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I cried out, pleasure shooting through my whole body as he pounded into me. He grabbed my hands and pinned them over my head, his other hand coming around to strum my clit. I met him thrust for thrust, a need more powerful than anything I had ever experienced coursing through my body.
“Cian, more,” I panted, our skin slapping against each other, making an obnoxious sound. “Please,” I breathed.
He groaned, his lips finding mine as he crushed me to the tree, thrusting deeper, harder, faster, until I began to unravel. My orgasm built, flowing through my whole body, and I cried out against his lips, feeling as if I had been struck by lightning.
He slammed into me one last time, groaning out his own release, his lips never leaving mine.
We stayed like that for a moment, our bodies clinging to each other, covered in sweat, as we tried to catch our breath.
“Fuck, did I hurt you?” He flipped me around and cradled my face with his hands. “Was I too rough?” His eyes searched mine.
“Um, no.” I chuckled. “I’m OK—actually, more than OK.”
His shoulders relaxed and he tilted his head down until his lips were pressed against mine. Soft, gentle, the complete opposite of what had just taken place between us. My body felt lighter as I melted into his kiss. I hadn’t realized how much I’d needed that—not just sex or a quick fuck, but how much I had neededhim. My heart squeezed in my chest and I sighed, resting my head against his chest.
The air seemed to hum all around us. Quiet. Satisfied. As if it knew something we didn’t. He helped me get dressed, inspecting my cuts and scrapes as he did. His jaw clenched as he traced the cut on my forehead. There was something in his eyes that I couldn’t make out. I shrieked as he picked me up and tossed me over his shoulder.
“Cian!” I laughed as I tried to grip his sides. “I can walk, you know.”
“Mm-hmm,” he murmured as he strolled through the trees. His hand came up and slapped my ass, grabbing onto it. “Don’t want you to get any more cuts on your legs.”
He hiked back, letting me jump on his back after I complained his shoulder was digging into my stomach. We were silent most of the way, just stopping every so often to look up at a bird or a squirrel jumping from tree to tree. It was peaceful, and satisfaction coursed throughout my body at the simplicity of it all. Of course, that feeling didn’t last long as we approached the house.
I had to prepare for what was to come. Could I do it? Could I really face Ryzen and pretend he hadn’t done such awful things? Not only that, but pretend that I was in love with him? My lip curled at the thought. I would not let him win. No, he was going to pay for everything he’d taken away from me.
Cian found me after I had cleaned up and showered, wearing one of his oversized shirts. His lips curled at the corners as he leaned against the doorframe, watching me as I fiddled with one of the listening devices Delove had given me.
“I have something for you.” He walked over and held out his hand. Inside was what looked like a knife handle, and I raised my eyebrows.
“Thanks?” I chuckled and grabbed it.
He shook his head and grinned. “Careful.” There was a small button on the side, which he pressed and a three-inch blade popped out. A retractable knife.
“Clever.”
“You should know how to use it, since you pulled one on me the other day.”
Heat rushed up my neck, and I lowered my eyes. “Yeah, sorry about that.” Had that been only a few days ago? It seemed like a lifetime.
He tapped my chin, and I looked up at him. There was a gleam in his eyes as he studied me. “Don’t be sorry. It’s one of the things I lo… admire about you, Nova.” He gripped my shoulders. “You’re fearless, and you don’t even realize it.”
I warmed at the compliment and fought the urge to rip my clothes off and tackle him. I didn’t miss his little slip-up. Had he been going to say ‘love?’ No, he wouldn’t have. Would he?
He pulled away and nodded at the knife. “This is small enough to fit down your boot or inside your sock. Always carry it. Understand?”
I nodded and closed my fingers around it, my hand trembling slightly. His face said exactly what I was thinking. Could I actually use it if I needed to? Would I ever be in a situation where I would need to stab someone? I shuddered at the thought. There was no going back after today. The choice had already been made. And I would have to do whatever it took to make sure Ryzen Goodacre paid.
“I promise you that I will do everything in my power to protect you.” Cian stroked my cheek, and I closed my eyes. “But you have to promise to trust me. That we’re both going to trust each other more. OK?”
He was right. After all of this, it was clear that he was the one I needed to trust the most. I nodded in agreement and pressed my forehead against his.
The rest of the day went by in a blur, a frenzy of mentally preparing and going over everything again and again with Cian until he knew that I had it all memorized. Juliet and I knew what the plan was. Go to the hospital. Talk with the police. And then the rest was unknown. Would Ryzen realize right away I was lying? What would happen if he talked to Voledetti and found out he hadn’t taken me? There were a lot of unknowns, but I couldn’t focus on them. Stick with the plan and it would be OK.
Cian stressed repeatedly that he would always be nearby if I needed him. Just a call away. He’d promised me that, and I was going to hold him to it. Thora was setting up a new phone for me, a secret phone that only our small group, excluding the FBI, would know that I had. I could use it to call Cian day or night, and Ryzen would be none the wiser.
I wasn’t going to lie, it was all overwhelming—not only going after Ryzen, but dealing with my feelings for Cian that had come rushing back. Hell, it wasn’t like they had really gone in the first place. Who was I trying to kid? All those weeks of anguish, heartache, all because I’d believed the wrong people. I couldn’t beat myself up over it though. How was I supposed to have known that Ryzen and Iva were in cahoots the whole time? The only thing I didn’t understand was what their endgame had been. If Ryzen and I had gotten married, where would Iva have fit into all of it? She was obviously after the hotels. It would have made more sense for them to get married, not us. That was what I didn’t get. But I knew at some point I would get the answers I needed. They would be exposed. And that bitch was going to pay for whatever part she’d had in it all.
We lay in bed later that night, the house quiet and settled. Cian was fast asleep as I tossed and turned for the hundredth time. It was no use. Adrenaline pumped through my veins, making me restless.
