Consequences of Deception (24 page)

Every night I spend hours in bed with him, coming apart beneath his hands and mouth, and every morning I wake up wrapped in his arms. It’s so incredible that I really don’t feel like dealing with the Stephen business at all. Why choose more misery when I finally have true happiness?

Today, Killian has chartered a boat so we’re out at sea with the security team. Killian and the guys are fishing and I’m sunning myself. I tried to get into the whole fishing thing, but it’s pretty boring to sit or stand watching a pole all day, so I’ve been lying on the front of the boat reading one of the three Harlequins that I picked up at the Wal-Mart when we stopped for supplies at the ass-crack-of-dawn this morning. I would have brought my iPad, but I’m not about to get my new baby wet. Fortunately, these Harlequins are doing the trick and I’m in my happy reading place.

The sound of hooting and hollering breaks my concentration, and I turn and watch as Killian works to bring in whatever is on his line. It makes me so happy to see him having fun, laughing and smiling with his team as he works his ass off to bring in his catch. The rod is bending so much that I’m starting to wonder if he’s hooked something other than a fish, but the shouts from the guys as Chord reaches the net out and Killian finally brings his catch up tell me that it’s definitely a fish.

I’m happy for him but also a little—okay, a lot—grossed out by the giant, ugly as hell fish he’s just caught. Looking over his shoulder towards me, he gestures with his neck for me.

“Princess, look what I caught! Come stand with me for a picture.”

I love him so much that I get up, like a good girlfriend should, and ooh and aah over the absolutely hideous creature that he’s caught. I love seafood, but this thing is ugly. Still, the guys and the charter guide are all high-fiving and making it sound like he just caught Jaws, so I’m getting that it’s a good catch. Careful to steer clear of the fish as the guys measure and weigh it, I give Killian a kiss of congratulations.

Looking over at the ugly fish I ask, “What is it?”

Shaking his head, he laughs at me. “Babe, it’s a bull red fish!”

“A thirty-one pound red fish,” Chord clarifies.

A resounding chorus of “fuck yeah” goes through the guys, and I can’t help but laugh at how adorable they are. Photos are quickly taken and then the fish is released back into the water, something that I comment seems silly when it took so much work to get him.

“Princess, those are catch and release only fish. I don’t need to eat it to know that catching it kicked ass.”

I laugh at him before going back to my perch at the front of the boat, and the afternoon passes by quickly with several more catch and release sessions. When all is said and done, Killian’s thirty-one pound bull red fish is the biggest one of the day, and he is like cock-of-the-walk as we get into the Mercedes to drive back to the condo.

Reaching over, he tickles me and makes me laugh. “Did I, or did I not, tell you that mine will always be the biggest? I’m big, badass and, in a pinch, I could get out there and catch food for us. You see how your man has value? I’m more than a pretty face, baby.”

He really, really is. Every day it gets a little harder for me not to tell him that I love him. The words are there in my every action, but a part of me is afraid to put myself out there again.

“You definitely have value, honey. Oh and trust me, I know that you’re big!”

Throwing his head back, he lets out a laugh of pure joy. I haven’t seen Killian this happy in years, and I wonder if I just didn’t get to see this side of him because he hated me so much or if he didn’t have much to be happy about. I certainly didn’t.

“How about when we get home, you can enjoy your own catch of the day. I’ll take you into the shower, you can lather me up and clean the fish stench off of me while you shake your tits at me and drive me crazy. The tits are your bait. Once you’ve got me on the hook, you can climb on top and ride the hell out of your catch.”

He’s a dirty son-of-a-bitch, but he’s also hilarious. As soon as the car is parked, we’re out and holding hands while we run for the elevator. We race into the condo like two sex crazed lunatics, and as soon as the door is shut behind us, he stops and throws me over his shoulder before running to the bathroom and walking us right into the shower.

I giggle and smack at him as he stands me on my feet, and we spend the next half hour cleaning and then making love to each other in the shower. The man is insatiable, and it would appear that I am as well.

After dinner, we head out onto the balcony with glasses of wine. Taking spots in the two recliners that are side by side, we hold hands while we watch the ocean.

“This is nice,” he says with a smile. “I haven’t been on vacation in years. I’d forgotten what it feels like to unplug.”

Nodding, I agree. “It really is. It’s so beautiful here and I’ve enjoyed it so much. I’m proud of you for taking a break and relaxing, but you’ve got to be just about ready to get back to work. When are we going home?”

He says nothing, just stares out at the ocean silently, clenching his jaw. It’s me that finally speaks up. “Uh, crickets?”

Looking over at me, he gives me a surprised look. “Shit, sorry! I got lost in thought. Actually, it’s great that you bring this up now. I don’t know where my head is sometimes. We’re going to go to Las Vegas next and we leave tomorrow night. Over the last few years, I’ve implemented new guest services software at a bunch of the bigger hotels and I need to do some on-site check-ins. I designed a new app that should help cut down the lines at check in and that’s going live for testing in two weeks. I need to be on site to handle that, so that’s where we’re off to next. It’ll be a big change from how relaxed Pensacola has been, but there’s a ton for us to do, so it will be fun. Are you game?”

If he’s game, I sure as hell am. Plus, we’ll be one step closer to being home. With a big smile, I assure him that I am definitely game for Las Vegas.

The resort in Pensacola was beautiful, but as far as luxury goes it has nothing on the Aria Resort here in Las Vegas. After we check into our sky suite, I run from room to room just to take in the view. I’ve stayed in some beautiful hotels in my time, but this place takes the cake as far as size and amenities. My favorite thing about the suite—and trust me, it’s hard to think of it as a suite considering the fact that it is over four thousand square feet in size—is the enormous curved staircase that leads from the living area to the upstairs. Anywhere that you stand on the stairs, you have the most amazing view of Las Vegas, and I love to watch the lights at night.

I’ve figured out that I’m not much for gambling—although that’s hardly a surprise considering the fact that Killian stands there the entire time I’m playing the slot machines talking about statistics, programming and probabilities. It’s one thing to assume that your odds of winning the jackpot are one in a million—it’s another to have someone who designed some of the software telling you that it’s more like one in sixteen million. I call him a killjoy, but in all honesty I don’t care for it anyway so it’s not like I am really upset.

Over the last five days we’ve hiked in Red Rock Canyon, gone to the Shark Reef Aquarium over at the Mandalay Bay, saw Elton John and went to a Cirque de Soleil show. This afternoon we went and saw an action movie and, for me, it was like a dream come true sitting with Killian in a darkened theater holding hands and feeding each other popcorn.

It’s bittersweet how strong our connection is. In a lot of ways, it’s like we never stopped talking at all. Every day it becomes a bigger struggle not to tell him that I love him—that I have always loved him and I know that I will always love him.

It’s a shame that after so many relaxing days of vacation, Killian is knee deep in a work problem that has him on edge. This is the first day in over two weeks that we haven’t been glued together, and I miss him, even though that’s silly.

Right now he’s downstairs working on whatever super-secret software program has him so tied up in knots, and I’m up here in the world’s most amazing bathroom soaking in the enormous tub. Relaxing my head back on the ledge of the tub, I inhale the subtle sugar cookie aroma in the air that is courtesy of my favorite bath gel.

Letting out the deep breath, I start to drift away in my mind. I’m always careful not to fall asleep in the tub, but it’s hard since it’s the most relaxing place to be. I startle when I hear Killian yelling my name, and I sit up so fast that I slosh water over the side of the tub as I yell out, “I’m taking a bath!”

Seconds later the door to the bathroom flies open as he bursts into the room. He watches me silently for a few seconds before he begins stripping off his clothes. His shorts, boxers and shirt are all quickly dispersed of, and I lick my lips when I see that he’s fully erect. In a flash, he walks over and gets into the tub before pulling me into his arms.

Before I can ask him what brought on his need for a bath, he is kissing me senseless. Grabbing my ass, he lifts me up and sits me in his lap as he continues devouring me. With each passing minute I’m getting more and more turned on, and I hope that he plans to see this all the way through. It takes so little for me to go wild for him, and I rub against his erection shamelessly as I whimper into his mouth.

“I need inside you right fucking now, princess. Can you take me? Is your pussy ready for me?”

“Yes, I can always take you—“ My words end on a long moan as he positions himself at my entrance and slides in. Holding onto his shoulders for leverage, I begin riding him. He ignores the water sloshing over the side of the tub so I do as well, and we stare into each other’s eyes as I set a slow pace.

His eyes are wild today and he’s very tense. Letting go of one of his shoulders, I tickle my fingers across his forehead. “Why the frown, honey? Computer program not cooperating with you?”

Instead of answering, he wraps his arms around me and hugs me to him tightly. Sensing that he needs comfort, I move my hands up and cradle his head against my breast. I’ve stopped riding him, but we are still totally connected.

He seems almost… fragile, which is very unusual for him. Running my hands through his hair, I trail my fingers down to his beard and gently rub it. “Killian?”

He says nothing for a moment as he looks up and stares at my face in silence. I stare back, waiting for him to tell me what’s wrong, but he says nothing. Instead, he grabs my hips and starts moving me up and down faster and faster.

“Rub your clit, baby. I need to fill you with my come so fucking bad… can you get there quickly?”

Nodding my head, I drop my right hand below the water and begin rubbing circles against my clit. He’s moving me up and down at super speed and there is literally water flying all over the damn place, but right now it’s just the two of us in our bathtub bubble.

Grabbing the back of his head with my left hand, I position him where I need him before joining my mouth to his. Our tongues meet at the pace we’re fucking at, and I start to spasm around his shaft as my orgasm comes closer.

Letting one hand go from my waist, he reaches up between us and pinches my nipple, hard. That’s all that it takes to send me over, and I come with a loud cry seconds before he starts coming inside of me.