“I know I don’t have to. I’m desperate to. Now let me go.” I give him my best authoritative stare but add a smirk for good measure. He eases the pressure on my hands so I get back to work gaining access to his glorious cock.
I set him free from his pants and he needs to come so badly. His cock is thick and incredibly hard when I squeeze my fist around him the first time. He hisses in a breath and says, “I’m going to come so hard, Stella.”
“Let me put my mouth on you first.” Leaning down I use my tongue to lick the broad head of his cock. Pushing just the head in my mouth, I swirl my tongue around while my hand slowly fists up and down his shaft.
His hands fist my hair to hold me in place. Wanting to make sure I get to taste all of him before he comes, I use my tongue to lick my way down. Then my mouth slides easily down his cock as far as I can go, stopping when he’s at my throat. Using a combination of my lips, tongue and hand I pump him up and down, applying as much pressure as I can.
He starts to thrust his hips with the rhythm of my mouth and after just a few he pushes back into my mouth and comes. His cock pulses in my mouth as I take his thick spurts of cum down my throat. He has been just as needy as me.
Sitting up, I tuck myself against his chest, wrapping my arms around his waist. I want him to hold me for a minute before I leave. I’m sitting on the cup holder with the armrest digging into my side but I’ve never felt better.
“You’re amazing,” he says into my hair while his hand rubs my back. “I knew from the moment you walked into my bar that you were special and I was going to have to push you away. You’re making it really hard for me though.”
I tilt my head up in order to read the expression on his face. “Why do you have to push me away? Because you’re in the mob?”
His eyebrows furrow in confusion. “I’m not in the mob. My brother is.”
Since we’re being honest…“So your bar isn’t a front for illegal stuff?”
“No,” he says shaking his head and pulling my face up so I look him in the eyes. “I didn’t want anything to do with that life. My dad died and Connor took over everything. All I wanted was the bar. Fresh start, you know?”
“Then why are you so damn determined that we can’t be together?”
“Something’s going on with Connor and your boss. Until I can figure out what that connection is, you need to stay away from me. Otherwise your boss might think you’re a mole for the mob or something. You won’t be safe and I won’t be able to live with myself if anything happens to you.”
“Well I can help figure out what Neil’s involvement is. I work with the man every damn day.”
“No, absolutely not, Stella.”
“I’ll just do a little snooping. Nothing obvious, I’ll just take a closer look at the files I have access to. There wouldn’t be anything suspicious about that.”
“I don’t want you involved. I’ll talk to Connor. He can be reasonable…with me at least.”
“And what, we don’t see each other then…until when?”
“Look,” Rowan puts his hands gently on my face, pulling me close. “I’ve found something good that I want to be able to hold onto. But until we’re free and clear from Connor or your boss, we’re going to be careful.”
“So we’re going radio silent until we figure out the next move?”
“Something like that.” He kisses me again, even sweeter than the last time. There’s no way I’m going to be able to stay away from him for long.
“So you won’t come in?” I ask, throwing it out there one more time.
“No. But I’ll keep watch all night to make sure you’re safe.”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine. You don’t need to stay out here all night.” I say the words but as soon as they leave my mouth I know I’m a liar. I do feel much safer when I know he’s out here.
“I’ll be here.” We kiss goodnight and I pull my coat back on before I open the car door and head back out into the cold, dark night.
“Until next time, Stella Chambers,” he says when I open the door and step out. I smile, enjoying the way it sounds like a promise rather than a goodbye.
I walk back to my apartment, unsure when we’ll see each other again. If I have any control over it though, it’ll be sooner rather than later.
Chapter 7
“Hey, you leaving soon?” Startled, I jump in my chair and spin around to look at Carmen. “Sorry,” she says, laughing. “I didn’t mean to scare you like that.”
“No prob.” I’m laughing nervously. “I must have been really focused.”
“Another Monday in the books. You want to head out in a few?”
“Has Neil left yet?” I know she’ll assume I’m asking because once Neil leaves, it’s usually safe for the rest of us to leave. Tonight, however, I have different intentions entirely.
“Yeah, I saw him walk out about twenty minutes ago.”
“Umm…you go ahead. I just want to finish this before I go tonight. One less thing to work on tomorrow, you know?”
“Yeah, I get it. Don’t hang around too late, though.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t.” I wave my hand like that’s the most ridiculous thing she could have suggested.
“See you tomorrow.” She waves and blows a kiss my way.
I pretend to catch the kiss with my hand and put it on my cheek. “See you tomorrow,” I say.
It only takes another half an hour for the rest of the team on my floor to leave once Carmen does. Soon enough it’s quiet, eerily so. Normally there are the constant sounds of keyboards, conversations, and phones ringing. I shut down my computer and take off my heels. It just seems like the thing to do when sneaking around in your boss’s office.
I walk down the hall toward Neil’s office, looking around to make sure everyone else is gone for the night. Before I lose my nerve, I slowly crack open the door and slide inside, closing it behind me. I’ve never done anything like this before and while I’m so nervous I might vomit, it’s oddly exhilarating as well.
I rush behind his desk, sitting down at his computer. I’m about to turn the computer on when my hand bumps the mouse and the screen wakes up. Awesome, I don’t even have to try to figure out his password.
I’m not exactly sure where to look, but I know I don’t have time to sit here and browse through all of his files. Pulling a zip drive out of my pocket, I insert it into the brain of the computer. I look through his documents and downloads folders and make copies of the most recently modified files.
I’m going as quickly as I can. The longer I sit in this office, the faster my heart starts to beat. Everyone is gone for the night, but just knowing I’m doing something wrong adds stress to the situation and I want to make this as fast as possible.
The screen shows the download time to be about thirty more seconds when I swear I hear something outside Neil’s office. I freeze, my hands hovering just above the keyboard. I’ve literally stopped myself from breathing as I listen intently for any more signs of talking or even someone walking around.
The computer dings, signaling the download is complete. I quickly pull out the zip drive and close out the programs I had opened to look through Neil’s files. Now that I’m convinced I’m not alone in the office after all, I quickly get up, push in his chair and do a quick check that everything looks just like it did when I came in the office.
Then, I scurry to the door. My hand is about to grab the doorknob when it starts to turn on its own. My heart nearly leaps out of my chest as panic instantly sets in. I’m desperately searching around the office for somewhere to hide. The only place I see is behind an armchair in the corner. As the door starts to open, I throw myself behind the chair and hope that no one will see me when I’m crouched down.
“Sorry about that, I often lose reception coming up the elevator. Can you hear me now?”
Shit! What the hell is Neil still doing here? I’m crossing my fingers that he just came back to get something he forgot when he continues with his
conversation on his cell phone.
“I’m telling you, everything is running smoothly on my end. There’s no reason to adjust our arrangement in any way.”
My ears perk up. I’m huddled behind the chair, squatting down on the floor with my arms wrapped around my legs while they’re pressed against my chest. I’m concentrating on making sure my breathing is quiet and calm. My phone is still at my desk so I don’t need to worry about that making noise and giving me away.
“No one has access to the files other than me. As I’ve told you before, that was just a coincidence.”
There’s a pause while he listens to what the other person has to say. I wish he’d put it on speakerphone so I could be privy to the conversation as well.
“Yes. We are all set to receive the next payment. The head of my security team will personally oversee the exchange to ensure that everything runs smoothly.”
I check my watch to see what time it is. It’s almost seven o’clock. Hopefully he won’t stay much longer but it isn’t out of the question that I’ll be stuck sitting behind this chair for another hour if he decides to do some more work.
“Excellent. Thank you.”
And with that I hear him toss his phone onto the desk, clattering when it hits the wood. He exhales loudly and I can picture the look on his face that matches that frustrated sigh. I let my head rest on my knees. Might as well be comfortable while I wait him out.
I’m thinking about the conversation I overheard on the phone. If I was wondering whether or not he was into something illegal, I’d say I have my answer. I just wish I had something a little more concrete to go on. Hopefully he’s going to leave soon or my stomach might growl and give me away. What would Neil do to me if he found me hiding in here? I hope I don’t have to find out.
Thankfully it’s only another half hour before I hear him walk around the desk and out the door. I’m hesitant to move. I can’t be sure he’s not coming back but I also don’t want to sit here any longer. Deciding to take a chance, I slowly look out from behind the chair. The room’s empty. I creep to the door and again peek out slowly, looking up and down the hallway. Again, everything looks clear.
I hear the ding of the elevator and that’s all I need to get me moving. I dash back to my desk, grab my things and run to the door at the back of the office leading to the stairwell. There’s no way I’d risk the elevator and I want to give him a chance to leave the building so we don’t run into each other.
I’m still carrying my heels as I quietly but quickly make my way down the stairs. There’s an unease in the pit of my stomach. Probably because of the fact that I’m all alone in this huge building except for my creepy boss and a few security guards spattered throughout.
Once I get to the parking garage, I walk confidently to my car. If there are security cameras I don’t want anyone looking back over the footage to see me making a suspicious dash to my car.
I’m on the road driving with the sole purpose of getting away from there as fast as possible. I’m sure it’s irrational but I can’t help thinking I’m being followed. I keep checking the rearview mirror but there’s never anyone behind me. I think it’s safe to say I won’t be making a habit out of this type of behavior.
Instead of driving home, I pull my car over to the side of road. If I find something I want to go see Rowan tonight. Even hiding behind a chair, crouched in a ball, I wasn’t able to get him off of my mind. I crave him all the time. And not just his body, it’s the way I feel when I’m with him.
I pull out my laptop and set it on my lap while sitting in my idling car. Once I have the zip drive plugged in it doesn’t take me long to find what I’m looking for. There’s a file that stands out to me because the name on it is to a company that we did business with way back when I started but it has long since gone out of business. I remember because it was one of the first companies I worked with when I was hired. Leavitts Freight Service has two file names on Neil’s computer.
I open the first document, named “LeavittsFreightService1,” and carefully look through the numbers and dates listed on the excel document. I’m confident I’ve found something important when I see the dates are from this year. Next, I open the document named “LeavittsFreightService2” and pull it up at the same time so I can compare the information. The dates are the same but the numbers are different.
Goosebumps spring up along my arms under my clothes. This is it. I’ve looked through an insane amount of files today and I’ve finally found it.
Full of excitement, I tuck the zip drive safely in my purse and take off down the road, headed straight for Rowan’s bar.
Chapter 8
Our eyes lock as soon as I step through the door, almost like he knew I was coming. His arms are spread wide as he leans on the bar while he talks to one of the few guys in here tonight. I can see the definition of his muscles bulging through his shirt. He looks at me intensely, his tongue subtly licking his lower lip. My mouth starts to water.
I watch him turn and say something to another bartender and then he walks toward the back of the bar. Just watching him move is making me wet. I quickly follow him. This time he doesn’t stop at the same office, however, he keeps walking all the way to the end of the hallway and out a back door.
I step out into the cold night and realize that we’re outside behind the bar. Rowan is still walking so I pick up the pace. He walks a little further away from the bar, turning around to face me once we’re just inside a row of trees.
“I thought I told you to stay away, it’s not safe,” he says. I falter for a moment. He’s angry that I’m here and it’s throwing me. With his hands planted on his hips he’s staring me down with a stern look on his face.
“I have something to show you,” I say. I’m not as confident to tell him what I found anymore. In fact, I’m scared he’s going to get even more upset that I did some snooping. I don’t like being scolded. It happens enough while I’m at work.
He looks me over for another minute, trying to decide what to do next. “Come on,” he says, taking my hand and pulling me further into the woods.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“My place.” He leads me along a dirt path that cuts straight through the woods. I trip on a tree root at one point and I’m expecting him to bark at me to be careful with the mood he’s in tonight. I’m pleasantly surprised when he grabs me instead and holds me while I test my ankle to make sure it isn’t twisted.
“Is it okay?” He’s holding me closely to him. His strength radiates off of him. It’s in his personality as well as his body.
I’m looking down at my ankle but as soon as I look up into his soft green eyes I know he’s not really as mad at me as I thought. He’s worried about my safety because he feels things for me. I’m about to go for the kiss when he wraps his arm around my waist and directs me to keep moving.
“I’ll take a closer look at it once we’re inside. It isn’t far now.”
Once we clear the trees I can see a house straight ahead of us. It looks like a plain wood cabin from the outside. Small, nothing fancy, but somehow it fits Rowan perfectly. My mind wanders to a scene of him standing in front of the porch with his shirt off, splitting logs of wood for the fire.
Surprising me again, he lifts me in his arms when we get to the wooden steps and he carries me up onto the porch.
“Wow, now that’s service,” I say, smiling playfully at him. I’m at his mercy whenever I’m in his arms. I can’t fight this pull I feel. Our little encounter in the car the other night only made me desire him more.
“I want to make sure your ankle’s okay before you’re walking on it any more.”
He unlocks the front door and we walk inside. It’s pitch black except for the small amount of light streaming in from the single porch light by the door. I follow Rowan inside and wait for him to turn the lights on.
Seconds later there’s a soft yellow glow illuminating the living room. I’m about to follow him into the room when he walks
back over and lifts me up again. He walks me over to the couch and gently sets me down. I can’t help but smile. I never expected such chivalry from him. My arms linger around his neck and there’s nothing I want more than for him to lean down and kiss me until I can’t remember my name.
He knows what I’m thinking. I can tell from the way his lips part and he very subtly licks them. It’s something he does subconsciously when he’s thinking about kissing me. He’s almost mine, I can feel it. Keeping one hand around his neck, I let the other one trail down his chest. With our eyes locked, I slowly start to unbutton his shirt.
This man makes me more bold and straightforward than I’ve ever been before. He has ignited a need inside of me. Something so aggressive I rarely think about anything else.
His hand covers mine to stop my fingers. “We should talk first,” he says.
“Let’s talk after,” I say.
I commend him for trying to do the right thing. I’m just past the point of caring anymore. It might not make any sense, but I’ve realized that he’s what I need in my life to make everything feel worthwhile again.
He gives in to his desires. He gently lays me back on the couch, slowly kissing me along the way. His tongue dips into my mouth and I match his sensuality, licking him back eagerly. His hips nestle between my legs as his body presses against mine.
“You’re breaking the rules,” he says as his lips leave my mouth and nuzzles into my neck. Within seconds my shirt is over my head and on the floor, followed by my bra.
“We make the rules.” I take my fingers and run them through his hair. He leans down and pulls my nipple into his mouth, sucking hard. I moan and squirm underneath him. His hand finds my other breast and alternates between gently massaging it and rolling his thumb over my nipple, giving it a gentle pinch that sends shocks of pleasure down my body. “I want you inside of me so badly,” I say.
He lifts himself off of me, stands next to the couch and strips his clothes off. Sitting down next to me, completely naked, he rolls a condom down his hard cock.
Kiss Me I'm Irish: A St. Patrick's Day Novella Page 4