Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
GLORIA
I don’t know what happened last night to change Cormack’s mood, but I’m guessing it was important.
I fell asleep with my heart aching as if something’s not right.
I didn’t care for that goodbye in the least. His level of indifference was clear as day and it’s best I walk away from this relationship, so he doesn’t destroy my heart. Maybe it’s already too late for it.
With a shitty night of sleep, I get ready to head out in a pretty dress.
Since the weather’s warm, I think it will be the perfect day to wear my cute green polka dot fifties’ style with white pumps.
I need to clear my mind and decide if I’m going back to London tonight.
When I leave the room, the one guard that was there last night isn’t there and no one else has taken his place, adding to the unsettling feeling that he was done with me.
Felipe and Maximus stand guard outside of the building. “So you can’t stay away, can you?”
“Yes, but we’ve been keeping our distance. Although your father doesn’t care for the goons that were at your room door last night.”
“How did he know about that?” I challenge, glaring at them
“We did our recon.”
“Leave me alone. Don’t follow me. In fact, go fuck off and never approach me again or so help me God, I’ll castrate you.
” I storm past them and onto the main street, feeling unease fill me up.
I head over to a large open park area where there are a lot of people gathered for what looks to be a festival.
Needing to shake off the sadness, I head into the thick of the crowds, keeping my knife in the right pocket with my wallet inside my light sweater.
I’d been almost mugged before; it won’t happen again.
I keep my phone off and roam around the place, looking for something special for my sister.
She’s a few years younger and most definitely not allowed to leave the country without my parents.
It’s nearly three in the afternoon when I check my phone.
I have several messages from Cormack. Where are you?
We need to talk, is the reason I power my phone right back off.
It’s not the conversation I want to have.
That’s the always it’s not you, it’s me conversation that breaks hearts.
Did he use me? I don’t know if it’s the case, either way, I can’t deal with him right now.
I move around, buying a bunch of souvenirs and then finally when my legs and stomach have had enough I look for a stand to eat at.
I just place an order and pay when I see Cormack with a cute woman that has a rounded belly.
Is she pregnant? She kisses his cheek and then goes to a stand nearby.
I see nothing but red as I watch that brief exchange.
Cormack and our eyes meet, and I shake my head.
Oh my God, he’s a fucking liar and I’m a fool.
“No,” I mutter. We’re far apart, but I’m sure he can read my lips.
I spin on my heel and flee as fast as humanly possible, forgetting my order not that I can eat, anyway.
My stomach rolls and it has nothing to do with starving.
I see my father’s men not too far away, so I head back to the hotel, losing Cormack.
My guards give me space, knowing damn well, I hate them too.
Planting my hands on the desk, I look back and forth like a crazed woman. “I’m being followed. Can you get me out of here?” I ask the receptionist.
“Sure. Go in there.” She opens the door to the back room, following me in. “You’ve had the Delaney men as well as the other men watching over you all night. Damn. Do you want your room cleaned out?”
“Yes please. Is there a way I can get a cab to the airport without being seen?”
“I’m leaving in two minutes. I can hide you in my boot and drop you off,” she offers.
“Perfect.” The young woman helps me sneak out the back of the building and to her car. I pop in the trunk, and we drive for a few blocks before she stops and lets me in the passenger seat. It’s another twenty minutes when I can finally breathe a sigh of relief as I arrive at the airport drop-off.
In an hour my flight leaves and I’ll say goodbye to Cormack, the cheating, lying asshole for good. My heart can’t stand the ache from the fact that I’d been played like a fiddle.
Sitting outside my airport terminal, I twiddle my fingers, hoping that I can get on the flight before he finds me. Maybe he gave up looking for me. I powered off my phone because I don’t want anyone to track me and I wouldn’t put it past them to follow me here.
“Lass, are you well?” I lift my head to see an older gentleman in an airport service vest.
“Yes, sir,” I reply, not wanting to draw attention to myself and my own foolish actions.
“You don’t look well. Come, let’s go to the nurses’ office.” Am I in high school? My heart’s crumbling and I do my best to remain under control as my soul withers away. Is it possible to fall in love with someone so soon? Could this be what pure heartache is?
I was wrong, Papa. I wasn’t safe at all.
“I could use something for a headache,” I mention offhandedly.
“Certainly, we have something for that.” I get out of my seat and follow the man into a small room.
It’s empty except for a table and chair, and I’m instantly aware that this is a trap.
I turn back to find Cormack standing there and the other man gone.
The asshole slams the door shut, staring at me with a mix of anger and fatigue like he has the right to be mad about anything.
My fists clench and I snap. “You lousy son of a bitch. Get out of my way. I’m going home.”
“The hell you are,” he snarls, blocking the door with his strong build, crossing his arms over his broad chest. I hate how handsome he looks. It’s how he lures women into his wicked, filthy web.
“What do you care? Did your wife come home too early for you and you had to take her places to play it off?”
“What? Is that why you think I didn’t call you back?” He has the nerve to seem upset like I did something.
“Why else? You had time to text me. Then I see you at a fair with her. What else is there to say? I thought you were at your father’s funeral, and here you were running around trying to juggle two women.
Get away from me. Leave me alone. I don’t want to see you ever again.
I wish I’d never met you. Please leave me alone. ”
“Never.” He moves closer to me, and I shake my head.
“Stay back,” I warn, pointing my finger in his direction while taking a step back.
“Never.” I put the chair between us, and he laughs hard. “If you think that’s going to stop me, love, you are seriously mistaken.”
“I’m not yours.” It breaks me to say it, but I need to let him go.
“Yes, you are. You swore you were mine and you are. I will not accept anything else, Gloria.”
“How about I’m leaving here, and you’re not going to follow me or ever speak to me again?”
“Not going to happen.” He shakes his head and crosses his arms again, adding to his size as if I’m intimidated. Honestly, I focus on the door behind him because looking at him makes my soul burn and tears fill my eyes.
“I’m not your play toy.”
“You’re not. You’re supposed to be my wife.”
I scoff. “Wife? So is she your mistress? You lied to get me in your bed—a virgin my ass.”
He rolls his eyes. “She’s my sister-in-law. The funeral ended three hours ago, and we drove back together so she could get some baby things at the festival.”
“What?” He nods, but I continue to argue because that doesn’t justify the sudden bullshit dismissal last night. “It doesn’t explain last night or your late message an hour ago.”
“Well, you had your phone off so you wouldn’t know that I called twenty times and didn’t get a single call back.”
“And yet no voicemails?”
“Maybe you need a better service provider. I’ll make sure that happens.”
“What happened last night? You went from interested in me and happy to talk to me to shooting a short text.”
He pauses, tilting his head to the side with a heavy sigh. Dread sets in my bones as he finally looks at me with a frown. “Did you know who I was before I stopped that guy from taking your wallet?” I stare at him, mouth dropping.
“Um…um…”
He grasps my chin just hard enough that I’m looking him in the eyes. “I learned who your father was last night. What did you get out of seducing me?”
I yank my head back and shove him. “Seducing you? I was the fucking virgin and I sure as fuck regret wasting that on you. Especially when my father has potential husbands waiting for me when I get home.” I slam past him as he stands there in shock, grabbing the handle for the door.
My feet are off the ground, and he locks the door.
“Let me go, you big idiot.”
“No.” I don’t get to move because he has me pinned to the wall while his body presses firmly against my back.
“The fuck do you think you’re doing threatening to fuck someone else.
I’ll kill every other son of a bitch out there.
Do you want me to do it? I’ll gut motherfuckers for even thinking they can make a move on you.
You’re mine, Gloria. There’s nothing going to change that shit.
Maybe I should have brought you with me then you’d have nothing to doubt. ”
“You’re the one who doubted me,” I hiss out, practically spitting.
“You lied to me.”
“I didn’t do a damn thing. You pursued me. I told you to leave me alone if you remember.”
“And yet you knew I wouldn’t.”
“I wish you would.” The fight in me fails as I feel his full length digging into my bottom and his breath on my neck.
“I can’t.” He presses his forehead to the back of my head, his breathing hard.
“I don’t know why you were searching for me, but I knew even last night that it didn’t matter.
You were mine, and I don’t care if they set up some trap for me.
You were mine. I need you, Gloria. More than anything.
More than my pride, more than the truth.
I just need you,” he pants against my throat.
“Let me go,” I command because I’ve lost and won.
“No,” he insists as his heart thuds against my back.
“Please,” I beg, choking on my tears. Reluctantly he steps back, and I spin around in his arms. Seeing his tears, I feel like I broke the dark prince of Dublin. It’s best if I fix it.
He’s right. I had a motive even if it never was a nefarious one and I owe him the truth.
I cup his face, so our eyes meet. His green eyes are glossy and bright from his heartache.
“I don’t even know why I stood outside an electronics store, like I’d been window shopping for a television.
Still, I silently watched the news, and there you were.
I didn’t know who you were until I heard of your father’s death that day.
Your image came up as you climbed into the back seat of your car.
I felt something come over me and I snuck away from my guards and fled to Ireland.
I lied about having friends that ditched me; instead they helped me run away even if they knew they’d be in deep shit for it, but I didn’t want you to…
” I don’t finish the words. His mouth is on mine, crushing it, kissing me until I have my arms wrapped around his neck and my legs around his waist. He lifts my skirt up and pulls out his cock, sliding it deep inside of me in one full thrust.
“You’re mine, Gloria. Don’t ever think I’ll let you go.” I wipe the last tear that falls down his scruffy cheek.
“I’m sorry, Cormack.”
“Don’t be. You’re everything to me. I shouldn’t have even given into thoughts of a setup last night. Please don’t regret us.”
“I love you, Cormack.”
“Fuck, I love you so much, Gloria.” He pistons into me repeatedly, giving no fucks that we could be on camera, but my body is completely blocked by his.
“Come for me,” he demands, pulling my hair and I clench up, flooding his cock with my orgasm.
As I go to scream, he kisses me. “Those belong to me too,” he grunts as he sends jets of cum inside me.
Our heads press together as we catch our breath.
We stay like this until Cormack slides out of me.
He adjusts my panties, rubbing his seed onto my pussy for extra measure before he sets me on my feet. I watch as he tucks himself away.
“I can’t believe we did that with cameras around.”
“They’re turned off. Why did that turn you on, love?”
“No, but the way you made sure they couldn’t see me did.”
“What can I say? I’d have to rip their eyes out if they even got a glimpse of your goodies.”
“So if you didn’t send your guard away why wasn’t anyone there when I left?”
“He had to attend his daughter’s recital, and I was already on my way to you. With your guards keeping a close eye, I didn’t think it was an issue. I suppose I was seriously mistaken.”
“Wow, funny how one call can change the way we see things.”
“We just need to trust each other. It’s hard when we’re just starting out, but I’m sure as fuck never going anywhere. I need you. Are you ready to go?”
“I left my stuff at the hotel.”
“I know. It’s been packed up.”
“How did you know where to find me?”
“The girl that helped you is Shamus’s sister. She didn’t know it was me you were running from, but rather the other guys your father sent. So she told us where to find you.”
“Oh. I didn’t tell her who.”
“Yeah, she’s a sweet girl, and I like that she didn’t send you off to fend for yourself. That’s the sign of a good character.” We leave the empty room with our clothes a little wrinkled and then head to the airport lobby.
“Come on. We’ll go to my home in Dublin, and then we need to call your father because we’re getting married in a couple of days.”
“What? Have you lost it? That’s too soon. We just had a fight over trust issues and secrets.”
“Look, the second I get my ring on your finger, the less crazy I might be. Besides, there’s no way you’re going back to the states without being my wife.” I huff and shake my head as I climb into the backseat with Cormack until it hits me. Am I supposed to live in Ireland forever?
“So are you going to come back with me?”
“Of course. Are you nuts? There’s no way I’m letting you go without me, and there’s no way I’d keep you away from your family.”
“Okay. I think I’m nuts, going from one bossy, controlling man to another.”
“You’re lucky I know you’re talking about your dad.” He cups my pussy through my panties, reminding me that he’s the only one that has been there.
“So tell me about yours. I’m sorry that you had to deal with saying goodbye to him and then dealing with my shit.”
“I’ll chase you wherever you go. Although, I can’t promise I won’t spank that ass next time.”
“Whatever. So talk about your dad.” We drove back to the city proper, and he brought me to his large condo. He has a home in Kilkenny where he wants to have the wedding, but it’s too late to bother going.