The Pleasures of Autumn

by Evie Hunter

  11

  Niall pulled away from her reluctantly. She was wrapped around him and he found, to his amazement, that he didn’t want her to let go. But he was all too aware that the water was cooling and he had to deal with the condom. For one crazy moment, he wished he didn’t need one.

  He had to look after Sinead. She needed him to rescue her, and that was what he did. All his protective instincts roared to the fore.

  ‘Better now?’ he murmured to the top of her head.

  Her arms tightened for a fraction of a second, before gradually releasing their grip on him.

  ‘Yes, I think so.’

  Niall held her while she got her feet under her, and reached out to turn off the water. Five more seconds and it would be running cold.

  She was still unsteady on her feet, but Niall couldn’t help a small smug smile. He was responsible for her quivering. He was prepared to bet a lot of money that she wasn’t thinking about her abduction any longer.

  He wrapped her in a big fluffy towel and mopped the water from her hair.

  This was the first time he’d had a chance to examine the thick mane, and it fascinated him. ‘Why do you keep this hidden?’ he demanded. ‘You should leave it loose.’ Under the bathroom lights, it was a dark red, thick and waist length. When it was dry, it would be pure titian.

  ‘Are you mad?’ She had been standing docile under his ministrations, but now she turned to glare at him. ‘I have a mop of ginger curls. At best I’m like Little Orphan Annie’s big sister. Most of the time I look like the punch line of the joke about gingers having sex in a spring factory.’

  She pulled away from him and braided her damp hair into a neat plait that concealed its vibrant colour. She did this without looking in the mirror and the tighter the braid got, the more quickly she returned to her starched and prickly self.

  He watched with regret. While he was glad to see her recovering from her shock, he missed the passionate woman who had demanded that he fuck her. At the memory of her words, his cock twitched again.

  He backed away. ‘I’ll go and put on dry clothes and organize some food. There’s a robe hanging on the back of the door that you can use.’

  He rubbed his hair dry and dropped his wet clothes in the laundry basket on his way to the kitchen to see if there was anything edible. Alison usually left something in the freezer for him, in case he dropped in.

  ‘God bless you, my darling sister,’ he said under his breath. Two steaks, frozen frites and petit pois in the freezer, and milk and coffee in the fridge. UHT, but it would do.

  He put the steaks and frites on to cook while he pulled on some dry clothes.

  Sinead’s clothes lay on the floor, filthy and blood stained. He battled the rage that the sight of that blood aroused in him. He needed to stay in control of himself. Would it be worth sending them for forensic analysis? Hardly. Any DNA on them was likely to be too contaminated to be useful.

  He threw them into the washing machine.

  By the time Sinead came, bathrobe clutched tightly around her, the table was set and the food was ready. She was a little hesitant. He had no idea why. Surely after that amazing encounter in the shower, she should be at ease with him.

  ‘Hope you’re hungry,’ he said.

  ‘Starving.’

  ‘Good. I love a woman with a good appetite.’ He put a steak down in front of her. If he said it himself, he could cook steak well. It was char-grilled to perfection. A dark criss-cross pattern was seared into the surface and a tiny drop of red oozed from the meat where he had tested to see if it was cooked. The peas nestled in beside it, and the frites perfumed the kitchen.

  Niall took his place opposite her. ‘Eat up.’

  She took a mouthful, and then another. ‘I don’t usually eat red meat. It’s not good for you.’

  He snorted. ‘I think you can handle it tonight.’

  She didn’t speak again until the steak was almost gone. For someone who claimed not to like red meat, she ate with gusto. It wasn’t the only thing she did with gusto. He forced himself to stop thinking about that.

  Finally she stopped eating for long enough to say, ‘I used some of the toiletries in the bathroom. I hope that’s okay.’

  ‘Please save me from them. Alison has more stuff than she can use.’

  ‘Alison?’ Her expression was politely interested, but her voice shook slightly.

  ‘My sister, I told you. This is her apartment, but she’s on temporary assignment in New York at the moment, with the UN. I suppose you could say that, technically, we’re squatting.’

  ‘You broke into your sister’s place?’

  He laughed. ‘Relax. I have permission. And the security codes.’ He cleared her plate away, waving her back to her seat when she tried to help, and made coffee. But by the time he returned to the dining room with it, Sinead’s head was drooping and her eyes were drifting closed.

  Poor girl, she’d had a rough day.

  Niall scooped her up in his arms, enjoying the way she fitted against him. He carried her to the bedroom and held her while he pulled back the sheets. Reluctantly, he set her down but she clasped his neck and refused to let go.

  He could break her grip in a second, and without hurting her. Niall knew that. But he didn’t want to. It had been a long day for him too. He would rest beside her until she dozed off and he could get up and set the orders in motion to find out what the hell was going on.

  He slid into the bed beside her. He would hold her for a little while, until she was asleep. She needed her sleep, poor girl.

  Niall was in the middle of planning what he would cook her for breakfast when he fell asleep.

  Sinead woke to the sounds of an unfamiliar place. Although she had kicked off the sheets during the night, Niall’s large, warm frame was wrapped around her like a blanket. Her skin tingled deliciously where the stubble of his five o’clock shadow had burnt her. She was sure she would have a mark on her neck where he had nipped her with his teeth. She blushed. He would probably have his own share of marks too. What had come over her?

  Their encounter was exactly the kind of sex she had always imagined with him – a rough, passionate taking. Except that she was the one who had demanded it. She couldn’t believe that she had asked him to fuck her. What must he think of her?

  Ignoring his sleepy protest, she eased out of his arms, grabbed her robe and went to the bathroom. She risked a look in the mirror. Apart from the bruise on her cheekbone, and the cuts that Niall had tended so gently, there was nothing to show that she had been kidnapped.

  She smiled when she noticed the plaster. Lottie had hundreds of costumes designed to seduce a man, everything from thirties vamp to leather corsets, and what was she wearing for her finest hour? A bunny plaster!

  Sinead nibbled her lower lip. She didn’t know a thing about him. Niall might have a stable of girlfriends. She hadn’t exactly given him a choice when she dragged him into the shower. But she couldn’t forget the heat in his eyes as the rivulets of water ran down his face or the way that his hair had escaped its binding and hung over his shoulders. Through the sodden T-shirt, each muscle of his abdomen had been clearly defined. Niall had looked like one of her secret fantasies come to life.

  The ache between her thighs told her that this was no fantasy. None of her previous encounters could match this. They were like clumsy boys in comparison. She closed her eyes and ran her fingertips over her skin, imagining that it was his hands. When had she developed this sudden and voracious hunger for Vikings?

  A brisk tap on the door jerked her back to the present. ‘Sinead, are you okay?’

  ‘Fine.’ She ran her fingers through her hair and opened the door.

  ‘Just checking.’ Niall brushed his index finger against the bruise on her cheekbone and his mouth hardened. ‘I have some arnica. I should have used it last night. It will help the bruises heal more quickly.’

  She submitted to his gentle ministrations, unsure what else to do. Had the previous night be
en no more than an adrenalin-fuelled reaction to the kidnapping? She had initiated what happened between them. Maybe he regretted it already …

  His swift possessive kiss silenced her doubts. ‘Come back to bed. I want you.’

  Niall took her hand and led her back to the bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her between his outstretched thighs. Tugging on the belt of her robe, he eased it off her shoulders, letting it drop to the floor.

  ‘You’re beautiful,’ he said as he palmed one breast, plucking the nipple between his fingers until it peaked.

  Sinead gasped as a dart of heat flared in her abdomen.

  He bent his head and took the other nipple in his mouth, suckling gently at first and then harder until she squirmed. Oh, that felt so good. She ran her fingers through his hair, letting the strands curl between her fingers as a flood of sensations washed over her. He nuzzled between her breasts before latching on to the other one.

  His warm tongue lapped against the hardened bud until it became too much and she tried to pull away.

  Niall’s arm clamped around her waist like a vice and he continued to torture her until she was breathless. He raised his head, a wicked grin curving his mouth. ‘Sensitive there, aren’t you?’

  ‘Very.’ She wriggled again and was rewarded with a tap on her buttocks. Not a slap exactly, but a firm reminder that he was very much in charge.

  ‘Where else are you sensitive? I wouldn’t want any complaints.’

  ‘From my other sensitive bits, you mean? I think that –’

  Hooking an arm around her waist, he lay back on the bed, pulling her on top of him. He angled her head to his satisfaction and plundered her mouth with his lips and tongue until she was breathless.

  The hard ridge along her abdomen created a delicious friction against her clit. Undulating like a cat, she rubbed against his shaft, seeking more pressure. His tongue thrust against hers as his kisses became more forceful. Sinead moaned into his mouth, ‘Please.’

  His rumble of laughter held a dark edge. ‘The condoms are in the drawer in the bedside table.’

  She wriggled away from his searching hands and tugged the drawer open, pouncing on the box. Straddling him, she opened one foil wrapper.

  His cock was long and thickly engorged; a vein ran down the underside and a small pearl of pre-cum shimmered at the tip. She licked her lips. ‘Maybe I should –’

  ‘Sinead.’ Her name was an agonized rasp and she felt a warm rush of pleasure. So much strength and hard muscle, and yet Niall was helpless. What would it be like to see him lose control? Condom forgotten, she cupped his balls with her palm and licked his shaft from root to tip, flicking her tongue lightly against the head.

  He fisted the sheet, holding on desperately. He said something, but all she heard was a low growl of agony. She ignored his strangled plea, focusing her attention on taking the crown into her mouth, swirling her tongue against the slit, tasting his musky flavour. She wanted to experience everything with him.

  He sat up, startling her, and she pulled away. Heat radiated from his stare. She had pushed too far. With a show of strength that made her gasp, Niall lifted her and threw her onto the bed. Sheathing his cock swiftly with the dropped condom, he followed her down.

  Insinuating himself between her thighs, he gave her a heavy-lidded glance before pumping one broad finger into her core, stroking her aching wetness. A second finger followed, preparing her. Withdrawing his fingers, he licked them, never taking his eyes from her face.

  Raising her hips in wanton invitation, she writhed under his intent gaze until, with a groan, he plunged inside her. The size of him was startling and her muscles stretched to accommodate him. Without warning, he withdrew almost to the tip before driving into her again. Sinead gasped. Caged by his arms, she clung on, breathless at each invading thrust, revelling in his brutal possession. She wrapped her legs around his hips and dug her heels into his buttocks, urging him on. She nipped at his neck, tiny biting kisses, licking the marks she had made the night before. Each stroke found a home deep inside her. She clamped her muscles around him, pleasure spiralling low in her abdomen, fanning out in waves, touching every nerve ending. His name became a breathless entreaty, begging him not to stop.

  Her orgasm caught her like a tidal wave, obliterating all rational thought, sending her senses reeling. Dazed, she clung onto him. His thrusts increased in momentum. Eyes clamped shut, his jaw clenched hard as he fought his own battle for control. A second wave of pleasure followed rapidly and he drove his shaft home for the final time. Afterwards he lay shuddering in her arms. His laboured breathing mingled with hers until he slowly came to his senses.

  He raised himself and the sudden withdrawal from her body made her gasp. ‘Jesus, Sinead. Did I hurt you?’

  She reached for him, but he moved away, rolling onto his back and dragging her into his arms. Beneath her ear, she heard the racing thud of his heart return to normal. ‘I’m sorry. I should have been more careful. I’m too rough and I –’

  She grasped one of his nipples between her fingers and pinched hard.

  ‘Ow.’ He jerked and she laughed.

  ‘I’m not made of china. Stop fussing.’

  Niall captured her hand in his, preventing another attack. ‘I can’t lose control like that. I’m too big. I could have hurt you.’

  ‘Maybe I like it rough.’

  He raised his head and brushed his finger along the livid bruise on her cheek. ‘No man should ever be rough with a woman. If I got my hands on the guy who did that to you, he wouldn’t see daylight again.’

  She snuggled into his arms. Niall was so much bigger than she was that he made her feel cherished and protected. Her cheek throbbed, but she could tell it was healing. ‘I’m fine. It could have been much worse.’

  ‘I was trying to help you. Why did you run?’

  ‘I came to Paris to find my sister. I saw that tape, I know it was her. It has to be. If I don’t find her, I’m going to prison. I know that she has some connection with that club.’

  ‘Cirque? What makes you think that?’

  She shifted her head to look up at him. ‘You sound as if you don’t believe me. Look. If I had the bloody stone, do you think I’d be lying here in bed with you?’

  Ouch. She hadn’t meant it to sound like that. ‘I’m sorry, that came out all wrong. I meant that if I had broken into the Rheinbach museum, I would have done a better job of it.’

  Niall snorted with laughter. ‘Go on, I presume this gets better.’

  ‘Any intelligent thief would have stolen the smaller stones. They’re easier to dispose of. The Fire of Autumn is one of the most recognizable stones in the world. It will be impossible to sell – think of it as the Mona Lisa of jewels.’

  A thoughtful look crossed his face. ‘And you believe this sister of yours has it? Why?’

  ‘Because the girl on the security tape wasn’t me, so that only leaves her.’

  ‘Okay.’ But he didn’t sound convinced. ‘I’ll check it out. See what turns up. What happened at the club?’

  ‘We went there posing as my sister and her …’ An image flashed into her head of Gabriel on his knees in the centre of the ring, her whip swishing through the air, leaving a red line on his back. Probably best not to mention that bit. ‘… Boyfriend,’ she continued. ‘We were hoping to find her and convince her to give the stone back.’

  ‘That was a bloody dangerous thing to do. What did you think would happen when you met her?’

  Sinead pressed on. ‘I lost my family when I was four years old. My mum died, my dad left and he took Roro with him. You have no idea what it’s like to know that there’s someone out there who belongs to you and you can’t find them. I know it was stupid, but I had to try. No one in Geneva believed me about the stone. Did you think that I was just going to wait around and end up spending the rest of my life in prison?’

  ‘What happened at the club? I believe that there was a scene with you and Bertrand.’

&
nbsp; She had hoped Niall hadn’t heard about that. She shrugged. ‘It was nothing really.’

  ‘Really?’ His arm clamped a little more tightly around her.

  She wasn’t ready to talk about this with him and she still didn’t know how she felt about it. She performed in stage shows, where every move was choreographed and rehearsed. But the exhilaration she had experienced that night in the ring was like nothing before and Gabriel had felt it too. He had been on a high afterwards.

  ‘It was a bit of playacting to convince them I was Roisin.’

  There was no way that she could tell him that she and Gabriel had performed that routine before. ‘Anyway, we met someone who knows my sister. She’s going to be at a party on Friday night.’

  Niall’s chest shifted beneath her head as he went on the alert. ‘Where?’

  ‘I don’t know yet. They’re sending the invitation to Gabriel’s place.’

  ‘Friday? I’m not sure if …’

  Sinead sighed. He didn’t have to finish the sentence. If the Swiss police discovered that she had left the country they could demand that she be locked up again and her uncle Tim would lose his money. She sat up, full of renewed energy. ‘Come on, we don’t have any time to waste.’

  12

  After breakfast he opened his laptop and sat down to work. She had never before met a man who owned four phones – and he used them all. Niall moved from one call to another, requesting background checks and sending operatives off to interview potential contacts, the sound of the Tardis blaring out on one phone, signalling the arrival of an email.

  ‘What age are you?’

  ‘What?’ he said. ‘I happen to like the programme. All the guys on the team have Doctor Who ring tones.’

  He opened the email and scanned through the list of high-class jewellers who might have information. Niall posed as a buyer for the stone, switching between French and English easily.

  Sinead scanned the names. She wouldn’t have bothered ringing any of them. A dozen calls later, they were running out of names. Sinead lost her patience. ‘You’re doing it all wrong.’