the way to America to steal just a necklace. You’d need other items for insurance.”
“I stole a few things. Don’t want to lose you again.”
Her heart literally skipped a beat at his words, and she hated that she wanted to read more into them than he meant.
“So, what now?”
“Tell me where An Breitheamh is.”
Ah, straight to the point.
Feeling hurt, even though she’d known all along that’s why he was there, Rose felt like inciting a little frustration in him. Setting aside her e-reader, she slid across the lounger, opening her legs so the point of the knee he had turned toward her contacted the inner thigh of her right leg. She felt him stiffen ever so slightly, and that was before she placed her hand on his knee, smoothed it down his inner thigh, feeling the hard, hot muscle beneath his suit pants.
“I’ve missed you.” Unfortunately, it wasn’t entirely a lie.
Just as Rose’s fingertips neared the now-tented hardness between his legs, Fionn grabbed her wrist, stalling her movement. His grip was tight, bruising, as he hauled her against him, her chest pressed to his.
Warm lips tickled hers as Fionn growled against them. “Stop playing games, mo chroí.”
“Don’t call me that,” Rose snapped.
He surprised her by kissing her. Just a soft, tickling brush of his mouth across hers.
He might as well have flicked his tongue between her legs.
Rose sucked in a breath as Fionn retreated ever so slightly. “Where is An Breitheamh?”
In answer, she curled her free hand around his strong shoulder, nails digging in, and slammed her mouth over his, forcing her tongue past his lips. She kissed him with every ounce of passion, love, hatred, need, and resentment that filled her, until she felt his fingers tight in her hair as he held her by her nape.
His anger and desire battled hers in a hungry, dark, deep kiss that melted her to the core. Rose shifted so his knee pressed between her legs where she wanted him, needed him. Fionn made a guttural noise that vibrated through her.
His lips vanished, as did the delicious pressure of his knee.
Rose fell back on her hands, panting with exertion.
Holy shit.
She’d meant to punish him with her actions.
Seeing him stride away from her, tension radiating from every inch of his body, Rose was sure she’d succeeded.
But she’d also inflicted damage on herself.
Aware of the attention of the few people around the pool, Rose collected her things, slipped on her flip-flops and followed casually in Fionn’s wake. He waited inside the doorway to the hotel, his back against the wall, his shades pushed up into his hair.
Those green eyes of his pierced her as she stepped inside, intensifying the fluttering in her belly.
“You done fucking around?” he snarled.
Her gaze dropped to his arousal and back up to his face. “Mission accomplished, I guess.”
“Don’t feel so smug, sweetheart. I can smell your musk. One slip of my hand beneath that tiny scrap of fabric you call a bikini and I’d feel your wet against my fingertips.”
She inhaled a sharp breath as the visual escalated her arousal.
He looked at her breasts. “And despite the warm temperature, your nipples are hard, mo chroí.”
Rose immediately crossed her arms over her chest. “I blame the mating bond. It’s irrational and has a negative effect on my body. But my heart and mind are very much in control … I still hate you.”
“Negative effect? It may be bloody inconvenient but I’d hardly say the feeling was negative.” Fionn took hold of her arm, his fingers tight around her biceps. “Show me to your room so we can discuss An Breitheamh. Among other things.”
Deciding it was best they did this in private, Rose silently led him through the large hotel to her third-floor room. She had a balcony overlooking the pool and the ocean beyond.
“And how might I ask did you afford all this?” Fionn asked as he entered.
Rose forced herself not to stiffen at the underlying judgment in his question, her flip-flops flapping against the tile floor as she spun to face him. She shrugged. “I robbed an ATM.”
He sighed heavily, staring around at the room, before returning his attention to hers. As if he couldn’t help it, his gaze climbed her body. Rose felt the telltale tightening in her breasts as desire darkened his features. By the time they reached hers, it took everything not to throw something sharp at him in retaliation for causing her body to be so out of sync with her heart.
“Ah, Rose … I