“Surprisingly, yes.” She laughs. “Why don’t you come and join us?”
“I don’t really feel like dancing…”
“Oh, come on, Ciara. Brennan’s actually not so bad.”
“Is that so?”
“Don’t worry, I’m not going there.” She chuckles. “But it doesn’t hurt to have some eye candy. Speaking of which, where’s that husband of yours?”
I try not to noticeably cringe at the termhusband.
Mila gasps as she reaches out to grip my arm. “Oh, my god.”
“Ow!” I cry as her nails dig into my skin. “What?”
“I’ve just realized… You and Ronan.”
I frown. “What about me and Ronan?”
Mila looks at me with amusement in her eyes as she raises her eyebrows. “Are you going to have sex tonight?”
All the blood rushes to my cheeks at the same time my stomach bottoms out.
Shit. I didn’t think that far ahead.
Does Ronan expect us to have sex tonight? It is our wedding night, after all, but we’re not exactly a traditional couple. Hell, he didn’t even kiss me after we were declared husband and wife. Not that I wanted him to, of course.
“Uh…” Mila covers her mouth with her hand to stifle her laughter at what is most likely a look of horror on my face.
“No.” I shake my head.
“No? Are you serious?”
I glance back over at Ronan and nod.
He is insanely attractive, but that isn’t enough to get me into bed. He might have secured our marriage with his wealth and status, but my body is still mine, and he doesn’t get access to that too just because I said I do.
Not tonight.
Notever.
Chapter Eleven
RONAN
I can’t waitfor this night to be over.
The laughter around me is hollow as Brennan rattles on about some girl he met in Miami last month, and the words “hot tub” and “getting caught” ensure it’s time to refill my drink.
I’ve lost count of how many I’ve had tonight, but the alcohol is essential in order for me to plaster a fake-ass smile on my face while I hold court with a bunch of my father’s associates.
I might have been ready to take over the family business from the moment I hit my mid-teens, but I figured I’d have a few more decades to log before it was my turn to step up from my da. He’s barely been gone a week, and it’s as if stepping into his shoes has erased him completely. Soon enough, I’m going to forget what his voice sounds like, and that scares the hell out of me.
As I sit back down at the table with my fresh drink, Kieran snorts into his own, and Lorcan cracks a smile at something Brennan has said. Even Cormac has an amused glint in his eyes. But I don’t dare ask what they’re talkingabout. Knowing my youngest brother, it’s either something sexual or illegal, maybe both.
I sip the amber liquid, trying not to let it show that I’m seconds away from flipping this table and walking out.
Somehow, despite Ciara’s reluctance, I managed to pull this union off and cement my family’s status while also giving the press something shiny and new to focus on. So, I should feel something at getting through the ceremony. A sense of accomplishment or perhaps even relief. But all I feel is tired and seriously pissed off.
