I wasn’t able to finish piecing it together because he kissed me. A harsh, possessive kiss that promised danger and retribution.
“If I can’t have your pussy… I’ll have to settle for the next best thing.” The ice in his voice froze the blood in my veins until I felt as if I would shatter.
“Keiran—”
“Shh…” His lips trailed the side of my forehead, down to the corner of my lips. After pressing a little peck, he shifted me, bringing my hips higher in the air. “I promise to make you want it.”
Could I want this?
I panted and writhed on top of the sheets as his hands freely roamed my body. Unexpectedly, I felt a hot, wet trail of desire escape me and run down the inside of my thigh. I was both mortified and hungry for something I wasn’t even sure I wanted.
“Goddamn,” he moaned and trailed a fingertip over the thigh that exposed my arousal. “You’re dripping, baby. Don’t tell me you don’t want this, or I might have to fuck you harder.”
He reached for the bottle that lay near my head and popped the top. He took a single pass over the heated skin of my ass before spreading me for his teasing. I groaned and gripped the sheets between my teeth when the first wet finger entered me. I sucked in a breath a little too harshly until I was left gasping.
“Easy,” he cautioned and slipped his finger deeper. I exhaled and my body accepted more of his invasion. I heard him shift and then his tongue was between my legs, devouring and delivering me to heights I’d never reached, all the while his finger never stopped fucking my ass.
“There’s no part of you I can’t have,” he promised after I fell apart in his mouth.
Stop this!
“Yes.” Apparently, my brain and body were at war. I turned my head in time to see him tear open his jeans with a savagery unlike men of our time. A moan escaped my lips as I braced myself for his invasion. The anticipation alone almost killed me, and when his cock pressed against me, ready to take, my heart stopped beating. He used my hair as a noose and brought his face closer.
“Keiran? Lake?” Sheldon’s voice on the other side of the door was a like a bucket of cold water, resuscitating and drowning me simultaneously.
“Yes?” The hostility in Keiran’s tone was unmistakable.
“Your niece is wondering if you two are coming to have pancakes with her before your court appearance.”
And just like a mother, Sheldon had expertly scolded us by reminding us that Kennedy could hear us, and we had somewhere to be. Another moment passed, Sheldon had already retreated back downstairs, and Keiran had still not moved away. He gripped my hair tighter in his fist and brought his lips to my ear.
“Later,” he promised, causing me to shudder violently.
*
I was sensitive to the touch, but Keiran insisted on keeping me in his clutch. A hand on my back, my neck, my thigh. He imprisoned me with a single touch. Several times, I attempted to move away only to be dragged closer. We were standing outside the courthouse when I decided to say something. “I don’t want you to touch me if it’s because you don’t trust me.”
“My hands are on you because I want to touch you. Is that a problem?” His brow lifted and the blank look in his eyes told me he wouldn’t care if it were.
I wanted to say something cool, snarky, and witty, but nothing came to mind. I was getting tired of the back and forth. One minute we were cold, then hot, and then cold again. I chose to ignore him while we waited to see the judge. Thompson was already waiting when we arrived so we didn’t have to wait long.
It was a while into the hearing after muddling through so much legal jargon I even began to understand what was happening.
“Your honor, my client’s rights per the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was violated the night of June 13th when an arrest was made without a warrant or probable cause.”
“Yes, I was made aware of the disgrace Detective Bennett and Detective Fulson made of the entire justice system. What is your point?”
“I request that the two detectives be dismissed from the case, and my client should be let go without bail due to charges not being brought against her to date.”
“Your honor, we do have evidence placing Lake Monroe at the scene, as well as probable cause that she murdered Mitch Masters given their history.”
“Then you should have used it to obtain a warrant.” The judge dismissed the DA with a glance and regarded Thompson with an equally cold look. Counselor, I am granting your appeal. The detectives responsible will be dismissed and replaced. Lake Monroe is free to go without bail.”
The hearing lasted less than fifteen minutes. I was still in disbelief an hour later when we were sitting on one of Dash’s many conference rooms at the request of Thompson.
“I’ll cut right to the chase. That was only the initial hurdle. The investigation into Mitch Master’s murder is ongoing, and because of this small victory, they’ll come at you harder, and we have to be ready.”