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The door burst open, and Keir walked in.
I picked up the slip and held it to my bare chest, the thin material nothing more than a sheer veil of protection between us. “Excuse me,” I yelled. “You could have knocked.”
“It’s my room.”
“I’m changing,” I said, lowering my voice.
“So?” His brow arched as he perused my body slowly.
“So, turn around,” I said between clenched teeth. I wore only a lace thong. He would see my entire bottom if I walked to the bathroom.
“You can’t be that much of a prude,” he said, walking over to me. “We’ll be sharing a room and a bed for the next couple of days.” He reached out and pulled the slip from my grip. I quickly covered my chest with my arms.
“I’m, um, I’m-”
“Oh God, please don’t tell me you have a bloody boyfriend who will beat me up for this.”
My mind went to Cormac Sullivan. He was a friend of my brothers from the restaurant. They insisted I give him a chance, and I had been on a few dates with him. He was one of the few men they approved of. “Well, kind of,” I said, hoping this would put him off.
“I could give a fuck about a ‘kind of’.” He grabbed my wrists, pulling my arms down. Heat flooded my cheeks. “You shouldn’t cover yourself. You’ve got a beautiful body.”
“I’m not going to sleep with you,” I blurted out.
He laughed. “First of all, I don’t sleep with women. I fuck them. In case you haven’t figured it out, I’m not some romantic hero. And secondly, we will fuck if I want to fuck. You may even find that you want to.” He let go of my arms and ran a finger down my cheek. I flinched, stepping back. “Right now, though, we need to come to an understanding. I can’t have you jumping or grimacing each time I touch you, which will be necessary when we are in public if we are going to make this work.” He walked me backward until my spine was flush with the wall, then he took my wrists in one hand and held them above my head. Leaning in, he whispered in my ear. “You’ll have to get used to my touch. Remember our deal.”
A chill ran down my spine. I nodded. My heart was pounding in my chest, and my throat had gone dry. His lips brushed mine softly. A throbbing in my sex took root, spreading throughout my core. He deepened the kiss, taking my mouth in his as he forced it open with his tongue. A soft moan escaped me. I was having trouble thinking and was unable to gather my thoughts. His free hand cupped my breast, and I felt his cock thick and hard against my stomach. My skin tingled with a mild current as goosebumps erupted over me. His thumb brushed over my nipple. I jerked back and wrenched my arms from above my head, stepping away to the side.
“Not so bad,” he said. “You show promise.” He turned, chuckling, and headed into the bathroom.
I slid the night dress over my head, adjusted the thin straps, and crawled into bed. I couldn’t have said no if I wanted to. He had rendered me speechless. My body, more traitorous than I thought possible, had been manipulated with the touch of his hand. And for the first time in my life, I understood what fear really felt like. Next time I would have to be stronger. I had kissed Cormac several times, but he never elicited that response. Keir walked out of the bathroom stark naked. I flipped over, cocooning myself in the blankets as he got in next to me.
“You should be scared of me,” he said, his voice low and thick. “I’m a fucking monster.”
“Is that a warning?” Because if it was, it was pointless. I would be a fool not to be.
“No, it’s just the truth,” he said, matter of fact, yet I noticed a hint of resignation in his voice. “Don’t mistake sexual energy for feelings. I have a black soul. I always have, and I always will.”
I waited for him to continue, but instead, the sounds of deep, slow breathing took hold as slumber embraced him. However, sleep eluded me as my mind raced with dark, ominous thoughts.
ChapterFour
KEIR
Icarefully tucked my silver amulet under my shirt and slid the knot on my gray silk tie up to my collar until it was snug, then put on my suit jacket and adjusted the sleeves. Today was single-handedly one of the most important days of my life. There was no room for errors. No room for the demon to surface.
Alan lounged on the sofa in the main cabin drinking coffee, his dress shirt wrinkled from sleeping in it. “Having morning after regrets?” he asked sarcastically.
“Fuck off.” I sat down in a chair opposite him.
The steward came by. “Can I get you a coffee?”
“Tea.”
“Yes, sir.”
“It’s not too late to call Margot. We can have her here by tomorrow morning,” Alan suggested. I didn’t miss the note of longing in his voice that he tried to hide.
“No, I told you that is over.”
