My Monday morning is spent attending each of the funerals with Will by my side.
We watch the services, a safe distance from each grave, so the family members don’t notice us. At each funeral, I see my men scattered between the mourners. It offers me comfort knowing they’re there.
Tipping my head in the direction of Jimmy’s grave, I say, “Give me a moment.”
“I’ll wait at the SUV,” Will murmurs.
Walking across the manicured lawn, I glance at the gravestones as I make my way to Jimmy’s final resting place.
I stop in front of the grave and let out a sigh. “Hey, old man. I hope you’re giving them hell up there.” I crouch down, and brush some dust from the dark marble slab. “I’m sorry I’m doing this backward, but I asked Kiara to marry me. I’d really like your blessing.” I read his name, feeling the pang of loss deep in my heart. Not having words of my own, I steal once again for him. “There’s an Irish blessing you always use to say before getting drunk as fuck.” I take a deep breath. “I promise, if I steal, it will be to steal her heart. If I cheat, it’s to cheat death so I can stay with her longer. If I fight, it will be to protect her.” Then I add my own twist, “If she cries, it will be tears of happiness. If she’s in pain, it will be because she’s giving birth to our children.” I clear my throat, and pulling a pocketknife from my jacket, I flip it open and cut my thumb. Pressing the drop of blood to the gravestone, I say, “I make this blood vow to you, Jimmy.”
Rising to my feet, I put the pocketknife away. I stare down at the grave for a moment longer, then turn and walk toward the SUV.
When we get back to the office, the pressure in my chest eases at the sight of Kiara behind the reception counter.
Her eyes snap in our direction, and as I walk closer, I school my face into pure professionalism. “Everything okay down here, Miss Murphy?”
Playfulness sparks to life in her eyes. “Yes, Mr. Byrne.” She nods at Will. “Mr. Gillen.”
He chuckles, then heads for the elevators. “Going to look for my own woman to flirt with.”
Kiara’s eyes lower to my right hand. “How’s your wrist?”
“Getting better.” I lean against the counter and motion for her to come closer. Kiara stands up, and bracing her hands on the desk, she leans toward me. “Closer,” I murmur. She does as I ask until she’s a breath away. I brush my lips over her cheek. “Three o’clock. My office. I want you spread open on my desk.”
Her breath fans over my skin. “You have a conference at two-thirty.”
“Then you’ll just have to keep quiet while I fuck you.”
Bringing my mouth to hers, my tongue darts out over her bottom lip before my teeth nip at it. “Three o’clock.”
Walking away with a smirk on my face, I hear Kiara slump down into her chair. “Yes, sir.”
Jesus.
When the elevator doors close behind me, I reach down and adjust my hard as fuck cock.
Just an hour, then I’ll get to sink into her body.
The doors open, and I’m greeted by the scene of Will sitting on Denise’s desk, practically drooling over the girl.
Just like you were drooling over yours a minute ago.
Denise slaps his leg. “Move.” Then she smiles at me. “Afternoon, Mr. Byrne.” She gathers a list of messages, scowls at Will to move faster, then walks with me to my office. “Mrs. Crowe wants to change the paneling. Again. Mr. Jaggard wants to meet you at the building site on Wednesday. Mr. Morrow needs you to call him back.”
Walking into my office, she goes through a list that will keep me busy for hours. I take the message slips from her and sort them into two groups. Handing a bunch back to her, I say, “Have Devon deal with these.”
When I notice Will hovering behind Denise, I narrow my eyes at him. “Stop distracting her from her work before I ban your ass from the building.”
“You love me too much,” he gestures at Denise, “and so does she.”
Her head snaps to him. “I never said that.” She hurries out of the office, pulling the door shut behind her.
Will chuckles, “Only a matter of time.”
“Poor girl doesn’t stand a chance,” I agree as I take off my jacket and sit down behind my desk. “Pretty sure you have work to do.”
“Yeah-yeah.”
I pull the messages closer and get to work on them. The call with Mrs. Crowe takes longer than the others because the woman won’t stop talking about her new grandson. I listen patiently, giving the appropriate responses when needed.
Finally setting the phone down, I lean back in my chair, letting out a sigh.
I need to hire someone else to take over as CEO. This job will bore me into an early grave.
My personal phone starts to ring, and pulling it from my pocket, I see Viktor’s name flashing on the screen.
“Liam.”
“How did it go?” He pauses, then adds, “You’re still alive, so it had to be good.”
“Yeah, Finn and the Sicilians are no longer a problem.”
“Good.”
“Let me guess. You’ll let me know when and where to repay the favor.”
“You guessed right.”
“It’s a deal.” One I’ll never back out on.
Not long after talking to Viktor, the conference call starts. I’m staring at the ceiling, willing time to go faster as Mr. Jackson drones on and on about using cheaper concrete. The building site manager won’t back down, and I’m in the middle.
“Cheaper concrete means the building won’t last,” I mutter. “I don’t build shit, Mr. Jackson. Listen to Dwayne. The man knows what he’s talking about.”
“Yeah, but the money’s coming out of my pocket,” Mr. Jackson complains.
Then don’t build the fucking mall.
I check the time on my laptop. I’m impatient for this call to end.
Where’s Kiara?
Just then, my office door opens, and Kiara comes in. She walks closer, shrugging at me.
Picking up a pen, I pull a random piece of paper closer and write, Get naked, baby.
She scrunches her nose and points at the phone, Mr. Jackson and Dwayne’s arguing filling the air.
“I don’t work with cheap concrete,” Dwayne sticks to his guns.
“Then you pay for it,” Mr. Jackson demands.
I raise my eyebrows at her, motioning for her to undress.
She widens her eyes at me but takes hold of her top and pulls it over her head. Then she steps out of her pants, standing next to me in a lace bra and panties.
I move everything on my desk out of the way and nod at it.
Kiara makes a point of looking at the phone again, a nervous smile tugging at her lips, but she takes a seat on the edge of my desk and lies back.
“Good,” I praise her.
“What’s good?” Mr. Jackson asks. “Nothing about this is good.”
“You’re talking things out. That’s progress.” I move my chair closer to the desk, and taking hold of Kiara’s ankles, I spread her wider.
“You call this talking? I’m the one paying. I’m the client. I want cheaper concrete.”
Leaning closer, I drag my mouth over her inner thigh. “And it’s my construction company. I will not have the name tarnished by building a subpar mall.”
Taking hold of her panties, I drag the lace down her legs. My eyes rest on the valley between her legs. I reach for her hand and bring it to her pussy. Moving her fingers, I make her rub herself.
Kiara starts to get the hang of what I want, her back arching, her middle finger sinking inside her.
Jesus.
“Move this meeting along,” I demand, needing to feast on my woman.
Her fingers start moving faster, her hips swirling.
I stand up, and I swear, she looks like a fucking porn star as her other hand massages her breast. Her eyes lock with mine, she draws her bottom lip between her teeth, looking like the goddess of seduction.
Then her fucking lips part, her features starting to tighten.
Fuck this.
Pressing a button, I end the call. I grab hold of her hips and yank her to the edge of the desk. “You like touching yourself, don’t you baby?”
“I like your touch more,” she moans, still dragging her fingers through her slick heat.
Unzipping my pants, I pull out my hard as fuck cock, and slam into her, trapping her fingers between us. “Jesus. You better hold on to something.”
Kiara doesn’t have time as I tighten my grip on her hips and start to hammer into her.
With relentless need, I don’t slow down until both our bodies are seizing with ecstasy.
Slumping over her, our eyes lock. “I’ve never had a connection like this to anyone. I’m going to take every chance I get to fuck you, baby.” Breathing into her mouth, I add, “And forever won’t be enough to satisfy me.”
Every day.
For the rest of our lives.
This woman is mine.
