Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Tess sighed as she sank into the passenger seat and closed her eyes. “Tired?” Rory asked, reaching over and squeezing her hand.
“Yes. Last night was very long and I did not sleep well. Someone was following me,” she told him with a glare, “and I was scared.”
“Good.”
“No, it was not good, Rory,” she told him pulling her hand away and slapping his arm. “You frightened me.”
“You’re lucky that’s all I did. Do you think I liked having one of my men tail you, having him know I can’t keep track of my own woman?”
“Am I your woman, Rory?” Tess whispered.
“Abso-fuckin’-lutely, and after tonight there won’t be any question,” Rory growled, his foot pushing a little harder on the gas.
“Why after tonight? I thought you were taking me home?”
“I am taking you home, to my home.”
Tess bolted up, her seatbelt the only thing holding her in the seat. “I thought you were taking me to your madre’s,” Tess asked anxiously.
“No, we’re going home. I thought this was settled. This morning you agreed to give us a chance, and I’m taking you at your word.”
“But Rory … I’m not sure this is .…”
“I am. Look, babe, there is something between us, something powerful. I refuse to let you hide from it any longer. I need you, honey, and I know you need me too. I want to touch you, love you in ways too intimate to describe right now, without pulling this damn car over,” he told her roughly, his hands gripping the steering wheel.
“Please don’t fight me on this, you won’t win and it will only make you more anxious than you already are. ”
Slumping against her seat in defeat, Tess kept quiet.
The darkness was a blessing. It hid her shaking hands and red face.
He was right about one thing, she did need him.
His strength was like a magnet, drawing her in.
For him it was about sex, at least it seemed to be.
For her it was something else entirely. Although she was disappointed they were not returning to his family home, in reality, it did not matter. Home for her was wherever Rory was.
The sheer size of him comforted her. Instead of being intimidated by it, she adored it.
He could consume her and it would not matter.
Shy by nature, if it had been up to her to make the decision, it might be weeks, or months before she would come to him.
Rory was everything she was not. Incredibly strong, brave, and resourceful, he made things happen.
He took from life exactly what he wanted, and it seemed tonight, he wanted her.
He acted like he would want her forever, but Tess had heard that before.
It was what men said to gain your trust, break down your defenses and acquire your body.
Most of her life Tess had been like a leaf on the wind, praying for a soft landing that never came.
She made the best of her circumstances over and over again, thankful for what little she had.
A roof over her head, food to eat, a job and family, were all things she had lost and struggled to find again.
Living with the O’Malleys made her crave more, much more.
There was a bond, a permanence in their family that fascinated her.
People were not disposable to the O’Malley’s.
If you carved out a place for yourself, in their lives, in their hearts, there was a better than good chance it would always be there.
She hoped her place would still be there when Rory tired of her.
And he would, she was pretty sure of that.
Everyone did eventually, even her sister.
Sighing heavily, Tess looked out the window taking in the residential neighborhood.
Pretty houses lined the streets. Manicured lawns and flowering shrubs divided the lots.
Mini vans, children’s toys and basketball hoops told her even more.
Families lived here in these comfortable homes.
There was not anything as impressive as the Victorian home the O’Malleys lived in, but it was all still very nice.
Rory signaled a turn and pulled into the driveway of a corner house.
Automatically the garage door opened and he eased in, turning off the vehicle.
They sat in total silence for several minutes.
He watched her closely wondering if she would bolt from the car.
She hadn’t spoken since he told her where they were going. It made him slightly nervous.
Tess unbuckled her seatbelt, but did not get out of the car.
What sense was there in worrying, she thought.
It would not solve anything. Rory said he would take her tonight, and so he would.
He said she would be his woman after this, but she was already his woman in her heart.
Her mind might question her judgment, but her body would do anything he asked of her.
That was just the way of things. She could still feel his long, thick finger inside of her and he had not touched her for hours.
Her panties were soaked, even though she had changed them when she went upstairs at the pub to get her things.
All he had to do was speak about touching her and muscles in her abdomen clenched.
Warmth flowed and her body prepared itself as though possession was imminent.
It did not matter if he was firm and commanding or soft and gentle, she wanted him.
He could praise her or scold her, it seemed to make no difference.
All Rory had to do was look at her and her heart beat faster, knees weakened and palms sweated.
At first, she tried to convince herself it was fear that inspired this reaction, and in truth there was a little of that too.
Even among his family and their antiquated ideas, Rory stood out as just a little tougher, a little firmer, and a little harder.
There was darkness in him, a resolve she did not sense in the others.
Whether it came from his time in the military or was just in his nature, Tess did not know.
“Tess?” Rory stood quietly waiting at her open door, his hand extended. Her bag was slung over his shoulder. “Come on, babe, before the headlights go off.”
Tess took his hand. No was not an option at this point, and she knew it.
His patience was a facade. If she were to utter the word he would pull her out of the car.
Within moments his hands would stroke away her resistance as though it had never been born.
His lips would silence her doubts with humiliating ease and she would be lost anyway.
Rory guided Tess in the back door, through the kitchen and down the hall into his bedroom.
Setting her bag down, he helped her out of her coat and tossed it onto a chair in the corner.
Gathering a few items from the master bathroom, he quickly snagged his robe from behind the door and a pair of pajama bottoms from his dresser drawer and threw them on the bed.
“You can use this bathroom. I’ll use the one down the hall. I think you’ll find everything you need in there but if not, just yell,” he stated, watching her closely. “Is there something you need to say?”
“No … I just thought maybe you would show me your home,” Tess answered tentatively.
“Tess, you’ll have plenty of time to investigate the whole damn house from top to bottom,” he promised with a grin. “Just not tonight,” he warned as he walked to her, pulled her tightly against him and kissed her deeply, his tongue lightly tasting her lips.
When he released her, Tess bent and put her bag on the bed.
Her shaking fingers struggled with the zipper on her bag until he finally moved her aside and opened it himself.
Reaching in, she grabbed her toiletries bag, an oversized night shirt and a pair of panties which Rory immediately removed from her hand.
“No panties. Not tonight or any night, unless you’re sick or it’s your time of the month,” he informed her. Closing her mouth with a finger under her chin, he turned her in the direction of the bathroom and gave her a little smack on the bottom. “Go.”
Tess went.
* * *
Rory showered and shaved quickly, slapping on some cologne before he returned to the bedroom.
He could hear water running in the bathroom and figured he had plenty of time to change the sheets, which he did with military precision.
Checking the drawer in his nightstand, he made sure he had condoms and lube, as well as few new toys he had picked up recently.
For a moment he debated slipping his handcuffs into the drawer but decided a couple of silk ties would work just as well if he needed them and be softer on Tess’s skin.
Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that, but he wasn’t above using them if she gave him any trouble.
Rory fully intended to make love to Tess many times throughout the night and he had no desire to chase her around the bedroom.
Tess would not be allowed to hide from him, either physically or emotionally.
If he had to, he would bind her to his side.
He was staking his claim in every way possible.
If she couldn’t handle it, they would talk about it tomorrow, but for tonight, this one priceless evening, she would be his.
* * *