Chapter 42
Jamie
His jaw tightened, fists curling as she spoke.
Her voice cracked, laced with something that wasn’t just anger—it was humiliation. The kind that came from being made to feel small and helpless.
From being alone, still bleeding inside.
The truth spilled out in shaky breaths like she was nervous how he’d react. And in that moment, the vulnerability she’d kept hidden spilled into the open.
Word after word, he began to understand why she’d pushed him away, and every damn word only bound him tighter to her.
He dragged her onto his lap, her frantic pulse thudding. She met his gaze with those piercing blue eyes, pulling him under as always.
“Niall’s in rehab,” she said, forcing a smile like she still needed to be strong. “Everything will be okay now. Trixie’s safe. Your dad, too. We can be together…if that’s what you want? ”
She shifted in his lap, and he tightened his hold around her waist, anchoring her there.
He stared at her, the fire in his chest burning low and slow.
Everything she’d fought through, after everything that fucker had done to her. And still, she sat there, offering him hope.
Not begging. Not clinging.
Just asking if he wanted her.
Fuck.
He’d never wanted anything more.
He slid his palm up her spine, resting it between her shoulder blades, keeping her close. His other hand settled on her thigh, possessive.
“What I want,” — he held her gaze, steady and unflinching — “is to take care of you. Just you and me, and whatever comes next.”
He skimmed his fingertips along her spine, loving the way her skin reacted.
“You’ve done enough surviving on your own. I’ll make it easier now.”
When she blinked fast, like she might cry, he pressed a kiss to her temple.
If only she knew how many mornings he’d woken up and battled the urge to walk into Coffee Kicks just to see if she was there.
Now he needed a moment to process everything, starting with a quiet word with the round-the-clock security detail on his father. After that, he’d turn his full attention to Niall .
He’d give the bastard time, but Jamie knew how to strike when it mattered.
He’d make sure the message not to fuck with the McGraths would be clear. And from now on, Shannon belonged to him, regardless of her surname.
Pressing his forehead to hers, Jamie breathed her in.
“I won’t lie to you, love. I want to kill him.”
Her body tensed. “Don’t do anything reckless, Jamie. He won’t be home for months, and when he comes back… things will be different.”
She swallowed hard. “He’s still Harry’s son. If something happened to Niall, he’d never forgive me.”
Her voice cracked on the last word, and the war between justice and restraint twisted in his gut.
“I don’t give a fuck about them.”
She touched his chest, eyes pleading. “Promise me you won’t get yourself into trouble over him. Please… he’s not worth it.”
Jamie’s jaw tightened, the fury still pulsing beneath the surface.
“No, love,” he said, stroking a strand of damp hair back from her pale face. “He’s not.”
He thumbed her cheek. “But you are. And I won’t sit back and pretend it didn’t happen. No one will ever hurt you again. That’s a fucking promise.”
Jamie’s rage simmered, though he knew he had to keep himself in check for her sake.
“Everything will be okay. I’ll make sure of it.” But he was lying to himself. Things were far from okay.
Despite the calm he projected, his anger was spiralling out of control. That spineless bastard whipped her, and then fucked off to rehab so Jamie couldn’t get his hands on him.
He silently vowed to find Niall the second he set foot in Belfast and make him regret ever breathing, in a way that would leave him broken.
Jamie also knew he’d have to tell her the truth, eventually. About the billions, the properties, the power behind his family name.
But dropping that bomb after everything she’d just told him might fuck things up.
So when she’d asked, he kept it simple, like he always had with her. Focused on the homes he lived in, not the hundreds he owned.
Shannon didn’t need a rich guy right now. She needed a steady, reliable man who was nothing like the fucker who hurt her.
“I’d like to take you somewhere tomorrow once you’re done at Meadow Dawn. Show you something.”
She leaned back, the flames from the fire reflecting in her eyes. “Oh yeah? Show me what?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Oh...” She sounded uncertain.
His eyes narrowed, his expression hardening. “What’s wrong?”
She sighed and stared at the half-eaten curry sitting on the coffee table.
“You and I are from different worlds…like miles apart.” She caught her lower lip between her teeth in a subtle, yet telling gesture .
“But we’ve arrived at the same place, right?” He thumbed her cheek. “Thanks for opening up to me. You won’t regret it, love. I protect what’s mine.”
“Yours?”
“Mine,” he repeated. “And you’ve saved my father twice now.”
Her blue eyes sparkled when she shook her head. “I didn’t, really.”
“You did. And that means something to me. So, let’s think this through. When you saved him the first time, I bought you a meal. So, the second time deserves something way better than a burger.”
His eyes darkened as he fixed on her, his mind already set on how he wanted to repay her.
“What did you have in mind?”
A confident smile spread across his lips. “What I have in mind is something far more satisfying. And trust me, you’ll enjoy it.”
“I hope you’re not gonna make me wait, or I’ll have to leave.”
Teasing him, she climbed off his lap, wearing only his clean t-shirt, her loose damp waves of inky hair falling around her bare shoulders, her skin flushed with a natural glow.
Before she could take another step, Jamie’s hand shot out, grabbing the hem with a swift, commanding pull.
He got to his feet and pulled it roughly over her head, tossing it aside, his gaze roaming all over her.
“Oh, believe me, I’m not waiting a second longer,” he said, his voice thick with desire .
Marcus hadn’t prepared him for this. Whatever this was.
Since meeting Shannon, his emotions had been a tangled mess, all fighting for control.
Their first kiss had been fascinating, a burst of heat and eagerness, leaving him wanting more.
She’d given him a taste, a small bite of an apple he couldn’t resist, making him crave the one thing he’d never had—a connection.
He stripped off his shorts, his thick, swollen dick kicking free, already aching for her.
Jamie loomed over her, his breath heavy, his restraint fraying. He lowered his lips to hers, loving the taste of those cherry-red lips that had haunted his thoughts far too often.
Taking his time, he caressed her curves, each sweep slow, possessive, worshipping.
This wasn’t just about touch, it was about claiming her, ruining her, making her cry with every inch of him.
Her skin was like silk, irresistible to his hands. He covered her mouth with his in a deep, hungry kiss, the intensity of it taking them both under.
She responded with urgency, her teeth nipping at his lips, her nails raking over his chest, driving him wild.
Her sweet moans had him grunting, her breath hot and fast, making his pulse thrum. With a swift controlled move, he pushed her backward onto the couch and trapped her beneath him, his body crowding her.
“You’re mine, Shannon,” he growled into her ear, his voice dark and commanding. “And you’re going to obey me. Understand?”
Her breath turned ragged, her temperature rising as she nodded, eyes wide with anticipation.
“That’s my good girl,” he said, his lips grazing her neck. “Now, keep those legs open for me.”
She obeyed without question, her body quivering beneath his touch. Every inch of her melting under his command.
“I’m not letting you go this time,” he growled, between sucking her nipple and slapping her breast. “No matter what, I’ll protect you now.”
A visible shiver raced down her body, goosebumps rising to meet his touch. Every inch of her skin reacted to him, and it drove him wild.
“Look at me,” he ordered, his voice low and commanding.
She met his gaze, and his lips curled into a dangerous smile. “So well behaved tonight.”
Her hips moved against him, desperate for friction, the pulse in his throat matching the rhythm of her breathing.
The warmth of the fire licked at their skin, the crackling flames intensifying the heat between them.
He kissed her harder, the anger in his chest, the battle still raging inside him all fading when she put her hand on his dick and squeezed.
“I missed this…” she panted.
“Did you miss my dick stretching you wide?” he asked, his lips brushing against her ear. “Tell me. I need to hear you say it.”
With a breathless moan, she whispered, “Yes. I thought about it day and night.”
He grinned, pleased with her answer, but he wasn’t done.
“Good. Now stay still.” He pinned her wrists to the couch, his body caging hers, their gazes locked with a force that made it impossible for her to look away.
“Do you think you deserve this…after keeping secrets from me?” Jamie’s voice was a low, seductive rumble as he circled her clit, watching her come alive beneath his touch.
“It won’t happen again,” she gasped, breath hitching at the sensation that lit her up.
“Promise you’ll tell me everything?” His finger dipped inside her, slow and deep. “Mmm…so fucking wet for me.”
“I promise,” she whispered, her voice trembling, but sincere.
He drew back, fisting the base of his dick. His eyes never left her face as he ran the thick head through her wet heat, teasing them both with the kind of friction that made it impossible to think.
“No more hiding. No holding back. I’m going to give you everything, and you’re going to take it all,” he said, holding the tip at her entrance.
“Now be a good girl and wait,” he commanded, leaning over the side of the couch where his shorts lay discarded .
He fished out a condom from the pocket and tore the wrapper open with his teeth.
In two beats, he stared down at her, repositioned himself and thrusted in deep.
So tight and warm. So fucking wild.
“Fuuuuuuck, I missed you…” he breathed, pulling out and sliding back in.
Her body trembled beneath him, her eyes swirling with a flood of emotions. Dancing firelight flickered across their skin, casting shadows on her face as his pace picked up.
Every breath she took, every flicker beneath her skin, answered to him.
His voice was low, warm, curling around her.
“I’ll make you ache for it,” he gritted out. “And when you beg me, I’ll give it to you, because you deserve everything you crave.”
He brushed his lips along her jaw, slow and certain.
“No one will ever worship you the way I do.”
Her hips rocked beneath him, desperate for a release, but he only tightened his grip on her, holding her still.
“Not yet, love,” he said against her lips. “Let’s slow it down.”
His hand moved to her jaw, fingers firm as he guided her mouth open. He slid his thumb between her teeth, pressing it in slowly.
“Suck,” he commanded, his voice dark, possessive.
She obeyed without hesitation. The sound of her humming around him sent a rush of heat through his veins .
Her lashes fluttered, her eyes heavy with want, and Jamie couldn’t help but admire how fucking sexy she looked, surrendering to him.
Her lips curled around his thumb, her breath hot and eager, and he almost lost control.
“Hmmm…that’s it. Such a good girl for me,” he praised. “Now, keep sucking. Let me feel how much you want it.”
His fingers tightened on her jaw, asserting his control. “You want it, don’t you? You want to come for me, but you’re going to wait.”
His other hand skated over her breasts, tracing the curve of her waist, and then he leaned in, his breath hot against her ear. “Let go when I say so. Understand?”
She nodded when he took back his thumb and started moving his hips again, fucking her harder than before.
“Hmmm… You’re so fucking perfect for me. When I’m ready, you’ll come for me. And you’ll know I’ve made you mine.”
Jamie’s hand slid to her throat, fingers brushing her pulse.
“I can feel you tightening around me, love,” he gritted. “Feel how close you are, how badly you want it. You want to let go, don’t you?”
“God…yes…” she moaned, her eyes fluttering shut, hips grinding into him. He could sense the ache building inside her, the desperation.
“It’ll be worth the wait,” he growled, his fingers squeezing a little tighter on her neck.
Her breath came faster, her chest heaving as she tried to hold it together.
Driving in and out, he studied her every whimper, noticing the way her body clenched, and her muscles quivered as if she couldn’t take it anymore.
“That’s it…” His voice dropped to a growl. “You’ve waited long enough. Now—come for me. Let go. Give it to me.”
The command was like a switch flipping. Her body bucked beneath him, a series of gasps and moans slipping past her lips as she gave herself over.
And as she did, he kept going, his thrusts relentless, deep, and hard.
Her body trembled beneath him, pleasure wracking through her as she cried out his name, her fingers digging into his shoulders.
Jamie dipped lower, brushing his nose against her tear-streaked cheek as she shook, voice low and raspy. “Okay, love?”
Her pretty eyes fluttered, unfocused, her mouth parted with a soft whimper. “Yes…”
He gave a dark, satisfied grunt. “Good…because I’m not done with you.”
He shifted, adjusting his grip on her hips, and drove into her with a renewed force that pulled another cry from her throat.
Over and over, he pounded into her, until her thighs locked, and she shattered all over again beneath him.
“Fuck, Shannon…” he growled, jaw tight, sweat gl istening on his skin as his release tore through him like wildfire, hot and consuming.
He stayed buried deep, every muscle locked as he emptied himself, heart slamming against his ribs.
As his muscles braced from the rush of a release, he forced her gaze to connect with his.
“Look at me,” he rasped. “I want you to see who fucks you…who makes you feel this good.”
Her lashes fluttered, the desire still burning in them and Jamie witnessed the way she surrendered, and her walls crumbled.
“You’re so fucking beautiful when you give yourself over to me,” he panted.
“Jamie…” she whispered, her voice fragile. “I don’t want you to break my heart.”
The words hit him hard. He saw the fear in her eyes, the weight of her emotions. And for a moment, something in him twisted.
He cupped her chin, holding her face before him. “I’m not gonna break it, love, because I’m protecting it. Okay?”
She opened her mouth to argue, but he didn’t let her.
“And I’m going to destroy that fucker,” he said, his words a low, vicious promise. “Niall Ross will regret the second he thought breathing near you was fucking acceptable.”
Her face drained of colour, her hands shaking as they reached for him. “But Jamie…it’s too dangerous. You don’t know what he’s capable of.”
Jamie’s lips curled into a cold, lethal smile. “He doesn’t know what I’m capable of.”