She turns to Sloane. “Thank you so much for having us over. You’re a wonderful hostess. I hope we see more of each other soon.”
Sloane says, “Babe, we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other. By the way, do you think you’d be interested in a girls’ trip to Paris? Me and my bestie, Nat, were thinking of going for fashion week in September.”
Declan says, “You’re not going to bloody Paris without me.”
Sloane smiles at him. “Okay, honey.” She turns back to Reyna. “We’ll stay at the Hôtel Costes, which is where all the cool celebrities stay. They have this amazing luxury suite that’s like five thousand euro a night and worth every penny. It’s the size of an apartment. We can all stay there together and order room service for every meal.”
Declan repeats loudly, “You’re not going to Paris without me!”
“I know, honey. So I’ll call you with all the details, okay, Reyna?”
“Sounds great,” Reyna replies, rising. She sets her empty wineglass on the coffee table as Sloane stands, then they hug.
I don’t know why the sight of them embracing makes my chest tight and a lump form in my throat, but it does.
Judging by Declan’s expression, he’s not feeling quite so misty-eyed about the situation.
Poor bastard. He’ll spend the next few days trying to dissuade Sloane from the Paris trip idea, which we all know will fail miserably.
We say our goodbyes and head to the car.
As soon as we’re settled in and Kieran’s driving us down the winding road from the estate, Reyna turns to me.
“I’m worried about Lili. Can you find out what’s happening?”
I take her hand and say softly, “She’s fine, lass. They got to Mexico safely.”
“You talked to her?”
“No. I talked to one of the men who took them.”
“When?”
“This morning.”
The sun set hours ago, so the light is low, but I can still see her face well enough to catch the flash of anger in her eyes.
“This morning,” she repeats, her voice cool. “When you were so distant.”
I drag a hand through my hair, sighing. “Aye. I’m sorry about that.”
Swallowing, she looks away. After a moment of silence, she says, “You don’t have to apologize.”
“I should apologize when I’ve been an arse.”
She shakes her head. “You don’t have to explain, either. I understand.”
Something in the tone of her voice—and in the way her hand is sitting passively in mine, like a dead fish—makes me nervous. “What is it you understand?”
“I just meant that you deserve privacy. You’re not obligated to share every little thought on your mind. I know you need space.”
When she gently pulls her hand from mine, I grab her chin and turn her head toward me.
Her expression is blank. Her eyes have a distant look in them. She’s withdrawn into herself, somewhere she doesn’t want me to reach her.
Fuck that shite.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
She swallows again. I think it’s a tell for when she’s emotional, but trying not to show it.
I’m having none of that fucking nonsense. I grab her and drag her onto my lap.
She exhales and closes her eyes, muttering, “Here we go.”
“You’re bloody right, here we go! Kieran, shut your ears, mate!”
He gives me a thumbs-up and turns on the radio.
Holding Reyna, I give her a squeeze and a little jostle, growling, “Talk to me, viper. What the fuck is going on in that mind of yours? And don’t say ‘nothing’ again, or I’ll give you a spanking.”
Her eyes flare. She hisses, “Try it, Irish. I’m in the mood to spill some blood.”
Though I’m anxious about what’s eating her, I grin. “There’s my She Devil. Now start talking.”
“What is this pathological need you have to discuss everything?”
“It’s called being an adult. Now quit hiding from me and spill your guts, woman.”
As stiff and prickly as a cactus in my arms, she glares at me. “I’m going to take you up on your offer to let me live in my own place.”
That stuns me. Hurt, I say, “Why?”
“I don’t owe you an explanation.”
Okay, now I’m bloody angry. If she wants a fight, she’s getting one.
Through gritted teeth, I say, “Aye, viper. You do. I’m your bloody husband, remember?”
Her eyes could freeze me to an ice cube. She says flatly, “As if I could I forget.”
“Don’t try me, woman.”
“Or what?”
I’m well aware that we could go back and forth like this all night, so I take matters into my own hands and kiss her.
She resists me at first, pushing against my chest and trying to get away. But I don’t let her. I hold her and kiss her until she’s pliant and shivering and my dick is screaming at me for release from my trousers.
“Now fucking talk,” I say against her mouth, breathing hard. “And give me the consideration of being honest.”
“Like you were honest with me about being in love with another woman?”
That feels like a slap across the face. “What the hell does that mean? Who am I supposed to be in love with?”
“Riley.”
From the front, Kieran lets out a low, astonished whistle.
Ignoring him, I demand, “How do you know about Riley?”
I realize that’s the wrong approach when all the fight drains out of her. Reyna swallows again and looks away. “Please let me go.”
“Goddammit, woman. You’re not going anywhere. Look at me.”
Of course she won’t, so I take her face in my hand and force her to. Looking into her eyes, I say deliberately, “I’m not in love with Riley.”
“You know what? It’s really none of my business if you are.”
“Stop fighting me. I’m not letting you go. And don’t close your eyes, goddammit!”
“Will you stop shouting into my face, please?”
I put my mouth right next to her ear and say hotly, “Your jealousy is misplaced. I’m not in love with anyone else.”
“I’m not jealous!”
She’s horrified by the suggestion, which makes me think I’m right.
It also makes me so fucking turned on, I want to rip that dress off and fuck here right here on the back seat.
I grab her head in both hands and kiss her again. She squirms, trying to get away, pushing against me until I pin her wrists together. Then I fist my other hand into her hair and kiss her again, this time groaning into her mouth with need.
“Quinn, stop. Let me go.”
“I’m never letting you go. There’s a contract that says I can’t.”
“You heartless bastard.”
“Look at me. Calm down and look at me, Reyna.”
Breathing hard, she turns her face away but glances back with a hostile, distrustful look.
Keeping my voice low though I’d like to shout at her, I say, “I’m not in love with anyone else. I’ll answer any questions you want me to, but first you need to understand that fact. I was infatuated with Riley, yes. I wanted there to be something between us, yes. But there wasn’t. I never even kissed the lass. Never touched her. She was under my protection, and I fucked it up so badly, she ended up shot. By me. Accidentally, but nevertheless, it was my bullet she took. So you’ll have to forgive me for being more than a little fucked up over that, Reyna, but I’m not in love with her. She’s not who I want.”