Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
RILEY
The wheels of the plane hit the tarmac with a jolt, and I sneak a glance at Kieran from the corner of my eye.
We’re in Vegas, the so-called city of love and sin, but judging by the brooding man beside me, you would think we were flying in for a funeral.
His jaw is tight, and his arms are folded over his chest as if he’s trying to put up a physical barrier between the two of us.
We’ve barely exchanged ten words since we left New York, and considering we’re meant to be a couple that is so madly in love that we’re eloping, he needs to work on his goddamn acting.
“Try not to look like you’re being dragged to your own execution,” I mutter under my breath as we taxi down the runway.
He doesn’t even offer me a reply.
This is going to be a great weekend.
We catch a cab straight to the Strip.
Kieran is on his phone for most of the ride, so I take the opportunity to look out the window and admire the neon chaos of Vegas as we head toward our hotel.
I’ve never been here before, and I never expected my first trip would be with Kieran Sullivan, of all people, but I intend on making the most of it.
My stomach flutters with a mixture of excitement and nerves as we eventually arrive at the hotel, which looks more like a palace with its marble floors, gold accents, and enormous chandeliers dangling from the ceiling.
“Trying to impress me, Sullivan?” I ask as we walk across the foyer.
Kieran doesn’t look up from his phone, which irritates me.
I should be glad that I’m not having to engage in conversation with him, and yet, I can’t seem to forget how much I enjoyed talking with him over dinner the other night.
Up until that stupid kiss, I thought that we could have fun with this arrangement, but it was stupid of me to believe that Kieran Sullivan is capable of such a thing.
“Not everything’s about you.”
That’s my future husband-to-be, charming as ever.
We take the elevator up to the honeymoon suite, and the second I push open the door and step inside, my breath catches at the sight before me.
The suite is huge, bigger than any hotel room I’ve ever been in, with floor-to-ceiling windows stretching across one wall showcasing a breathtaking view of the Vegas Strip below.
The main room is sleek and modern, with polished marble floors that gleam under the warm, ambient lighting.
Off to the side, there is a plush velvet couch and a glass coffee table, a polished marble bar stocked with crystal decanters filled with every kind of liquor imaginable, and a dining table that has a bottle of champagne on ice as well as a huge wicker basket filled with delicious snacks.
I think I might actually be in heaven.
“Okay.” I drag out the word as I spin slowly in the middle of the suite. “I’ll admit it, this is incredible.”
Kieran shrugs from where he leans against the wall, scrolling through his phone like the whole room bores him. “It’s okay.”
I whirl on him. “Okay? Are you kidding? This place looks like it was designed for royalty. You could at least pretend to be excited.”
“It’s a hotel room.”
“It’s not just a hotel room; it’s the honeymoon suite! Because we’re about to be on our honeymoon, unless you’ve forgotten.”
“How could I possibly forget?” He still refuses to meet my eyes.
“Seriously, you need to stop with the bad mood right now. I get that this is the last thing you want to be doing, but if you don’t get your shit together, you’re going to blow this for both of us.”
He finally looks at me, and I suck a breath as his dark eyes meet mine. They flicker with something unreadable before he sighs and tucks his phone into his pocket.
“You’re right. I’ll do better.”
I blink.
I wasn’t expecting him to actually agree with me. “Okay, then… Uh… Good.”
I force myself to look away from Kieran before my body decides it would be a great idea to try and kiss him again and decide to go and scope out the bedrooms. I might be in Vegas, but I still have one last final to study for, so the sooner I get unpacked, the sooner I can crack open my books.
Except walking into the bedroom hits me like a punch to the gut.
I take it back. This place isn’t heaven.
It’s actually the fiery pits of hell.
“Oh no. No, no, no.”
My eyes land on the super king-sized bed in the center of the room, with its freshly pressed white sheets and plush pillows and the scattering of rose petals that cover it.
My stomach bottoms out.
I want to laugh and cry, all at the same time.
Kieran appears behind me, but I don’t glance at him. I don’t need him seeing the dark pink blush that is now staining my cheeks as I stare at the enormous bed that apparently we are meant to share.
“Fuck’s sake.”
“I thought we would have separate beds, at the very least.” My throat is painfully dry, and I can barely get the words out.
“So did I, but Ronan was in charge of the booking. If this is his idea of some kind of joke, I’m going to fucking kill him when we get back to New York.”
My stomach twists as I continue to stand frozen, staring at the bed as if it might swallow me whole if I were to even approach it.
“I’ll take the chair,” Kieran eventually says, stepping past me and crossing over to drop his bag onto the armchair in the corner.
It’s fairly large, but not large enough for his hulking great frame to stretch out on.
“You’ll break your spine if you sleep on that.”
“It’s better than you being uncomfortable.”
I stare at Kieran.
I don’t know if he’s actually being considerate or if this is some passive-aggressive jab because I pulled away from him after the kiss.
Knowing Kieran, it’s probably the second one.
I open my mouth and consider blurting out the secret that’s been on the tip of my tongue since last night. My shameful secret. The reason I’m apparently so valuable I can be traded for territory.
Maybe if he knew the truth of why I pushed him away, he would be more understanding…
That’s why I panicked and pulled away. Not because I didn’t want him to kiss me, but because I was terrified of what it would lead to. I know Kieran’s no virgin himself, and the thought of him not enjoying himself because of my lack of experience is nothing short of mortifying.
My cheeks flood with color, and I push the thought away.
I shouldn’t even be entertaining such ideas because it’s never going to happen, and the fact that I was even considering coming clean about the fact that I’m a virgin just because I felt bad for bruising Kieran’s ego is honestly laughable.
I need to get it together and remind myself that any information I give to Kieran, he will only end up using against me anyway. We might be fighting on the same side, but in his eyes, I will always be the enemy.
I cross over to the bed and set down my backpack, which sends the rose petals flying.
“So, what’s the plan from here?”
“We hit a chapel to make this thing official, and then call Ronan and tell him the good news.”
I chew on my lower lip as I glance around the room.
“And then we just…act like we’re married?”
“Pretty much.”
“It’s just so…clinical.”
“It’s a fake marriage; what do you expect?”
I try not to flinch at the venom in his tone. I have no idea what I expected from him, but it wasn’t this.
Maybe it’s the kiss that is confusing everything.
If I didn’t know how good it felt to have my body pressed up against Kieran’s, I could keep a level head.
But the truth is I can’t forget how good it felt, and seeing all the rose petals and the champagne, I feel a pang of something in my gut that I can’t seem to name.
“I’m not looking forward to telling my family when we get home,” I say just to break the silence.
“You won’t have to.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“Oscar already knows.” Kieran shrugs.
My head snaps up, and my entire body turns cold. “What?”
“He found out, but it’s fine. I took care of it.”
“No, it’s not fine! How the hell did he find out?”
Kieran’s jaw tightens as he offers me that signature glare. “Does it matter?”
“Of course, it matters! Oh, my god, this is bad. This is very, very bad.”
“Relax, princess. He was going to find out, eventually.”
“I swear to god, if you call me princess one more time—”
“I dare you to finish that sentence.”
There’s nothing but challenge in Kieran’s eyes, but I don’t have the energy to fight him. The lack of sleep followed by the plane ride has left me depleted, and I finally give in and perch on the edge of the bed.
“He’s going to kill me.”
“Oscar was going to find out eventually, and besides, he’s not the one we need to worry about. Sean is going to lose it when he hears you married someone else, and especially when that someone is me.”
“Why does it matter if it’s you?”
“Because he’s been looking for an excuse to go after me for years, and this gives him one wrapped up with a damn bow.”
Kieran pushes off the wall and stalks toward me.
For a moment, I think he’s going to sit beside me on the bed, but he doesn’t. Instead, he hovers in front of me, which, quite frankly, I find more annoying.
“Until we get back, you’re going nowhere without me, understand?”
I scowl up at him. “I don’t need your protection. Especially when it’s obvious you couldn’t care less about me.”
“Maybe not. But you sure came running to us fast enough. You wanted my family’s help, and now you have it, so you have no choice but to do as I say.”
That hits a nerve. “Go to hell.”
He smirks. “We’re already there, princess.”
God, he’s infuriating! But the worst part is I know he’s right. I did go to the Sullivans for help, and I willingly agreed to this whole arrangement, so now I have no choice but to see it through. Even if that means letting Kieran goddamn Sullivan call the shots.