Cillian

I swear the woman has been sent by the devil himself to tempt me.

My cock is throbbing, and the way her jeans hug her curves, showing off her long legs, isn’t helping matters. If I don’t touch Delaney soon, I’m going to be a candidate for the asylum.

I roll my shoulders and neck in an effort to relieve the tension building there.

As soon as we arrive at the pub, Emer drags her away. They seem to click immediately, but the way they keep looking in my direction and giggling has my defenses up. But hell, they’re always up these days.

I can feel the tension around me. Most people have kept their distance, and the ones that have approached seem to be walking on eggshells.

Good. As long as everyone leaves me alone…

I should never have agreed to come here tonight, but I swear I can’t say no to Delaney.

Maybe I should just fuck her and get her out of my system. The way she looks at me, I know she’s begging me for it. But then, every time I touch her or get too close, I see the hesitation, the small traces of fear behind those hazel eyes.

“Yer American seems to be having fun.” Aiden hands me a Guinness and slaps my back.

I grunt at the impact.

“She’s not my American.” I drain half the glass, not taking my gaze off her.

Colin Murphy has been all over her for the past hour, his hand inching lower and lower down her back. And I know the look in his eyes – greedy lust. But what’s really pissing me off is that Delaney seems to be enjoying his attention.

Aiden chuckles. “Ye could’ve fooled me the way ye’ve been watching her.”

I make a sound at the back of my throat. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit jealous. Not that I have any good reason to be. I’m letting her stay at my place, but that doesn’t mean I can say who she can or can’t flirt with. But I know Colin. I know exactly what he wants, and what he’s willing to do to get it.

Colin leans over and says something to her. Whatever it is has her head tilting back as she laughs. His hand reaches out and brushes her cheek, causing her face to color slightly.

Enough of this bullshit. If anyone’s going to be touching her tonight, it’ll be me.

It takes me four long strides to close the distance between us.

“It’s time to go,” I growl against her ear.

I feel the small tremor that races through her body, but she does a damn good job at hiding it. She turns back to Colin.

“We just got here.”

Colin places his hand on her waist, and I see her flinch slightly, but she doesn’t do a damn thing about it.

“I can drive her back later, if ye want to head out.” The grin Colin gives me has my fingers curling into fists. When he glances back at Delaney, his intent clear in his eyes, I know I’m seconds away from beating the shit out of him. “Unless ye want to come back to my place. Ye’re more than welcome to stay with me if ye’re already tired of this bastard.”

If I had any claim on the woman at all I would take a swing at him, but I’m sober enough to know that I don’t. At least, not yet.

I grip Delaney’s elbow and pull her off the stool.

She lets out a small squeak, “Hey.”

Ignoring her protest, I lead her to the back of the pub, in the hallway between the restrooms, where there are no eyes on us.

“What are you doing?” She pulls out of my grip, staring up at me with a flash of fire in her eyes. But this time, the fire isn’t lust. It’s irritation.

“No, what’re ye doing? Are ye looking for trouble?”

“Maybe I am.” She tilts her chin up at me stubbornly. “Either way, it’s none of your business.”

A growl rumbles in my throat, because I want it to be my business.

“Is this about that damn list?”

“Yes.” She looks up at me defiantly, almost daring me to take what I so desperately want. What we both want.

When I don’t, she starts to walk away.

I place my palm on the wall, stopping her. “Ye’re looking for a stranger to kiss, is that it? Or maybe it’s number twenty-two ye’re looking to cross off.”

Red creeps into her cheeks, but she holds my gaze. “And if it is?”

Her tongue darts out over her lips, drawing my gaze down to her perfect mouth.

My body and brain war with each other. Hell, I can feel my balls drawing tight against the base of my shaft, my cock begging for freedom. I need to touch her. Kiss her. Be inside of her.

Seconds go by. Long, intense, promise-filled seconds, until she lets out a small, frustrated noise.

Her hands rise to my chest to push me away, but I don’t budge.

“If you’re not…” She shakes her head, glancing away, and I swear she’s fighting back tears. Her voice is shaky when she says, “I need to do this.”

“Ye need to kiss a stranger?” I place my palms on the side of her face, fingers tangling in the hair at the nape of her neck, and force her to look at me, trying to understand her motivation.

“Yes.” The way she says it, like it’s paramount to her survival, stirs something possessive and primal inside me.

Fuck. I can’t hold back any longer.

I crush my lips against hers, groaning into her mouth when her lips part for me on a little whimper. Her body melts against me, hands going to my chest, fingers fisting in my shirt. She kisses me back with the same frantic need that drives me.

It’s just a kiss, but the heat of it is consuming, melting the world around us, until there’s nothing but me and her.

When I pull away, she’s breathless, her cheeks pink, and her eyes wide.

Emotions I haven’t let myself feel in a long time stir in my chest, and I quickly suppress them. Whatever this thing is between us, it can only be physical, and I haven’t decided if that is even a good idea.

As much as she’s trying to put on a show to prove otherwise, Delaney isn’t the one-night-stand type. No matter what her fucking list says.

I drop my hands and breathe out roughly. “There. Satisfied? Can we go now?”

She stares up at me, blinking. Stunned. It’s how I feel, too. Stunned by the things she stirs inside of me. I’ve just learned over the years how to hide my emotions behind a mask of irritation.

Straightening her shoulders, she tilts her chin. “It doesn’t count.”

I open my mouth, then shut it. When I open it again, I bark out, “Why the fuck not?”

“You’re not a stranger. I know you.” She pushes past me. “It doesn’t count.”

“Ye don’t know me, love,” I growl as I follow her, causing a few heads to turn in our direction.

She stops quickly and turns back to me. “I know your name. And I know you’re arrogant and broody. You drive too fast, and if last night is any indication, you drink too much.”

I grunt, dragging my hands through my hair. “Ye’ve got me all figured out, do ye?”

Her lips twitch up slightly, but the sadness is back in her eyes. “I also know you’re hurting. I don’t know why, but I see it. It’s why you’ve got this whole shield around you, like you think the whole world is against you.”

I catch Aiden watching us with a look of amused curiosity.

Fuck.

“Ye don’t know what ye’re talking about.”

I hold her gaze, and I can see she wants to say more. Her eyes are so goddamn expressive, and I swear I can see every shredded piece of her heart as I look into those hazel depths.

“Look.” She places her hand on my arm, her gaze now sober. “I like you. And I appreciate you letting me stay at your place until I figure my shit out. But I’ve had people telling me what to do my entire life. I don’t need one more. I’m going to have fun tonight. It’s something I haven’t let myself do in a really long time.”

I exhale, slow and steady. I know she’s right, but there’s no chance in hell I’m leaving her here with Colin lurking in the shadows. She comes home with me.

Hazel eyes watch me with wary arousal. God, that look nearly undoes me.

“Fine. One hour. Then we leave.”

Her face brightens. Her lips, still swollen from my kiss, curve up in a smile. “Thank you.”

“Just don’t expect me to enjoy myself.”

She laughs. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“And stay away from Colin.”

She places her palm on my chest and goes up onto her toes, so that her lips are only a breath from mine. “As long as you promise to kiss me again later.”

When she starts to move away, I grab her around the waist and whisper roughly in her ear, “I promise I’ll be doing a lot more than kissing ye tonight, sweetheart.”