Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
NATASHA
O h, god. What have I done?
Clearly, my brain had hung up its Gone Fishing sign and was offline from too many orgasms.
Lachlan’s kisses were brutal, claiming, dominating things. He took without asking, never giving me a chance to refuse. And I loved it. I loved driving him crazy enough with lust that he’d risk a knife in his belly. But this…
This kiss was tender, reverent, and his gentleness was even more devastating than his cruelty.
He groaned into my mouth and thrust deep, his body shuddering as he emptied himself into me. It seemed as if I could feel his seed scorching me, trying to find its way past my birth control.
Fuck, I was ridiculous. I blamed Lachlan and his thick cock.
Don’t forget his tongue and fingers…
I wasn’t sorry though. For the first time since our wedding night, I had a chance to see what our life would look like if we forgave each other.
Well, less him and more me. I needed to forgive him for what he did to me, and in this somewhat hard airplane bed, with his scent embedded in my skin and his softening cock still inside me, I thought I might be able to.
My body still limp from his attentions, I didn’t protest when he rolled off me and pulled me into his arms, spooning me against his broad chest. I felt like I needed to say something, but my muzzy brain didn’t offer any helpful suggestions.
“Are you okay?” He cleared his throat, smoothing the roughness. “Did I hurt you?”
“You didn’t hurt me.”
“And?” Gently, he rolled me to face him. “Are you okay?”
I nodded hesitantly, then shook my head when I caught the worry in his steady blue gaze. He deserved to know what I truly felt—even if I wasn’t sure about the right words.
“Physically, yes. Mentally…” I laughed softly. “My brain decided to take a vacation, so this might come out weird.”
He settled on his back next to me, and after pulling the blanket over us, moved me until my head rested on his chest. “I don’t mind weird. I promise I’ll listen without judgment.”
“I feel like I should despise you, but then you decide to not be an asshole, and I feel like I might start to actually like you.” I hauled in a breath.
“And then I hate myself because I shouldn’t, then you piss me off, and it’s all okay, and then you do something to make me think I should forgive you for stuffing me into a dog kennel for six weeks. ”
He stroked my hair, making me resist the urge to close my eyes and fall asleep. “I hope you do someday, but I won’t ask for it.”
“There you go again!” I lifted my head to glare at him and stabbed my finger into his chest. “Christ, Lachlan! Stop being so nice so I can keep hating you.”
His chest shook with laughter, and he wiped a few tears of mirth from his eyes before his gaze hardened.
“No. I will not stop caring for you, or being nice, or whatever bullshit you tell yourself. I’m not changing how I treat you out of some sense of obligation or because I want to earn your forgiveness. I’m doing it because I?—”
The intercom chimed, cutting him off. Cursing, he helped me sit up as the flight attendant said, “Mr. and Mrs. O’Donnell, we’re beginning our final descent into Cork. Please return to your seats and fasten your safety belts.”
I couldn’t decide whether to be thankful he didn’t finish his sentence or wish he had.
“This isn’t over, Natasha,” Lachlan warned as we hurried to dress. “In the interest of our task, I’ll drop the subject for now, but we will be discussing it later.”
“Um…okay?”
Before I could slide the door open, he grabbed me and pushed me against the bulkhead, then delivered one of those deliciously brutal kisses to my swollen lips.
He tangled his hand in my hair, then whispered, “And don’t even think you’ll escape that conversation.
I will tie you to our bed and spank you until you listen. Do you understand?”
I gulped and my core twitched with renewed arousal. “Yes, Master.”
Smiling, he kissed my forehead before letting me go. “That’s my very good girl.”
Quivering with desire, I didn’t protest when he opened the door and escorted me to my seat. It took me two tries to get my seatbelt fastened, and I scowled when I caught his smile of amusement.
Stupid praise kink.
Thankfully, I was more or less coherent and calm by the time we landed. When Lachlan and I finished gathering our things from the stateroom, the flight attendant offered us hooded black sweatshirts.
“Put these on,” he ordered. “We have your driver waiting on the tarmac, but Ella prefers your heads be covered until you reach your hotel room.”
“No need. I have one.”
Lachlan shook his head. “It’s still wet from the storm, remember?”
“No, I actually didn’t.” Keeping my irritation at myself for being brainless in check, I smiled and accepted the hoodie from the flight attendant, then put it on over my T-shirt. “Thanks.”
Within moments, we were settled in the back of a steel-gray Mercedes with dark tinted windows. I very nearly knelt on the floorboard at Lachlan’s feet but sat on the bench seat next to him instead. I was both disgusted with myself and sad that I hadn’t given in to the impulse.
* * *
LACHLAN
We waited while Ella’s driver checked us into our hotel.
A soft drizzle obscured the glow from the windows, but I could see people dining in the attached restaurant.
I wished I could take Natasha out, but room service would have to do.
It was bad enough that we had to cross a crowded lobby to get to our room. I couldn’t risk exposing her further.
The driver returned quickly and opened my door. He gave me a pair of keycards, then hurried to help Natasha from the vehicle. After retrieving our luggage, he said, “You have packages waiting in your suite, with Signora Moretti’s compliments. She hopes you find everything helpful.”
“Everything?” I shouldered Natasha’s bag before grabbing my own.
“I wouldn’t presume to guess what the boxes contain, sir,” he replied, his eyes twinkling as he handed me a business card. “Call that number when you’re ready to complete your task. We’ll have a team in place to assist with extraction.”
“Fair enough.” I took the card, then offered my free arm to Natasha. “Shall we?”
“We shall.” She grinned impishly and wrapped her hand around my elbow. “Can’t wait to see what Ella sent us.”
Instead of answering, I hurried her through the front door, waving the attentive bellhop away with a flash of our keycards. She lowered her head and kept up with my rapid pace as we ascended the stairs and found our room. Once the ornate door was shut behind us, I locked it.
With a sigh of relief, she took off her hoodie and tossed it over a chintz-covered chair, then spotted Ella’s packages on a gilded occasional table near the window. After crossing the room, she picked up the larger of the two and shook it.
“What do you think she sent?”
“We’ll never know unless we open them.”
“True.” She slid a switchblade from her pocket and sliced the box open, then picked out an envelope addressed to both of us.
After opening it, she smiled as she read.
“Ella says the boxes are my reward for not killing anyone, and that there’s a garment bag in the closet with our outfits for Ronan’s party. ”
“Well…” I gestured at the open box. “Let’s see what we have.”
Nodding, she pushed packing paper out of the way and frowned when she found a slim manila folder. After setting it aside, she extricated four polished steel cuffs and another collar similar to the one she wore during training.
“This is weird. I already have cuffs.”
I slid the folder across the table and took a seat to read the contents. “Oh, brilliant,” I murmured, offering her the page I was reading.
She scanned it and a wide, delighted smile lit up her face as she tossed packing material to the floor, finally extricating a small jewelry box containing a nose ring with four channel-set diamonds.
“This is so freaking cool! I can’t even imagine how she managed to put remote triggers for those cuffs in a nose ring, but it means I can activate them even if I’m stupid enough to get tied up. ”
“Can you reach it with your tongue?”
“I think so, yes. This one is bigger than the one I’m wearing.” She stuck out her tongue and managed to touch the smaller ring in her nose. Her face falling, she added, “And it’s great as long as I don’t get gagged too.”
“Let’s think positively.” I set the nose ring and cuffs aside, careful not to touch any of the diamonds. “What’s in the second box?”
She slit the box open and cocked her head at the sight of a thin steel chain about two feet long and decorated with crystals. “My new leash, I presume.”
I flipped to the next page contained in the folder and couldn’t contain my relief. With this one item, my misgivings faded. Yes, she would be leashed, but with a weapon hidden in plain sight.
“It’s actually a garrote. The clasp for the collar is a quick release. Jerk twice in rapid succession and it will come off. The instructions say you’ll get about ten uses out of it before it needs to be replaced.”
“Oh, damn, my precious.” She hugged the chain to herself and grinned. “Lachlan, please. You have to let me wear it. Pretty please with a blow job on top?”
Sighing, I rolled my eyes. “Leave it to Ella to produce a leash I can tolerate letting you wear.”
“Please, Daddy?” She blinked those huge brown eyes and clasped her hands as if she was praying.
I couldn’t help laughing as I shook my head at her antics. “Yes, you may wear your new leash.”
“Yay!” She straddled my lap and kissed my face. “Thank you!”
“You’re welcome, love.” I rolled my eyes, then added, “The last page in the folder was about your shoes.”
“My shoes? What about them?”
“Black Louboutins with blades hidden in the toes. I assume they’re in the garment bag.”
“I think I just came.” Her eyes softened and she slid to her knees between my feet. “Now, about that blow job…”