Chapter 13
EDEN
G iven everything Mika has told me, I can only assume the two men that just slipped past me were Rohan and Lochlan.
Seeing them has me feeling on edge in a way I haven’t felt in days.
I’m not sure what it is about Rohan’s dark gaze or Lochlan’s soft smile, but my chest feels oddly tight, even though they’re gone.
Kieran’s stare scorches my skin, and I force myself to meet his green eyes. Trapped alone with him, I find myself wishing Mika was here. She’d know how to break this tension.
“I can walk on my own,” I say, remembering his offer.
I haven’t seen Kieran in days, and a part of me has been waiting for him to reappear.
The longer it took, the more I kept replaying our limited interactions.
Ones that always end in him snapping and walking away.
But I’ve come to realize that his parting words every time have given me insight into what he is feeling since he doesn’t seem to be interested in just telling me.
Not that I am any more talkative. That has become apparent to me as I’ve spent more time with Mika.
What a great couple we supposedly are.
He shakes his head, taking a step toward me. My entire body flushes with heat, and it erases the touch of hesitation I’d been feeling. Instead, I feel that spark of anger that only seems to flare to life around him.
“It wasn’t a question.” His voice is low, accent thick, and if he’s trying to intimidate me, it won’t work.
“I don’t care.”
I’m not sure what it is about Kieran that has me ready to snap so often. Maybe it’s because he’s the one who dragged me here. Maybe it’s because he’s the face of the mafia.
Maybe it’s that he’s objectively gorgeous.
I shove that thought out of my mind, refusing to let it sink in.
But it’s not the first time I’ve thought it.
It’s hard to ignore his thick forearms that are always on display, the scruff that he’s trimmed, or his sharp jaw.
His eyes are stunning, and that fucking scar through his eyebrow is enticing.
Not to mention every word out of his mouth sounds sexy as fuck.
And the fact that he is that handsome only pisses me off more.
“I didn’t ask if you cared.” His words come out like a smooth rumble as he continues toward me. He’s blocking my path, so I can’t just walk away as he takes away the distance between us.
What the fuck is happening? Every interaction I’ve had with him so far, he’s kept his space. He’s barely looked at me until his restraint snaps, and he mentions the marriage I don’t remember before storming off.
This version of him—the one stalking toward me like a predator and pinning me beneath his stunning stare—is one I haven’t seen. It only stokes the anger that was already heating my skin.
“You don’t ever ask what I want, do you?
” No part of me is intimidated as Kieran looms over me, forcing me to look up at him.
My body hums from his proximity as I grit my teeth, hands fisted.
Not for the first time, I think about Mika’s weapons and wish I had one.
“You just expect me to fall in line like everyone else.”
A deadly smile curves his lips. “I would never expect that of you, wife.” I step back as he leans in closer, but my back hits the wall behind me.
I’m trapped as his thick arms come up on either side of me.
“You have never once made anything easy on me, Eden. I should have known a simple offer would be no different.”
His eyes sparkle with amusement like he’s not bothered by the fact. And I don’t like it. It’s as if he’s winning this silent war we’ve had going on—one that makes absolutely no sense. As stupid as it might seem, I refuse to let him.
“Because it was a demand.” I square my shoulders, refusing to cower as his body presses into me.
But it makes me so painfully aware of how attractive this man is, and I don’t want to fight it.
I want dominance, control, but… dammit , I might want him.
Physically. Just this once. “And I refuse to bend to you.”
His eyes fall closed briefly as a huff escapes him. “You’d rather me be the one on my knees, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes,” I bark before thinking better of the words.
My eyes widen as his snap open, that smirk far too fucking smug. “I should have realized that was why you were fighting me. You always did get irritable when I made you wait too long. Always pushed me too far when you wanted me to put you in your place.”
Shaking my head, my brows furrow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
But it’s as if Kieran doesn’t even hear me. He’s grinning, pinning me to the wall with his massive frame. “I forgot how often you need to come.” My jaw drops open as he leans close enough that his lips hover over mine. “My apologies. Let me remedy that.”
I’m stunned as this massive, imposing man—the very one who rules the city with an iron fist and a black heart—slowly sinks to his knees before me, never dropping my gaze. I don’t know what to say as his hands drag down my body, leaving a trail of fire behind them.
I should stop this. I hate him. I don’t trust him. We can’t even be in the same room as each other.
But my body leans into his touch of its own accord.
And he’s been occupying my thoughts more often than I’d like to admit.
I could tell him not to do this, but he might be right about one thing—the idea of him fucking all this anger and confusion out of me is appealing.
I bet he’s not gentle, and I don’t want him to be.
“You’ve been pushing me away,” he murmurs as he nudges my legs apart. My chest heaves as I let him, watching his broad frame settle between my thighs. “But your body remembers who it belongs to, doesn’t it, mo chuisle?”
I grit my teeth as I glare down at him, but it just makes him chuckle. My anger doesn’t deter him, and I burn even more as he slides his fingers up to the edge of my dress. I have to bite back a whimper as he nudges it higher.
“You look so fucking tempting in this.” His eyes are dark as they look back up at me, the rough pads of his fingers against my skin driving me insane. “Did you wear it for me?”
I roll my eyes. “No.”
I pulled on the sweater dress because the material was soft and it was perfect for the cool but warming temperatures. I like the freedom of movement it gives me and how well the color went with the boots that I could walk in for hours.
I did not wear it for Kieran.
He clucks his tongue. “Pity. I was going to reward you if you actually admitted it.”
“I didn’t—” I choke on the words as he shifts one of my legs over his shoulder, opening me up to him.
Kieran arches a brow at me. “What was that?” His hand nudges my dress even higher. “You didn’t what? You didn’t think it would drive me so crazy I’d beg for a taste of you? You didn’t think it would work so well?”
I slide my fingers into his hair, gripping the strands and pulling his head back. I’m sure it hurts, but he looks positively thrilled. “Keep taunting me, and I’ll slam my boot into your pretty face instead of letting you drape it over your shoulder.”
The smug bastard doesn’t even flinch. “You think I’m pretty, Eden?”
I tip my head back with a groan. “I’m starting to think you’re all talk, Kieran.”
A dark chuckle ghosts over my skin as he tugs my hips closer, my dress pushed up around my waist. I’m exposed, one of his hands gripping my ass to keep me tilted forward until I’m nearly pressed to his lips. “Trust me, wife, you know I’m not.”
I don’t get out a retort before his mouth is on me. His teeth sink into my inner thigh, and my body bows as I moan. His other hand presses against my stomach, keeping me in place as he laps over the spot.
“I love seeing my marks on you,” he murmurs before moving higher and doing it again. I grunt, but I can’t move as he keeps me pinned. I’m certain the fingers digging into my ass are going to leave bruises, too, but I can’t be bothered.
Not when a thrill shoots through me at the idea of wearing them.
There has to be something seriously wrong with me to want him—even if the desperate way he tried to calm me in the car or what he told me during our dinner have etched themselves into my mind.
Even if it’s been hard to shut out everything he’s said since he found me, and I think he might be tearing at the walls I’ve kept built up to protect myself.
An embarrassing whine rips free of me when he brushes my clit through my soaked thong. It’s enough to pull me out of my mind and bring my gaze back down to Kieran.
“Louder,” he growls, teeth grazing over my sensitive skin. Despite every time I’ve fought against him, I find myself wanting to comply.
“Yes!” I scream when he clamps down, sucking through the thin fabric.
Kieran pulls back, taking the thong with him. With a jerk of his head, he rips the fabric off of me, dropping it to the floor.
I whimper, feeling so exposed as he stares at my pussy. But the heat of his stare, the pure want and need on his face, only make me wetter.
“Fucking finally,” he breathes, and then he’s diving between my legs again, not holding back. He eats me out like he’s starved, nipping and sucking until my leg is shaking, and I’m afraid I’ll fall.
His hand slides down my ass, gripping the back of my thigh and pulling it over his shoulder, too. My hands tighten in his hair as my thighs clamp around his head. His scruff scratches against my skin, the burn only turning me on more.
“Fuck yes!” I shout, arching into his mouth as his tongue flicks over me. But the sight of Kieran on his knees, dark head buried between my legs, is pushing me just as high as his mouth is.
“My name,” he groans against my skin. “Shout my name, mo chuisle. Loud enough for everyone to know to stay away.”
My walls clench at the reminder that we are in the middle of the hall, and his eyes spark like he knows how much it turns me on.
Everything he’s done only seems to prove how well he really does know me, but I don’t want to think about that right now.
I don’t want to consider how much of what he’s said is true.
I just want to feel.
With one hand holding me up while I ride his face, Kieran slides the other around until he’s pushing a finger inside of me. I moan as I press into his hand, not expecting him to add a second. It burns so good as he pumps in and out of me, and I’m dangerously on the edge.
“I feel how close you are, Eden.” His hand moves faster, and his teeth graze over me. “Give it to me.”
He sounds as desperate as I feel, working me so frantically that I can’t breathe as I hold on. My skin burns from the scratch of his scruff and his harsh bites, my legs ache from his grip, and my body feels so hot as it begs for release.
He curls his fingers as he nips at my clit, sending a jolt through my body. And it sends me right over the edge.
“Kieran!” I writhe as he sucks, pain blooming from how harsh he’s being, and it makes my limbs shake. “Yes, yes, yes. Fuck, Kieran!”
My fingers are ripping strands from his head, but he doesn’t stop pumping his fingers or sucking my clit until I go limp. He pulls his mouth off of me, licking gently as he slides his fingers out. A whimper escapes me, and I feel his chuckle against my skin.
Slowly, he eases my legs from his shoulders, straightening my dress, and rises back to his feet. My eyes are barely open as I stare up at him, looking more relaxed than I’ve ever seen him. This Kieran looks light…almost happy. And it short-circuits something in my mind.
“You want to fight me, Eden?” His thumb brushes along my jaw. “That’s fine. I like it. But if you ever doubt what I’ve said is true, remember this. Your body knows exactly what you aren’t willing to admit. You’re mine, wife , and you can’t deny it.”
He pushes off the wall, striding in the direction that Rohan and Lochlan disappeared. I don’t move as I watch him, almost wishing he hadn’t gone this time.
I force myself to straighten, completely shaken from what just happened. The orgasm was incredible, but I still can’t believe I didn’t stop him. A week ago, I was so willing to smash a rock against the side of his head. But now… I’m not sure what to think.
My original suspicions don’t make sense anymore. If I was a threat to Kieran, he wouldn’t give me free rein of his house. If I was a bargaining chip, he wouldn’t give me space or try to convince me to trust him. And if he wanted to use my body, he wouldn’t have made me come and walk away.
Which leaves me rethinking everything.
I turn to finally head back to my room, desperately needing to get my head on straight, and it’s then I remember that I don’t have any underwear on. I glance down, looking for the scraps to pick up, when I realize they aren’t there.
Blinking, I look down the empty hall, biting back a laugh as it hits me that Kieran took them. And I’m not sure why, but it makes me like him a little more.