Conall (7 page)

My Tatiana,

I can’t wait to see you tomorrow evening. Make sure you’re ready for me.

Yours, Conall.

Well, damn. Her knees started shaking. What did that mean? Was there a hidden message in there for her somehow? Was she ready for him? That was the real question and he was right to ask. After he’d left her on Tuesday night, it had taken quite some time to calm her libido. Never before had a man overwhelmed her senses so fast. His voice. Those eyes of his that seemed to reach into her soul. Even his unique smell, a combination of his natural scent and the cologne he wore, had her fiending for a man she had just met. Everything about him was mouth-watering and sexy. Every single memory she had of him served to fuel her nighttime fantasies of the two of them wrapped in each other’s arms. His lovemaking wrenching moan after moan of ecstasy from her lips.

“Well, don’t leave me hanging, Tatiana, who are they from?” Dianne asked with a twinkle in her eyes. Oh no, this was one secret that she was not letting out of the bag.

“Oh, he’s just a friend. Someone I recently met and well, he seems quite determined to get my attention.” Tatiana purposely keeping her response to Dianne vague. There was no way in hell she was telling anyone that Conall O’Shea had sent her flowers.

“Hell, I need to find a friend like that.” The receptionist laughed as Tatiana picked up the crystal vase full of roses and daisies and turned to walk back to her office.

* * * * *

Seated behind her desk again, she knew the right thing to do was call Conall and thank him for the lovely flowers. If she were honest, wanting him had never been in the cards, but now, there was nothing to be done about it. She wanted—needed—to see this through.

After he’d left her house a few nights ago, she’d spent the rest of that evening and most of Wednesday thinking about everything she knew about him. The stuff that wasn’t on the front of the society page. It made her head spin. But now she knew the truth. Her instincts had been right. She should have never gone to his office. When he came to her door that same evening, she should have slammed it in his face and never looked back. And when he asked her out, she never, ever, ever should have said yes.

On the other hand, none of those things had happened. Not once had she truly told him no or shut him out. She could admit that after meeting him, hearing his voice, being in close proximity to him, resisting his advances was no longer an option. Maybe it was something in his eyes, or the way he talked, or just her own unstoppable attraction, she never could have told him no. And she didn’t really want to.

She also had a better idea of what her brother was so afraid of. That should have bothered her more, but it didn’t.

Tatiana hung her head low in disbelief at her own stupidity. That must have been why he was so tickled when she came to him so brazenly and asked him straight out about her brother. Still not quite believing she’d actually worked up the nerve to go see him in person, the foolishness of her actions could no longer be ignored. No, Pollyanna she wasn’t, but she grudgingly admitted that maybe, just maybe, she had behaved a little too naively. What if he actually was involved with her brother’s mess? Then what?

Nothing much surprised her anymore. This pull she felt toward Conall could not be denied. It was unlike anything she had experienced before. Growing up in her working class neighborhood, she was no stranger to the realities of life. Sometimes things happened. Sometimes, you had to do what was necessary. Good people sometimes had no choice but to do bad things. It didn’t make them evil, it just made them human.

Memories assailed her as she thought about her own secret. No one would ever believe that she was capable of what she had done. And that’s the way it needed to remain. Everyone had secrets. Some were just a little worse than others.

Maybe that’s why she never judged her brother too harshly. On a daily basis, she fought her demons back as they tried to claw at her. She was just stronger than other people and she never let them get to her or bring her down. With a singular focus to crawl out of the mire and muck she had almost succumbed to, she made her way through school at Dartmouth and found her dream job in Boston. Her life was what she needed it to be and if she had to make the same decisions from her past that helped her to get here, she would. In a heartbeat.

Taking a life was hard. There was no doubt about it. You were forever changed by what you had done, what your eyes had seen. Looking back, she tried to think of another way her rapist could have been handled. Was there another option? Even all these years later, the remorse and feelings of regret would not come. The wealth of other options did not materialize and neither did her guilt. Making that decision at seventeen years old had told her one thing—she would do whatever needed to protect herself and her family.

That night, so many years ago, her innocence had been taken away from her in more ways than one. While she had moved on, had spoken with a rape counselor when she was at college, and even had several satisfying sexual encounters since then, she still had a sliver of darkness inside of her. She was capable of doing things no one would ever expect and that made her understand Conall that much more.

Maybe that’s what drew her to him in the first place and drove her to seek him out that day. She’d seen a picture of him online and there was something in his eyes that she couldn’t look away from. Her soul recognized a kindred spirit. Everything about him screamed “Predator,” but she wasn’t afraid. She wanted more. That man was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Always hiding in plain sight. Most people would not see this dual nature in him. But she did. Like recognized like.

Shaking off the serious thoughts, she picked up her phone and dialed the number to Conall’s office. After a few moments of being placed on hold and transferred, she heard his voice.

“I hope you liked the flowers.” His voice seemed to reach through the phone and stroke her softly. Panty-melting was too tame a word to describe the man on the other end of the phone.

“They were a surprise, but a very pleasant one. Thank you, Conall,” she replied in a breathless tone. Just the sound of his voice caused her body to clench in desire and want. This intense need to submit to him was overwhelming her senses.

“Tomorrow can’t come soon enough. I’ve tried to stay away. Give you time to come to terms with this,” he said into the silence.

“There’s no need for that. I know what I want,” she blurted.

“Do you? Because I don’t do anything halfway, Tatiana.” A hint of steel had entered his voice.

“I know what I want. Who I want. You don’t scare me, Conall O’Shea.”

“I should.” His low voice spoke into the phone.

“Trust me. I can handle whatever you throw my way. Don’t let the outer shell fool you.” She hinted at the darkness inside her, and the mirroring darkness she could see in him.

“Then I want to see you tonight,” he growled.

“But we’re seeing each other tomorrow,” she responded on reflex.

“Tonight.” Heavy breathing came through the phone and she smiled.

“Do you think this attraction between us is happening too fast?” Her rational brain couldn’t help but push him a little.

“No, I don’t. It feels right. Don’t try to deny what’s happening. Don’t try to explain it away and don’t question it. Just go with it. Let it happen. Let us happen,” he responded, the confident tone in his voice telling her he meant exactly what he said.

“Just two days ago, you didn’t even know who I was,” she countered.

“That just means that this driving need I have for you shouldn’t be ignored. It can’t be ignored.” Conall’s deep voice sent a ripple of need coursing through her body. Who was she to deny this feeling that was between them?

“This is just lust,” she said into the phone.

“Then so be it. If that’s the case, then I’m going to fuck you until I get my fill. If sex is all this is, then I’ll make your body come so hard, I’ll drive any thought of another man from your psyche. I don’t give a fuck if this is just sex. I want you and I will have my fill of you, just as you’ll take from me what you need.” His words were raunchy and raw, but she responded as if he’d just recited a sonnet of love.

“Okay,” she said into the phone. Just one word. She wanted him. Needed him.

“I’ll be there at six,” he said.

* * * * *

White froth and spittle gathered at the edges of Paddy O’Shea’s mouth. Usually, he was the picture of sophistication and suave in one package. His genes were nothing to sneeze at, and he was proud to boast that his sons, all four of them, had gotten not only their personalities, but their good looks from him. But today, he looked nothing like the man he liked to portray to the public. Paddy’s hair was mussed from running his fingers through it in agitation, his face was haggard and tired, and his skin blotchy and red with anger.

“What the fuck do you mean he said no?” he yelled at Danny Boy Sullivan, his henchman. Some would say Danny Boy had made a deal with the devil a long time ago. If anyone had bothered to ask Danny, he would have told them he did…and the devil’s name was Patrick O’Shea.

“Paddy, I told ya’, I sent a message to Conall through his guy, Dillon. The boy said no. He’s not coming.” There were some other choice words in the response, but Danny was smart enough to leave those out. There was no love lost between Conall and himself, or any of Paddy’s sons for that matter, but he also wanted to get out of this meeting unscathed. He had some pussy he wanted to get into tonight and showing up with bruises and shit wasn’t going to work. These fucking kids had been the bane of his existence since they were little. If he’d had his way, he would have wrung each of their scrawny necks and buried the bodies.

Paddy slammed his hand down on his oak desk. What would have had any other man writhing in agony, seemed to not faze Paddy O’Shea one bit. The sting was barely noticeable to him as the blood rushed to his brain. “That boy has tried my patience for the last time. They all know their duty. To me. To this family. For whatever reason, he keeps thumbing his nose in my face. I’ll just have to up the ante.” Eyes blazing with the fire of retribution against his own flesh and blood, he stared off into space for a second before an evil smile lit his face. “What about Shannon or Fionn?”

“Nothing yet, Boss,” Danny Boy responded. Those two little piss-ants should have been killed when they were expelled from the womb of their whore mother. Hell, they were bastards anyway. Paddy should have drowned them when they were born.

Standing up from his desk, Paddy straightened his shirt. Running his fingers through his still thick head of hair, he managed to put himself to rights fairly quickly. Heading toward the well-stocked bar in his private office, he grabbed a glass and poured two fingers of his favorite fifteen-year-old scotch. Throwing it back in one gulp, it burned like hell going down, but he was used to it and paid no mind to the feeling of fire flowing through his veins. It just let him know that he was still alive.

“And Kieran?” Seemingly an innocuous question, it still held a hint of steel and threat. As the oldest son, Kieran was the one that mattered. If he were to get on board with his old man’s plans, the others would follow. Paddy knew it and anyone who’d spent time in Kieran’s presence was well aware of it.

“Nothing yet,” Danny replied cautiously. He could tell that his night was going downhill fast. If those spoiled fucks ruined his night, he would make them pay. It would bring him immense joy to beat the shit out of them like he did when they were kids. His hands tingled at the prospect of planting his fist into his favorite punching bags.

“Seems like my boys need a reminder of just who the fuck is in charge around here. They seem to have forgotten that until I’m dead and buried, this is my shit. I run this town and nothing happens without my say-so. Now, they’ve just pissed me off,” he ground out between his clenched teeth.

Pouring himself another drink, he took a sip and then turned to his most trusted enforcer. “I know you had plans tonight. Cancel them. Find out what the fuck is going on with my sons. They’re up to something and I will not be caught off-guard. I need to know where they’re going. Who they’re with. Hell, I want to know how many times they take a fucking shit every day. You find me what I need to know, Danny Boy. It’s time for some things to change around here.”

Chapter Six

Conall was ready for this day to be over. Looking down at his watch, he noted that it was five-thirty, but he felt as if it were midnight. He was antsy to see his woman.
His woman
? Yeah, that sounded just about right.

Since he spoke with Tatiana earlier that day, he’d been aching to get over to her house. Now that she’d accepted what was happening between them, he didn’t want to delay any longer.

The overseas client who wanted the new shipment of weapons was starting to get antsy and he’d spent most of his day finalizing that deal, instead of working on the shit he needed to focus on. Sighing deeply as he walked out of his office toward his car, Conall couldn’t deny that his bone-weary body was telling him to slow down. But he couldn’t. He wouldn’t. There was too much at stake. This deal had taken so much time and effort, there was no way in hell that he would let it fail. He needed to make a stop by Shannon’s place and make sure that everything was lined up.

After that, he would go see Tatiana. Now that was the one thing he was looking forward to tonight. It was difficult to believe he’d only met her a few days ago. Scrubbing his hand down his face, he climbed into his car and got settled as his driver pulled off.