Make-Believe Marriage

by CA Quigg

  All the blood drained from Ronan’s head and pooled in his hands, his vision clouded and time slowed to a sloth’s pace. In a flash of movement, before Brady could jerk back, Ronan threw a right fist and landed a stomach punch. With a heaving groan, Brady staggered back and doubled in two.

  “Big mistake, Man. Big fucking mistake.”

  “My only mistake was trusting you.” Adrenaline spiked through Ronan’s system. Not allowing Brady any chance to counterpunch, Ronan swung an uppercut jab to his opponent’s chin, knocking him to the ground. Brady slumped to his knees, winced and worked his jaw back and forth.

  “I’m going to fucking kill you,” Brady said lurching to his feet. “And I’m going to enjoy every minute.”

  Ronan’s hands shook and his knuckles throbbed, but he wasn’t done. Not by a long shot. Growing up with three brothers had its benefits, and learning how to give and take a punch was one of them.

  Ronan strode toward Brady and grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket. “You’re filth.” He lifted his right arm, ready to pummel Brady to a bloody pulp, but the wide-eyed fear and desperation on the other man’s face made him stop. Disgusted, Ronan shoved him away. “You not worth it. You’re not fucking worth it.”

  The car door swung open and a six-foot something man built like a brick shit-house stepped out and stalked toward Ronan.

  Brady’s nostrils flared. “Hope Quinn still likes you when she sees your fucked up face.” He cut a glance toward the other man. “Slash his face, Lynch. Make it so his own mother doesn’t recognize him.”

  Ronan stood his ground. He wouldn’t back down and he wouldn’t run. He owed it to Quinn and his sister. But he wouldn’t complain if Shane and his colleagues showed up to give him a hand. Where the hell was he?

  Lynch cracked his knuckles and lifted a meaty fist, but before it made contact with Ronan’s face, he ducked out of the way. The other man might be bigger but Ronan was faster.

  “That all you got,” Ronan taunted, moving this way and that, not allowing Lynch’s swinging fists a clear shot at his face, ribs, or stomach. “C’mon, big man, you can do better than that. Hit me. Give me all you have.”

  Lynch advanced forward, grabbed Ronan’s shoulder, and swept a foot behind his ankle, lifting him off his feet. Ronan hit the cold, hard ground with a thud and his head lolled to one side. Pain ricocheted around his brain, obliterating thousands if not millions of brain cells.

  Lynch pressed his knee deep into Ronan’s solar plexus, stealing his breath. “You want to see what I have, huh, tough guy? When I’m done, they’ll have to wire your jaw shut.”

  Brady hunkered down, smirked and patted Ronan’s cheek. “You’ll be lucky if you can eat more than baby food for the rest of your life.”

  Ronan struggled to get up, to shove Lynch off him. If he didn’t get away, they would leave him for dead. And he wasn’t ready to die. Brady Gibson wasn’t the last face he wanted to see.

  Images of Quinn rolled through his brain. The first day he’d met her. The first time he’d kissed her. The first time he’d fucked her.

  The next time he saw her, if he ever saw her, his face would look like minced meat.

  The drone of sirens flew toward them, their flashing lights strobed across Brady and wiped his smirk away. Relief flooded through Ronan, washing away his adrenaline rush.

  “I’ll make you pay for this, Donovan.” Brady spat in Ronan’s direction, narrowly missing his face.

  Lynch shot up and jumped into their car followed by Brady, but it was too late for a getaway. Shane’s car slid in front of Brady’s and blocked it from going forward. The second car slid up beside, and the third pulled in behind.

  A dull, throbbing ache settled at the base of Ronan’s skull. He stood and rubbed a hand over the egg-shaped bump on the back of his head. He flinched. It hurt like a motherfucker, but wasn’t anything a few beers and several Advil wouldn’t sort out.

  Shane and the other police officers jumped out and unholstered their guns.

  “Both of you, step out of the car with your hands up,” Shane called.

  Brady slapped his fist against the dashboard and called out, “This is entrapment. You have nothing on me.”

  “Step out of the car,” Shane repeated.

  Brady and Lynch stepped out with their hands up.

  “I have friends everywhere, Donovan,” Brady said and snarled.

  “You’re a disgusting excuse for a man.”

  “Watch your back, dickhead. I’ll rip your head off as soon as I get the chance.”

  “You do not have to say anything,” Shane stated while handcuffing Brady. “But it may harm your defense if you do not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand?”

  “I understand alright,” Brady replied. “I understand you two and that bitch set me up.”

  Shane bundled Brady and Lynch into the back of his police car.

  Before leaving, Shane shook Ronan’s hand. “A few minutes later and I’d have been put to sleep with a shovel.”

  “Do you think I’d let that happen?” Shane asked. “I knew you had it all under control. Maybe there’s a career for you as an undercover cop.”

  “Thanks but I think I’ll stick to organizing conferences. I’ve another favor to ask, don’t mention this to anyone. What Gibson did to Ashlen is still a sore subject. And I don’t want Quinn to know until I tell her, so I’d appreciate no one contacting her about this until the New Year.”

  “I’ll do what I can. You’ll have to give a statement, but I’ll see if I can postpone it.”

  “Appreciate it, man.”

  Brady glowered from the back of the car. With any luck, he’d be behind bars for a long time. For now, with Brady out of the way, Ronan had some breathing space and could enjoy the next few days with Quinn without having to look over his shoulder.

  Chapter Eight

  Waking up with a man’s mouth between your legs should be a health requirement. Quinn stretched and smiled, then turned on the shower to allow the water to heat. She glanced at her reflection in the shower door. Her eyes sparkled, and her face glowed. But then she frowned. She was a liar and a fraud. No better than Ronan’s ex-girlfriend. No better than her ex-boyfriend.

  When Ronan confided in her about his past, her heart ached for him. And then there was his comment about her using him to make her lies more convincing. Sure, it was off-hand, but it resonated with her. Things were finally going smoothly, and she should feel happy, but the way she got the job niggled at her like a toothache.

  She stepped into the shower and allowed the strong spray to needle her skin. The one thing she could do to ease her conscience and straighten out the tangled mess she’d created could create an even bigger mess. If it ruined her career, it ruined it, but since they were so close to the wedding, Lily might allow her to finish the job. And if Lily didn’t, in time, she’d pick up the pieces and put her self-respect back together. Moving back to Long Island wouldn’t be so bad. She leaned her head against the shower wall. Who was she kidding, it would suck.

  Once the remnants of sleep were washed away, she grabbed a towel and got out of the shower. An extremely awake Ronan leaned against the vanity sporting nothing but a smile and a delicious morning erection.

  “Good. You brought breakfast.”

  Ronan tossed a towel at her and laughed. “I don’t know if you’re that hungry.”

  She bent at the waist, wrapped the towel around her hair, and regarded him with a sideways glance. “Cocky, aren’t you?”

  He raised an eyebrow and laughed. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “You’re impossible.” She forced herself to drag her gaze from his naked body. “I want to meet with everyone after breakfast.”

  “Why?” He gave her bare butt a slap, before smoothing his hand over her skin. “Didn’t we settle everything yes
terday?”

  “Not everything. There’re a few things I have to finalize.”

  He stepped into the shower cubicle. “They can wait for an hour or so. Come in here and help me reach the spots I can’t.”

  She gave him the widest smile she could manage. It wouldn’t hurt to pretend he was her fiancé for a little while longer. Spilling her guts could wait, because when she had nothing left, and she was curled up in her childhood bed in her parents’ house, she would at least have her memories.

  She dropped her towel to the floor and followed him.

  There wasn’t an inch of space their bodies didn’t fill in the steamed-up cubicle. He was irresistible, standing there naked and hard for her. She’d miss this. Miss the intimacy. The closeness. The affection. But most of all, she’d miss him.

  The water hit Ronan’s face, and he lifted his head toward the spray, squeezing his eyes shut.

  “How’s your head?” she asked. When he got back from his jog around the castle grounds yesterday, the lump on the back of his head looked as if he was hosting a foreign life form.

  “Better.”

  “Next time don’t go running on iced-over snow. You’re lucky you didn’t crack your skull open.”

  “I know. I was stupid.”

  She stood behind him and pressed her breasts against his back. “We should dry each other off and go back to bed. There’s no room to do anything in here.”

  He glanced over his shoulder and gave her a wicked smile. “We can make it work.”

  Thrilling desire rocked her body, and even though he’d forced his way into her life, Ronan was one of the nice guys, and she wished they’d met under different circumstances.

  If this would be their last time together, she needed to touch every inch of him, to commit every muscle, every vein, and every rise and fall to memory. Usually, they were playful and teased each other, but this was different, final. A goodbye of sorts.

  She ran her hands down his torso and swiped them over the tops of his thighs, committing the topography of his body to memory.

  The way his thick muscles flexed and rippled beneath her fingers told her how much pleasure her touch gave him. Leaning her cheek against the smooth skin of his back, she moved her fingers lower and lower until they brushed over his shaft.

  He shuddered and sighed.

  “Turn around,” she whispered.

  He faced her. Beneath the rushing water, he was more statuesque than ever. She had to taste him, feel him pulse against her tongue, her lips. Had to lick and suck every inch of his velvety skin.

  “I’ll grab a condom,” he said. The pads of his thumbs traced down the column of her neck.

  She lowered her hand and wrapped her fingers around his width. “Don’t.”

  He gave a deep growl in response, the sound filling the small space they shared.

  Hot water sluiced over his body, raining down, drenching her. She kissed his stomach and gripped his thighs. His cock was a whisper away from her lips. She dipped her head and licked him from root to tip. Fierce bursts of arousal sent heat between her legs and pleasure circled her stomach. Heaven. There was no other way to describe the taste or the feel of him in her mouth.

  Ronan gave her hair a gentle tug, guiding her forward. Blood pounded a rhythmic beat through her ears, and the inferno blazing inside her threatened to spiral out of control. Mindlessly, she rubbed her parted lips over his flared head and slid the flat of her tongue over his hot flesh. She took him deep before freeing him completely.

  “Jesus, your sweet mouth is a dangerous thing.” He tangled his fingers in her hair, his thigh muscles tightening and shaking.

  Her heart and stomach jumped at the rawness, the desire in his voice. Everything about him was everything she wanted, and it would be so easy for her to keep the lie alive, to keep pretending he was her fiancé.

  He gathered her hair into a ponytail and wrapped the wet strands around his hand, tugging until her follicles hurt.

  “Wrap your hand around my cock. Jerk me off while you suck me.”

  She hummed deep in her throat, her nipples and clit throbbing at his dirty talk and roughness. Curling one of her hands around him, she took control of the speed and depth of his thrusts. She wanted to be in charge, to know that when he exploded, it was all because of her.

  His length twitched within the circle of her fingers. Her nipples puckered and hardened, seeking relief from his touch.

  Releasing her hair, Ronan slapped a hand against the wall behind her.

  Quinn glanced up and saw him watching her. His pupils eclipsed his eyes, and his eyelids dropped to half-mast. Being with him was nothing like the sex—the lovemaking—she experienced before. It was different with him. More intimate. More sensual. More everything.

  The intensity of her feelings surprised her, shocked her even. Theirs would’ve been a relationship filled with battles. Of him wanting to take control. Of her wrestling control back. But that didn’t matter now. None of it did. She couldn’t afford to fall in love with him, not after everything that had happened the last time she fell in love. Ronan was about fun. Orgasms and no strings, and she had to remember that.

  She swirled her tongue over his slick head and picked up a teardrop of saltiness oozing from the tip.

  “Fuck,” he growled.

  “You liked that.”

  “Hated it, couldn’t you tell.”

  “Then you’re going to despise this.”

  Hollowing her cheeks, she took him deep, working her lips along his thickening length again and again. The pleasure and awe on his face seared her mind and would stay there forever. Satisfying him in this way would be something she’d never forget.

  Pain-pleasure masked his face, and his breath came in short, sexy gasps. The tendons in his neck corded. Holding back was killing him, and that kind of power intoxicated her. She rested a hand on his abdomen, delighting in the flutter of his muscles every time she flicked her tongue. His breathing and movements sped up. But then, with what seemed like a herculean effort, he slowed down and placed a hand either side of her head, dragging her lips from him.

  “We have to stop. You’re going to make me explode.”

  “What if I don’t want to stop?” She gave him a playful smile and flicked the tip of her tongue around her lips.

  “Get up here.” He took her hands and gently pulled her up. Her knees melted like ice on a hundred-degree day, and she pressed her shoulders back against the tiled wall to steady herself.

  “Spread your legs.”

  She shuffled her feet apart.

  His fingers massaged either side of her clit. The gentle back and forth stole all reason from her.

  “So fucking wet.”

  Quinn closed her eyes and rocked her hips, losing herself in the calming splash of water and the desire unfurling in her belly. She needed to feel him deep inside of her. To feel every twitch, every pulse.

  “I want you inside me. All of you.”

  Ronan’s lips drifted over hers. “I can’t think of anything I’d like more.”

  Desperate for him, her inner walls tightened, wanting, waiting. Shuddering breaths shook her chest, her breathing as erratic as her heartbeat. In another time, in another world, he’d be hers. Their fairytale would never end, and she’d get her happy ever after. But this was real life and happy ever afters only happened in fairytales and movies.

  His strong hands picked her up as if she weighed ten pounds. Quinn followed his lead and wrapped her legs around his waist, hauling him to her so the head of his hard-on hit against her swollen clit. She moaned, her legs clamping around his hips, her body arching into his.

  “You want more?” He scraped the edge of his teeth along her bottom lip.

  “Everything you have.” She couldn’t get enough. Eternity wouldn’t be enough, but an eternity was something they didn’t have.

  When he pressed her against the wall, she d
raped her arms over his shoulders. Her breasts molded into his chest, swollen to the point of pain, and her nipples ached with every brush of his skin.

  She’d never forget how he looked right now. Never forget the hair slicked back from his face, the dark, possessive look in his eyes, or his slightly parted lips. Ronan maneuvered her until he was in line with her entrance.

  He slid deep. Opening. Stretching. When the first waves crashed over her body, she was sure her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

  Her forehead sagged against his shoulder. “Make me remember this forever.”

  Taking her full weight in his arms, he surged deeper. Currents of pleasure rippled through her, sending her higher. She was so close, so, so close. The squelching, slapping sound of wet skin against skin filled the cubicle. The rising tempo of their combined moans beat a salacious percussion over the splashing water. The sound of his harsh breaths hurtled her to the edge of bliss.

  He was as close as she was.

  “I’m going to come,” she gasped.

  With a flex of his hips, Ronan’s strokes became short, fast, almost punishing. The buildup of tension excruciating. It grew and expanded, and if it didn’t shatter soon, she’d break in two.

  His mouth found hers. Their teeth clashed, their tongues fought, and she rode him hard.

  Make me forget.

  Make me remember.

  She jerked forward, her thighs trembled, her lower back tingled, and her inner muscles squeezed.

  Her climax came in a rush of blinding waves that stole her breath, her mind, her sanity. She whimpered into his mouth. Her nails clawed into the strained muscles of his back. He pumped harder, faster. He threw his head back and with a hoarse groan, took her with punishing strokes, releasing himself deep inside her.

  The sound of their lovemaking ricocheted off the walls, and when their bodies couldn’t give or take any more, Ronan lowered her. She wasn’t ready to let go and clung onto him, panting and boneless.

  Neither of them spoke. They stood under the water until it cooled and their skins wrinkled. How could she risk losing him? Maybe she should wait before talking to everyone. Think it through a little more.