Taking Risk Series

by Toni Aleo

  “It wasn’t that bad,” Amberlyn says and I laugh.

  “Funny, I was thinking the same thing,” I tell her, holding her close. “Yeah, it was bearable.”

  “I had fun.”

  “Grand, me too,” I agree. “But it did bother me that everyone brought up that wanker and the trial.”

  She shrugs as we turn the corner, taking the next set of stairs. You’d think that my family would invest in an elevator, but when Lena and I suggested that, our parents told us we were mad. Something about keeping the original bones of the house, and while I agree, I swear it feels like I am climbing the stairs of Hogwarts or something.

  “It’s really no big deal. I’m not nervous at all,” she assures me. I look over at her to see if her face says something else, but she looks confident. “I’ll go in, tell the truth, and he’ll go away. It’s pretty cut-and-dried. There are three witnesses who saw what happened. He has to pay for his crime, and the attorneys say there is no other way it can go. He’ll go away, which is what is best. Can’t go around shooting people ’cause you are upset.”

  “Especially the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with,” I say, kissing her temple.

  “Are you nervous?”

  I shake my head. “No, like ya said, it’s cut-and-dried. The lawyers think they’ll try to bring up the fact that we don’t like each other, but still that doesn’t give him the right to shoot me. I’m worried for Lena though.”

  “Yeah, me too. They’ll more than likely bring up their relationship.”

  “Yeah, even though it won’t do anything. Their breaking up doesn’t give him the right to shoot you.”

  “Absolutely,” she agrees as we finally reach our room. Wrapping my arms around her waist to keep her from moving anymore, I run my lips up and down her neck, nibbling at her ear and neck before sinking my teeth into her shoulder. She gasps out, her hands grasping mine as she leans back into me, lengthening her neck for me.

  “Mm,” I whisper against her neck as my hands travel up her body, cupping her breasts through the fabric of her dress. “Let’s take this off.”

  “In the room,” she gasps out, her ass pressing against my growing cock.

  “Yeah,” I agree, walking with her, our bodies pressed together as we head into the room.

  Shutting the door behind me, I lock it before turning her in my arms, meeting her lust-filled eyes. A small grin sits on her lips as I slowly run my hands down her bare arms, lacing my fingers with hers. Pulling her to me, I capture her mouth with mine. As we slowly kiss, teasing each other with our teeth and tongues, I let go of her hand and find the zipper to her dress before slowly pulling it down. She pulls back from our kiss, looking up at me as I catch the front of her dress. With her eyes on me, I slowly bring the dress down her body, replacing the fabric with my lips, kissing her in various spots as her dress hits the floor. Stepping out of it, she kicks it to the side as I slowly undo the straps to the gold heels on her feet. Taking each of them off, I kiss her ankles before trailing kisses back up her thigh, stopping at the spot between her thighs.

  Kissing her through her lace panties, I take the fabric at her hips and slowly bring them down, meeting her gaze as I pull them off.

  Cupping my face, she smiles. “I love you.”

  My heart knocks in my chest, my body shaking with the anticipation of being with this gorgeous woman once more, but most of all, I just feel complete. She does so much to my heart, and I hope I never stop feeling like this. Like I’m on top of the world.

  As I kiss her wet lips, she jerks against my mouth and I look back up at her and say, “I love you.”

  Opening her to me, I flick my tongue against her taut nub, her cries of pleasure filling the room as she jerks and thrashes against my mouth. I can feel her legs about to give out, but I like her standing like this. Digging my fingers into her arse, I bury my mouth in her center, getting my fill of her beautiful pussy. She tastes like something I’ve never had. Something that is all mine. Something I’ll crave for the rest of my life.

  When her fingers dig into my shoulders, she cries out, my name falling off her lips as she jerks against me again.

  But I’m nowhere near done.

  Still on my knees, I lead her back onto the bed, her head falls back on the pillows and she looks up at me, confused. Opening her legs wider, I slide my fingers inside of her as I find her clit again, flicking my tongue against her and driving her mad. Her moans are loud and her body is shaking as I take all of her. She arches into my mouth, and I hold her up as I bury my tongue deep inside of her, replacing my fingers with my tongue. Sucking up her arousal and climax, I press my thumb into her clit, sending her rocking up into my mouth as she cries out, begging me to stop.

  “Declan!” she cries, thrashing underneath my mouth.

  Moving my fingers inside of her tight, beautiful pussy again, I run my tongue along her clit and suck it while fucking her with my fingers. Soon she is squeezing me with her climax, and she is screaming so loud that I swear I’m about to blow my own load. Lifting up, I look down at her and love what I see. Her whole body is flushed, her hair in a fan along our bed. She looks like a well-loved woman, and I am just getting started.

  Standing up, I remove my bow tie, my eyes trained on her as I slowly pull it off and throw it to the side. Next is my jacket, and with each piece of clothing I remove, her eyes get darker and darker. I love the aquamarine of her eyes, but this storm blue is breathtaking too. When I push down my pants, my cock springing up, her eyes get wide as she sits up.

  “My turn?”

  I shake my head. “No baby, I want to be in you,” I whisper before reaching for a condom and sheathing myself.

  Her tongue comes out, wetting her mouth as I slowly crawl on top of her, taking her by the back of her knee, opening her up. Directing myself into her, I push into her, watching myself disappear inside of her. She gasps out, her fingers digging into my bicep as I completely fill her. It’s a tight fit but a glorious one, one I’ve craved every second of the day.

  Once I am completely inside her, I fall onto her. Moving her hair out of her face, I kiss her mouth, her nose, and cheeks as a small grin pulls at her lips. Bracing my hand beside her head, I push her leg back and slowly pull out before thrusting back inside her, causing a sound of pleasure to leave her lovely lips. Meeting her hooded gaze, I do it again and again, her fingers biting into my biceps as mine dig into the sheets of the bed. She is so tight, so fucking perfect, and all mine.

  Knowing I need to change positions or I am going to come hard inside of her, I push up onto my knees and bring her up, holding on to her ass as I kiss her hard. She wraps her arms around my neck, her legs doing the same around my waist as I kiss her, my tongue exploring her mouth as she does the same to mine. Unable to take it any longer, I pull back and start to pound into her, holding her by her ass to keep her from sliding. Her breasts bounce against my chest, her cries filling my ear as I thrust into her, not holding back. I feel her squeezing me with another orgasm and I can’t restrain myself anymore, letting go inside of her. I still as my head falls back, my whole body going taut as I unload in her hot, tight, little body.

  Her fingers dust along my jaw as she trails kisses along my neck before taking my mouth with hers. Falling on top of her, we continue to kiss, our bodies in a tangled heap, and I feel as if I can’t get any closer to her. Holding her as tightly as I can, I kiss her bottom lip before looking deep into her eyes.

  “Much better, yes?” I ask even though I can see it all over her face.

  I rocked her world.

  She smiles as she nods. “So much better,” she whispers as she nuzzles her nose into my neck. “When can we do it again?”

  I chuckle against her ear as I place a kiss there. “Gonna have to give me a bit.”

  She giggles before pulling back to look at me. “Can I ask you something?”

  I nod. “Anything.”

  “Does it feel different without a condom? I heard it did.”
>
  I shrug. “I don’t know; I’ve never done it without one.”

  “Oh,” she says, her brows coming in. She then looks at me, moving her fingers down my throat. “How many people have you been with?”

  I bite my lip as I hold her gaze. “Do you really want to know?”

  “Yeah, I think I do.”

  Swallowing loudly, I think for a moment. I don’t want to answer her, but I also won’t lie. Sucking in a deep breath, I meet her gaze and answer, “Seventeen, now eighteen.”

  When she looks away, I don’t know what to say. Maybe I should have lied? “I’m sorr—”

  She shakes her head, meeting my gaze again. “Don’t apologize. That was your life before me. Now though, I’m it,” she says with a wink.

  I grin at her, holding her face in my hands. “You’re fuckin’ right.”

  Her face reddens a bit as she holds my gaze. “You are my first and my last. I like that.”

  “Me too,” I agree, and I can’t express how much I actually do like that. There is something special about my being her one and only. Knowing that I’ll be the only one who’s ever been in her body, to make her come, and have my name fall from her swollen lips. She is completely and utterly mine, on every single level there is. There is something very frightening about that too. Will I be enough? When she starts to dust her lips along my jaw, she pulls back, biting her lip before she grins at me.

  “Wanna go take a shower, maybe we can start something in there? I really want you.”

  I like the way she thinks and even more that she wants more of me. The question from before quickly evaporates from my brain. I have nothing to worry about; I am enough for her. Dropping my lips to hers, I hold her gaze. I’m not saying I want to kiss her, because I always do, but I want her to see in my eyes how much I love her. Her sexy grin falls, replaced with a sweet one as her fingers tangle in my hair. Our love is suffocating, but I’ll die a happy man if she is the last I’ll see.

  She’s waiting for an answer, and I have no problem doing what she asks. Kissing her quickly, I grin before saying, “Yeah, let’s go.”

  Chapter 21

  Amberlyn

  For the last two weeks, the only time we’ve gotten out of bed is when we have to go to work. I love it. I do. Being wrapped in Declan’s arms, completely lost in the love he provides me with is just amazing, really, but something is bothering me.

  I don’t feel like we are adults.

  I feel like we should be making a home for us. Making dinner—it’s delivered at six every night or we go eat with his parents, doing laundry—again, done for me and delivered by noon the next day, and cleaning—done for me. I can’t decorate because the house is already decorated! The only thing I do around here is have sex, read, or watch TV with my fiancé. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s great, but I kinda feel as if we are kids, hiding out in his room from his parents.

  But we can’t even hide well.

  I swear that Mrs. O’Callaghan has a book with all the reasons to come to talk to me and Declan. Let it be a subject that deals with the wedding, the distillery, tea time, or anything that comes to mind, she is knocking on our door. It’s insane and is honestly driving me up the wall. What bothers me the most is that Declan seems to be completely satisfied with everything. I know that he has lived his whole life only working when it comes to the distillery, but I’ve worked for everything I’ve wanted my whole life, and I feel like I’m a blob. Living off him almost.

  It’s a scary feeling, and every time I want to bring it up to Declan, something comes up or his mom knocks on the damn door!

  And right on cue, there is a knock on the door as I pull my blouse on, buttoning the top button. I flash him a dark look and he shrugs.

  “Yeah?”

  The door opens and she comes in, a little grin on her face. “Just checking to see if yous were ready to go.”

  We are going to an elementary school today to give book bags full of supplies for all one hundred kids. I am superexcited about it, but I kinda wish it were only Declan and me going.

  “Yeah, Ma, we are getting ready now. Be down in a few.”

  “Okay!” she says as she flutters away, shutting the door behind her. Looking over at Declan, I see he’s laughing quietly.

  “It isn’t funny,” I snap at him, and he smiles.

  “I know but still. You’re cute with that little cross face of yours.”

  “Watch out, buddy, before it’s directed at you,” I warn, and he shakes his head, still chuckling.

  “I just don’t get it. She finds any reason to come up here. I think she is realizing that I’ve grown up, or at least that’s what my da says. She doesn’t do this shite to Lena.”

  I didn’t think of it that way, and I can understand the realization of your son being a man, but still, it’s annoying. “That’s fine and dandy but, Declan, we are hardly ever alone! It’s driving me up the wall,” I say, way sharper than I intended.

  His brows come in as his hands go to his khaki-clad waist. “What would you have me do, then? Ask her not to come up here?”

  “That would be a start. Or maybe, get our own place. I just don’t—”

  And another knock comes at the fucking door!

  Clamping my mouth shut, I glare as he reaches for the door. “Ma?”

  “Sorry, I forgot to tell you to make sure you wear blue with your O’Callaghan pin. Oh! You have it on. Here is Amberlyn’s. She may not be an O’Callaghan officially, but I feel she is.”

  I roll my eyes. I want to believe this woman is genuine, but come on. She’s probably sitting outside the door, snickering that we are fighting.

  “Thanks, Ma, we will be down in a few,” he says quickly before shutting the door and then looking back at me. Coming toward me, he reaches out with one arm, snaking it around me to pull me to him. As he looks deep into my eyes, all my anger washes away as his mouth pulls up at one side. “Don’t be upset with me.”

  “I’m not,” I say, fingering the lapel of his shirt. “I just don’t feel like we are adults. Everything is done for us.”

  He chuckles. “Because that’s my life, Amberlyn. You’ve worked most of your life for what you’ve wanted. You’ve been through some hard stuff. Embrace this. It’s your life now. People are paid to make sure we are taken care of so we can focus on each other. What more could you ask for?”

  “To cook my own dinner, maybe? Or do my own laundry? I feel like a blob, Declan!”

  He smiles, letting me go to pin the crest of his family on my shirt. It’s a white pin with an armored helmet with green flourish coming out of it and a stallion underneath it. I don’t know why, but the butterflies in my gut go crazy as he runs his finger along the pin before meeting my regard. “You’re not a blob, Amberlyn, you’re an O’Callaghan. My soon-to-be wife. This is how our life is. We don’t do those things you mentioned; we have people who do and make good money doing it. For the time being, all you have to worry about is loving me, going to school, and working at the pub. After we get married, I’m sure you’ll fall right into place.”

  “Fall into place? What do you mean?”

  His brows come together as he holds me close. “That my ma will leave us be and that you won’t worry about cooking your own dinner or mine. You’ll embrace this because this is what we are.”

  “You don’t want more?”

  “More? No,” he says, laughing. “I don’t want to do laundry or yard work. I have you and the distillery and one day, our children. Let our staff be responsible for all that mundane stuff.”

  “Wow,” I say, shaking my head and backing out of his embrace.

  Reaching for my jacket, I put it on as he asks, “Wow, what?”

  Looking back at his confused face, I hate that I think what I do, but how can I not?

  “This is the first time I’ve ever thought of you to be a snob.”

  He looks at me like I’ve hit him. “A snob?”

  “Yeah. Mundane stuff? That’s all I did when I was grow
ing up, caring for my sick mother. It isn’t mundane. It’s what adults do!”

  His confusion leaves his beautiful face, and compassion replaces it as he nods. “I’m sorry, that was rude of me.”

  I shake my head, anger still coursing through my body. “It’s fine. Let’s go, your mom and dad are waiting.”

  I go to leave, but he stops me, wrapping his arm around my waist and cupping my face so that look at him. “Declan—” I say, but before I can finish my sentence, he is shaking his head.

  “Amberlyn, it isn’t fine. I can tell you are still upset, and please allow me to apologize.”

  “I accept your apology,” I say, and I do, but it doesn’t mean that I’m not still upset over it.

  “Sure ya do, but let me explain,” he says, still not letting me go. Reluctantly, I look up at him, and I know he sees the fire in my eyes. It isn’t okay what he said. Setting me with a look, he goes on, “This is how I was brought up. A silver spoon in my mouth, and thankfully, I don’t have to live any other way. If ya want to do dinner, fine, I’ll make arrangements for you to cook when ya want to. Want to do the laundry? I’ll have a washer and dryer put up here. Anything you want, you tell me and I’ll make happen.”

  He is too good to me, but he isn’t listening to me. That’s not what I want. I mean, yeah it is, but I want more. “I want our own place. Somewhere where we can be alone and not worry about someone waiting on us hand and foot. Or your mother walking in on us.”

  I know he doesn’t want that. I can see it in his eyes, but he nods his head anyway. “I’ve been here my own life. I had plans to carry ya over that threshold, to bring our babies home here and to grow old here. Me and you.”

  “I can understand that, and I want those things too, minus this house.”

  I can see the gears moving in his head as his eyes stay trained on mine. Letting out a long breath, he asks, “Can you give me till the wedding? If by then you still want that, then I’ll make the arrangements.”