“Isn’t there an off switch with you?” she mumbles in between sips and then melts into the cushion, a sign of how tired she really is.
If she only gave me the chance, I could perk her right up with my tongue. I quickly shake that thought away before I do something stupid and place her on my lap so I can show just how.
On second thought…
“Hey!” she squeals, almost spilling her coffee all over us as I plant her ass on me. “What do you think you are doing?”
“Just wanted to check something out. Give me a minute.”
She’s stiff as a board, holding on to her mug for dear life, as I run my fingers through her hair and nuzzle my nose into the crook of her neck.
“Shay?” she stammers, unsure of what to do.
“Ten more seconds,” I whisper in her ear, before planting a gentle kiss behind it.
My cock swells in excitement when a light shiver runs down her spine after the kiss.
But before I’m able to get comfortable and really test the waters of her restraint, the apartment elevator dings open, Darren walking through it like a man on a mission.
I knew it.
“Yes?” I ask with a blasé tone while making a point to gently brush Rosa’s long hair off her shoulder so I can pop my chin on it.
Darren clears his throat and pretends to look everywhere around the apartment but directly at us.
“Boss wants to talk to you,” he mutters, handing me his cell phone, trying hard as fuck not to look at his Boss’ wife on my lap.
“He couldn’t have reached out to my phone instead of yours?” I cock a smug grin.
“He knew you were… busy.”
Of course, he did.
I discreetly scan the living room, trying to find the camera he must have hidden away somewhere. When I find the minuscule blinking red light just above the television set, I throw my dear old brother a wave, before planting my hand on Rosa’s thigh and giving it a squeeze.
“Having fun?” Tiernan asks on the other end of the line, his voice as dry as the Sahara.
“Not as much fun as I could be having. If you call off your dogs and turn off all your little gadgets, then I’m sure I’ll have plenty of fun. Oh. That’s right, I forgot. You like to watch.”
“Funny,” he says, but no one is laughing. “Didn’t I give you a job to do this morning?”
“You did.” I grin.
“Then I suggest you do it.”
“I’m in no rush,” I taunt, running a finger up and down Rosa’s thigh, while using my other arm to hold her still by the waist.
The line goes silent for a minute before my brother’s cold hard voice returns.
“Remember when you were little, and I let you play with my toys?”
“I do.”
“Those days are long gone.”
I roll my eyes at his lackluster and uninspired remark.
“Be careful, dheartháir. You can look, but you can’t touch. Not without my say so. If you do, then you force me to take something from you.”
“I don’t have anything worth having. You’re the one who has it all, remember?” I shrug, unbothered.
“I can think of a few things you’d miss. It would be awfully hard to use those blades you love so much when you don’t have hands. Touch my wife without my consent again, and I’ll make sure you’ll never touch anything ever again. Tuig?”
And with that threat dangling on the line, he hangs up.
Prick.
“Sorry, petal. Playtime is over,” I mumble, shifting her lovely ass off my semi so it’s firmly planted safely on the couch.
Rosa doesn’t miss a beat and rushes to the kitchen, putting as much distance between us as she can. Since she was basically glued to my body, I’m sure she heard everything my killjoy of a brother had said on the phone.
“Here,” I grumble, throwing the phone back to Darren.
He catches it in one go, throws me a disappointed glower, and leaves.
When the elevator doors ding shut, Rosa comes out of her spot, her gaze scouring the room.
“He can see us, can’t he?” she asks sullenly.
“Yep.” I point to the hidden camera right in front of me. “That’s just one of them. I’m sure he has more eyes on you everywhere around the apartment.”
“On me?” she questions, surprised.
I turn over on the couch to stare at her.
“Who do you think he has the cameras for?”
“I don’t know. To see if anyone got into his place without him knowing. A burglar, perhaps.”
I chuckle.
“Trust me, petal. Before you came along, Tiernan didn’t have anything valuable enough to him in this whole damn place that anyone would even want to steal. Now he does. I bet he only got these little gadgets when he made up his mind to bring you here.”
Her forehead wrinkles as if doubting my words.
“You don’t believe me?”
She shakes her head.
“Why not?”
“Because that would imply that he cares. Tiernan doesn’t.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” I mumble, disheartened, taking all of her in. “It’s hard not to care about you, petal. Trust me.”
I’m trying really hard not to, and it’s becoming fucking impossible.
“That’s sweet of you to say, Shay. But I know my worth in my husband’s eyes.”
I don’t know what troubles me more—the fact she thinks a killer like me is sweet or the way Tiernan is chipping away at her heart.
I can see it as clear as day in her big brown eyes.
She wants him to care.
Needs him to.
And why that is unsettles me more than I want it to.
“Enough of the downer talk about my brother,” I say, hoping the smile on my face fools her. “We have a lot of shit to do today and we’re burning daylight as it is. Have your breakfast, and then get dressed so we can leave this joint.”
“Where are we going?” she asks, a tinge of excitement in her voice now that she knows she has the green light to leave the apartment.
Again I’m reminded how my brother is a total dick and has not been treating his new bride right.
“You and I are going shopping.”
“Shopping?” She laughs as if it’s the most absurd thing she could be doing with her time.
“We have to find you a house for you and all your babies, remember? Chop, chop, petal. Let’s go find you a real home to live in.”
And just like that, her smile is a mile wide, making the organ in my chest flip of its own accord.