Chapter 14 Ronan
Chapter Fourteen
RONAN
Watching Ciara’s naked ass sway as she storms from my bedroom is a sight that will be forever burned into my mind.
It might have been a dick move to bring her to the edge, twice, but she needed to be put in her place and reminded of who’s in control here.
I could see it on her face the moment she bared that sweet little pussy to me that she thought she had the upper hand, but no. I don’t give up control that easily.
Especially, not for her.
I collapse onto the bed in the very spot where Ciara had just been lying as I fucked her with the toy. I had a feeling it would come in handy, and it didn’t disappoint, considering the fact I can hear her using it through the damn wall.
Her moans are soft at first, but then she turns up the speed, and all bets are off. Her moans turn to cries of pleasure, and I grit my teeth as I imagine her fucking her pussy with that vibrator.
I stare at the ceiling with one arm behind my head and my other hand gripping the edge of the pillow like it might save me from doing something stupid.
But it doesn’t.
It can’t.
Not when the woman I want more than anything is moaning with pleasure just a wall away.
I close my eyes and try to take a steadying breath, but Ciara’s loud enough for me to picture the scene perfectly.
How her back arches as she chases her release. How her blonde hair splays out behind her on the pillow as her skin flushes pink and her mouth parts as she readies herself to cry out my name when she comes.
I can still taste her on my tongue, and fuck, did it take some self-restraint to pull away before she had the chance to come all over it.
Her thighs trembling on either side of my head as I sucked on her clit and watched her face as she got ready to climax almost made me come right then. The throbbing ache in my pants was only made worse when she almost came as I pumped that vibrator inside her as if it were my cock.
I didn’t stop because I wanted to. Fuck no. I stopped because I needed to.
Ciara thinks she has power over me because she pretends to be disgusted by my mere presence, but she doesn’t. Considering the fact I almost had her coming on my tongue in mere minutes tells me all I need to know.
I think Ciara likes to give up control and submit, but she’s just not ready to admit it yet. When she is, I’ll be here, waiting patiently for her.
Her loud moans slice through my thoughts, and I automatically reach down to squeeze my aching length.
“Christ.”
I’ve been rock hard ever since I first tasted her mouth, but there was no way in hell I was going to cross that line, no matter how much I wanted to. But right now, still with the taste of her arousal on my tongue, I can’t hold back any longer.
I unbuckle my pants and reach into my boxers to pull my cock free. The tip is already slick with precum, and I roughly tug on it to try to relieve the ache.
As Ciara’s cries bleed through the wall, I tighten my grip and pump my cock faster to match her rhythm.
I might not be the one making her come in person, but I know damn well I’m on her mind right now. I saw the way her eyes widened when she spied my erection and the need that flashed behind them. She wanted me to fuck her, and I can’t deny I was desperate to bury myself deep inside her wet pussy.
“Fuck,” I groan as I picture how slick and swollen she was.
Every sound Ciara makes as she pleasures herself pushes me closer to the edge.
I swipe my thumb over the slick tip of my cock and hiss through my teeth as I tighten my grip, imagining thrusting my cock deep inside her.
“Come for me, Ciara,” I grunt as I stroke my cock faster.
A choked sound escapes her, and I grin at the idea of her biting down on her pillow, trying to muffle the sounds of her pleasure as she climaxes.
Imagining the look of pure ecstasy on her face is enough to have me spilling all over my hand, my knuckles white as I grip the edge of the bed. But even when my cock has finished leaking, I lie there panting, restless, and nowhere near satisfied.
Ciara McCarthy has no idea what she’s just started.
The next morning, the smell of fresh coffee fills the kitchen as I sit at the marble counter with my phone in one hand and a steaming mug in the other. There’s a dull ache behind my eyes, the kind that comes from too little sleep, but this time it isn’t because of business.
Even after taking care of myself once more in the shower before climbing into bed, my body was far from relaxed. Knowing that Ciara was naked on the other side of the wall was more torturous than I could have anticipated.
If I don’t calm the fuck down, I might have to switch rooms with Brennan and sleep on the other side of the house.
Just as I finish checking my inbox, Ciara’s footsteps echo in the hallway, and my lips twitch.
It’s not even seven in the morning, so I wasn’t expecting to see her before I left for the day, and I can’t deny that I’m pleased I will.
But as she appears, from the dark shadows beneath her eyes, it looks as if she got about as much sleep as I did, even if I never heard her use her little present again, which makes me curious as to what thoughts kept her up last night.
Unless, of course, she was still needy and decided to take care of herself again the old-fashioned way.
At the thought of Ciara with her hand between her thighs, I almost choke on my coffee.
I need to get a fucking grip if I’m going to survive this marriage.
“Good morning, wife.” I subtly adjust myself.
Ciara scowls as she stalks into the kitchen, avoiding my gaze. Her blonde hair is slightly messy, and she’s wearing one of those silk robes that barely comes to her mid-thigh.
I frown at her bare legs.
I had a member of my staff go over to Ciara’s house to pack up her things to bring them here, but I wasn’t expecting her to pack such revealing items. Unless, of course this is another one of Ciara’s attempts to torture me, and I have to say it’s working.
I swear to God, she better have something on underneath, otherwise I might have to cancel my morning meeting just to take another shower.
“Coffee’s hot.” I take a sip. “Help yourself to whatever you like.”
She nods once, stepping toward the pot and pouring herself a cup, although I don’t miss the way her hand trembles.
Interesting. Do I make her nervous?
“I’ll be out most of the day.” I set down my mug and check my messages once more.
There’s still nothing from Cormac regarding his decision about staying in New York.
Fucking typical.
Ciara turns then, finally meeting my gaze as she clutches her mug of coffee. “What am I supposed to do all day?”
Her voice is sharper than I expect, but I don’t let it faze me. I have much more important things to deal with today.
“Make yourself at home.” I get to my feet and pocket my phone.
Ciara’s lips part, like she’s about to say something else, but I beat her to it.
“I have business to attend to in the city, but I’m sure you’ll find some way to… amuse yourself.” I flash her a wink, and her cheeks instantly color at the subtle suggestion. “But don’t have too much fun without me.”
After my morning meetings, I head to a café in a quiet spot near the docks to meet Lorcan. I find him already waiting for me, sipping on a black coffee and reading the newspaper, looking as though he doesn’t have a care in the world.
This café was a regular meeting place for my father and me, so a heavy weight settles on my chest as I walk to our usual table and see his brother sitting in his place.
I’ve been brought up around death, and it has never affected me much.
Maybe because my father taught me to distance myself well from it.
But I can’t seem to find it in me to distance myself from his.
I might have three brothers and an uncle to lean on, but my father was always the man I went to for advice.
He knew me better than anyone, and I can’t quite believe that I’ll never get the chance to speak to him again.
Never get the chance to talk to him about the woman he wanted me to marry.
The woman I can’t seem to get out of my head.
“Morning,” Lorcan says as I approach the table, not looking up from his paper.
“Lorcan.”
He finishes scanning the article he’s reading before setting the paper down and gesturing to the seat across from him.
I unbutton my suit jacket before taking a seat and running a hand through my hair.
Lorcan watches me closely, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “How is the honeymoon phase going?”
I shoot him a look. “What do you think?”
“Not well, considering how happy the poor girl looked yesterday.”
I bristle at his words.
Did Ciara really look that miserable?
“There’s something you need to know. About the will.” I cut to the chase, if only to avoid talking about Ciara.
Lorcan’s smile fades as he leans back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “Go on.”
I explain everything the lawyer told me about Seamus’s conditions about the split control of the business as well as Cormac needing to return to New York permanently, otherwise we lose everything.
Lorcan whistles as he shakes his head. “That old bastard really knew how to keep you all on a leash, huh?”
“He did what he thought was right.”
“Does Cormac know about this?”
“I told him some of it at the funeral, and he said he’ll let me know.”
Lorcan seems anything but happy about this snippet of information. “And what do you think?”
“About which part?”
“About taking over as head of the family?”
“I think it’s a big responsibility, but I want it.”
“Then act like it. You need to tell Cormac that if he doesn’t commit, he’s out.”
I shake my head. “No.”
“No?”
“He’s been through enough. He left for a reason, and if he comes back, I want it to be because he chooses to and not because I gave him an ultimatum.”
Lorcan’s jaw tightens. “You’re thinking like a brother, not a leader.”
“I’m both. And that matters to me.”
He stares at me for a second before sighing and picking up his half-finished coffee. “Your father had a way of separating sentiment from strategy.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not my father.”
“Not yet,” he says, with a note of pride. “But you’re getting there.”
“Keep this between us, will you? I haven’t told Kieran and Brennan about the clause yet, only because I know they’ll lose their shit.”
“Of course. But I suggest you get a move on. The last thing we need is for Cormac to leave and the business to go to shit.”
“I’m aware.”
For the first time since the funeral, the full weight of my father’s absence rests heavily on me.
He was a force to be reckoned with, and now I’m expected to be the same. Yet somehow, the hardest part of all this isn’t the business or the pressure.
No.
It’s something much worse.
It’s that the one person I’m bound to in this mess is suddenly making me question everything. The woman with such fire in her blood that she would no doubt burn me alive if I let her get close enough.
And I might let her just to feel something real for once in my life.