Page 23 of Ronan
“Thanks for wearing it. It was a nice surprise, but I needed to come inside your pussy. I’ll take your ass next time.”
His hand flies out to grip my throat, tugging me in close so he can press his forehead to mine, and for a moment we just breathe together before he tentatively stepsaway. “I’ll step out, but I won’t leave until you’re safely driving away.”
“Thank you.” My hand reaches out futilely as he turns to walk away, so I give myself a few minutes to breathe before following him out.
The sun is setting now as I walk back to my car, and I try to catch a glimpse of him or his borrowed motorcycle but come up short.
Wherever he is, he’s hiding well, and there’s nothing I can do about it.
Not yet, anyway.
10
I’m barely home for five minutes before I get a text that shakes me a little.
Nightbreed:You should really get your porch light fixed. Don’t shower tonight, I’ll know if you do.
He followed me home, which means he knows where I live. As amazing as our rendezvous was, I’m starting to understand the danger I’m in. I don’t know anything about him. He’s proving over and over again that he’s not afraid to cross normal societal boundaries — like stalking someone — and I’m over here wagging my tail like a dog in heat, giving him the impression I’m totally fine with it.
I can’t even blame him for thinking it.
But after the intensity of what we just did and the looming fear that he might try to make my fantasy come true tonight when I’m not expecting it, I decide it’s not a good idea to stay home alone. Emma’s not here and her overnight bag is gone, meaning she’s at Orion’s again, and that doesn’t leave me with many options.
What will my brother say if I show up? What will he say if I tell him why I’m showing up?
Fuck.
I don’t have a choice. I peek out my living room window to make sure there aren’t any cars in the parking lot I don’t recognize and no gorgeous motorcycles there either, then head over to Ronan’s.
My heart is in my throat as I knock.
The door swings open so fast I flinch, and my step-brother looks like he just got out of the shower. He’s still covered from head to toe with a navy blue crewneck that matches his pants, but his hair is still wet and matted to his head. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen him look so comfortable or is it... relaxed? Too bad it’s gone the second he realizes it’s me at his door and the fact that I probably don’t look okay.
“What’s wrong?”
He steps onto the porch to search for danger behind me, but finds none.
“Look, can I just come in without you asking too many questions? I know that’s not fair of me, but I just... I don’t want to be alone right now and I don’t have anywhere else to go.”
With a frown, he reaches out to grip my arm and tugs me inside his house, the space dark until he flicks on the living room light. “What can you tell me?”
He’s gonna pick now of all times to go into feral older brother mode? Of course he is.
If I tell him the truth, he’ll judge me and probably start threatening Nightbreed. I don’t want that. I don’t know exactly what’s going on or what my masked little deviant is going to do with the knowledge of where I live, but I still trust him. I can’t explain why, but I do. I’m also not ready to stop yet.
“That I’m fine, I’m not hurt, and nothing happened that I didn’t beg for. It was just kind of intense and since I’m not allowed to know who he is, we can’t exactly go out for burgers and milkshakes after.”
Ronan stiffens when the words I didn’t say out loud sink in. “Oh. Are you... dropping?”
His jaw tenses so tightly I know I’d hear his teeth scraping together if he was close enough, but by now he’s moved closer to the kitchen and I’m still near the front door.
“I guess.” It seems like a rough way to put it, but there’s a ball of tension in my chest that wasn’t there earlier. “I’m not asking you to do anything for me but hang out with me. I’m sorry to just intrude without calling, I’ll buy you dinner to make up for it.” I want to tell him that Nightbreed has my address now and I’m a little afraid to go home, but I don’t. I have to hope he’ll let me stay anyway. “Did you have plans?”
“No, I didn’t sleep good last night so I was just going to stay in.” He grabs me a water and closes the distance to hand it to me, his eyes locking on the dark mark on my neck, but he says nothing about it. “You can stay here.”
The tension eases a little as I take the bottle of Smart Water and shake my head. It couldn’t have been any other brand, huh? “Thanks. Are you craving anything?”
He hides a smirk behind his hand and shrugs. “You still love that pizza joint over on 5th?”
