She reaches the table and stumbles back as every head looks her way, and she pales under the attention.
Filip leans back in his chair, rubbing the upper part of his thigh and smiling at her. “Welcome back, beautiful. I got a seat for you right here.”
My hand lashes out, wrapping around Briar’s wrist and tugging her down onto me.
“Whoa,” she breathes, her eyes going subtly out of focus while her body sways slightly on my lap.
My brow caves in, concern weighing heavily, but Filip’s grating tone drags my attention up.
“Alright Irish, consider me interested. What do you want for her?”
Briar inhales sharply, her body freezes, and it feels as if she’s holding her breath as she awaits my response.
My gaze turns lethal when I meet Filip’s eye. “I don’t share.”
Liam sits up straighter in his seat when he hears my tone. Aleksander shoots a worried look over to Dominick, who tries catching Filip’s attention. But hisattentionis fixed on the girl sitting in my lap.
“Come on Irish, don’t be like that.” He leans forward, his hands folded in front of him but traveling dangerously close to Briar. “Everything has a price.”
My hand travels up Briar’s waist, closing around her middle and dragging her into me until her back is pressed up against my chest. Keeping my eyes on Filip’s growing scowl, I lean down. My lips graze lightly against the soft skin of her neck as I kiss it, feeling her shiver.
Briar’s breathing is strangled but she doesn’t stop me. When I reach her jawline, I grab hold of her chin, my touch firm—possessive—tilting her head back toward me.
I catch a glimpse of her face, eyes wide, pupils dilated, surprise flickering in them as I lean in, pressing my mouth to hers. My hands grip her chin, holding her in place. The kiss isn’t sweet or soft, and my hand drops to wrap around her throat as I claim even more. At first I’m met with resistance, the little whimper that escapes her makes my dick twitch.
I keep one eye on Filip the whole while, enjoying the way his expression sours as he watches. I keep going just long enough until I’m sure I’ve hammered in my point. I release Briar, sitting back in my chair with a dangerous smirk on my face.
“Not this.”
Filip doesn’t ask me to trade again. He excuses himself from our table not long after my little possessive display.
We’re just about finished, finalizing the last few terms for our new trade agreement. Aleksander and Liam go over details at the end of the table. Across from me, Dominick is busy with a girl he’s summoned over, so my attention zeroes in on the dark-haired little rose I have seated in my lap.
I spin her around, one of her legs to each side of me.
My hand goes to the back of her head, guiding her face to my neck.
“Kiss it,” I order.
Briar hesitates, her breath warming my skin as her mouth hovers just above.
The hand I have on her outer thigh tightens, reminding her of my command, and she closes the distance, landing a tentative kiss on the side of my neck.
I let out a breath as she continues to move slowly up. When her ear nears my mouth, I ask my question.
“Did you recognize anyone?”
She freezes, and my hand flies again to the back of her head, keeping her pressed to me as she starts to pull away. “Don’t,” I say, keeping my voice low. “Whisper it to me in my ear.” No one’s watching us, and we’ve done a good job blending in so far, but I’m not willing to take any chances.
“Yes,” she breathes into my ear, the sound igniting every nerve in my body.
“Who?” My hand moves to stroke her hair.
She swallows, chewing her lip nervously. “By the bar.”
My eyes shift up.
“Older, dark suit, red tie,” she mumbles into my ear, speaking slowly, her words slightly slurring together. “The one that’s balding, with the sneer on his face…”
