All Hail Page 16

  I need everything to be perfect and I don’t have time to remind her that she was an absolute idiot about the three guys who were desperately trying to get her attention but when this dinner is over you better believe I’m going to call her and rehash the facts.

  I time everything perfectly so I’m out of the shower, dressed perfectly with makeup and my favorite pair of Louboutins on by the time the doorbell rings.

  Aodhan had used his own code to get through the gate, meaning that I got an alert but I didn’t have to actually buzz him in which is a nice extra feature. I run a hand down the silk of my dress before I open the door, one last calming ritual to help me settle my nerves at whatever this night is going to throw at me.

  Aodhan is too attractive for words tonight.

  He’s wearing dark jeans and a button-down shirt in a charcoal gray that clings to his biceps in a delicious way. His boots are new, definitely not the blood-spattered ones he’d worn to deal with Diarmuid, and his hair is clean and slicked back away from his face.

  I lean forward and kiss his cheek, taking note of the very clean and very male scent of him like he’s put a lot of effort into his presentation for me tonight. I like that, I like it a lot and he’s already made it to the top of my ongoing list of favorite people for today.

  He grins at me with that kind of male satisfaction that doesn’t make my teeth clench or my blood boil. No, it gives me flutters in my stomach until I want to climb him and kiss that grin right off of his face. “The Wolf called me today, told me to prepare myself for a Beaumont dinner.”

  There go the flutters, my stomach drops to my feet. I’ll kill her. “And you still arrived at my door in jeans and biker boots? Disgraceful.”

  He shrugs and steps up to me, crowding me against the door. “They’re my best pair. If you wanted a suit you would’ve called someone else.”

  He doesn’t say who but then he doesn’t need to. We’re both very aware of the other man who lingers around me even when he’s snarling about how much he doesn’t want me.

  “Stop thinking about him, Queenie, I shouldn’t have brought him up. Dinner smells good, did you go with steaks or are we having lobster? Harley always fucking brags about your stew, if you made that I might move the hell in.”

  I roll my eyes at him but he just keeps on grinning, swooping down to kiss me. There’s no mistaking the interest there. No mistaking it so whatever Lips said to him it wasn’t that bad.

  I still want to call her and bitch her out.

  He takes my hand as we walk into the dining room where I’ve already set out all of the food. His eyes widen a fraction but I squeeze his hand a little. “I like cooking and I’m used to doing it for a crowd so I went a little overboard. You can take some home to Jack and the rest of your family.”

  He nods and helps me into my chair like a gentleman. Even more points to him, I try to contain myself a little because we still have to get through the conversation.

  I avoid having it while we eat but I can’t hold it off forever.

  Aodhan notices me fussing about with my plate and cutlery and raises an eyebrow as he uses his freshly baked sourdough bread to mop up the gravy on his plate. His enthusiasm at my cooking is also a point in his favor.

  I take a deep breath and then stumble over my words anyway, “I— Christ, okay, I need to talk to you about that night. I need to talk to you about what happened and what… exactly we’re doing here.”

  Aodhan takes another swig of his beer and shrugs. “Sure. Whatever you need, Queenie.”

  Fuck.

  Some part of me was hoping he’d say ‘no thanks’ and I’d get out of this which is so unbelievably unlike me. I’m not a girl who sweeps difficult things under the rug. I’m the girl who ruins lives and arranges to bleed men out for daring to breathe in my direction. I don’t run or hide so why am I so desperate to do that now?

  I take a long sip from my glass of wine and muster up the courage. I’m Avery Beaumont, for God’s sake.

  “I need to know what exactly you think of me after what happened when the Jackal… forced us. I need to know that this isn’t happening out of some kind of… some sort of obligation.”

  He stares at me like I’m dense. I know the look well, I’ve had to use it against Lips a lot in the past while she sorted out the mess of her love life. She was being incredibly naive though, and self-deprecating, so I’m sure I’m not doing the same here.

  “What I think… about you? Queenie, I’m not sure where I’ve been vague about what I think of you.”

  I try not to scowl and snap at him but I’m pissed he’s making me spell it out. “Aodhan, I stabbed you to get the Jackal to stop hurting me and then I forced myself on you at his request. I didn’t listen to you when you said no, that makes me a fucking—”

  “If the word ‘rapist’ comes outta your mouth right now I’m going to break the pretty plate you just threatened me about against the fucking wall. Heads up, don’t fucking talk about yourself like that around me or we’re gonna have problems. Big ones because you, Beaumont, are fucking perfect. The type of woman any man would crawl through glass on his knees every damn day to get the chance to be with and I won’t fucking hear you talking shit about yourself like that. Not at all, so just fucking don’t.”

  He glares down the table at me like he’s waiting for me to pick a fight but, while I’m not sure I believe his assessment of the situation, I’m relieved he just aired it all out for me to pick over. “When you said no then I should have listened to you. I’ve thought about it a lot, the Jackal was distracted enough not to even check the live feed… I could have tried something else to get us both free and safe.”

  He sets down his fork. “I was saying no because why would someone like you wanna fuck a Mounty like me? Fucking you wasn’t the problem, in any other situation I would’ve been a hundred percent down for that, Queenie, but you were fucking terrified. You were hurt and needed help and you still did what you could for me the second you saw that guy die from the collar. If you think any of my anger at what happened is directed at you… no. Fuck no. I’m pissed you were a virgin and had no choices. You’re the one who was assaulted.”

  I cringe. That’s not my view of that room at all. I had a choice and I made it. Fine, the options weren’t great at the time but being with Aodhan wasn’t a terrible thing.

  I have felt guilty every second of every day since about just how much I enjoyed it.

  I wonder if I had’ve just fucked him and refused to kiss him or speak to him, if I had’ve just taken it the way the Jackal had intended, would I still have felt the guilt? If anything, I think that would’ve felt worse. The way that everything happened meant that I didn’t feel violated but that was at Aodhan’s expense.

  When I tell him this, he gets really angry… the type of angry I’ve only seen that once back in that room with the Jackal. “I told you, nothing was at my expense. Whatever choices you made, I was giving them to you. Fuck, if you had’ve stuck that knife through my heart I still would’ve been happy with your choice. I went there to help you and if dying for you did that then I’d go to the grave without a fucking complaint. What else do I have to say to you for you to understand that I’m not going anywhere? I’ve watched you march into every fight with your family with your head held high and your little arsenal of tricks and I knew that you’re it for me. Sometimes you just know these things and, Queenie, I’m not fucking this up, no matter how hard you push.”

  I put my fork back down on the table because suddenly I know exactly why Lips struggles to eat with her heart in her throat all of the time. Aodhan watches me for a moment and then reaches into his pocket, pulling out a little black jeweler’s box. It’s too big for a ring, thank God, and I recognize the stamp on the front as one of the smaller and more exclusive stores in the Bay.

  It’s somewhere I would actually shop.

  “Jewelry? I am notoriously difficult to buy for, Aodhan, you really shouldn’t have,” I murmur even though even though
it’s hard to swallow around the lump in my throat. I wait until I’m sure my fingers aren’t trembling before I reach out to take the box.

  He smiles at me, radiating smug energy, and says, “I cheated but I know you’ll love this.”

  I open the box and immediately I want to cry. I want to break down and weep like a child because there’s never been a better gift for me.

  It’s the necklace Lips gave me for Christmas, the little platinum cage with the blue diamond in there except now there’s another diamond in there with it. Dark, brilliant green that’s the same shade as his eyes.

  A lump forms in my throat.

  “You chewed me out for going back in there and getting shot, remember? I couldn’t leave the necklace behind… after what happened, I couldn’t have you lose that too.”

  I swallow and slip the chain over my head. It’s a little tight but I make it work until the little cage and the priceless diamonds are hanging over my bare chest.

  “You know that Lips gave it to me as a favor? If anything happened to me, I could use it on her behalf and no matter the cost, she’d fulfill the favor.”

  He smiles and nods. “Of course. I’m taking a leaf outta the Wolf’s books and I’m not giving out favors… except that one. Just for you, Queenie.”

  I blink away my tears and swallow around the lump in my throat until I can speak without sobbing. “I would like it if you stayed the night.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  The moment I get our plates into the sink Aodhan pulls me into his arms like he’s been waiting all night to do it.

  He kisses me like it’s the first time and the last time all at once. He kisses me so deeply and desperately that it’s as though he wants to consume me and keep me with him forever but he’s sure he’ll never get to.

  He lifts me into his arms without breaking the kiss and once my legs are wrapped around him securely he slides my shoes off and lets them drop to the floor.

  I break away from his lips to inform him that I value my shoes more than most people value their lives but he cuts me off with a growl, “Shut it, Queenie, you’re lucky I’m not ripping this dress to pieces and fucking you on the kitchen counter. You want a bed then kiss me.”

  I can’t argue with that because I would have to decimate my kitchen and start again at the thought of cooking where my naked ass had been.

  Never mind the wet spot.

  Oh God.

  Aodhan huffs at my panicked look and keeps one hand on my ass to keep me secure and then he cups my cheek to draw me in closer to take over my lips again, kissing me senseless until I forget all about the disgusting aftermath of kitchen sex.

  I barely notice he’s walking until we get to the staircase but when I attempt to slide down his body and back to the ground he grunts again and snarls, “I was hoping to do this without ropes this time around but if you don’t quit overthinking every little thing I will tie you to the bed and edge you all night long. If you’re into that then keep pushing because I’m a man of my word.”

  I stop wriggling.

  There’s no way I’m going to be okay with delayed orgasms all night, I feel like my entire life has been one big edging session with all of the men I’ve had any real interest in either not wanting me enough or trying to hurt me.

  He chuckles at me and starts up the stairs without any difficulty which speaks to just how strong he really is. It’s a deceptive thing because he’s not completely jacked up but there’s definitely strength in him.

  I don’t want him to trip and break both our necks so I duck my head down to start kissing down his neck. He already knows the path to my bedroom after following me in there and staying there the last time we were here together so I can focus on marking him up. I want there to be no doubts about this man being taken, I’ve had enough of other women messing around with what’s mine. He groans and gets a move on, hitching me up further in his arms and stalking into my bedroom.

  He finally lets me down to hit the lights and I move like I’m going to head into the shower, because that’s exactly where I’m heading, and Aodhan’s arms loop around my waist, tugging me back into his chest. “No way, Queenie, no way are you scrubbing yourself down again like last time. Get your ass on that big fluffy bed of yours so I can taste you.”

  A shiver runs down my spine, my nipples pebbling underneath the lace of my bralette and poking through the silk dress until he groans and runs his hands up my belly and over the fabric to seek them out. His mouth trails down my neck, licking and sucking, and when his fingers brush over the peaks the rough feel of his fingers pushing the delicate lace into the sensitive skin has my legs trembling and all of the arguments I have about showering try to fly out of my head.

  “I need a shower,” I gasp out and he growls at me, his fingers squeezing and pinching at my nipples until my pussy weeps.

  “No fucking way. Get the dress off and get on the bed, I want to taste you not your fucking soap.”

  I want to argue but the pinching gets rougher and more punishing the longer I hesitate until finally I step away from him, pushing his hands away from my body and staggering over to the bed on legs that want to give out. The dress I’m wearing is held together with a sash around the waist and with a single tug it falls away from me. I desperately want to fold it neatly and put it away but there’s no way I’ll make it past Aodhan to do it so I cringe as I let it fall to the plush carpet.

  “Fuck. Fuck me. Take the panties and bra off too, Queenie. I’ll be too rough with you if I do it, I want you too fucking bad right now to be gentle about it.”

  I chuckle at him, low and breathy as I do as he says, glancing back over my shoulder to tease him, “Maybe I want rough. Maybe I want you to need me so badly you forget to treat me right.”

  He grunts and strips out of his clothing, a no-nonsense series of movements that aren’t an attempt to seduce me but do exactly that. The tattoos over his arms are all old ones he had long before he became the Stag, but the antlers over his chest are the markings he got for his position in the Bay. It’s impressive and fierce, coming to life on him as he moves and flexes unzipping his jeans and kicking them off of his legs.

  His cock is hard already, curving up towards his belly, and I don’t try to hide my staring from him even when he starts groaning and stroking himself. “You want rough because you think if I’m treating you right that I’m coddling you which I’m definitely not. You’re Avery Beaumont, Queen of the Bay and the Wolf’s most trusted friend. I’m treating you like the best fucking thing that ever happened to me because you are. Now climb that perfect ass of yours up onto that bad and spread your legs, show me what I want dripping down my chin.”

  Oh God.

  I climb up onto the bed, propping myself up onto my elbows so I can watch as he stalks over and climbs up after me. I’m expecting him to come and kiss me some more, but when he slides up my body he gets as far as my nipples and stops to swoop down and take one into his mouth, licking and sucking and groaning. My hands tangle into his hair and tug, moaning and squirming under his hands when he works his way down my body.

  The growl that rips out of his throat as he stares down at my pussy is desperate and hungry, like he’s barely holding himself back. “This is mine now, Queenie. Every night you’re gonna cook some fancy feast for me and then I’m eating you out for dessert.”

  I huff at him and slump back in the pillows. “Are you? Because right now you’re just talking it up, you’re yet to actually eat anything. I’m starting to think it’s nothing but words.”

  It’s like waving a red flag at a bull. My challenge lighting up inside him like a flame to kindling and he doesn’t ease me into it at all, he just swoops down and pulls my hips down until he really is feasting on me, licking and sucking until I squirm underneath him in pleasure. I don’t have time to think about anything, not with his tongue tracing over my clit, flicking and circling over it until I’m so wet that I know I must be dripping down his chin. The orgasm, when it hits, is more
intense than any other I’ve ever had and my hips lift from the bed as I chase his tongue and grind myself against his face like a harlot.

  I expect him to stop, probably slap his dick on my cheek and tell me to reciprocate.

  He doesn’t.

  He settles in against the sheets and makes good on his promises, eating every inch of my pussy until I’m sobbing against my pillows and completely unaware of how many times I’ve come. My throat hurts from how many screams his tongue has coaxed out of me and I’m not sure I have any feeling left in my legs.

  When he finally climbs up my body again, he’s good enough to wipe his face on my sheets before he kisses me, a roguish grin on his face that steals my breath out of my chest. He’s fucking breathtaking like this and, though I always knew he was an attractive man, it wasn’t until this moment that it hit me right in the chest.

  Then he pushes up like he’s going to get up and leave me.

  “Where are you going?” I murmur, keeping my voice low so it doesn’t break. I feel so exposed lying here and if he walks away right now, I’m done with men. I’ll be a celibate old witch and buy a dozen cats to keep me company, just to really keep to the stereotype.

  Ash would love it.

  He sees the little frown and kisses me. “Condom. Unless you have some under your pillow? How prepared were you for tonight? I’m starting to feel like you planned everything out.”

  His teasing tone is a little inappropriate because that’s exactly what I did. I planned the entire night out and even if it is going far better than I imagined it’s still running to the general script.

  “I’m on birth control, I have been for years, and I already have your health records. I’m also very impressed that you went and got tested for me.”

  He blinks at me for a second and then shakes his head. “Of course you do, Queenie.”