AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When she went to move away, I couldn’t help myself. The whisky had fuzzed out my hatred temporarily, and I just needed to feel her. For a moment. To get it out of my head so I could get on with ignoring her. I slid my fingers slowly up the expanse of her back as I felt her tremble beneath them. In a flash, she turned and snatched up my blade, holding it against my neck between shaking fingers.
‘Do you think you have a right to touch me?’
Darkness settled back over me, snuffing out the drink addled heat which had claimed me for a few mad moments.
‘No.’
‘Good. Because I don’t care who your daddy is. If you ever touch me again, I’ll cut your fucking balls off.’
‘Calm down, Maeve, you’re not that irresistible. Just a few too many whiskies overriding my brain.’ I swallowed as the blade bit into my neck. Not quite enough to cut, but enough to know it would only take one jerk to do so. I was going to have to put her in her place.
Before she could register what was happening, I yanked her arm away, twisting us both so that I trapped her arm high on her back and pressed her against a nearby wall. I pressed myself into her and placed my lips by her ear, speaking into her silken hair. ‘If you ever threaten me with a weapon again, I won’t hesitate to take one of your fingers, too. Don’t forget who I am, Maeve.’
Her back rose with each quickened breath as I became all too aware of how hard I was.
‘How could I ever forget who you are? You’re the asshole who ruined my life. The son of the cunt who killed my mother, one of the men who led to the death of my brother. You are the reason my father is breathing with machines. You’re the piece of shit who stole my brother and forced me to marry you.’ I couldn’t exactly argue. I’d done some shitty things in my line of work, though the only one of those transgressions I’d been involved with was Mac’s capture.
‘Do you really think I wanted to marry McGowan scum? I had no more choice than you did.’
‘Well, your dick seems to be saying otherwise.’
I pushed myself away from her after taking my knife from her fingers and stashing it back in my pocket. My head ached. I needed air.
‘Fuck this,’ I said and grabbed my coat, launching myself through the door and slamming it behind me. I leant back against it and rubbed a hand over my face. This wasn’t me. My emotions didn’t rule me. I needed to get it together until I could find a way out of it.
The sound of a broken sob came from the other side of the door as I moved to leave, to find some air and a place to crash. Katie was staying in the hotel and she’d have a couch spare.
I paused only briefly by the door. The sound of a woman crying was one I hated more than anything. The urge to protect and to comfort had been built into me from the sobbing and despair that frequented my childhood. But comforting her wasn’t my place. You don’t comfort someone who would happily see you dead.
Man, the honeymoon was going to be horrendous.
CHAPTER EIGHT
MAEVE
It still hadn’t really sunk in that I was married.
To Cameron Thompson.
The last thing I’d been expecting the previous night was for him to make a pass at me. He hated me. Then again, men think with their dicks half of the time. Was it really so much of a surprise?
The sea below us was the clearest and bluest I’d ever seen. It glittered underneath the scorching sun as we approached their family island by helicopter. I’d been on many holidays with my family and friends, but never to an exclusive island in the Caribbean by private helicopter. The Thompsons really were rolling in it. Golden beaches appeared in the distance, with the greenery of the island approaching behind. An immense house perched on the highest part of the island, lording over the surrounding views. It wasn’t our destination. We continued past it toward the far end of the island where the vegetation was more dense and began our descent toward a helipad in a clearing.
I stole a look at Cameron, who had spent the entire of the first aeroplane flight, and then this one, utterly ignoring me. He gazed icily out of the window. God, it was going to be a long week. I hadn’t even had holiday wear available, but apparently I wouldn’t need any. They would provide everything I wanted on Harold’s dime.
It could have been a dream vacation if I’d been with just about any other human in the world. Instead, I was there with the man shaped glacier.
Two men came to help us with our sparse bags and a golf cart. I smiled at them, hoping for a touch of humanity, but they just nodded and indicated to the cart. No hope of any salvation there then.
It hadn’t really occurred to me just how isolated we were going to be. The staff would only be a phone call away, but other than them, it was just us. The cart zigzagged through giant ferns and trees until we finally opened out onto the beach. The view stole my breath right from my mouth.
‘Wow,’ I whispered to myself as we headed toward the beach cabin. Which was anything but a cabin. The single level house was set back a little from the sea, its rounded roof lined with panelled teak. To the front, the walls were made entirely of glass, giving an unrestricted view of the ocean. A long, slim swimming pool stretched in toward the centre of the building as if inviting us to explore inside. Steps led up to the raised decking on either side of the pool, with a deluxe hot tub set into the decking on the right.
Fucking dreamy.
I’d have been sure I’d have died and gone to heaven if I wasn’t with the devil’s son.
Cameron walked up the stairs without even a glance around at our surroundings. How could he be so immune to it? Even if I’d been there a thousand times before, I was certain that the beach house would still wow me.
