“But your job used to be to make new information available to the public. That is exactly what I can’t let you do. I know you have a... code,” I settle on. “Like you said, you don’t reveal your sources, but I want to make something very clear to you, Colby. I don’t care if you feel this need inside you to tell the whole world our secrets, if it’s your calling or whatever-the-fuck. Hell, I can get my men to stand around and listen to you drone on and on about the world’s issues if it’ll help, if you need that limelight. But what happens in this house isn’t for public consumption. What?—”
“I know that,” he interrupts me, the words coming out hard and sharp.
“What I do with my business,” I continue as if he hadn’t interrupted me, because my annoyance is rising rapidly. “What I talk about with my family, my son’s name and face, the existence of my aunt... if you ever reveal any ofthose things to anyone outside the family or to the world, I’m going to kill you?—”
“Because I’d be putting your family in danger, I know,” he interrupts meagain, and even rolls his eyes at me.
“Ireallydon’t like being interrupted,” I say through gritted teeth. I can see by his widening eyes that that got his attention. “Raise your fucking hand or wait for me to be done if you have something to say.”
“Fine, jeez,” he mumbles.
“I also have a code, Colby.” I soften my tone just a little now—I think he got the point—and pull the gold pendant I’ve worn since Da died out from under my shirt. “You know what this is?”
He looks at it with a thoughtful frown.
“Some kind of animal,” he says softly. “Eating its own tail? Is that a fox?”
“It is. It’s the symbol of cunning, because that’s what the head of the Irish mafia has to be, Colby. I have to be unforgiving, relenting, brutal, and above all, cunning. I can’t worry about hurt feelings or temper tantrums, and I can only have people around me I trust. You’re not here because I trust you. You’re here because you need protection and because you’re going to help me.”
“And I have to earn your trust.” He nods in understanding,then returns his gaze to my eyes. Those dark eyes compel me. I’m so glad he came to that conclusion all by himself.
“You do, and I want you to.” It feels necessary to tell him that. I don’t want him to think he’s fighting a losing battle, as much as I don’t want to think that when it comes to... us.
I let that magnetic force pull me forward this time, because I think... I think I need to test us both. I don’t stop until I can feel his breath on my skin, until the heat of his body transfers to my chest. I watch his face carefully. He doesn’t react except for a hard swallow, but I see his pupils blow wide, and know I was right before. He is attracted to me, even if he’s also afraid of me.
I doubt that’s something I can change soon, so I ignore it for now and raise my hand to the side of his neck, right where I can feel his pulse, which starts to quicken the longer my hand stays there.
“I’m never going to make you do something you don’t want to do, even if I have to stop you from doing something that you do want to do. Do you understand?” I speak softly. I don’t want to disturb the moment too much but this is too important to stay silent.
“I do,” he whispers.
I lean in slowly, never taking my eyes away from his, waiting for him to tell me to stop or to step away.
He does neither, but he also doesn’t pull me forward, doesn’t tilt his head up. I have to admire that he stands his ground, waiting for me to be the one to do this.
It is how I prefer things, and it has my dick hardening fast, so without wasting any more time, I close the space between us and cover his lips with mine. I give him two seconds again, to react, to do... anything, and he doesn’t disappoint.
His hands come up to my waist and he fists my vest in a tight grip and pulls me to him.
I push his lips open and invade his mouth with my tongue, taking everything I want. I raise my other hand to the back of his head and plunder. Nibbling at his lower lip, I pull a groan from him. It makes me want him even closer, even if we’re already pressed together from knees to foreheads. I know he can feel my hard dick against his hip, and when I shift my leg I feel his own erection.
I could slot my leg between his, give him the perfect place to rub himself up and down, but instead I pull my face away. Dazed and drunk on lust, he looks fucking magnificent.
Slowly, enjoying every little feel of his soft skin and hair, I pull my hands back, and he lets his hands fall to his sides. Only then do I take a step back.
“Do you do that with every person you want to trust you?” he asks, sounding almost drunk.
“I don’t ever want people to trust me.” I tell him the hard truth. “And I rarely deal with people I don’t already trust. So no, Colby. That wasn’t to create trust between us.”
“Then why?”
“For the usual reasons.” Simple and efficient, but my voice is still gravelly with need. “I’ll see you tomorrow so we can go get your research.”
I turn and walk out of his room before he can ask any more damn questions and I answer them without thinking about the consequences.
“This is a surprise,”Connor muses as I walk out of the shadows of the courtyard corridor and into the light. I called him ten minutes ago when I was walking from the garage to here, so of course he’s notthatsurprised, but it’s been some time since I’ve shown up unannounced the way I used to do before my niece and nephew knew I existed.
“Something came up.”
