The Wedding Pact (The O'Malleys #2)(51)

“So you didn’t bring me up here to seduce me.” She smiled as she sat next to him. “I’m horribly disappointed.”

“I think I could sneak in some seduction.” He tugged on her hand, pulling her to sprawl across his chest. It felt right to have her here in this place with the wind howling around the house and the memories of a time long gone around them. “Come out with me.”

She arched her eyebrows. “I hate to be the one to point this out, but I am out with you.”

“That’s not what I mean.” He paused and tried to figure out the best way to go about this. She hadn’t signed on for anything, let alone anything beyond sex. But seeing her sitting across the table from that kid tonight had really struck home how fucked up their situations had been since they met. He wanted a slice of normalcy, even if normalcy wasn’t normal. “Carrigan O’Malley, I’d like to take you on a date.”

Her eyebrows rose. “A date.”

“Yeah. The whole nine yards.”

“But not tonight.”

“Nope.” He brushed her hair back from her face. “Tonight I swept in and crashed your date with that idiot—you’re welcome, by the way—so it doesn’t count.”

Her lips twitched. “You are a very strange man, James Halloran.”

“Lovely, you have no idea.” He kissed her, soft and slow, taking his time because neither of them had anywhere to be, and fuck if he’d rush this. For the first time, he had her in a house with walls between them and the rest of the world—not the backseat of his car or, worse, the goddamn storage closet in a club. She went soft as he traced the seam of her lips with his tongue. He pulled back, framing her face with his hands. “Come to bed with me.”





Chapter Fourteen


Carrigan couldn’t shake the feeling that this was about to change everything. She could get up and walk away, and he’d let her. She knew James well enough to know that now. Or she could say yes to his question that wasn’t a question and jump headfirst down the rabbit hole.

I only have a little less than two weeks left. What do I really have to lose?

Nothing.

But it still felt like a huge step when she nodded. “Yes.”

He didn’t move. “Yes?”

“Take me to bed, James.”

He grinned and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. Then he was up and sweeping her into his arms. She gave a startled shriek. “Hey!”

“Let me have my caveman ways.” He strode through the house, not bothering to turn on any more lights and not missing a step despite the shadows. He nudged open a door with his foot and kicked it shut behind them. She sent him a questioning look, which he answered. “Guest bedroom. I don’t think anyone used it in the entire time this place has been ours.”

He set her carefully on her feet. “Don’t move.”

His terse orders shouldn’t set fire to her blood. She hated orders in every other part of her life, so it didn’t make a damn bit of sense that when they came from James, she had to fight not to melt into a puddle at his feet. He turned on two lamps near the bed, bathing the room in a warm glow.

She took the opportunity to look around. There were more paintings on the walls—a large one of the turbulent ocean, a dark storm rolling in. Staring at it, Carrigan could almost taste the sea air and feel the wind on her face. His mother had been gifted. The other painting was of a lighthouse standing guard on a rocky coast. It made her think of James, standing alone against the world.

“You like them?”

“They’re beautiful.” It was enough to make her want to wander this house and see what other treasures she’d find. She turned and found James inches away, his blue eyes roaming over her hungrily. Another time. Her body flashed hot at the memory of what he’d done the last time they were alone. “Touch me.”

“Lovely, it would be my fucking pleasure.”

But he didn’t immediately reach for her. Instead, he circled her once and then stopped behind her. She tensed at the feel of his hands on the bare skin at the nape of her neck, but the tension fled as his thumbs dug into the tight muscles there. She bit her lip to keep from moaning.

“I thought so.” He stopped massaging her long enough to unzip the back of her dress and let it fall to the floor. Her bra quickly joined it, leaving her in only a pair of panties. “On the bed—facedown.”

Her body obeyed before her mind had a chance to catch up, but what was there to protest? He made her feel good time and time again. Tonight would be no different. Carrigan climbed onto the bed and settled facedown. The comforter was faded from countless washings and smelled faintly of lilacs. She turned her head and watched James strip, his gaze never leaving her body. He shrugged out of the leather jacket and tossed it onto the chair by the bed. Next came his T-shirt, shoes, and jeans. Each move was methodical and precise—and all the more erotic for it. The only thing he left on was a pair of boxer-briefs. His body was roped with muscle from long hours in the gym, but he’d stopped just short of it being overwhelming.