it to puddle at my feet. Even then, he holds my gaze captive, seemingly staring into me with adoration blazing in his eyes. Somehow, all those raw, exposed wounds that have always bled a little start to close up, as if he's stitching them back together with nothing more than the conviction in his eyes and the heat of his hands on my body.

  "Killian," I whisper, the need to say…something…overwhelming me. But I don't know what to say or how to tell him that I'm falling in love with him.

  He breaks my gaze finally, raking his eyes down my body. His chest shudders with the force of his exhale. "Jesus Christ," he breathes, reaching down to squeeze his cock. "You're going to have me coming all over myself like a teenager when I get those pretty panties off, baby girl."

  "Do it."

  "No. The next time I come, it'll be in that virgin cunt." He hooks his index fingers into my panties and starts tugging them down. "You smell like heaven. Bet your pussy taste like it too. I'm going to find out."

  I grasp the doorknob, trying to keep myself upright.

  "Fuck me," he groans, his eyes locked on my pussy like he can't look away. My panties hit the floor, pooling at my feet with my skirt. He leans forward and inhales before groaning again. One big hand latches around my thigh, helping me lift and drape it over his shoulder.

  He turns his head, kissing my inner thigh and leaving me trembling all over again. He sinks his teeth into me, biting just hard enough to make me cry out his name. When he pulls back, I see the red mark he left on me. I see the possessiveness lighting his eyes too, feel it pouring over me, drowning me in the deluge of desire left behind.

  The first touch of his tongue to my center has me sobbing his name. The second sets my blood on fire. I've never felt such pure, powerful bliss before, as if he's delivering an overdose of it directly into my veins with each decadent, heavenly touch of his tongue.