Obliging her request, he leaned down and ate the small bite of the avocado roll he’d placed right above her belly button. She shivered as his lips and tongue swept over her skin, but she tapped her right breast next to tell him she wanted him there.
He bit partially into the sushi, rubbing it against her nipple, which immediately puckered beneath him, before chewing and swallowing. After finishing that bite, he gently devoured her nipple, pulling it between his teeth and licking her clean.
Moving over to her left breast, he did the same thing, except he brought the roll to her mouth. She opened and he shared the bite with her, the sweet and savory flavors moving over his tongue as they both swallowed.
“Mmm,” she moaned against him.
Kieran repeated the process, barely touching her with anything except the sushi and his lips as they both ate the remaining pieces of the sushi positioned on her body. Her breathing ragged, she bit her lip again as he stood, unbuttoned his jeans, and pushed them down. He stepped out of them, then rolled on protection.
He couldn’t wait any longer.
Climbing back onto the bed, no food between them, he gripped her hips and flipped her over onto her stomach. Finally, he pulled her back so she was on all fours in front of him. She looked back over her shoulder, and he groaned at the perfect sight.
She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, and she was his.
“Please,” she begged, wiggling her hips to entice him to give her what she wanted.
“I’ve got you, Fi. You’re mine.” He growled as he plunged into her, clutching her hips. Her head fell forward at the sudden motion, but she pushed herself backward, wanting more. He thought he was going to lose it then and there, seeing how eager she was to be with him.
Needing to consume her, to show her everything he was feeling for her, to commit everything he had to her, he wound his fingers through her hair. Gripping gently, he pulled her head backward, his lips at her ear. “Do you feel how much I want you, Fi?”
“Yes,” she breathed.
“Do you feel how much I care about you? How special you are to me?” He needed her to know. She had to know. She was everything to him. Tonight was about her, but when he did finally tell her about prison and risk losing her completely, he wanted her to know she had always meant something to him. Despite the short time they’d been together, she had completely stolen his heart.
“Kieran,” she gasped as he thrust harder, and he heard the emotion in her voice.
“You feel so amazing.” He bit into the soft flesh of her neck as he continued to thrust into her from behind. She molded herself to him, and he knew she felt everything he was telling her.
This wasn’t just sex. It wasn’t just physical. It was more than just the sensitive press of body against body. She was more to him. This was…love.
When his hand finally released her hair, he found her breasts, rubbing over her pert nipples at the same time he was thrusting in and out of her. He felt her nearing climax, and she pushed against him as hard as she could, so he did the same. As he grunted and stilled, holding her hips tightly, her body shook with the force of her own pleasure.
“Do you trust me?” he asked her again gruffly as they both came down from their highs.
“I do,” she responded with no hesitation this time before collapsing forward on the bed.
His heart warmed at her words; this was a turning point. This was the moment he’d point to years later and say that was when he’d fallen in love. He paused for a second at the thought, wondering if that could be true. If he could love someone he’d met only two weeks before. If he was even capable of love after all he’d done in his past.
She looked at him with dreamy eyes, a shy smile on her perfect pink lips. Everything about her seemed perfect to him.
Is that what love does to a man?
He leaned down and kissed her gently, touching his tongue to hers, then stretched out next to her. He pulled the blankets over her spent frame before sitting up with his back against the headboard. “Still want to make that movie?”
“Shut up.” She giggled, pushing herself up to sit beside him. “But I could definitely use some more food. I’m starving.”
“Worked up an appetite,” he teased as he grabbed a box and handed it to her. She opened it and bypassed any utensils or chopsticks, instead picking up a piece with two fingers and gulping it down. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
She smiled shyly at him. “I told you I was starving.”
He shook his head and grabbed the remote, pressed Play, and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. He loved that she wasn’t afraid to eat in front of him like some women were. As the credits began rolling, he couldn’t keep his eyes off her.
“Are you excited for the gala on Saturday?” she asked randomly, staring ahead at the screen.
“Sure.” He nodded, stealing a piece of sushi from the box she held.
“Don’t sound so convincing.” Her sarcasm was in full force as she chuckled.
He pulled her tighter to his side, dropping a quick kiss on her temple. “I’m very excited to take my girlfriend to the gala.”
Her mouth twitched into a smile. It was the first time he’d used the term, but he wanted her not to have any doubts. He wanted her to be a part of his life, and he needed her to want that, too.
“I like the sound of that.”
“Yeah?” He took her now empty plate and put it back on the nightstand before pulling her entirely onto his lap.
“Yeah.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, and he knew. He knew she was feeling the same thing he was.
And that they were never going to end up watching the movie.
Chapter 17
The last few weeks had by far been made up of the best days of his life. True, he’d spent the prior two years in prison, so really anything would seem pretty great in comparison, but Kieran knew this was more. And it was because of Fiona.
Kieran watched the kids running around the youth center, enjoying their Friday afternoon. He would continue to spend his afternoons here for the next few months while he was on parole, but starting next week he’d be spending his mornings at Legends, working under his father and Quinn. The clinic construction had concluded earlier this week, and so he had a slight reprieve for a few days in between jobs.
He’d gone to Legends this morning and Seamus had told him that he wanted to retire soon. Quinn had the business mind to take over, particularly booking MMA fighters and boxers—the real cash haul for the business—but Kieran and Rory were more suited for the sport itself and running the floor. Seamus described how Rory and Kieran would be the main trainers for Legends’ top MMA fighters and boxers, bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars from contracts and prizefights for the business. Legends’ legacy for creating the best of the best made the list of athletes wanting to sign with them a mile long.
He’d spent almost every night with Fiona and Shea. They’d played board games, helped Shea with her homework, or read out loud until Shea went to bed. It felt as if they were already their own family, even after such a short time together. Once Shea was in bed, he and Fiona curled on the couch and talked for hours, or didn’t talk at all. He loved it either way.
He was beginning to feel like he had an idea for his future, like he knew what he wanted. His career was taking shape, his days were packed, and his heart was full. It was all thanks to Fiona. She’d been the one to encourage him to expect more from himself, and to look at him as if he was a success. She made him feel like a better person, like a bigger person. She made him feel like more than an ex-con.
Tomorrow was the gala, and he couldn’t wait to have her on his arm, meeting all of Woodlawn as his woman. Shea was even coming to the gala for the first hour. He and Fiona would bring her home and put her to bed with a babysitter in the house in case she awoke, then they’d return to the gala and spend the rest of the evening dancing and, most important, talking.
He planned on t
elling her everything, laying his entire past and heart out on the table and hoping she chose to stay. The thought terrified him, but he knew he didn’t want to wait any longer.
She deserved to know who he was.
“Hey, babe,” her soft voice pulled at him, and he turned to find the very woman he was thinking about standing in front of him in a light blue cropped shirt that perfectly matched her eyes and left a hint of her midriff showing over her dark jeans. He felt a stirring at the sight, reaching an arm out to hook her into him as he kissed her.
“Damn, Fi. You can’t come in here looking like that,” he growled gently into her ear before returning to her lips, feathering kisses on her. “I can’t control myself when I can see that much of you.”
That was another thing he loved—the nonstop heat between them. Every time they found a spare moment, they spent it wrapped around each other. He couldn’t get enough of her, and he hoped he never had to stop.
“Kieran, it’s the tiniest bit of my stomach. I’m not walking around in lingerie.” She smacked his chest lightly before letting him pull her back for another kiss. “Anyway, stop. Your mom is right behind me, parking the car.”
“Saved for the moment,” he said, seeing his mom round the corner and heading in their direction.
“You guys are gross.” Nora walked up next to them with a wink.
Fiona blushed and pulled away from him, but Kieran knew there was no way he’d be able to wipe the grin off his own face. He laughed and wrapped his arm back around Fiona’s shoulders. “Sorry, boss. Are we a bad influence on the children?”
“Another five minutes of that and you’ll be a bad influence on me,” she teased, before frowning out at the playground.
“Hey, kids.” Dee walked up just then and linked one arm around Kieran’s waist, giving him half a hug before turning her attention to Nora and hugging her.
Nora embraced her warmly. “Hi, Mrs. Kavanagh, it’s great to see you again.”
“Please, Nora, call me Dee.” She smiled back. “Any friend of Fiona’s is on a first-name basis with this family. I tagged along today to bring the youth center library some new books that the local bookstore donated. I’ve got them in the trunk. These kids could use a little something nice.”
“Thank you! That’s so wonderful,” Nora replied. “We were just talking about the kids.”
“All good things, I hope. Kids need encouragement, you know,” Dee offered, always one to give unsolicited advice.
“We try.” Nora nodded, a sad look on her face. “It’s not always easy, though. These kids aren’t here because of their great behavior.”
“I’m going to go find Shea,” Fiona told them as she looked around the lot. He’d already seen Shea go inside not too long ago, though.
“Nonsense, Kieran can get her,” Dee insisted, looking at him pointedly.
Kieran grinned; his mother was still trying to teach him to be a gentleman even though he was an adult. “I’ll get her,” he agreed. “You ladies catch up.”
Fiona gave him a warm, grateful smile, and Nora’s face lit up as she spoke. “Thanks, Kieran! Her backpack was in my office last time I checked.”
“Got it.” He gave her a small military salute before walking back into the building as he heard the women chatting behind him.
Rounding the corner at the end of the hall, he walked into Nora’s office and found Shea’s backpack sitting on a chair in the corner. Grabbing it, he slung it over his shoulder and headed back out to find Shea. Whispers from behind a storage closet door to his right caught his ear, making him pause. He pulled it open.
“What the—” Kieran coughed, swiping at the air in front of him in an attempt to push away a billow of strange-smelling smoke that hit him square in the face.
“Kieran?” Shea was sitting on the ground of the storage closet with another girl, who was at least a few years older than her and whom he recognized as Cassandra. She was holding a lit joint, and the entire room reeked of marijuana.
“Are you two smoking pot?” He gaped, trying to figure out how the hell two young girls had even found pot, let alone knew how to smoke it. Shea was most definitely not old enough even to begin experimenting with things like this.
“It’s not ours!” Cassandra stubbed it out on the ground, then tried to hide it behind her back.
Kieran shook his head, not understanding why smoking inside a closet seemed like a good way to hide what they were doing. “Get out of there right now!” he bellowed, furious, as he snatched the joint from behind her back and motioned for both of them to stand before him. “Where the heck did you get this?”
“It was in Ms. Hannigan’s desk,” Cassandra said with a shrug. “I just wanted to try it. I see my brother doing it all the time. What’s the big deal?”
“The big deal is it’s illegal and you’re too young to ever try something like this. Do you understand me?” He was yelling now, inches from her face. The young girl looked terrified, and Shea had shrunk against the wall, staring wide-eyed at him.
“I’m sorry.” Cassandra sniffed, pushing the back of her hand to her nose and trying not to cry.
“Get out of here—go. I’ll have to tell Ms. Hannigan, and she’ll probably have to tell your parents.”
He didn’t want to frighten them, but he also kind of did want to. He had zero tolerance for children using drugs, and that’s what they were—children. Despite his own past, and the possible hypocrisy, this wasn’t something he would ever let slide.
“Shea, what were you thinking?” he asked after Cassandra left, still holding the joint up between them for her to see. The air was clearer now, but Shea looked just as nervous.
She didn’t say anything, only shook her head. Tears streaked down her cheeks.
“Did you know what this was?” he asked her again.
She shook her head no, eyes on the ground.
Sighing with frustration, he shoved the joint in his pocket for safekeeping until he could talk to Nora. He knew Shea was easily lured, and it wouldn’t have taken much for the other girl to convince her to participate.
He also knew that they’d need to have a very serious conversation about this, but Fiona would have to be there and emotions needed to calm down first. Especially his. “Let’s go home. Fiona and I will talk to you about this later, okay?”
Shea nodded and wiped at her face. He gave her a moment to compose herself, handing over her backpack when she was done. He knelt down and gave her a hug, despite her reluctance. She froze in his arms for a moment before relaxing and gingerly hugging him back. Yelling at her had been risky, Fiona had warned him about that not long after they first met. Shea struggled with criticism like that, because she tended to close off and retreat back into her shell.
He sighed as they pulled apart, but looked her seriously in the eye. “I’m sorry I yelled, Shea. It’s just that this is very serious stuff here, and you can’t do things like this. It’s not good for you, do you understand?”
Shea nodded that she understood, but she still looked confused. He knew once they got home he’d need to seek advice from his mom about how to best explain drugs to a child, particularly a child with Shea’s limitations. Exhaling loudly, he stood up again and took her hand; then they walked out together to find Fiona and Nora.
They exited the back door, and while Shea continued walking toward Fiona, Kieran came to a dead stop. Shit!
Nora, his mother, and Fiona were still standing right where he’d left them, but they had been joined by the short, balding man he knew as Officer Kirk Huppert. They glanced over at him, and their expressions were something he would never forget. Nora looked uncomfortable, a hand on Fiona’s arm like she was trying to calm her. His mother looked embarrassed—no surprise there, as he’d always been the embarrassment of the family. Officer Huppert looked annoyed, his face bunching up more and more by the moment.
But Fiona…that’s who he was really staring at.
Fiona looked shocked, her eyes wide and her mouth
open. Her hands were on her chest, overlapping her heart like she was trying to stop it from jumping right out of her chest.
“Kavanagh. There you are.” Officer Huppert approached him quickly.
Kieran couldn’t move. His feet planted into the ground were as imprisoning as any cell he’d ever been in. Fiona pushed Shea toward Dee and Nora, then followed him over. Every step she took toward him was unbearable, watching her face rotate from confused to angry to devastated.
“Fiona, maybe wait here,” Dee called after her, looking as nervous as he felt. Fiona didn’t listen, just kept heading straight for him, pure agony in her eyes.
He’d done that to her. He was the one causing her pain right now because he’d kept a part of his past hidden. All his reasons for waiting fizzled, and he’d have done anything to take the hurt from her eyes.
“Officer, what are you doing here?” Kieran asked, trying to force the words out as the man stopped before him.
“I came here to do an occupational check, make sure you were doing the community service and all that. I just spoke to your boss, though, and she says you’ve been doing excellent work,” Huppert said, his arms over his chest, looking angrier than his words implied.
“That’s why you’re here?” Fiona looked between the men. “Community service?”
“Ma’am, please. May I have a moment with my parolee?” The officer turned to Fiona and motioned for her to step back before turning to Kieran. Kieran shuddered at the term, hating that it was true, that that was all he was. “What I am not happy about, Kavanagh, is that you’ve been keeping your background a secret here.”
“I’ve never lied about it.” Kieran looked down, rubbing his hand across the back of his neck as he felt the shame creeping across his skin.
“I’m sure you haven’t, but apparently your girlfriend doesn’t know you’ve done time. Are you being up front with everyone, including the kids here? The point of you being here is not just as a tutor, or referee. Legally, I can’t require you to tell anyone, but I placed you here for a reason. You could do really well and make a difference.” Huppert motioned around the courtyard, which was mostly empty at this point. “These kids can learn from your mistakes. How are they supposed to do that if they don’t know you’ve made any?”
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