Chapter 14 Ronan
FOURTEEN
RONAN
THINK THERE’S A HALLMARK CARD FOR THAT?
I woke to my cheek pressed to a foreign mattress. I peeled my eyes open and winced at the sun streaking around the cracks in Kira’s blackout shades. The room was dim for the most part, which my throbbing head appreciated, but there was still a considerable amount of light trying to kill me.
Chancing movement, I lifted my head and found a tumble of dark hair beside me. The whiskey and blond streaks seemed more chaotic than usual thanks to our very sweaty evening’s activities. My arm was clamped around her waist and our legs were tangled intimately.
Not the vying for space kind of deal—more like we simply fit.
And dammit, I’d felt that all last night.
I’d been nearly obsessed to keep my hands and mouth on every inch of her. For fuck’s sake, I’d left brands on her skin. Tiny, purpling bruises dotted over her golden shoulders and along the nape of her neck where I’d feasted as I took her from behind a few hours before dawn.
Losing myself in her so many times, I’d lost count.
We’d killed all four bottles of wine, the pizza, and not nearly enough water to combat our sins.
I was a husk of a man, and I couldn’t stop smiling.
I rolled over and the groan escaped before I could bite it back. I needed a gallon of water followed by a gallon of coffee and a shower hot enough to flay a layer of skin off.
Kira made a grouchy grunt and kicked at my leg.
So much for the perfect pretzel we’d started with.
I curled around her, dragging her onto her side so I could spoon around her. “I think we need to get up.”
Her answer was more whine than groan. Unfortunately, the traitor that was my dick didn’t really care.
The curve of her ass against my thighs was enough to wake him.
Okay, so the morning didn’t really count.
Having all her soft skin against me, smelling of us combined as well as a hint of that moonflower I couldn’t get enough of didn’t help me ignore it.
I dragged my lips along her shoulder, pushing the silky mass of her hair aside so I could trace the outline of my marks on her neck.
She shivered and tucked her ass more firmly into me. “Don’t make me wake up yet.”
I sucked lightly on her skin and slipped my hand between her thighs.
She hissed, clamping my hand from moving. “Sensitive.”
“Well used,” I said with a smile against her neck. “I’ll be gentle.”
“We need to get up.”
“You just said you didn’t want to.” I feathered the tips of my fingers along her pussy.
Still wet for me. I loved that every time I touched her, she was half ready for me.
“Silky soft,” I said as I dipped inside and lightly pulsed the palm of my hand along her clit and her answering squeeze made me groan. “Just like that.”
“You’re far too good at this.”
I tipped her head toward me with my other hand to tangle my tongue with hers. “I’m good at learning things.” Her amber eyes were soft and unfocused as she watched me through her slitted lashes. Again, that little crease was there between her brows.
As if she couldn’t figure me out.
I felt the surrender. The way her body opened for me was a gift I had a feeling I’d never tire of. At least here, she trusted me a little.
I hooked her long leg over my thigh to make room to slide two fingers into her again and again.
Her pussy sucked my fingers back in each time, her body flexing and accepting each time as she soaked my hand.
I widened her and dipped in another until she was arching off of me, her arms lifting so she could grip my hair, then the sheets beside us.
Restless and searching, I didn’t let her go over.
“Edging was never so delicious until you were mine, Kira.”
She dug her heel into the mattress and tried to leverage herself up to grind on my hand. “Stop teasing and fill me up, dammit. I need you.” She twisted and I knew I’d be a goner if she got on top of me.
I clamped my hand around her waist so she couldn’t roll over. My dick pressed into the perfect cleft of her ass. I really wanted to get inside of her, and my hips followed her bucking, angry thrusts for release. Holding on for dear life, I speared my fingers inside her until she was shaking.
I tucked my chin into her shoulder and used every muscle I had to keep her open while she drenched my hand and her thighs. I wanted to lick all of it off her, to drown in her taste, but she was lost to the wild need to come.
I rolled us to the side and reached for the box of condoms on the bedside until they scattered all over the floor and bed.
Thank God one bounced across the sheets toward us. She grabbed for it and I snatched it from her as she pumped herself against my fingers. I couldn’t rip it open with one hand especially since her hair was tangled around my mouth. She laughed as I growled.
I’d been able to hold myself in check until she went redline with need and now I was just as close.
She ripped it open with shaking fingers and we both fumbled to get me suited up. I rolled onto my knees to get behind her, folding both her legs to pin her to the mattress as I blindly thrust forward.
She screamed as I drove into her again and again. The friction from clamping her legs together made me throw my head back with a guttural groan. I couldn’t stop, even when I saw how red her thighs were from the rougher hair on my legs.
She gripped the side of the mattress and pushed back on me, taking everything I gave her and demanding more.
I gripped her hip, my fingers making marks in her skin—more marks. She would be painted by the end of this and I wanted to be sorry for it but I couldn’t. I was just grateful she could take me, seemed to want this as much as I did.
Her keening cry dented the haze that had enveloped me like a dream.
Only then did I realize how my heart thundered in my ears and my chest heaved with exertion.
Sweat soaked both of us as our skin slapped together.
She vised around me and she’d clamped her fingers around the wrist of the hand that practically dented her hip.
Her nails dug into my skin, and the prick of pain set off a chain reaction. Heat blazed up my spine then back down like racing electricity as I gave a final thrust and filled the condom. The room went dark, and I staggered a little to fall onto the mattress behind her.
“Jesus.” I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling. “Fuck.” How could it be that good again? I draped my arm over my eyes and focused on dragging in oxygen.
Kira laughed. She was slumped half off the bed, but kept giggling even as she whimpered.
“What’s the joke?”
“Death by orgasm. I’ve read about it. Thought they were lying in books.” She rolled back toward me, as out of breath as I was. “Fiction and fantasy, but it’s real.” She kissed my arm. “So very real.”
We laid side by side, twin pieces of wreckage in the very best war.
I turned my head and met her gaze. She was softer than before. The furrow in her brow had been replaced with smooth happiness.
“We ate all the hangover cure pizza.”
I winced. “We sure did.”
“Personally, I’m shocked I was able to…” she waved her hand weakly, “so many times with that many carbs in my system.”
I rolled onto my side and nipped her shoulder. “Fuck?”
Her cheeks pinked up. “Seems like such a flat, cold word for something so amazing.”
“Brain frying sex?” I said against her skin, digging my chin into her shoulder.
“Synapse seizing sex? Think there’s a Hallmark card for it?
” I nipped her ear lobe as the giggles bubbled up in her chest. She didn’t let them free that often.
I liked hearing the happiness, and my goal was to hear it at least once a day.
“Menace.” She pushed me away and sat up. “I don’t even want to see how bad I look.”
I dragged my beard along the back of her arm, not ready to lose all contact with her yet. “You might actually be a little pissed.”
“That good?”
“More like the marks,” I said ruefully, then flicked the slope of her breast where a tiny bruise bloomed above her nipple.
She looked down with a gasp then scrambled off the bed. I propped my head up with my arm and enjoyed the jiggle and sway of all the best parts of her as she swung her bedroom door closed to look at herself in the full length mirror attached to the other side.
“Ronan Parrish, what did you do to me?” She spun around and looked over her shoulder at the map of marks I’d left on her.
“You left a few of your own, Sunshine.” I swiped my hand over my hip bones where matching fingertip marks showed just how hard she’d gripped me as she rode me last night.
“Unbelievable.”
I crossed my legs at the ankle and grinned. “Sex bruises are the best bruises.”
She bent down and picked up my jeans and tossed them at my head. I ducked, and they landed with a whomp against her headboard. My Kira was a tough one.
“Quit grinning, you lunatic,” she said as she stalked out of the room.
I dragged a pillow off the floor and tucked it under my head as I heard the shower turn on. Sated, even if my head was pounding again now that my blood had returned from my recalcitrant cock, I let myself doze.
The scent of moonflowers roused me. Kira came into blurry focus as she bustled around the room getting ready.
It was still hot, but not quite as oppressive as it had been for the last few days.
She was wearing a flowy cotton dress with dark pink flowers all over it and sliding a belt around her waist, emphasizing her hourglass shape that made my mouth water.
“Wow.”
She glanced over her shoulder, some sort of makeup wand in her hand. “Finally awake, princess?”
I sat up and scrubbed my hands over my face. “Helluva sight to wake to.”
She glossed something pale and shiny over her lips before snapping the cap back on and the lip stuff disappeared into a pocket of her dress. She wore minimal makeup, but she’d done something to her eyes to make them look wider and brighter.
She stepped into mile high heels in a surprising dark teal that made her legs look like a million bucks.
“A little dressed up for moving furniture, aren’t we?” I scooted to the edge of the bed to put my feet on the floor so I could stretch my back and shoulders before I stood up. I had a feeling I’d be swaying oh so manfully thanks to dehydration.
“I have interviews this afternoon.”
“Oh.” I dropped my arms to my sides. “Did you need me for that?”
She shook her head. “Bartenders today, but I’ll be starting with the chefs tomorrow.”
“Yeah, we need to figure out menu stuff.” I pushed away the frizzy mess of my curls. “Mind if I take a shower?”
“As long as you’re cool with smelling like me.”
I stood, and yay for only a mild sway. I walked up behind her to stare at her in the mirror with a wiggle of eyebrows. “I don’t mind that at all.”
She elbowed me. “One track mind.”
I slipped my arms around her waist and brushed my beard along the side of her neck. “Only track when you’re around.”
“I hope not. We have a lot of work to do.”
“I’m trying to be sweet and romantic here, Sunshine.”
She rolled her eyes, but there was a definite flush to her cheeks. “All right, hurry up. I don’t want to be any later. We need to stop and get my car, and it’s already after ten.”
“Right. Forgot about the kidnapping.” I kissed her neck. “How about I just get dressed and we’ll grab some coffee. I’ll do the shower and change thing at my place.”
“You sure?”
“I don’t mind smelling like us a little longer.” I swatted her ass then gathered my things and headed to the bathroom.
I could feel her eyes on me and a niggle of annoyance tried to dent my morning. I had a feeling Kira Webb didn’t really know what to do with me. Being patient wasn’t exactly my forte, but I was playing a long game.
That was the part that should worry me, not her post sex reactions.
And yet thinking about Kira and me in the future tense was far easier to see right now. I guess the rest of the details would work themselves out.