Page 13 of Then We Shatter

“I told you, Ki–”

The time for talk is over. I slide a hand around the back of her head and pull her mouth onto mine. Katarina purses her lips because of course she’s going to make this fucking difficult.

After what she’s told me about her past, I should pull away when she resists, and I almost do, but then she opens up and it’s my mouth being plundered. My bulletproof vest presses against hers as our tongues enter into battle. She only retreats to bite my lower lip, keeping it pinched between her teeth as her hand moves from my hip to my crotch. She traces the contours of my erection and it’s an extensive exploration. She releases her grip on my lip, but not my cock.

“Adequate,” she says.

“You’re a hard woman to please, but I’d say I’ve proven I have the magic touch.” I thrust against her hand. “The question is, how skilled are your hands?”

“I could show you, but apparently you don’t put out on the first date.”

“Did I say that?”

“You did,” she replies above the sound of my zipper being pulled down. “Tell me to stop any time you like.”

“And deny you my pleasure? I don’t think so.”

When Katarina finds the gap in my boxers, I know I’m about to be tortured in the best possible way. Her fingernails are lethal, but god help me, the thought of her clawing an orgasm out of me has my cock throbbing. It twitches as she wraps her fingers firmly around the base, and as she explores my shaft, her deep brown eyes turn black with desire.

“You can have my cock whenever you want, Kitty. It’s yours for the taking,” I whisper. My voice is steady and controlled, everything that I’m not. I’m so close to blowing my load.

Her grip on me tightens, making my balls contract. “I would hate to deprive all those women who warm your bed.”

“There might have been one or two,” I admit. I could add that’s just this week, but I’m not fool enough to confess that part out loud. I’m just happy she’s jealous. It means I’m winning. Or else losing my mind. I surely am when I add, “But if you want to claim my cock, Katarina, it’s yours. And only yours.”

Her eyes narrow. “Why?”

“I’m fucked if I know,” I answer truthfully. Nothing about how I am with this woman makes sense.

Katarina’s shoulder dips as she reaches down to swipe her thumb over the pearls of precum on my crown. I grit my teeth and ignore the explosive pressure building at my core. Katarina spots the sweat beading on my brow and her scarlet lips tug into a smile as she drags her fist back along my shaft.

I like the feel of my cock against her palm, my chest pressing against hers, her breath warming my lips and her fingers…

“Killian, I need you on the east side of the lodge,” Malachy barks in my ear. “Now!”

I grab Katarina’s wrist and snatch her hand away as I step back.

I press a finger to my earpiece. “What’s happening?”

In the background I hear Ronan cry out in pain. Malachy says just one word. “Lorcan.”

No further explanation is required. “I’m on my way,” I reply, already pulling up my zipper as I head for the exit.

I grab the chair blocking the door and fling it out of the way as Katarina comes up behind me.

“What’s wrong? Do you need help?”

This is a family matter and I shouldn’t even consider bringing her along, but there’s no way in hell I’m letting her out of my sight. My brothers can berate me later. “There’s no imminent danger,” I explain when she draws her weapon. “Stay close, but don’t do anything. Or say anything.”

Chapter 5

Killian

Rounding the corner of the lodge, I stride past a bagged-up corpse to reach the three very alive bodies writhing on the ground.

“Stop fighting back!” I yell at the twins.

Ronan is pinned under Lorcan and Tiernan is on their brother’s back. It’s taking their combined strength to keep their older brother’s knife from slicing Ronan’s throat.