His cheeks are slightly flushed, and his dark eyes are glazed as he hovers over me, radiating such heat that I want to wrap myself up in him for the rest of the night.
He smirks before bending down to press a soft kiss to my lips. "Good. I wouldn't want to make it easy for you.”
But that’s just it. With Ronan, nothing is ever easy, and a small, terrified part of me is starting to think that I don’t want easy.
I wanthim.
Chapter Twenty-Five
RONAN
My body is exhausted,yet my mind is racing. But that might have something to do with the fact Ciara is curled up beside me, fast asleep and completely naked.
I’m surprised she didn’t insist on going back to her room after I was done with her, and a small part of me is glad she’s still here, if only to give me the chance to indulge in my fantasies.
She’s asleep on her front, the dark gray sheet barely covering her backside.
It would be so easy to pull it back and gently push her thighs apart so that I could slide my cock inside her.
“Christ.” My cock hardens from just thinking about fucking Ciara slow and deep until she’s whimpering with need in her sleep.
As if she can sense my arousal, she stretches out her arms and lets out a soft sigh of contentment.
I rub a hand over my face, dragging in a slow breath to try and calm myself as I take in the sight of her.
I thought that perhaps the first time we fucked was a one-off and that it would never be that good again. But the wayCiara took everything I gave her again only makes me crave her more, so desperate to see just how far I could go.
Instead, I get to my feet and stride to my closet in search of a pair of joggers before slipping out into the dark hall, careful to close the door silently behind me.
Fun is one thing, but losing control is something I can’t afford. No matter how much I enjoy seeing the marks on Ciara’s skin after taking her to my bed, I need to remember why she’s here.
This marriage isn’t about love or loyalty.
It’s business.
The survival of everything my family built is riding on this deal, and I’m not about to throw it all away because I’m addicted to the sound of my name on her lips as she comes.
She’s a McCarthy.
She is a means to an end, and nothing more. Or at least, that’s what I have to keep telling myself, even if that is harder and harder to keep in mind as she gets deeper and deeper under my skin and into places I thought were dead inside me.
I make my way downstairs, my bare feet silent on the cold tiles as I head straight for my office.
The familiar smell of leather and whiskey hits me the second I open the door, and I turn on the lamp, casting a warm glow across the dark wood furniture before crossing the room and sinking into my chair with a heavy sigh.
The clock on the wall reads almost four in the morning.
I should be sleeping, but then again, sleep hasn’t come easy to me lately. My mind is constantly racing. With Ciara, with every possible scenario that could happen to each member of my family now that I’m in charge.
The pressure is suffocating, and I can’t allow myself to crack, despite the fact my father’s killer is still out there, and so far, I have no leads.
What if one of my brothers is next? What if I’m next and they target Ciara?
The thought leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.
I climb to my feet and pour myself a drink, though not even alcohol will be enough to numb my thoughts. I down the first glass in one gulp, grimacing as the whiskey burns my throat, before pouring another and taking it back to the desk and sinking into my father’s chair once more.
For a moment, I simply sit there, letting the quiet settle over me as I try not to think about my father.
