Off Course

by Sawyer Bennett

  I don't have to turn around to know the fury behind those words belongs to Cillian. Cormac appraises him over my shoulder, but he doesn't make a move to release me. I try to shove him backward again, but he doesn't move.

  "One..."

  "Cormac, let me go. He's not kidding."

  Cormac doesn't move and his eyes go hard. He glances to me then back to Cillian. I can feel his body tense up.

  "Two..."

  "Let. Me. Go. He will spill your blood on this sidewalk if you won't listen."

  "Three."

  I hear a "snicking" sound from behind me and I see Cormac's eyes go wide. His hands immediately fall away from me and he takes a step back. I whirl around to see Cillian there with murder in his eyes and a switchblade in his hand.

  "Oh, for God's sake, Cillian. Put that away before you get arrested."

  He never takes his eyes off Cormac, but he closes the knife and tucks it back into his pocket, even as he's walking forward. When he reaches me, I grab onto his wrist, halting his progress, because there is no doubt in my mind he's not finished with Cormac. Laying my other hand on his chest, he finally looks down at me.

  "Please don't. Just let it go, Cillian."

  His jaw muscle is popping as he looks back to Cormac. "If you come near her again, I won't stop. No matter how much she begs me to."

  I glance back at Cormac. His face is pale and I see at some point, he's even stepped a few paces further back. His gaze leaves Cillian and returns to me. "Are you with this guy? Are you fucking him?"

  Cillian tenses under my hand so I squeeze his wrist reassuringly. "It's none of your business who I'm with, Cormac."

  His face now mottling red with anger, Cormac blusters, "You can't possibly want to be with some... some... street thug that threatens people with knives."

  "He's a musician," I say quietly.

  "What-the-fuck-ever! That's not who you are, Renner. You like stability and reliability. There's no way you want him."

  Cormac's last words are said with disdain and it almost makes me laugh out loud. Particularly the part where he is preaching to me about stability and reliability. I suddenly realize that although Cillian may turn my world upside down, tie my stomach in knots, and scramble my brains, I very much want to be with him.

  Turning my back on Cormac, I look up at Cillian. He returns my stare, his eyes warm and curious. "But I do. I think I want him very much."

  I vaguely hear Cormac blustering behind me. Cillian never takes his eyes from mine, but his words are hard when he says to Cormac, "Take a walk and don't bother coming around her again. You won't like what happens if you do."

  I have no clue what Cormac does, nor do I care. I'm positive he will walk away like the coward I know him to be. He doesn't have the sticking power to pursue me, not with Cillian's threats hanging in the air.

  The only thing that holds my attention now is the look in Cillian's eyes as they bore into mine.

  "You want me, do you?"

  "Yes."

  Cillian moves so fast he startles me. Grabbing my hand, he drags me back into The Hibernian. Moving past the main bar, Uncle Keefe fortunately does not see this spectacle. As we walk swiftly by Maureen, I tell her in passing, "Can you watch my tables for a few minutes?"

  Cillian is pulling me so quickly that I don't hear her response but assume she has my back. God knows I've covered her tables on more than one occasion when she's wanted an extended smoke break.

  He pulls me down a dark hall and finally through a door.

  The storeroom.

  Pushing me gently through, he flicks on the light, closes the door softly behind me, and turns the lock. The soft click sounds ominous and when I turn to look at him, he's leaning against the door with a satisfied look on his face.

  "What are we doing in here?"

  "I need to taste you just a bit and I don't fancy everyone watching."

  My insides tighten and I can't help the dampness that forms between my legs over those few words.

  Pushing off the door, he practically stalks to me, reaching out to push his fingers through my hair.

  "Cillian... we shouldn't."

  "Shhh..." is all he says before he starts kissing me. It's wild and wet, just as hot as that night he kissed me in my apartment. Except now, there's not an underlying tone of dominance. Rather, this is pure need I'm feeling from him and my arms automatically go around him.

  His tongue is warm, the ball of his piercing erotically touching the inside of my mouth. When I pull my mouth slightly back so I can suck at his lip rings, he issues a groan as his hand sneaks under my shirt.

  His fingers leave a blazing trail of fire as they skim up my stomach, reaching my breast. He cups me gently at first, and then moves his thumb over my nipple. My body shudders hard and I gasp into his mouth.

  Emboldened by my response, Cillian drops his hand to the button of my jeans. "Last time I did this, you told me to stop. Are you going to do that now, sweet girl?" He's teasing me, daring me to say no.

  I think briefly about the fact we're locked in the storeroom and I have customers waiting for me. But Maureen has me covered, and chances of us being disturbed are small.

  "Don't stop," I tell him, insanely needful of something more.

  He deftly pops the button on my jeans, and whether he's feeling the pressure of our limited time in here or what, he wastes no time in slipping his hand down the front. His fingers skim under the waistband of my panties and he runs his middle finger over me.

  "Oh, God," he murmurs as he sinks one finger into me. "You're so fucking wet."

  My head falls back as I feel his finger working inside of me, my hips responding to the movement of his hand.

  He gives me a swift, hard kiss and looks me in the eyes, his face just inches from mine. "This is going to be fast," he warns. "I'm going to get you off with my hand, because I'm dying to see you come. Right here. Right now. Just for me. Then I'm going home with you tonight, and I'm going to fuck you so hard, you're going to be sore tomorrow. And every time you take a step tomorrow, every time you feel that little sting of pain, you're going to remember that it was me between your legs all night. Are we clear?"

  His words are like heroin, or at least what I imagine heroin would be like... dark and addictive. I nod, pulling my bottom lip in between my teeth so I don't scream over the sensations he's creating inside of me.

  "That's my girl. Now wrap your arms around my neck and hang on."

  CHAPTER 12

  Cillian

  When Renner gets off work, we practically run to her apartment, both of us breathing hard by the time we get there. We push our way inside, and then our hands are all over each other. Part of me wants to pull her onto the floor right there, get the bare amount of necessary clothes off, and just hammer my way inside. That's how worked up I've been since our moment in the storeroom a few hours ago.

  But I know we have nothing but time and I force myself to be somewhat of a gentleman. In between scorching hot kisses, I'm able to pick her up, walk into her bedroom and I toss her on the bed. Pulling out my wallet, I grab a condom and throw it on the bed next to her. My clothes come off quickly, dropping haphazardly on the floor. She watches me, eyes wide and not the least bit shy as she runs her gaze over my body. If I thought I was hard before, the way she looks at my cock, panting slightly, has me at the breaking point and the blood is hammering in my ears.

  I make quick work of her clothing, practically ripping them from her body. When I have her completely naked, I make an attempt at a calming moment to just look at her. She's leaning back on her elbows, her creamy breasts stuck out with hard nipples begging for my mouth. I don't think I've seen anything more perfect in my life.

  When I run my look up the length of her body, her eyes catch me off guard for just a moment. Up until now, Renner has been almost tentative in exploring our sexuality. But the way she looks at me at this moment, her eyes glittering with desire, I think I may be the one that gets lost in this encounter.

>   Breaking the eye contact, I pull her legs apart and crawl in between them. Sitting back on my haunches, I reach down and stroke between her legs, triumphant at the way her eyes roll back in her head and a sweet moan meets my ears. She's warm and wet, completely ready for me. Renner reaches her own hand out and wraps it around my dick, squeezing lightly before she starts stroking me. Fuck, but that feels incredible and I throw my head back and close my eyes, just for a moment, while she palms my length.

  She has me at a point I've never been with another woman. I feel like an animal without any control, my only purpose to get inside of her. I need to get some measure of control so I reach down and wrap my fingers around her wrist. It's so tiny and pale in my grasp. It's torture pulling her hand away.

  "I can't wait, Renner. I need it hard and fast right now, but I promise it will be good." My words come out in a growl, and the tone is unrecognizable to me. She does something to me that makes me something other than what I normally am but I don't have time to worry about it. I have more important things on my mind.

  She sucks in her breath hard but nods her head at me, giving me the go ahead to have my way with her. In just a few smooth moves, I have the condom rolled on and I lean over her, pushing at her entrance. Her flesh is so hot--I imagine it practically burning the thin rubber barrier away. I make a tentative push inward and she is small and tight but her wetness eases my entrance. I grit my teeth and close my eyes briefly. When I open them, our eyes slam together and for a brief instant... just a fleeing moment... I want to gather her in my arms and just hug her the way she's watching me. But the moment passes and my primal instinct kicks in.

  Watching her face the entire time, I flex my hips and push hard, her body opening for me and letting me sink all the way in. She rewards me with a deep moan that has my balls immediately tightening and sweat breaking out on my forehead.

  Leaning forward over her, I put my mouth near her ear as I started pumping in and out of her, rubbing in between her legs with my hand. Long strokes that have her panting every time I hit deep inside and causing a brutal stab of pleasure to rocket through me. Fuck, I'm not going to last long at all, because nothing has ever felt this good, and I need to get her there first.

  "Do you like that?" I whisper in her ear, my fingers rubbing her hard knot in just a way that causes her hips to move wantonly against me. She's sexy as fuck when she does that and the pressure builds inside of me even further.

  She merely nods her head, her hair brushing against my face. I pull back so I can see her and smile when I see her cheeks are already stained red from pleasure.

  "Can you take it harder?" I growl.

  "Yes," she moans, and I don't even let the sound trail off before I start slamming into her so hard the entire bed is shaking.

  Renner raises her legs higher around me, causing me to sink even further into her, and when she digs her nails into my ass, I know she is close. I can feel her body stiffening and looking into her glazed eyes, I know she's lost most of her conscious thought. She's doing nothing more than feeling right now...feeling the ecstasy that is between us.

  I watch her... the way her mouth is parted just slightly with small pants of breath coming out, smelling like spearmint. She's staring vacantly at the ceiling when I rock into her even harder, her eyes squeeze shut, and she pulls her bottom lip between her teeth.

  "Cillian... I'm... I think..."

  She doesn't need to say anything, because I can read the signs all over her. She is getting ready to explode.

  I rub between her legs just a bit harder and her whole body starts to shudder as it breaks apart. A sweet, keening sound slides out of her mouth and that pushes me over the edge. I finally give in and close my eyes so I can concentrate on what is going to be the most powerful orgasm I've ever had... I just know it.

  When it rips through me, it shreds me from the inside out. I'm vaguely aware of Renner shouting in my ear and her body spasming, but I keep my eyes closed and let loose as pleasure tears through every cell in my body.

  "Fuck..." I curse through gritted teeth.

  I pull back and slam into her one more time, another bolt of rapture sizzling inside of me while I empty completely out. Then my entire body turns to jelly and I collapse on top of her.

  She unsheathes her claws and moves her hands up my back, stroking me softly. I bury my head in the crook of her neck, and listen to the way our harsh breaths fill the room.

  I know my weight has to be crushing her but she doesn't make a complaint. We are silent, lost in our own thoughts, and I'm sure she is just as shaken as I am by that experience.

  My plans tonight were to fuck her over and over again, hopefully driving this need for her out of my system. But I've never felt so replete and satisfied in my life.

  I roll to the side. Reaching between us, I pull the condom off, knotting it and tossing it on the floor. I'll throw it away later.

  Tucking Renner into my body, I note she immediately burrows in to snuggle and my arms pull her in tight.

  I fall instantly asleep.

  ***

  Something tickles my nose and wakes me up. For a brief moment--just a second really--I have no clue where I am. Then memories of the prior evening flood through me and I realize it's Renner's hair that has me on the verge of sneezing.

  We are in her bed, facing each other, and my arms are wrapped tight around her. Our bodies are flush, legs entwined. She has her face tucked into my neck and I can feel her gentle breath across my skin.

  Christ... when I think about the things I did to her last night--the things I still want to do to her--I may be eligible for a trip to the Asylum for the Insatiable Sex Addict. I still can't believe I pulled her into the storeroom at The Hibernian. If Keefe knew what I was doing, he would have kicked my ass clear down Wellington Quay. But I can't say I'm sorry I did it. Watching Renner come against my hand in just a matter of a few, hot seconds would have been so worth risking Keefe's retribution.

  I knew in that moment, she could take anything I handed her.

  She more than accepted what I gave her when we got back to her flat. The thoughts gets me hard but I don't make a move. I just want to lay here for a few more moments and consider my feelings.

  And yes, feelings are now involved. I know I had been telling myself that fucking Renner was just that... nothing more than a fuck. But that's not the truth. The fact of the matter is that she's been tying my insides up since that night in The Hibernian when I saw her carrying that tray of pint glasses and was literally bowled over that she was back in Dublin. The only problem is that I suspect these feelings may be fleeting. That this is nothing more than a new and exciting venture for me, but that I'll get my fill of it soon enough.

  My phone starts blaring The Clash's Rock The Casbah, the ring tone I set for Maeve. Renner jerks in my arms but I immediately release her. Flipping over the edge of the bed onto the floor, I scramble for my jeans. Pulling my phone out, I quickly connect the call before she hangs up. My heart is beating like mad--terrified I'll miss her call and send her over the edge again.

  "Maeve... hey, babe... how are you?"

  "Where were you last night?"

  Oh, shit. I am not liking the tone of her voice. "What do you mean 'where was I'?"

  "I tried calling your house a few times... late last night... you didn't answer." Her tone is pouting and angry all at the same time.

  I decide to stall her. "Why didn't you just call my cell phone?"

  "Because if you weren't at home... that means you were out all night. And that was clearly more important than being there for me."

  I get angry over her accusation. Does she expect me to stand beside the phone, waiting for her to call? Besides, she has my fucking cell phone number.

  Movement from the bed catches my attention and I see Renner partially sitting up. She's gripping the sheet to her chest and her hair is all messed up. She looks edible and I want to fling the phone away and crawl back into bed with her.

  She shoots
me a worried look and then crawls out of the bed. I watch as she walks across the room to her dresser and I get even harder when she slips on a pair of white panties and pulls a black tank top over her head.

  Shooting me now what I deem to be a sympathetic look, she walks out of the room to give me privacy for this conversation. It's awfully polite of her and I appreciate it. I don't want her to hear what I'm sure is not going to be a pleasant conversation. I don't cajole well.

  "Cillian... are you there?" Maeve demands.

  Sighing, I tell her, "Yes. I'm here."

  "Then why weren't you at home last night?"

  I take a deep breath, and pray to God that I'm saying the right thing. "Maeve... I'm here for you. You had my cell phone number and had you called it, I would have answered. But you don't own me and it's none of your business where I was last night. You need to let it go."

  I expect Maeve to get angry with me. I expect her at the least to whine. She does neither, and all I hear is a click and then the line is dead.

  I lean back against the side of the bed and drag my hand through my hair. That did not go well and I feel very tired all of a sudden. At least I don't have to worry about the hard-on I was sporting since I woke up. Maeve's words killed it dead.

  I dial Dr. Madden but get his voice mail. I leave him a message to call me so I can see how bad I may have just fucked up Maeve's recovery.

  Pushing myself up off the floor, I drag my jeans on and walk out of Renner's bedroom. Just the thought of seeing her eases some of the anxiety in my chest.

  Turning the corner into the kitchen, I see her standing in front of the counter, her back is to me. She's making coffee and I'm struck by how beautiful she is just from the backside.

  Her red hair is streaming down her back in loose waves. Her ass is barely hanging into those little white panties and I see a tiny tattoo at the base of her spine where her tank top doesn't quite cover all of her skin. Never in a million years would I have thought sweet Renner would have a tattoo. Peering harder across the distance, I see it's a colorful butterfly.

  Figures.