Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
RILEY
The car ride back to the penthouse is quiet.
I stare out the window, watching the city blur by as I dig my fingernails into my palms, trying to keep the storm inside me contained.
I didn’t want to say anything in front of Ronan and Ciara. Instead, I nodded and smiled politely as Kieran issued another order, taking away my freedom once again.
I understand the threat, I really do, but I’m sick of feeling like my life is a bone and I’m the dog failing to catch up to it.
The moment the elevator doors slide open, Kieran steps aside to let me exit first.
I storm straight into the living room before whirling around and exploding. “What the hell, Kieran?”
He blinks, clearly thrown off by my change in attitude. “What?”
“You tell me I can’t hang out at Ciara’s anymore, and you just expect me to smile and nod?”
“I told you, it’s not safe.”
“That’s bullshit. Ronan’s estate is probably the safest place I could be. But for some reason, you want to keep me on a tight leash.”
“I’m in charge of protecting you!”
“Protecting me?” I scoff. “From what, Kieran? From Ciara? From sitting on a couch and watching TV in a house with more security than a damn prison? You really think that’s where the danger is coming from?”
He doesn’t answer.
“No,” I continue as I start to pace. “You’re not protecting me. You’re punishing me.”
His jaw clenches. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Oh, really? First the party and now this. What’s next, huh? Are you going to put padlocks on my bedroom door?”
“You’re being paranoid.”
“I’m being treated like a child. A prisoner. Admit it, Kieran. You don’t trust me.”
His eyes snap to mine, sharp and cold, but I refuse to look away.
“Not everything is about you, Riley.”
His words feel like a slap to the face, and I don’t even try to hide the way I flinch.
“No. But when it comes to you, it’s never about me.”
The air between us grows heavy, like a storm waiting to hit, until Kieran exhales sharply.
“Do you have any idea what it’s like knowing he’s watching you? That one wrong move could get you killed?”
I throw my hands up in the air. “I didn’t ask for this! I didn’t ask to be dragged into your war with Sean. You’re the one who offered me a marriage and told me I would be safe with you. And I believed you, like an idiot.”
Kieran strides toward me, only stopping when there is nothing but a few inches between us. His eyes flash as he stares down at me, and I notice his hands shaking at his sides.
“I’m trying to protect you.”
My voice trembles. “You’re trying to control me. Just like my father did.”
Kieran rears back as if I’ve struck him. “Don’t compare me to him.”
“Then stop acting like him! Treat me like a human being and not a liability you have to manage.”
The silence that follows is deafening. My heart is hammering in my chest, and it hurts to take a breath, but it’s clear Kieran is not going to be the one to break it. So, I decide to say the one thing that I know could sever things between us for good.
“I heard what you said to Ronan. That night, after we slept together.”
Kieran goes still, so I continue.
“When I was in the bathroom, I heard you tell him that I meant nothing to you. That anything that happened between us was because it was the only way for you to make this deal tolerable.”
My voice cracks, and Kieran’s face drains of color.
“Riley—”
“Don’t! Don’t insult me by pretending you don’t remember. I know what I heard.”
He swears under his breath and rubs a hand down his face.
“I didn’t mean it.”
I shake my head, my eyes already stinging with tears. “It’s fine, I get it. You were bored, whatever…”
I go to step past him, but he grabs my wrist.
“Riley, stop. Listen to me.”
I try to pull away, but he only tightens his hold. It’s not enough to hurt me, but it’s enough to keep me close to him. Close enough to be enveloped by his musky cologne, overwhelmed by his breath on my cheek.
“Riley.” His voice is thick. “I shouldn’t have said that shit to Ronan. I was pissed, and he wouldn’t shut up about how I was making a mistake, how I was getting too close.”
“Were you?” I look up at him.
He swallows as he stares at me. “Yeah, I was. I still am.”
I freeze as Kieran slowly rubs his thumb back and forth over the inside of my wrist.
“Ronan was right, but I didn’t want to hear it.” His eyes stay locked on mine. “So, I said what I knew would end the conversation. I said that sleeping with you didn’t mean anything because if I didn’t, I was going to start defending it, defending you.”
My throat goes dry. “So…you… you didn’t mean it?”
The corner of his mouth twitches. “I’ve been over here thinking it was you who wasn’t into me.”
“Wait, what?”
“You’ve been acting like you regretted that night ever since it happened, whereas I have been going out of my mind with the need to take you to my bed every night since.”
My breath catches in my throat as Kieran’s eyes darken, and I know in that moment that he means every word.
“You really thought that?”
“I watched you pull away from me. What was I supposed to think?”
I don’t have an explanation because it’s true. I was pulling away, but not because I regretted what happened between us. It was because I was terrified of how much I enjoyed it.
Kieran exhales and takes a step closer to me until his chest brushes against mine, and I swallow a whimper as my hardening nipples rub against him.
“You’ve been walking around thinking I didn’t want you…” He moves his hand to interlace his fingers through mine. “And I’ve been losing my mind wanting you.”
The vulnerability in his voice is so raw it nearly breaks me.
“I wanted you that night in Vegas. And I haven’t stopped wanting you since.”
Before I can speak, his lips crash into mine with such urgency that my knees almost buckle. It’s like he’s trying to make up for every second he kept his distance.
The backs of my thighs hit the couch as he deepens the kiss, his free hand moving to my throat to tilt my head up.
“I’m going to prove to you,” he murmurs against my mouth, “exactly how much I want you.”
And then his mouth is on me once more, his lips trailing down my neck as his hands slide beneath the hem of my skirt.
We barely make it to the couch before I’m pulling my panties down and his hand is between my legs.
His fingers tease my opening, coaxing moans from me as he settles me down on the couch.
I expect him to move beside me, but when he drops to his knees, my breath catches.
“Kieran.” I writhe beneath him as I realize what he’s about to do.
I’ve never had someone go down on me before, so I have no idea what to expect. But if Kieran Sullivan is the one with his head between my thighs, I have a feeling it’s going to be incredible.
“Yes, Riley?” His lips pull up into a wicked grin as he looks up at me with those piercing dark eyes.
My chest is rising and falling so rapidly as I try to catch my breath, but Kieran only teases me further by running his hands up and down the backs of my thighs.
“Tell me what you want, princess.”
I bite my lip, squirming as his hand skims between my legs again. “You.”
“Which part of me?” His eyes gleam as his finger runs along my slit.
Threading my fingers through his hair, I gently coax his mouth forward, and he chuckles.
“Do you want me to eat your pussy? Is that it?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Say please.”
“You have got to be kidding.”
“I never joke about manners.” He runs his nose along the inside of my thigh.
My clit is throbbing, and I desperately need relief, but of course, Kieran isn’t giving me what I want. I swear the asshole takes pleasure in my suffering.
“Please.”
Kieran chuckles darkly, but before I can scream at him to give me a damn orgasm, his mouth is on my pussy, and I instantly forget my own name.
“Oh, god, yes!”
He slowly licks along my core. His tongue is so wet and warm, and when he reaches the apex of my thighs, he quickly flicks the tip over my swollen clit.
My hips jerk as a rush of pleasure shoots through my core.
“So fucking sensitive.”
I’m a writhing mess, so overcome by the feeling of his tongue on my pussy and his hair tickling my thighs that I can only whimper.
But it’s enough for Kieran to learn what I like. He grips my thighs harder, pulling me closer against his face as he sucks and licks until I’m trembling beneath his touch.
“Don’t stop.”
Kieran groans. “Fuck, you taste so good.”
I’m so slick between my thighs that I’m sure I’m leaving a wet patch on the couch, but I’m too turned on to care. Especially when I look down and watch as Kieran eats me out.
If I wasn’t already close to unraveling, that does it.
“Please let me come.”
Kieran’s tongue circles my clit in slow, lazy movements that have me so desperate with need that my eyes start to sting.
“Hmm…” He presses a kiss to my clit before slowly licking along my pussy. “I don’t know. Are you sure you deserve it?”
I arch toward him. “Kieran—”
“Beg,” he growls, nipping at my clit. “I want to hear you say it.”
“Please… I need it. I need you.”
That does it.
Kieran wraps his lips around my clit and sucks until I’m crying out his name.
My thighs tremble as I come, but his strong hands hold me steady as I grind my hips against his face, riding out my orgasm until I collapse against the cushions, gasping for air.
“Well done, princess.” He licks along my core. “Fuck, you’re so sweet.”
“Kieran.” I sigh as I lay limp on the couch.
“Yes, Riley?” He chuckles as he gets to his feet and reaches for his belt.
I eye the outline of his cock, and my pussy clenches as I remember how good it felt to have him inside me.
“How do you want me to take you?”
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but… “I—I want to ride you.”
A low groan builds in Kieran’s throat as he reaches into his pants and pulls out his cock, the tip already slick with precum.
My mouth waters at the thought of leaning forward and licking along the seam. But before I can, Kieran sits down beside me and pulls me onto his lap.
“Come here.”
Gripping his shoulders to steady myself, I hover above him, the tip of his cock rubbing against me. “Nice and slow, Riley.”
His hands find my hips, and I start to lower myself onto his cock.
But as he stretches me, I wince, and my entire body tenses up.
He leans in to kiss me. “Relax.”
I let myself focus on his tongue licking along my lower lip before moving to my jaw and neck, and slowly, I take another inch, then another until he’s fully buried inside me.
“Kieran,” I moan, my head falling forward onto his shoulder.
My hips start to move of their own accord, and when the head of his cock brushes against my inner walls, I let out a cry of pleasure. “You feel so good.”
“Lift yourself up.” He moves his hands to grip my ass.
I do as he says, slowly sliding off his cock until just the tip is inside me, and then Kieran pulls me back down, slamming into me with one hard thrust.
“Fuck, just like that,” he grunts as I cry out once again.
My head falls back as I find my rhythm, sliding myself up and down his cock at a pace that has another orgasm starting to build quickly.
It’s almost too much, but when Kieran reaches between us and starts rubbing my clit with his thumb, I completely lose myself to the pleasure.
“I’m coming,” I gasp as my thighs start to tremble.
Kieran groans as he quickens his pace, thrusting his hips upward to meet me stroke for stroke.
“More. I need…more.”
Kieran wraps an arm around my waist and slams his cock into me so hard I scream as my orgasm hits me.
My eyes roll, and I collapse against him as the pleasure courses through me, but Kieran doesn’t stop. He holds me tighter as he fucks me harder and faster until he’s groaning my name in my ear as he spills inside me.
Once we’ve both caught our breath, I pull off Kieran and settle in his lap, tucking my head against his chest as his fingers play with my hair.
“Satisfied?” he murmurs against my temple.
“Very.” I laugh softly. “I get why people say it’s better the second time.”
He chuckles for a second, but then his body becomes rigid beneath me, and I cringe as I realize what I’ve just said.
“The second time?”
My cheeks burn, which is all the answer he needs.
“Wait…Riley, were you a virgin in Vegas?”
I want nothing more than for the floor to open up and swallow me whole. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so mortified in my entire life.
“Riley.”
“Why does it matter?” I pull away just enough so I can see the blatant look of horror on Kieran’s face.
“It matters because it changes everything.”
I swallow past the lump in my throat. “Why? What difference would it have made if you had known?”
I climb off his lap and adjust my skirt, trying not to wince as his seed drips down my thigh.
“It would have made all the difference because—”
His phone buzzes in his pocket.
“Fuck, it’s Ronan,” he mutters after glancing at the screen.
I want to scream as Kieran gets to his feet and quickly refastens his pants. Of course, he’s choosing work over having this conversation with me.
“Kieran—”
“I have to take this,” he mutters before disappearing into his study, leaving me to stare after him because I know exactly what he was about to say.
That it would have made all the difference because he would have never slept with me in Vegas if he had known I was a virgin.