Come Monday (16 page)

“How do you know?”

She bit her lower lip and he could almost taste her discomfort, her unease, and he wished he could make this easier on her. She still needed to learn, to comprehend that she could tell him anything.

“Because I feel too much for you. Too much that I don’t understand. Too much that I’m not sure what to do with.”

“Like what?” he asked.

“When I’m with you, it feels like I sort of change. I can’t really explain it.” 125

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“Try,” he insisted, wrapping his arm around her waist and leading her to the couch.

She started to sit but he stopped her, pulling her down onto his lap. The close proximity seemed to ease her a bit as she curled into his chest.

“I’ve tried to be a good daughter and good sister. For years, I’ve put my family’s needs above my own. Well, no, that’s not entirely true. I’ve put what I
thought
my family needed ahead of my own needs.”

“They
needed
you, Keira.”

“Oh, I know. Just not in the way I thought they did. I don’t think I even realized it for the longest time. You mentioned it the night of our first date when you talked about the way I dressed, the way I hid my true self. When we’re together, Will, all of that changes. I sort of become myself again. Only it’s not a self I’ve ever seen before. It’s like all the parts I’ve hidden away for years have decided to come out, only they’re magnified a hundredfold. They shine so brightly sometimes, it’s blinding and scary as hell. I guess the best way to say it is, you make me feel amazing. You make me feel smart and beautiful and free.”

He grinned, pushing her head back so she could look at him as he spoke. “I love how you shine. I’ve told you before, you’re a beautiful woman, inside and out. I never, ever want that light to dim.”

She smiled at him before biting her lower lip, her next words coming hesitantly. “I know what I want now. What I really want,” she added.

He remembered her asking to be left alone and, for a moment, a small part of him feared her repeating the request. He nodded, steeling himself for her words. “I told you.

I’ll give you anything. You just have to ask.”

“I want you. Just you.”

His smile grew and for the first time in days, he thought he felt his heart begin to beat again. “You already have that, Keira.”

Her eyes twinkled at his revelation and she gave him a self-deprecating grin. “I think it only fair to warn you that I’m a complete basket case right now.” 126

Come Monday

“Is that right?” Now that the floodgates had opened, he reveled in the sound of her voice as she unloaded years worth of repressed fears and feelings.

“Oh yeah. My head is moving in about a million different directions. I’ve lived nearly a third of my life thinking one way and now I’ve found out I was wrong.”

“You weren’t wrong,” he said quickly.

“I think I understand what you’ve been saying about loosening up the iron-clad grip I have on being in control all the time.”

“You
think
you understand?” he asked with a grin.

“I do understand. I think one of the reasons I’m so incredibly drawn to you is because you help me to let go, cut loose, run wild.”

“I like the idea of you running wild.”

“Well, that’s why I pointed out the fact that I’m new to relationships.” He nodded, recalling her odd opening line tonight.

She continued to explain. “I sort of think there’s a good chance I’m gonna screw up this thing between us at least a half dozen more times.”

“Just a half dozen?” he asked, teasing her.

“I’ll try to limit it to that.”

“Well, just be warned that each time you screw it up, I get to take you across my lap and spank your ass until you come.” To demonstrate his point, he flipped her quickly, stripping the blanket away and bending her facedown over his legs.

She shivered as he slowing peeled her damp panties over her thighs, dropping them on the floor.

“Did I say half dozen?” she asked, her voice taking on the breathless quality of a woman in the throes of arousal.

“Mmm hmm,” he said, rubbing his hand against her bare ass. Her skin was chilly, clammy from her walk in the rain, and he couldn’t wait to warm it up.

“I think maybe I should have said a dozen times.” 127

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He swatted her ass one time as she spoke.

“Or more like two dozen. I’m pretty green, you know.” He chuckled as he slapped her several more times. She either gave up trying to talk or lost the ability as he spanked her thoroughly, soundly. He’d thought the spanking was for all the worry and pain she’d put him through in the past three days, but as she began to move in time with his hand, he realized this wasn’t a punishment at all.

It was a celebration, a reunion, perhaps one of the happiest moments of his life.

He pushed her legs apart, lightly slapping her pussy, his hand slipping slightly in the copious amounts of juices gathered there. She groaned and he repeated the movement, making sure to include her clit on the second and third slaps.

“Will,” she cried out as he slipped two fingers inside her hot pussy, driving them in unremittingly, in exactly the way he knew she loved.

“Please,” she said.

“Please what, Keira? You only have to ask.”

“I want to come and then I want you to fuck my ass.” His hand stilled for a moment, her words ripped straight from his own well-traveled fantasies. “Anything you want.”

He added another finger to her cunt and pushed her over the edge, her body shaking, her lovely voice screaming out her release, her pleasure.

His tenuous grip on his own control slipped as he lifted her from his lap and placed her at his feet. “Hands and knees,” he commanded and he watched her body quiver at the deep, demanding sound of his voice. He rose and quickly shed his own jeans and boxers, grabbing the bag of sex toys from the end table. He’d pulled them out this morning, tormenting himself with the memories they evoked until he thought he’d go mad.

He knelt behind her. “Open your legs,” he said. “I want to get a good look at what you’re offering.” As he spoke, he retrieved the tube of lubrication from the bag.

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Come Monday

She complied and he sucked in a deep breath, fighting to slow down, determined to make this special. Regardless of her past experience, in this she was a virgin and he had to keep that thought in mind.

Then he saw her ass, marked by his hand, and he knew he was fighting a losing battle.

She glanced over her shoulder and he looked up to find her watching him closely.

“I’ll give you anything you want too,” she said, her voice stronger than he’d expected given the strength of her previous climax.

He shuddered at the thought of what she was offering, then shook his head. “I don’t think you’re ready for what I want. I wouldn’t be gentle. I couldn’t go slow.” She laughed, a husky, sexy sound that rattled him to the core. “When have I ever asked for gentle or slow?”

He grinned then drifted his hand along her slit before opening the lubrication and applying it liberally to the tight pucker of her ass and his cock. “Have you been wearing the plug?”

She shook her head slowly and he realized that for the past three days, she truly had believed their relationship over. It was that thought, that horrible awareness that stirred him to continue. “Well then, this is going to pinch a little, hurt a little, but maybe it will remind you never to doubt us—never to doubt this.”

“Fuck me,” she said softly. “Make me remember.”

He pushed his cock into her hot cunt twice, using the juices there to coat his flesh as well. She moaned and pushed back toward him. He slapped her ass, hard.

“Don’t move,” he demanded and he watched her struggle to remain still. “I’m fucking you, Keira. You are to do nothing more than take it. Do you understand?”

“God yes,” she hissed. “Do it.”

He pulled his cock from her pussy, lining the head up with her anus. Despite his threats, he entered her with caution, slowly, anxious to make sure she could offer what 129

Mari Carr

he desperately wanted to take. Inch by inch he forged in, pausing to give her time to adjust. The plug he’s used on her hadn’t been nearly big enough to prepare her for him.

It was a beginner’s toy, nothing more, and he’d meant to slowly work her up in size before taking her this way.

As with everything else regarding Keira, nothing ever went as he planned. She’d systematically destroyed his preconceived notions about submission and what he wanted from a woman. She was everything he never knew he wanted and couldn’t believe he’d lived a lifetime without.

Seated to the hilt, he stopped, gasping for breath, trying to assimilate to the unforgiving tautness of her ass clenching around him. Christ. It would be a miracle if he could thrust three times without coming.

Keira, until that moment, had held to his command, remaining perfectly still. She turned slowly to look at him and she smiled. Then she turned away from him, lowering from her hands to her elbows and pushing her ass even farther into the air, driving him in just a touch more.

“Fuck me, Will.”

Her words released him and he moved out and back in, faster this time. Every thrust increased in speed and force until both of them were crying out from the pleasure-pain of the moment. His climax was long, the come pulled from his balls with the force of a freight train, leaving him to wonder if he’d ever walk again.

“Keira,” he whispered as the final drop of semen filled her ass. “God, Keira.” With the last bit of strength left in his arms, he shoved the coffee table away, falling slowly to his side, keeping her back pressed tightly against his chest. He refused to leave the heat of her body and for several moments the two of them simply lay together, connected, side by side.

She broke the silence first. “Will?”

“Mmm,” he hummed, unwilling to break the power of the moment.

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Come Monday

“I love you,” she whispered.

He grinned, placing a soft kiss against her shoulder. “I love you, too.” 131

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Epilogue

“Okay everybody, they’re here. Quiet. Quiet, Riley! Shit, how much of that spiked punch have you had already? Tris, bend down more. I can see the top of your head over the bar,” Keira called out across the room.

They’d closed the pub today for a private family celebration. Sean had graduated from high school. They’d all attended the ceremony this morning, sneaking out as soon as it was over to come back to prepare for his surprise party. Pop had stayed behind as Sean gathered up the last of his things and said goodbye to many of the friends he’d grown up with.

Will gripped her tightly from behind, chuckling at her last-minute commands to her unruly bunch of siblings. They were bent down in their corner booth together.

“Shhh,” she warned him. He pinched her nipple covertly and struggled to control his cock when a little excited expulsion of breath escaped her lips. Woman was always primed and ready. He should know better than to tease her as he always got taken down in the fall. Then he thought
to hell with it
and grinned as he pinched the other nipple, causing it to peak beneath her T-shirt as well.

“You are the devil,” she whispered.

“And you’re my angel.”

She giggled. “Fallen angel.”

“Hush up, you two,” Ewan warned from his position beneath a nearby table, “or I’ll turn the hose on you.”

Pat opened the door, speaking far louder than he needed to. His odd behavior was no doubt making it obvious to Sean that something was up.

“Well, my goodness,” Pat practically shouted. “Where is everybody?” 132

Come Monday

“Surprise!” they all yelled in unison as Keira fought not to roll her eyes. Sean caught their gaze with a less-than surprised but totally pleased look on his face. The black eye had faded and was nearly gone. He still hadn’t told anyone what had prompted his fight, but as he and Chad seemed to have made amends, Will had convinced Keira to let it go.

The siblings all gathered around hugging Sean and Will smiled at the image they made. Perhaps one of the most wonderful things Keira had given him this past month was the opportunity to see a large, loving family up close and personal.

Riley snuck into the kitchen and came out with a triple-layer chocolate cake she’d made special for the occasion, claiming it was Sean’s favorite. Will dipped out the punch and he made sure to give Sean a cup from the liquor-free punchbowl when he caught the boy trying to sneak a glass of the spiked stuff.

“Here,” Will said, handing Keira a glass. She took a sip and winced.

“How much rum did Riley put in here? I can’t even taste the juice.”

“There’s supposed to be juice in there?” Riley asked with a laugh.

“Christ, the whole lot of us will be falling down drunk if we keep drinking that stuff,” she said. “Get some soda, Tris.”

“Nope. I sort of like the idea of falling down drunk,” her brother replied.

The door to the pub opened and Will did a double take as Tris appeared to have morphed into two people.

“Got room for one more?” the man asked.

“Killian!” The whole lot of Collins siblings yelled their brother’s name in unison, every one of them rushing to hug him.

“Sorry about missing the ceremony, Sean,” Killian said. “My leave wasn’t approved until the last minute and then I had a devil of a time finding a flight. I got here as soon as I could.” As he spoke, he walked over and took the glass of punch Will offered. “You must be the professor.”

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He nodded and took the man’s proffered hand. “Yes I am.” After spending the past month proving his worth to Keira’s other three brothers, he stiffened his spine, prepared to take up the battle once more.

“Nice to meet you,” Killian said. “So, Keira, sounds like you finally found a man worthy of you.”

Keira shared the surprise he felt at her brother’s remark. “Well, I certainly think so,” she answered, “but who told you?”