17. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Ronan

“ Y ou’ve delayed long enough. It’s happening; I’d suggest you make peace with it,” Christopher snarls through the phone.

My jaw hardens as I stare out the kitchen window, staring off into the backyard.

“All I was saying is that it isn’t the best time. Asher’s initiation, the rest are following close behind. Why take the spotlight from them?”

“Because I deem it so! The engagement party is happening; it’s already planned. You will be happy. You will be charming, and you will make it down that goddamn aisle this time.”

Something twinges inside me at the way he says this time. It’s not exactly hurt; my trauma from Madi’s death took a while to heal, but slowly, it did. Instead, it’s the reminder of all that I’ve lost, all that I have yet to lose, and all that has been stolen before I could even properly savor it.

Speaking of, my only beacon of hope these days strides into the kitchen, hair mussed and a sleepy smile on her face as she crosses the room and wraps her arms around my waist. I smile back at her, resting my hand over hers.

“Do I make myself fucking clear?” Christopher snaps.

“Crystal,” I say stiffly.

Skyla’s eyes watch me carefully, concern shifting in them as she takes in my expression.

My brother huffs, and with that, he’s ending our call. I lower my phone away from my ear, pocketing it before fully turning to face Skyla.

“What’s wrong?” she asks.

I shake my head and force a smile.

“Nothing, baby. I’m good.”

“No, you aren’t, and now you’re lying to me. What’s going on?”

A heavy sigh escapes me as I lift my hand up, cupping her jaw tenderly as my thumb glides across her silky skin. My fingers move, tangling into the back of her head and holding her hair tight as I pull her into me. She meets me easily and just with one simple touch of her lips, all of my worries melt away. Nothing can trouble me. Nothing can harm me. Not when I have her in my arms. With Skyla, things just…fit; they make sense.

When we break apart, she looks up at me breathlessly, her eyes flicking back and forth between mine.

“You’re scaring me,” she admits, anxiety heavy in her tone.

A million things run through my mind, but something completely unrelated spills from my lips instead.

“I want to take you somewhere, for the night. Think your guard dogs will allow it?”

A short chuckle escapes Skyla as she shakes her head.

“You act as if you aren’t as protective as the others, like you’re not as bad as them.”

“Oh, I can promise, baby, I’m worse. Much worse. I just do a better job of hiding it.”

She gives me a dry look as she raises an eyebrow.

“You’re more protective than Vincent?”

Well, fuck. Of course not. That guy is goddamn certifiable.

I roll my eyes and press my lips to hers once before I speak.

“Pack warm; snow is coming today. We’ll leave in two hours.”

“Okay,” she smiles, a light of excitement filling her beautiful green eyes.

She scurries off out of the kitchen and up the stairs. I love that she’s excited. I am, too. In a house literally brimming with boyfriends, it’s hard to get some time away, to just be together one-on-one. Normally, I don’t mind, but right now, I need this, we need this.

Three hours later, I’m bobbing and weaving in and out of Boston traffic. Goddamn, the drivers around here are fucking psychotic. Not that Salem is all that better, but it’s a hell of a lot smaller. Anytime I come into the city, it’s a guaranteed headache and a half a dozen close calls.

Skyla doesn’t seem to mind, though. She’s been controlling the radio, not playing one song for longer than thirty seconds before she’s on to the next. I think it would drive anyone else crazy, but I’m happy to sit back and watch her smile and sing horribly off-key.

Finally, we pull up to our destination.

“The Boston Park Plaza,” Skyla reads the hotel’s sign.

I nod and pull up to the valet. He opens my door quickly as I pop the trunk, and the bellhop grabs our bags. The brisk December air is practically bone-chilling as I make my way around the car. I reach for Skyla’s door, nearly getting sideswiped in the process.

Fucking asshole.

She smiles up at me as we round the car, and I hand the valet my keys. The doorman steps to the side, bowing slightly as we step through the automatic revolving door. When we step into the lobby, warmth wraps us up like a hug as a manager jogs over to us with a thousand watt smile.

“Welcome back, Mr. Putnam. We are so pleased to have you here.”

I give him a quick nod and a tight smile.

“Thank you. Is our room ready?” I ask.

“All checked in. We have you in the penthouse suite,” he says as he hands me two keycards.

“Thank you,” I say as I take them, steering Skyla towards the elevators.

At least, I try to. Her eyes are everywhere, bouncing from the Italian restaurant to our right, Strega, over to the marbled floor of the grand lobby. A cozy seating area beside the bar makes you feel instantly at home, and the extravagant lighting throughout gives it that touch of elegance.

I hit the elevator button, and the doors open instantly. We step inside, and she looks over to me with a smile.

“This place is gorgeous. How were you able to already be checked in, though?”

“Perks of being the boss,” I shrug.

“You own this hotel?” she asks with wide eyes.

Glancing at her, I smirk. “I own thousands of hotels, baby. This is one of my favorites, though.”

She blinks at that and shakes her head.

“I had no idea. Is it technically owned by the Brethren or…?”

I shake my head. “This is my money. I had a sickening large inheritance when my father passed, and not a care in the world to spend it on anything for myself. So, instead, I invested.”

“I know that I came from a privileged upbringing, so this will probably sound odd, but exactly how rich are you?”

A laugh escapes me as the elevator doors open and we make our way to our room.

“Rich, rich,” I tease as we come to our suite.

I swipe the card over the reader and the door unlocks with a whir. Our bags are already up here, ready and waiting on the bed. I always wonder how the hotel staff manages to ensure your bags are in your room before you arrive.

Skyla’s eyes trace over the clean interior of the room all the way over to the terrace. She practically jogs over to it, throwing the doors open as she steps outside.

The sky is dark grey, releasing lazy snowflakes as if waiting for Skyla. A megawatt smile spreads across her face as she lifts her arms out by her sides and begins spinning. I lean my shoulder against the wall as I watch her.

“I’ve missed the snow,” she says with a laugh.

“You like it?” I ask.

“Love it. London doesn’t get too much. It typically melts before you can even enjoy it.”

“Well, New England gets absolutely buried in snow every year. You’ll be sick of it before you know it.”

She turns to me, white snowflakes beginning to stick to her loosely curled hair as she shakes her head.

“Not possible.”

I smile at her, stepping out onto the terrace with her. She sticks her tongue out, catching a snowflake on it, and I do the same. Skyla giggles in delight when I’m successful, and it pulls a smile out of me just at the sound.

My phone begins buzzing in my pocket, and my smile vanishes in an instant. Skyla notices and cocks her head to the side as I silence it.

“So, what do you want to do?” she asks, clearly trying to distract me.

“Well, it’s probably best if we don’t leave the hotel. Boston is a big city, easy to be spotted and not realize it.”

She frowns at that and nods. “I didn’t think about that.”

Frustration flares inside me. I hate that this is the best I can offer her. Hidden rendezvous, stolen touches. She deserves more, she deserves everything. At least Asher can give her more when they are together. Then again, maybe not. Christopher is already concerned with how close they are.

“C’mon, let’s get some lunch. The Italian restaurant downstairs is great.”

Skyla nods, stepping back into the room as I shut the doors behind us. I lead her out of the room and back downstairs where they take us to a private table in the back. As soon as we sit down, my phone begins buzzing again. I silence it, only for it to start up again and again.

Fucking hell. Not now. Not today.

Skyla frowns. “Who is it?”

I shake my head as I reach for her hand across the table.

“No one important.”

She raises a questioning brow at that and clearly isn’t going to let it go.

“It’s Annie,” I say.

“Williams?” she says.

I nod.

“Why is she calling you?”

My mouth parts to speak before my words die on my tongue. Conveniently, our server comes over and takes our order before disappearing. When we’re alone once again, she’s right back to it.

“Ronan, why is Annie calling you?”

“Probably to discuss the engagement party,” I say carefully.

“Engagement party?” Skyla echoes.

I grimace and nod.

“When?” she asks numbly.

“New Year’s Eve. Christopher thought it would be a great time for a party,” I say with a sneer.

Skyla’s face remains impassive, but I don’t miss the shimmering across those bright green eyes.

“So…uhm, so that’s it?” she asks, her voice tightening as she speaks, cracking on that last word.

“I don’t want to talk about it tonight, baby. Tonight, I just want it to be about you and me.”

“So, tomorrow will be about you and Annie?” she throws out.

I frown at that, and she closes her eyes letting out a shaky breath.

“I’m sorry. I…I know you don’t want this. I just…it’s selfish of me to want to keep you all, huh?” she asks with a watery smile.

“No,” I rush as I stand from my chair, coming to kneel beside her as I cup her face. “It’s not selfish at all, baby. It’s what I want, more than anything in the world. All I want is to be by your side. Our circumstances are…trying, but that doesn’t mean we should give up, ever.”

“What’s there to fight, Ronan? We both know the outcome if you don’t go through with it. As much as it would kill me to watch you marry someone else, it’s better than losing you from this earth.”

I press my lips against hers, pulling back only half an inch to speak.

“Don’t give up on us, don’t stop fighting, because I sure as hell won’t. I’ll fight for you with my dying breath, Skyla. Even if I have to marry her, I’ll never love her. My heart will never belong to anyone but you.”

“What will that even look like? Steph is right, huh? You’ll be married to her, have a house, maybe a kid or two, and then what? Work late at the office?” she asks, using her fingers to create air quotes. “I’ll be your mistress? Sure, we know there is more to it than just sex, but regardless, you’ll be cheating on your wife with me?”

“So be it,” I gruff. “I have no doubt she will do the same; it’s more common in these arrangements than you can probably imagine. She means nothing to me, Skyla, absolutely nothing. I’ll treat her with respect, of course, but that will be the extent of my care for her. She’s not like Madi, she was never…kind, or good. She’s a selfish brat who enjoys ruining others’ lives for sport.”

She frowns at that. “What do you mean?”

I shake my head. “The stories I could tell you about Annie Williams and her time and Gallows Hill would horrify you. You think Bridgette is bad? She’s a saint in comparison.”

Skyla’s nose wrinkles at that. “Then why, out of all the women in the Brethren, did Christopher pick her for you?”

Even I don’t know the answer to that. The Williams family has something my brother wants, desperately. I just don’t have a fucking clue what it is.

“Can we table this for today? Please. I promise I’ll tell you everything I’m able to another time but for now, can we not talk about any of the bullshit back in Salem? Can we just…be?”

She stares at me in concern for several seconds before slowly nodding. Remarkably, our food is already done and our server places it in front of us before stepping away. We eat in silence for a few moments before we begin talking about swimming, a safe topic for the both of us. I tell her about my Olympic trials, and she tells me about the competitions she was able to compete in before her father put a stop to it all.

I’m not surprised he did. The Brethren don’t like distractions. The only reason my father allowed me to go as far as I did is because I was fucking spiraling from Madi’s death, the weight of my responsibilities, and that he wanted to see as little of me as possible. For a daughter of the Brethren to have a hobby for herself? Something that could potentially be a career ? That’s a hard limit for them.

After eating, we decide to go for a tour through the hotel. I show her the cozy library, the state-of-the-art gym, and some of the conference spaces before we come across the ballroom.

As soon as we step inside, her mouth parts and her head turns up. Grand chandeliers eat up the cathedral high ceilings, pristine white pillars lining the room. It’s a gorgeous room, the hotel’s largest selling point. A lot of weddings, parties, and events take place here, and for good reason.

Skyla begins wandering through the room, admiring the gold accents every few feet before we wander up to the balcony level overlooking the ballroom. Her hands brace on the railing as she stares off across it.

“It’s so beautiful,” she says softly.

I come up behind her, resting my head on the top of hers as my hands wrap around her waist.

“You should see it all decorated, full of laughter and dancing.”

A small smile touches her face.

“I’d love to.”

“You and Asher could use it for your official wedding. If you want.”

She turns to look at me, a slight dip in her features.

“We don’t need an official wedding. We already have a marriage certificate. Signed, sealed, and delivered.”

I shrug. “It matters to the Brethren. Though Asher let it slip that you two are already married, traditionally speaking, it’s what’s done.”

She’s quiet for a moment as she nods.

“Will you marry Annie here?”

I can’t help but scoff as I shake my head.

“Fuck no. The wedding will probably be somewhere in Salem. I’d never take her here.”

Skyla tilts her head to the side.

“How come?”

I unwind my hands from her waist and lift one to cup her cheek as I speak.

“Because now I’ve brought you here. Anyone else will pale in comparison. Every step you take, every inch of this world you touch instantly becomes imprinted with you. It wouldn’t be fair to anyone to even attempt a competition with you, because they’ll always come up short.”

She lets out a sarcastic laugh and shakes her head, turning her face away from me, but I don’t let her. My hold on her cheek tightens as I force her to face me once more. I don’t speak but I can see the understanding in her eyes. I’m not trying to butter her up, I’m not whispering sweet nothings to inflate her ego. I mean it, all of it.

Skyla swallows softly as she wraps her arms around my neck, leaning into me. I close the remaining distance between the two of us, our lips pressing against each other as our bodies collide. There isn’t more than a quarter inch of space between us at any given moment and it’s fucking perfect.

One of my hands dives into the back of her hair, holding a tight grip on her, while the other goes to her throat, cupping it delicately as I deepen the kiss. She doesn’t want it delicate today, though. I feel her teeth sink into my lower lip, tugging for a moment before she releases me and does it again and again. Our tongues tangle together in a lust induced haze that has us both scrambling for more.

Skyla drops to her knees, her hands making quick work of my belt before she’s dragging my pants and boxers down to my ankles. She sucks my cock into her mouth and down her throat, forcing a guttural groan to rip through me.

“Fuck, baby. Just like that, such a good girl.”

Those green eyes fly up, landing on me as she continues sucking me, her tongue wrapping around the tip of my cock before trailing down to the base. I feel her hand come up to cradle my balls, and it forces me to toss my head back on a moan.

My hips begin thrusting as I force myself deeper and deeper until she’s choking and gagging on me. She pulls her head back to breathe for a moment, but that’s all I allow her before I’m forcing my way back down her throat once more. Her eyes begin to water, and drool begins to drip down my cock. It’s a sloppy blow job, and I love every goddamn second of it.

I feel my balls begin to tighten, but I need more of her before I’m finished. Forcing myself away from her, she releases my cock with an audible pop before I’m dragging her to her feet. She looks up at me in a daze, seeking direction, but I don’t speak. Instead, I grab her leggings, yanking them down and over her shoes before tossing them to the other side of the room.

In the next moment, I grab her ass and lift her into the air, backing us up until her back is plastered against one of the pillars. Lining my cock up to her entrance, I waste no time in sinking myself into her. She squirms for a moment, trying to adjust to me, but I don’t give her much time before I begin savagely thrusting into her. She whimpers and wiggles on me, but the pouty moans that begin pouring from her sweet lips tells me she’s enjoying this just as much as I am.

“Fuck, Ronan,” she moans.

“Excuse me? What’s my name?”

“Daddy,” she corrects, sending a satisfying thrum running through me as she does.

“That’s right. That feel good, baby? Daddy making you feel good?”

“Mhmm,” she mutters as I snap my hips, hitting her g-spot with my tip before I do it again and again.

“FUCK!” I grit between clenched teeth as I thrust again, each one more punishing than the last. “How are you still so goddamn tight? Like a fucking virgin every goddamn time.”

“Daddy,” she moans once more, grinding herself against me in a needy way that has me ready to cater to her every desire.

“What do you need, baby? Tell me. You need me to play with this pretty pussy? Want me to rub your clit?”

“Please,” she whimpers.

My hand moves down, my thumb rubbing against her swollen clit as I begin rubbing quick, tight circles against it. She shudders against me in response, when the sound of the door echoes through the ballroom.

We both freeze, Skyla’s wide eyes coming to me in panic as several sets of footsteps begin echoing as well.

“Goddamnit, I will never get over how gorgeous this room is,” a redhead says loudly.

I see a manager with her, as well as three other women.

“Red,” the blonde chides with a laugh. “It is perfect, though. I think people are going to love it.”

“Where will the dance floor go exactly? We need as big as you’re able to allow,” the one with the purple hair interjects.

The manager smiles patiently as they begin discussing the layout of the room. My eyes move back down to Skyla, making sure we are hidden as best as we can be behind this pillar. The best thing to do in a situation like this would be to pull out of her, get dressed, and try to sneak out of here. Honestly, though, that doesn’t sound like the fun thing to do.

Slowly, I begin thrusting again. Skyla gives me a look like she thinks I’m insane, but she doesn’t protest. I lower my mouth to her ear, speaking so softly I doubt she can hardly hear me.

“Don’t make a fucking sound, do you hear me?”

She nods her head, and I smirk, pressing a quick kiss to her lips as I pick up my pace. My eyes keep moving from the group downstairs back to Skyla’s. My fingers grip the flesh of her ass tighter, holding her closer to me to fuck her deeper. Her mouth drops open, and I quickly cover it with my hand to muffle whatever sound is about to escape her. Thankfully, it’s fairly quiet, but that doesn’t really matter when I watch the group walk just beneath us.

The brunette with long hair begins speaking, gesturing up to the level we are currently on.

“I think we are going for gothic, dark romance vibes. Some black drapery would really pull that look together up there.”

“Oooo, yes! I love that,” the blonde agrees.

“And the silks for the aerialist can go right here,” another voice says.

My thrusts quicken but miraculously manage to stay virtually silent, and I feel Skyla’s pussy throb around me. Her eyes are lust drunk, filled with equal parts fear and excitement. My little exhibitionist. I suppose I’m one, too, because I wouldn’t be all that mad if they took a hard enough look up here and saw me buried in my girl like this. Obviously, it’s safer for the both of us if that doesn’t happen, but still, it’s one hell of a rush.

My thumb begins rubbing her clit once more, and she’s teetering on the edge. I toy with the idea of edging her, dragging it out just a little longer, but one more throb of her pussy forces an orgasm out of me that I didn’t even know was within reach. I breathe through it, but I can’t stop my cock from jerking and coming inside her. I quicken the pace on her clit as I fuck her through my own orgasm, pushing her to reach her own.

Her body shakes and jerks as she practically convulses on me, only a slight groan slipping past my hand. Everyone in the room stills, looking around curiously as I plaster my body against hers, hiding ourselves as ecstasy slams through me again and again.

Thankfully, they lose interest quickly as the redhead begins speaking again, all of them making their way out of the room.

“Okay, let’s talk bartenders because if last year is anything to go off, our readers can throw it back.”

All the women laugh their agreement as they step through the door. Once the sound of it shutting echoes through the room, I remove my hand from Skyla’s mouth. We both take several labored breaths before we share a grin.

“Well,” Skyla says. “That was fun.”