Page 11 of Then We Shatter

“Too Irish,” she says, straightening her spine.

“No such thing.” I’m halfway across the room.

Her throat works hard to swallow. “You’re too much,” she says, her words catching.

I stop. “Because of who I am? Or because we’re in this place?”

“Both,” she admits. She huffs out a breath. “Why the hell am I telling you all of this?”

“Because you trust me,” I answer, staying where I am.

“No, I don’t.”

“Yes, you do. And you like me, Kitty,” I point out. “Maybe not as much as I like you, but we can work on that.”

“And how do you propose to do that?”

Her jaw drops as I get down onto my knees. “Shorty, what are you doing?”

Good question. This woman’s doing things to me that has way too many alarm bells ringing, but that just adds to the excitement.

“Possibly losing my fucking mind and my dignity just so I can test out a theory.” I drop forward onto my hands, but keep my head high. My grin widens as I move towards her on all fours. “You said you wouldn’t let me fuck you if I crawled to you on my hands and knees. But there are plenty of other things I can do while I’m down here. Want me to show you, Kitty?”

Katarina doesn’t say yes, but she doesn’t say no either. “You’re completely insane.”

“Thank you.”

Her groan of frustration is a sound I’m more than familiar with, especially with the opposite sex, although I’m not usually this persistent. Or desperate.

“Why do you treat every insult like I’m offering to have your babies?” she asks.

Those alarm bells in my head are starting to sound way too close to wedding bells. Clearly the crash I’m suffering after my adrenaline-fueled high has my brain misfiring. “Are you offering to have my babies?” I ask anyway.

“Do I look the maternal type?”

“You can mother me,” I offer. “Did I tell you I lost my mother four years ago? No? Ah, don’t worry. I’ll tell you all about her another time.”

“There won’t be another time, Killian,” she points out.

“Is that so?”

She actually thinks I’m going to let her get away from me. There’s plenty of time to disavow her of that notion, but for now I’m happy to play along.

“If now is all we have, do you not think we should be making the most of it?” I stop in front of her and sit back on my heels.

“I must be losing my mind,” she mutters as I take hold of her hips and she moves her hands to my shoulders.

Katarina has extraordinarily long legs and her pussy is at the perfect height for me as I trail my tongue along the zipper of her jeans. “Here’s how I see it. You were all hyped up after killing Oleg and you wanted to jump my bones right there and then. But you couldn’t very well admit you find me impossible to resist, so you came in here to remind yourself that you’ve had enough of men taking what they didn’t deserve.”

“And you think you do?”

I keep my gaze locked on Katarina’s as I undo the top button of her jeans. “No, I don’t think I deserve you. Not yet,” I’m forced to agree as I drag down her zipper. I catch sight of red silk that’s darker at her center. My Adam’s apple bobs in my throat and I immediately want to take back my words. “Looks like you need attention from someone, lovely. You’re dripping wet.”

“It’s the sweat of my exertions.”

I take a swipe at her thong with my tongue. “Tastes like pure need to me,” I insist, enjoying the way she shudders. “What do you say we give this room some new memories? Take whatever you need for your own pleasure, Kitty. Use my fingers. Use my tongue. Use me.”

Katarina looks down at me and when her lips part, I catch a glimpse of her tongue moving, searching for her words. “And your cock?”