“Why not?” His temper returned and he narrowed his eyes at me. “Fecking tease.”
I laughed and winked at him. “Yeah, but no one will believe you. Why would they?” I ran my hand over my belly to my crotch, giving myself a generous squeeze through my red swim shorts. “As far as they’re concerned, I’m the quiet one.”
He jumped to his feet, and I backed away, laughing as he followed me exactly like I wanted him to. He shoved my chest until my lower back hit the railing and he got in close, gaze furious. “Suck me cock.”
I licked my lips, pleasure simmering low in my gut. Excitement tingled alongside the lust. We’d played this game for so long that I hadn’t even realized what it was until Cillian had killed a man in New York City and shared a bloody kiss with me. The realization hit me then—Cillian and I had a bond that no one else could understand.
Not Vail.
Not Fallon.
And especially not Rowen.
No, this wasour thing. We shared partners while we fucked each other mentally. It was a waiting game and only the best man would win. Who was chasing who had yet to be seen. We were both predators.
I leaned in close, mouth inches from his, and tilted my head just slightly. “No.”
He bared his teeth at me and rocked forward, and for a moment I thought he was going to kiss me, but then he pitched backward. A smirk took over his face and he grabbed my face in a tight grip, nails digging into my cheeks.
I hesitated, but so did he, and we stared at each other for too long. It was hot, the sun beating down, but I didn’t dare move. I wouldn’t lose this round with him.
He chuckled softly. “Ye’re a fecking twit.”
“Thank you.” I touched his upper arms and smiled. “Are you going to kiss me or what?”
“No.” His smile turned evil, and I didn’t have time to react before he released my face and shoved me. I cursed when I flipped over the railing and hit the water on my belly, the sharp slap of the landing a brutal sting. The sound of Cillian’s uncontrolled laughter as I resurfaced was fuel for this war. By the end of this work vacation, I will have fucked him six ways to Sunday.
I smirked and swiped a hand across my face and head, removing water from my eyes.Game on.
4
CILLIAN
The thudding partymusic at Phryne’s Cabaret was loud enough to vibrate the inside of my skull. To my left along the black bar, which reflected the neon pink lights around the room, an enthusiastic group of tourists wearingI Love Oklahomashirts intently watched a phone someone had propped up against a stack of empty beer bottles. The screen played a show I’d never seen about bad weather. They clutched shots of tequila, and every now and then they would all screech and shout while yelling “updraft!” before downing their drinks. The bartender was fast to bring refills.
At my back the dance floor was packed and had been that way for at least an hour. The bustle of bodies moving around behind me made my left eye twitch, but I didn’t want to put my back to the bar or find a different seat. No, being close to the alcohol suited me just fine tonight. Feck it. If one of the Reyes men shot me right now, oh well.
An ache had started in my brain a while ago, and I couldn’t shake it loose, not with whiskey nor beer. The pain lingered. Beyond the bar were two barely clothed dancers in cages—one man and one woman. Both were beautiful, but I found myself staring into my whiskey glass rather than at the entertainment. Normally I liked this spot when I visited Florida. The cabaret was a fanciful combination of strip and swingers club, and it was always a good time. The dim lighting made it easy to sneak in some action.
Feck, I wanted to go home, and not back to Sloan’s fancy house. I’d never actually noticed that the booze here tasted a bit watered down before this visit. I glanced up and the twunk in the cage on my right gave me a wink. Usually I would’ve at least smiled and flirted a bit, tossed the fellow some cash for his efforts, but I had Fallon at home and he looked better.
And he trembled so nicely when I held him down.
Fecking hell, I’m bored.
And I’d ended up irritating Aspen earlier. I was a wet blanket during the entire yacht escape he’d put together for us to unwind. My back stung and I let out a hiss between my teeth as I shifted on the stool, which also wasn’t helping my arse to feel good. The burn was a bit worse because I’d gotten singed a tad more through my feckin’ shirt. Who cared about physical pain, though? No, it was my head that was a right mess. I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that Aspen seemed to be letting me know he wanted in my arse after years of us keeping the status quo.
It wasn’t a well-known fact, but I wanted things to stay the same. I didn’t mind work situations that jumped off and needed me to kill someone or change my plans to better suit the occasion, but at home? I liked to know that my younger brother Eamon was doing fine and Rowen was happy, and now that we had me wee firebug and Fallon, I needed to know they were content and well-fucked. That’s as far as it went, though.
Aspen and I had always been pieces of the same puzzle and we’d just been good. I didn’t have to put a lot of thought into him because we worked so well together. As much as I’d been the one to start things with Aspen, part of me never expected anything much to come of it, other than maybe a couple of hand jobs in the dark. I wasn’t ready for it now that things were different.
He couldn’t possibly think I was going to let him fuck me.
He was out of his mind.
And it didn’t fecking matter how much I’d enjoyed his tongue in my arsehole, it wouldn’t feel good to have his cock shoved in there. I still wasn’t entirely sure why Vail or Fallon let me do it, though I was thankful they did. God, let them never decide they hated getting fucked or I would die of blue balls. I snorted and sipped my whiskey.
The bartender slid another glass next to my nearly empty one, and I glanced up. He was a slim wee thing, barely clothed by the tight white shorts clinging to his arse, with honey-blond hair that reminded me of Vail, big brown eyes, and a sultry mouth accentuated by red lipstick. “You look lonely.” He gave me a pretty smile. “I’m done in an hour.”
