And then he thrust inside me, stealing the air from my lungs. "Fuck."
Moaning long and loud, I hooked my legs around Burke's waist and held on as he pounded into me with ferocity. I met him thrust for thrust, feeling him hit a place so deep inside me it etched his ownership over my soul. We might as well have been one person, one heart, as we were so tightly bound that to hurt one was to hurt the other.
When I clenched around him, unable to even count which orgasm that was, he stilled with his hips locked to mine.
"Is breá liom tú."
I repeated his words of love, hoping I didn't butcher them.
"Well done." Burke kissed me and rolled to my side. "I could probably fuck you ten more times today. That's how reluctant I am to let you leave."
"I'll need to get ready for dinner soon."
"I know," he whispered.
Threading my fingers into the hair at his temple, I gazed into his eyes. "I can do this."
"Yes, you absolutely can."
But it wouldn't stop his worrying, I knew. I showered and took care to dry my hair with a large round brush, creating waves the way Maddie had taught me. When my hair was styled, I moved on to makeup, thinking of how much I used to struggle with that as well. Now it was second nature to flick my eyeliner into a smokey cat eye and add bright red lipstick. When I walked out of the bathroom completely ready, I was surprised to see the main room empty.
"Here."
Spinning, I saw Burke emerge from the weapons room. "I wondered where you were."
"This is the best we can do considering the tightness of that dress—you look hot as all fuck, by the way—but you can't go completely unarmed."
I accepted the thigh holster he held in my direction, backing to the nearest chair and lifting my leg to prop my heeled foot on the seat.
"Oh, please, allow me," Burke murmured.
It was difficult to remain unmoving while he slid his long fingers up my calf, over my knee, and up to the top of my leg to fasten the holster. My breath came out shakily when he was done and lowered my dress.
"Problems, Mrs. Gallagher?"
I scowled at his sexy smirk. "Nope."
He kissed me, careful not to smudge my lipstick. "Ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
We rode together with Mike driving. Noah sat in the passenger seat, and Oliver was already installed in the kitchen at the dinner club to supervise the chef. I wouldn't eat, but there was no such thing as being too careful. Burke wouldn't go in the restaurant so his father had no chance to see him, a point we'd agreed on but Burke hated. He wanted to be there with me, but he understood Carson would speak more openly if it was merely me at the table. Mr. Greene had bugged the centerpiece on the reserved table so I didn't have to wear a listening device of any nature, and there would be no one in my ear. Burke trusted me to do what had to be done, and he told me he didn't want me to feel as if they were all breathing down my neck.
The drive was silent. Burke gripped my hand so tightly I felt my fingers losing blood, but I said nothing. There wasn't anything left to do but proceed with the plan as we'd laid it out. No one would expect anything from me other than conversation, though my churning stomach told me otherwise. If courage was the absence of fear, I still failed. If it was feeling all the emotions ranging from unease to terror and going forward anyway, then I was courageous.
"We're here, boss."
Mike's words startled me. Burke framed my face between his hands, turning me in his direction to look directly into my eyes. "This is the last battle, mo grá. After this, the war is over and we can get Finn and go back to our reality."
I nodded, but couldn't find my voice.
"Breathe."
Frantically sucking in air, I felt my body begin to quake.
"Don't break down on me now. You can do this."
Without my permission, my hands moved to claw at his where they rested on my cheeks.
