By His Play

20. Kieran

20

KIERAN

E ffie slams the car door and marches toward the house before I even have time to kill the engine.

“Fucking hell,” I groan, tipping my head back and slumping lower in my seat.

Today has been…a clusterfuck of emotions.

I’ve gone from horny, to embarrassed, to angry, to sad, and back to horny again.

Reaching down, I tug at my slacks, giving myself a little extra space.

I’ve been hard since she looked up at me with wide eyes full of longing.

My blood rushes past my ears just thinking about us standing in the middle of the church hall thirty minutes ago.

I knew what she wanted. It was written over every inch of her.

But I couldn’t.

Not there.

If we…

Fuck.

I drag my hand down my face, unable to believe that I’m contemplating this.

I’ve never thought about doing anything with Effie before. Sure, she’s beautiful and sexy and a whole host of other attractive things. But she’s Effie. She’s been my best friend forever.

Does she even really want me? Or am I just an easy distraction for her?

If I were to throw caution to the wind, would she regret it in the morning?

Would it change everything we know about life? And not for the better...

She sure didn’t react very well to what happened this morning.

Not that she’s in any kind of mental state to deal with this huge change.

Hell, I’m not exactly in the right frame of mind either.

I curl my fists, remembering how close I came to knocking her father out earlier.

The way he spoke to her...

My teeth grind.

No one gets to speak to my girl like that.

With a renewed fire burning through my veins, I throw my door open and climb out.

“Effie?” I call once I’ve locked us inside Grams’ home.

I expect her to have shut herself in her bedroom, but to my surprise, when she responds, her voice comes from the kitchen.

“Yeah.”

My brows pinch, but I don’t stop to question it. Instead, I stalk through to where she is.

“What are you doing?” I balk when I come to a stop in the doorway.

She’s already shed her dress and is standing in one of my T-shirts. It swamps her, but it looks sexy as hell. Of course, it helps that it has my name and number on it.

She’s not playing fair.

“I just need something,” she explains as she messily pours vodka into glasses.

They’re not shot glasses; they’re tumblers. I dread to think how much she’s just poured.

“Haven’t you already had enough?” I ask, thinking of the numerous glasses of prosecco I’ve seen her drink today.

“Just one,” she states before lifting the glass to her lips.

“Or five,” I point out, eyeing the glass.

“Come on. I’m not drinking alone. Not tonight.”

Shrugging off my suit jacket, I fold it on the counter before moving closer.

Her hair is still styled, and the makeup lingers. Her eyes are red and swollen from crying, but she still looks beautiful.

Lifting the glass, I clink mine against hers.

“To Grams,” I say.

Effie swallows thickly, fighting her emotions again. I kick myself for upsetting her, but what else are we raising a glass to?

“Today was perfect. She’d have loved it.”

Lifting her glass to her lips, she takes a sip, and I breathe a sigh of relief that she doesn’t swallow it all down in one go.

“I hope so,” she finally says before drinking more.

I can’t help but copy her, but I don’t take it so slowly. I’ve only had soda today, and I can’t deny the need to drown some of it out.

I swallow the huge shot in one go, making Effie’s eyes widen as she watches me.

“Fuck,” I grunt as the vodka burns down my throat.

“Where did you get this?” I ask. I thought the sherry I tipped down the drain was the only alcohol in the house.

“I ordered it,” Effie confesses before throwing the rest of hers back.

She winces as it burns before slamming her glass down.

“Kieran?”

“Yeah?”

Despite wanting to say something, she keeps her eyes downcast.

Silence follows as she decides against saying whatever is on her mind.

Instead, she reaches for the bottle again.

“Effie,” I warn, but it falls on deaf ears. She picks up the bottle and pours herself another vodka. “No,” I bark, grabbing her wrist before she gets it to her lips.

The clear liquid sloshes in the glass and spills over the side, landing on her t-shirt.

My eyes drop.

The vodka soaks the fabric, instantly making it stick to her skin…to her breasts.

Her nipples pebble, pressing against the thin t-shirt.

My jaw pops as my mouth runs dry.

She’s messing with my head.

“Kieran,” she hisses when I don’t release her.

“I’m not letting you get wasted,” I tell her, dragging my eyes back up to her face.

She stares at me, her face clearly showing her pain.

If I thought for even a second that drinking the entire bottle would help, I’d tell her to have at it.

But the only thing it’ll leave her with is regret and a massive hangover.

Sure, it might help her forget for an hour or two, but it won’t be worth it.

She’ll hate herself for it tomorrow, and I’d much rather she hate me now for not letting her drown her sorrows in alcohol.

“I just need to forget,” she pleads, attempting to move the glass closer to her face. All she achieves is another slosh of vodka on her chest.

“I know, but this isn’t the way,” I argue, easily overpowering her and removing the glass from her grip.

“Then what is? It hurts, Kieran. It hurts so fucking much. I need some relief. I just need some?—”

I act on instinct.

I cut her words off with my lips.

Talk about doing things you’ll regret tomorrow…

She freezes against me, and I panic.

Did I read her wrong earlier?

No. There is no way.

She wanted this.

Me.

My heart races so fast, my head spins a little. To be fair, it could also be the vodka.

I open my eyes and find her staring back at me.

“Tell me to stop,” I demand against her lips.

If she does, I can take a step back and go and shower.

I’ll take care of business and then come back out here and be the friend she needs.

But if she doesn’t…

“Please,” she whispers, squeezing her eyes closed. “D-don’t…stop.”

“Look at me,” I demand, pulling back a little bit.

She drags her heavy eyelids open, and her eyes immediately find mine.

“Don’t stop,” she repeats.

So I don’t.

Surging forward, my lips crash against hers and my hands grip her waist.

I lean into her, my lips parting at the same time hers do, and our tongues meet.

Her hands slide up my chest before her fingers twist in the short hair at the nape of my neck.

A deep groan fills the kitchen, and it takes a couple of seconds to realize it came from me.

“Kieran,” she gasps as my hands slide lower so I can lift her from the floor.

The second her ass hits the counter, her thighs part, allowing me to step between them.

“Shouldn’t be doing this,” I mutter as I kiss down her throat.

“Don’t stop,” she begs, tugging at my tie.

In seconds, she pulls it through my collar and lets it float to the floor.

Her fingers then begin working on my buttons.

“Fuck, Effie,” I groan, diving for her lips again as she relieves me of my shirt.

Her hands sliding down my chest feel insane.

My skin prickles and my dick gets harder, pressing painfully against the zipper of my pants.

“Yes,” she cries when I skim my hands up her body until I squeeze her braless tits. “Kieran.”

Fuck. My name has never sounded so good before.

As she tugs at my waistband, I twist my fingers in the fabric of my shirt and drag it over her head.

Our lips part for a beat as the t-shirt passes our mouths, but we quickly reconnect.

My hands roam, learning every inch and curve of her body.

Her skin is so soft, and something tells me it’ll be deliciously sweet as well.

With her nails scratching over my shoulders, I kiss down her throat, needing to taste her.

Leaning into her, I give her little choice but to let go of me and lean back on her hands.

I pause as my lips brush over the swell of her breast and look up.

Her lips are swollen and her pupils are dilated, and miraculously, the pain etched into her features has gone.

It won’t last forever. But right now, she’s not consumed by it.

I’m doing that.

I’m helping her forget.

I’m giving her some relief.

It’s all I’ve wanted to do since she got the call that Grams had passed.

Her chest heaves as her warm breath rushes over my face.

“Beautiful,” I whisper before moving lower and flicking my tongue over her nipple.

“Fuck,” she gasps.

But it’s not enough.

It’s nowhere near enough.

I suck her nipple fully into my mouth, and she throws her head back and mewls.

It is fucking everything.

I tease her, licking, sucking, and nipping until she’s panting and grinding her hips in her need for more.

Switching to the other side, I give it the same treatment.

“Kieran, please,” she begs.

It’s like music to my fucking ears.

Panic covers her face when I take a step back, but she doesn’t need to worry; I’m not going anywhere.

Reaching for her hips, I hook my fingers into her panties and tug.

“Lift up,” I demand before sliding the final item of clothing from her body.

She shudders on the counter as my eyes take her in.

Letting her underwear drop to the floor, I rest my hands on her knees.

“One last chance,” I warn her, although I’m not sure I’d be able to walk away now even if she asked me to.

She sucks in a deep breath that makes her chest rise and her glistening nipples catch the light.

“Please.” The word is barely audible, but it hits me in the chest like a fucking sledgehammer.

“Lie back,” I demand before pushing her legs wide.

My eyes drop to her pussy and my mouth waters.

“Kieran?” she questions nervously as she looks up at me with caution in her eyes.

“Have you always been this wet for me, Luck?” I ask cockily before reaching out and dragging my fingers through her folds.

She cries out as I find her clit.

“Oh yeah, you’ve been dreaming about this, haven’t you? Dirty girl.”

“Kieran, please.”

“Please what?” I ask, dropping my fingers back down and teasing her entrance. “Use your words, Effie. Tell me exactly what you want.”

“Y-You,” she stutters. “I-I want…I want you to make me come.”

Fuck me. How I don’t come in my pants for the second time today as she demands that of me, I don’t know.

“Your wish is my command, Luck,” I growl before sliding my hand down the soft skin of her inner thighs, holding her wide open for me before I duck down and lick up the length of her pussy.

Her taste explodes on my tongue and I lose my goddam mind.

She’s always been so perfect.

But I think I underestimated just how much.