I take a sip of my whiskey as I try to keep my expression neutral.
“You can hate me all you want,Tine Bheag. But by the end of this, you’ll be mine in every way that matters.”
Ciara stays silent throughout the entirety of dinner, making a point not to touch her food, even though I ordered her the most expensive dish on the menu.
I can’t deny I’m having the most fun I’ve had in a while, though it’s clear Ciara doesn’t feel the same.
The moment the dessert plates are cleared, with Ciara’s unsurprisingly still untouched, we get to business.
Lorcan reads through the contracts that were drafted yesterday by our lawyers, explaining the timeline as well as the legal formalities.
Callum asks hardly any questions as Lorcan talks. If anything, the guy looks ready to get the hell out of here.
When Lorcan is done going through everything, Callum remains quiet.
My uncle pics up a pen. “Well, if you’re happy, then I guess there’s nothing left to do but sign the papers.”
I sneak a glance at Ciara, but her eyes are purposefully fixed on Lorcan.
He slides the pen across the table, and she snatches it up before pressing the tip to the paper.
But she hesitates for just a second, turning her eyes to look at me. Then, without breaking eye contact, she signs her name and tosses the pen down, a look of defiance on her face.
God, I love how she bites back.
I quickly scrawl my own name and toss the pen onto the table as well, sealing the deal.
Ciara is on her feet before the ink is even dry, stormingacross the private room toward the door like the drama queen she so clearly is.
But I’m right behind her, wrapping my fingers around her wrist and pulling her back.
My touch isn’t aggressive or rough, but a quiet reminder to her of who is in control here.
“Let go of me.”
I do no such thing. Instead, I give her wrist a little squeeze as I lean closer to her.
“You can run all you want,” I murmur so only she can hear. “But you and I both know you’ll eventually end up in my bed.”
She yanks her hand back, glaring at me. “In your dreams.”
“I already told you the other night,Tine Bheag, my dreams are filthy. But I have a feeling, so are yours. Oh, and to save you the trouble of translating, it meanslittle fire.”
Her cheeks flush with anger or…something else, and my lips pull into a smirk.
Does Ciara McCarthy think about me at night, when she’s all needy and alone?
Fuck.
My cock twitches in my pants at that idea, which is only made worse when Ciara spins on her heel and walks away, giving me the perfect view of her ass.
I sink my nails into my palm, trying to distract myself from my hardening cock, before I head back over to the table and take a seat.
Callum gets to his feet. “I’m sorry about my sister. She’ll come around.”
“I doubt that,” Kieran mutters.
“You did the right thing, Callum,” I assure him. “This deal is in your family’s best interest.”
