Ciara shrinks at my tone, but that only adds to my anger.
“I asked you a fuckingquestion!”
She looks up at me then, her expression hardening as the fear in her eyes turns to anger. "Maybe if your systems weren’t so easy to hack into, I wouldn’t have been tempted to change them.”
"You think this is a fucking joke?" I step closer to the bed.
She lifts her chin, though I notice her grip tightens on the sheet wrapped around her chest. "No. But maybe if you actually trusted me instead of treating me like a prisoner, I wouldn’t have to prove I’m useful."
She can’t be serious. “How have I treated you like a prisoner? I’ve given you access to my house, my cars, I’ve even allowed your friend to come over.”
“Youallowed? Do you even hear yourself? Because that’s what I’m fucking talking about, Ronan! I have to run everything by you! I can’t even take an Uber into the city without you intervening.”
“Because I don’t want you to get fucking kidnapped!”
She glowers at me, but she knows I’m right.
“If you want to be treated like a prisoner, I’d be glad to put a lock on your bedroom door.”
“Fuck you.”
“You’ve crossed a line, Ciara.”
“I saw something that needed fixing, and I fixed it. I could be useful to you.” She stares up at me, her chest heaving as she loosens her hold on the sheet.
It slips just enough to reveal the soft swells of her breasts, and my cock twitches, hardening in my pants despite the rage coursing through my veins.
I take a step closer to the bed, and her breath hitches as she glances down and sees my arousal.
She loosens her hold even more so that the sheet drops to her waist, exposing her bare breasts and her perfect pink nipples as I lean over her, placing a hand on either side of her body until she’s caged inside my arms.
“Useful, huh?” I keep my voice low, my mouth barely an inch away from hers.
Her throat bobs, and I let my gaze purposefully flick down to her chest, taking in the sight of her pebbling nipples.
If I tore the sheet away, I’d find her already wet and ready for me, and my cock throbs at that thought.
She arches her back slightly, as if silently inviting me to claim her tits, but I don’t give in. Instead, I lean in close so that my mouth almost brushes her ear as I move one hand to cup her throat. Part of me wants to climb on top of her right now and fuck the defiance out of her, but this moment isn’t about sex.
It’s about teaching Ciara a lesson.
"You had no right to touch what wasn’t yours." I squeeze her neck just enough to force a soft whimper from her. “Next time I might not be so forgiving.”
I pull away then and step back from the bed, gloweringdown at her as she looks up at me with a slightly glazed expression.
“Now, I suggest you go back to your own room.”
It’s a low blow, but I need to remember who exactly is the woman in my bed. She’s a McCarthy, and I can’t afford to let her in.
At least, not completely.
“Are you seriously kicking me out right now?” Any hint of arousal in her eyes vanishes.
“Just out of my bed.”
“You’re a fucking asshole.” She gathers the sheet around herself once more.
“You should have thought of the consequences before you decided to hack into my computer.” I fold my arms over my bare chest.
