Owned: A Driven World Novel (The Driven World)

by Angela Nicole

  As the door closes, she shocks me when she turns to me and says, “Enough to give me the courage to do this,” right before her lips meet mine.

  At first, I’m too stunned to kiss her back. Maybe this is just a simple thank you for saving her tonight. But when her hands move up my chest, hands clasping behind my neck, I respond the only way I can. I deepen the kiss. It’s my undoing, both physically and mentally. I know, after this, things will never be the same.

  KJ

  The three wine spritzers were just my excuse to kiss a man who is off-limits. But as my lips linger a little too long, Declan takes over, making my legs almost give in. My mind reels as his tongue teases mine. I didn’t imagine the jealousy and possessiveness I saw in him tonight.

  Declan fumbles with the door to his condo while never taking his mouth from mine. We almost fall into his entryway, but Declan rights himself, thus making sure I stay upright.

  I yelp as he picks me up. I’m cradled in his arms as he moves us to his bedroom. He places me gently on his bed. The heavy breathing we’re both doing is enough to fog up his floor to ceiling windows.

  With his hands on either side of my face, Declan cocks his head to one side. “You sure about this, KJ?”

  I nod, and that’s all it takes for this gorgeous man to pull my dress down off my shoulders. It pools at my waist, leaving my breasts bared.

  “Jesus Christ, KJ. You’re fucking stunning,” he declares before pulling his shirt off.

  My mouth hangs open at the sight of him. It’s the first time I get to see what Declan’s been hiding underneath his clothes. The man is hard everywhere.

  “You look surprised.”

  “Pleasantly.”

  His hands go to my shoulders as goose bumps consume me. With the lightness of a feather, Declan moves across my collarbone. He moves in and feasts on my lips. I grab onto his sculpted shoulders as he lays me back against his pillow.

  “Lift,” he commands with a tap on my hips.

  In one swift move, Declan strips me of my dress and red lace thong.

  “You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen.”

  This man makes me feel sexy. The lust in his eyes makes me squeeze my thighs together.

  “Oh no, you don’t. You aren’t going to do my job for me.”

  I snicker, but it’s cut short when he takes his shorts off. Holy crap. Declan O’Donohue is a god. Ever since Atlanta, I knew he was gifted, if you know what I mean. But seeing him naked in front of me now only enhances my need for him to be inside me.

  “Declan. Hurry.”

  “I don’t know if I can go slow. I want you so damn much.”

  As he makes his way up the bed, I open my legs, inviting him. He settles between my thighs. I arch off the mattress as his thumb circles my clit. “Your body was made for mine,” he growls as he sucks on my nipple.

  I feel myself clench. My god, I’ve never come this quickly, but my orgasm is barreling down the track like an out-of-control freight train, and I’m powerless to stop it.

  “Oh, Declan, I’m so close.”

  “You’re so wet for me. I want to take my time, but I can’t. I want you to come around me.”

  “Fuck! I need a condom. Hang on.”

  “Jesus, Declan, for crying out loud,” I pant.

  Once Declan is fully sheathed, he nudges at my entrance, and in one movement, he’s fully seated inside me. He’s not a small man, but I’m so turned on it doesn’t matter.

  “Oh shit. KJ, you feel so fucking good.”

  “You need to move now, Declan, or I’m going to kill you.”

  He chuckles right before he pulls out, slamming back into me.

  “Oh my god!”

  Again.

  “Is this what you want, KJ?”

  Again.

  “Yes,” I huff out.

  My hips meet his thrust for thrust. Our bodies joined as one as my orgasm rips through me. “Declan!”

  “Oh fuck, I’m right there with you,” he growls as a wave of pleasure sends him over the edge.

  This man is going to ruin me. I knew he would.

  “That was crazy,” he admits, and I know he’s right.

  The truth of what we just did permeates my conscience. What would people think if they knew what just happened? My father certainly wouldn’t be proud of what I just did. Tears begin to well up.

  “Hey.” Declan props up on his elbow. “Why the tears? Did I do something wrong?”

  Words are difficult right at this moment, so I just shake my head in response to his concerned expression. God, he’s so damn gorgeous.

  “Christ! I knew it,” he exclaims. “This was a mistake. Look at you, KJ. I knew you’d regret this.”

  The harshness in his voice makes me jump. I shouldn’t have come here.

  He climbs out of bed and makes his way into his en suite bathroom. As he enters the bathroom, I jump out of bed and quickly throw my dress on and grab my shoes. But before I can make my quick getaway, he comes out of the bathroom and stops me.

  “Look, I’m sorry for yelling at you.” He tips my chin up. “If what happened has made you this upset, then it can never happen again.”

  “I shouldn’t have come here. I’m sorry, Declan,” I say and leave his condo as fast as my legs can carry me.

  Declan

  The rest of the weekend was tense as hell. KJ wouldn’t even look at me. She spent most of the day at the resort pool while the guys and I went fishing. She made up the excuse that she thought she’d get seasick. I’m not buying it.

  I know KJ is pissed I told her we couldn’t ever have sex again. I’ll admit it killed me to do it. I’m afraid one night with her is just a tease. I never should’ve let it happen, but my body took over my brain, and now we’re both paying for it.

  Dinner is at my place in two hours. Maureen insisted on helping me. I think she just wants to meet the guys. I filled them in on her situation while we were on the boat. Since KJ wasn’t there, she doesn’t know.

  I’ve battled with myself for thirty minutes whether I should break the ice with KJ before dinner. I’m not really worried about telling her about my sister. I need to clear the air about why she was ignoring me this morning. Knowing it all stems back to her showing up at my place, I feel a lot of responsibility to make things right. I don’t want the team’s cohesiveness to suffer because of what we did and didn’t do last night.

  Replaying the kissing over in my head all night meant I slept very little. I’m cranky, but here I am, knocking on her door, hoping to clear the air.

  She doesn’t open right away, but when she does, I know I’m screwed.

  KJ is still in her bikini, and it looks like she’s been crying. I take a second to tear my eyes away from her bronzed body. And yeah, maybe that makes me an asshole, but I recover quickly.

  “I’m not late for dinner, am I?” she asks as she clears her throat.

  As if I didn’t learn my lesson already, I pull her into my arms. “Why have you been crying?”

  Her body stiffens in my arms. Within seconds, KJ pulls away. “I’m fine. Everything’s fine,” she replies as she walks into the kitchen area of her suite. I follow because I came to make things right. “You didn’t answer my question, Declan. Why are you here?”

  I lean against the counter and hedge my bet. I don’t want to dance around the issue. “I don’t want what happened last night to change our working relationship. It was wrong for me to take things as far as I did. It was unprofessional and something I won’t let happen again. You don’t deserve to feel put on the spot or weird around me.”

  “Jesus. Do I look like some pathetic wimp who didn’t know what she was doing last night? I don’t need or want your apology. It was a stupid move on my part so let’s just forget it and move on, okay?”

  There’s venom interlaced with her words. I’ve been around long enough to know not to argue with a woman when she’s in a mood like this. If growing up with Maureen taught me anything, it was to simply agree, b
ut not in a patronizing manner.

  “Okay, it’s forgotten.”

  There’s no way I’ll ever forget how it feels to have her lips on me or the way her body fits perfectly with mine. I don’t want to forget it.

  “So, dinner in an hour or so?”

  I watch her as she rechecks her phone, not making eye contact with me. I guess I just must let it go for now. But before the race in St. Pete, she’s going to have to change her attitude.

  “Yes. Six o’clock. The guys said they’d meet you downstairs at five forty-five, and you can all travel to my condo together,” I tell her as I try not to ogle her.

  She gives me a mock salute. “I’ll be there.”

  Smartass.

  My sister is late, but the team shows up at six o’clock sharp. Franco and Kyle are laughing at something as I open the door. KJ, on the other hand, looks like she’d rather be anywhere but here. I was looking forward to this dinner—now it appears it’s going to be painful.

  “Come on in,” I say, glaring at KJ. She told me she was a big girl. She needs to act like it.

  “Thanks for having us,” Kyle pipes in as they make their way through the door.

  I lead them out onto the balcony where we’ll eat dinner. “Have a seat. I just need to check on Maureen. I’ll be right back.”

  KJ’s eyes go wide. I forgot to tell her about my sister when I went to her room. Things didn’t really go as I had planned.

  Franco gives me a chin nod. “Take your time. I’ll play bartender,” he announces as he glances at the bar cart.

  “Thanks, man.”

  KJ

  “Who is Maureen?” I ask casually as I sip on my chardonnay.

  “Declan’s sister. She lives in a condo on this floor. Maureen has early-onset Alzheimer’s, so Declan wants her close to him so he can take care of her,” Kyle explains. “He told us about her today while we were fishing.”

  Declan takes care of his sister? If his swoon level was a ten before, it’s like a twenty now. That is not a good thing for me.

  I almost came undone when he showed up at my room earlier. I hadn’t been crying over what happened with him last night. Instead, I forgot it was the anniversary of my father’s passing. What kind of daughter am I? Instead of lounging by the pool, replaying the dangerous game from the night before, I should’ve been thinking about my dad.

  The guilt has been gnawing at me since, and it’s put me on edge. It’s not a good place to be around a man like Declan O’Donohue. And the mood I’m in, I could easily throw all conventional thought out the window and do something I may regret. Because what happened between us isn’t something I’ll be able to forget any time soon.

  Drawn by sudden movement in the condo’s dining area, I see Declan holding the hand of a woman who must be his sister, Maureen. I swallow the lump in my throat at the sweetness of the gesture.

  Maureen O’Donohue is classically beautiful. She resembles Audrey Hepburn. Her smile is wide and bright as she giggles at something Declan whispers to her before they make their way outside.

  “Hey, everyone, I’d like you to meet my sister, Maureen. She’s going to join us for dinner.” His comment seems to be pointed at me since I was the one who didn’t know about her.

  I nod slightly, earning me a small smile from my boss.

  “This is Franco, and this is Kyle,” he tells his sister as she shakes their hands.

  “And this is Kathy Jo.”

  “Oh my!” she says. “You’re gorgeous, aren’t you?”

  I feel my cheeks heat in embarrassment. “Please call me KJ, and you’re the gorgeous one. You remind me of Audrey Hepburn in her younger days, of course.” Maureen pulls me into a quick hug as she laughs at my comment.

  “Maybe thirty years ago, but now I’m just Declan’s older, forgetful sister.”

  I glance over at Declan, who seems to stiffen at her comment.

  “Do you want some lemonade?” he asks Maureen.

  With a pouty lip, she nods. Once he’s gone to get her drink, she leans in and whispers to me, “I’d really prefer a shot of whiskey, but with the medication I’m on, I can’t have it.”

  Immediately, I feel a kinship with this woman. Not because I feel sorry for her, but after watching my father lose his battle with cancer, I know how easily life can slip away.

  “You know what? A lemonade sounds great. I’ll be right back.”

  Maureen nods before turning her gaze to the guys. I laugh to myself when she looks back at me and waggles her eyebrows.

  I make my way into the kitchen where I spot Declan pouring a glass of lemonade. “If you have enough, I’d like one too, please.”

  He doesn’t look at me right away, but pulls out another glass from the cabinet.

  “My sister likes you already. I can tell.”

  I lean my hip against his table. “I like Maureen already too. She seems like she’d be a lot of fun.”

  Handing the glass to me, Declan smiles sadly. “Yes, she can be a lot of fun. She certainly was while we were growing up. She and Patrick are fraternal twins, but she got the sense of humor out of the three of us.”

  Taking a sip of my cold drink, I contemplate mentioning how much I admire him for taking care of his sister, but I don’t. For some reason, I feel like he’d think I’m patronizing him. So, I say nothing instead.

  Neither of us says anything for several seconds; instead, we just stare at each other. An almost silent acknowledgment of what’s happened this weekend pales in comparison to what Maureen’s truth is. At least that’s how I feel.

  Not wanting the silence to stand, I blurt out, “It’s the anniversary of my father’s death, and that’s why I was crying today. I’m sorry for being a bitch to you earlier. It just hit me hard because I forgot about it, and then I felt guilty. I had such a great time last night, and now I’m rambling like an ass, aren’t I?”

  For the first time today, I see Declan smile. It’s a freaking sexy smile. It’s a smile I know could undo me, so I make a mental note not to make Declan smile anymore. Of course, that thought makes me laugh.

  “Well, I’m sorry about your father, KJ. He was a great man. It’s important to remember our loved ones who’ve passed on. Just remember it’s also important to continue living while we’re still here.”

  Declan walks out of the kitchen and back onto the balcony before I can say anything back. But his comments make me realize my dad would want me to enjoy my time here. Especially since my team and Andi are the only family I have left.

  Two hours and three glasses of lemonade later, Maureen and I huddle together in the corner of Declan’s living room. The guys play cards around his dining room table while Maureen fills me in on all things Declan as a little boy. We laugh out loud, earning us both stern looks from Mr. O’Donohue. Of course, that just makes us laugh harder.

  Maureen tells me stories of Ireland before moving here. Patrick mentioned it briefly when he ran the team, and while I occasionally heard a slight accent, I never thought about it again.

  “So basically, they ran my family out of Ireland because my father had worked for the Irish mob. It was either come here or land himself in jail for the rest of his life. God rest his soul,” she says as she looks up. “He and my ma died in a car wreck while on their way home from a New Year’s Eve party eight years ago. I always knew they’d die together because neither one could’ve lived without the other for very long.”

  I’m shocked at what Maureen is telling me. Patrick never talked about his family except to say he had two siblings. He never mentioned his dad was connected. I suppose that’s where the money to buy the race team came from. Funny though, the thought of that doesn’t really bother me. It’s not like Patrick or Declan are in the Irish Mob now, right?

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Patrick never mentioned your parents.”

  Maureen waves her hand. “I’m not surprised. Neither of my brothers likes to talk about it. It’s still painful for all of us. I suppose it’s also a bit of guilt they fe
el for having a racing team and all. To tell you the truth, I’m shocked Declan didn’t sell the team when Patrick decided to give it up. After my parent’s accident, Declan didn’t want any of us to drive for fear of something happening to us. So you can see why I’m surprised he took over as he did.”

  Hmm. This is interesting.

  “Have you ever been to a race, Maureen?”

  She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Twice. And then my fiancé left me, and well, things just went downhill from there. Maybe someday Declan will take me.”

  And with those words, I formulate a plan to get my new friend to the first race in St. Petersburg.

  Declan

  I’m losing my ass at poker because I can’t get my mind off the beautiful blond laughing with my sister. I catch bits and pieces of their conversation, and it’s obvious they’re talking about me.

  If my sister is having a good time at my expense, I’m good with it. Maureen deserves all the laughs she can get. I’ll be honest though, I’m a little surprised at just how much KJ and she are getting along. You’d never know they just met this evening. It’s as if they both need each other’s company. I know my sister does.

  “I’m out,” Kyle says, glancing at his phone.

  Franco snickers. “That redhead you met last night texting you?”

  Ah. I get it. I remember those days. I was what you’d call a serial dater. I had several girlfriends but never married after what happened with Daphne. Never found the right one, I guess. It can definitely be a challenge when your family has a lot of money.

  “Yeah, and she says her friend Chelsea is with her if you’re interested.”

  “Nah, man, I’m tired from the sun today. I’m gonna head back to my room. Wait up, and I’ll walk with you.”

  “Are you two serious? It’s only nine o’clock,” I laugh.

  “Oh, I intend to be out late,” Kyle tells us.

  “And I have some personal things I need to take care of.” This comes from Franco Cavanetti—the playboy of racing.