Page 10 of Duncan (Irish Mob of Boston #1)

Freyja

Despite the slight sting of being checked out, I told him the truth about not being offended. But it did put a bit of a damper on the evening. My father was right. I had learned something tonight.

I had learned that not everyone was worthy of me. And maybe Duncan Murphy wasn’t worthy.

It was commonplace in our circles to have someone checked out. But just once I would have liked someone to learn about me from me. Not from a background check.

When Maxim gave his warning, I knew immediately that Duncan was a criminal.

What kind I wasn’t sure, until he mentioned Miss Kelley.

Madigan Kelley had been the talk of the town for a while.

The rumors surrounding her varied from her being a stripper in Vegas to her having a baby no one knew about, that somehow had ended up with Illyria Valentinetti and Maxim Federov.

Based on Maxim’s veiled invitation, I would say that rumor was likely true. What surprised me most was my knowledge of Maddie Kelley’s relatives. Nolan Kelley, head of the Irish Mob in New York. Nolan’s wife, Caity, was the half-sister to Braesal O’Malley.

Nolan’s boss. And Duncan’s.

That meant Duncan was Irish Mob.

I wasn’t sure what that meant for me. Did I want to have a fling with someone in the Mob? What would my parents think of that?

You don’t have to tell them.

That was true, but I was honest with my parents and they were honest with me. This would be a big thing to keep from them.

“Have I broken that trust?”

“No, but I had hoped to have received the same trust from you. You could have asked my name either of the two times we connected on the street. You chose not to, but still asked me to call you and have dinner. So, my question is, why? Why look me up now? Why not ask my name the second time we met? I understand you were in a hurry, but again, you could have asked my name on the phone when I called you.”

Duncan folded his napkin and set it beside his plate. A sure sign that dinner was over. This made me sad. I hadn’t made up my mind yet as to what would happen when we left the restaurant. But apparently, he had.

“I could have asked your name. But to be honest, it didn’t matter what your name was or who you were. I wanted you. I wanted to have dinner with you and I wanted to get to know you. And I want you in my bed.”

My belly tightened and my lips parted at the bluntness of his desire.

“I had no intention of looking you up, even after my boss got in my head.

He believed I was walking into a trap, either one of opportunity or one set up by our enemies.

While I sat here waiting for you, I had decided that if your plan was to get me back to my hotel and rob me that I would offer you whatever I had in my wallet.

Because regardless of your intentions, I knew what my intentions were. To have you in my bed.

“Then Maxim stopped at the table and he knew who you were. The veiled invitation regarding my boss’ niece felt more like a threat.

That was the reason I left to make the call.

Maddie is to be protected, no matter what.

It was your dismissal of Maxim Federov, the head of the Bratva, that caused me to ask my associate to look you up.

“That one sentence from your plump lips had my dick so fuckin’ hard I needed to know everything about you to make sure I wasn’t causing my boss more shit when I took you home tonight.”

My hand shook as I lifted my wineglass to my lips. My plump lips as he called them. I had no answer for what he just said. I watched him as he spoke, looking for a lie or deceit. Something to tell me he was feeding me a line.

I saw nothing but hunger.

“So, Freyja Malpas. Will you accompany me back to my hotel? Or will we part ways here?”

My tongue slipped out to wet my lips, and Duncan groaned. A deep rumble in his chest as he watched my mouth.

“I need to call my driver. Tell him he has the night off.”

“Call him. He can drop us off at the hotel instead of getting a cab. Then he can take the night off,” he said as he waved to the server. He had our meals boxed up and added desserts to take back to the hotel.

Suddenly, I was very thankful Athena had given me that box. If I was lucky, we would need more than one.

He was staying at the Lowell Hotel. It was one of my favorites in the city. The plush carpets and the soft beds felt like home. And the view overlooking Central Park? Most people wanted to see the skyline; I preferred the park. It was the only real nature we had in the city.

When we entered the suite, Duncan took my coat, hanging it up on the coatrack in the corner. The room was warm and dimly lit. As I moved closer to the windows, I ran my hand along the backside of the sofa. The cashmere blanket felt luxurious against my fingertips.

I may have been raised by hippies, but I appreciated quality in everything, whether it was a cashmere blanket on a cold night, or a lover who kept me warm.

I made it to the windows and opened the curtains. New York was called the city that never slept for a reason. Looking out, there was enough light to see the few brave souls who chose to walk through the park at night.

I wondered what it must feel like to be that brave. Or that foolish.

Duncan’s hand wrapped around my waist, and a small gasp escaped from my lips. I covered his hand with mine, and leaned back against his chest. His lips found my bare shoulder and his grumbled words penetrated any doubts I had about being here.

“I’ve been waiting all night to kiss you here.”

My eyes closed as he moved up to my neck. Never had I felt anything like this. My skin prickled with anticipation. Without a word, he untied the straps to my dress, letting it fall forward, revealing my bare breasts to the world outside.

His hands covered my breasts, his thumbs rubbing against my nipples that made themselves available to him instantly. He tightened his hold, pressing his erection against my backside. His mouth on my collarbone sucked tightly, and I wondered if it would leave a mark.

Did he want to mark me as his?

Did I want him to mark me as his?

My body said yes, while my mind was trying to convince me not to get attached. He wasn’t mine. I wasn’t his. I belonged to someone else; I just hadn’t met them yet. Maybe I never would.

If I never went to Mardi Gras, I would never meet the man Lucille told me about. I could stay here with Duncan. Stay in this hotel and hide away from the outside world.

Duncan swung me around. “Hey, where did you go?”

“I’m sorry. The world outside is trying to invade. I’m doing my best to ignore it.”

“Let me help with that.”

His lips crashed onto mine and broke through every thought, every doubt, every idea that anything mattered beyond this man, in this hotel room, right now.

He backed me up to the window, and his hands went to my waist before sliding around to grab my ass, pulling me closer to him but also pushing me harder against the window. The cool glass against my skin did little to tamp down the rising temperature in my body.

My hands pushed his jacket off his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor.

The buttons of his shirt were next. My hands were frantic as they tried to push the tiny buttons through the even tinier holes.

I wanted his shirt off. I wanted to explore his chest as he had explored mine.

With the top two buttons released, I changed tactics, going to his waistband and yanking the shirt from its confines.

He pulled back long enough to wrench it over his head. Then returned his lips to mine in a brutal kiss that seared my body from my head to my toes.

Duncan lifted me in his arms, my legs wrapping around his waist, and once again I found myself against the cold window. His mouth latched on to my breast, causing me to cry out.

“That’s it, mo bandia . Let me hear your pleasure.”

I ran my fingers through his hair, tugging with each bite of my nipple. The pain was short and intense, but the soothing lick of his tongue had me begging him to do it again.

I could feel his hard length pressing into me where he had me nestled against him. My legs tightened, pulling him closer, only to hear him groan and pull back, setting me on the floor.

“If you don’t want that dress ruined, take it off now,” he growled.

His words crashed through my defenses, and my fingers quickly reached for the zipper at my back. Once it released, the dress fell to the floor, pooling at my feet.

Standing before him in nothing but a pair of lavender lace panties and purple heels, I licked my lips as his eyes roamed over my body.

“Fuck, you’re beautiful.”

He left me standing in front of him while he unbuckled his belt. The swooshing sound of leather being ripped from the loops cut through the silence in the room, causing me to shiver.

His eyes stayed locked on mine as he unbuttoned his pants, letting them fall to the floor with the rest of our clothes. Next to go were the boxers that barely contained him.

Standing before me, completely nude, Duncan palmed his dick, stroking the length. I watched as he ran his hand over the head, gathering the pearl of moisture to lubricate his hand.

He was larger than I’d encountered before, and my hesitation must have shown in my expression. Duncan walked forward. My eyes never wavered from his hand until he reached up, tilting my chin to look at him.

“You look worried, mo bandia .”

“Maybe a little.”

His smile was almost sinister. “Don’t worry, Freyja. I’ll make you so wet my dick will slide into your pussy as if it belongs there.”

“I already am.”

He growled at my words. His hands held my face as he kissed me again. This time, slow and sensuous. His tongue licked at my mouth, rubbing along my teeth and dueling with my own.

I could feel his hardness pressed into my belly. Tentatively, I reached out and wrapped my hand around him. Swallowing the hiss he released at my boldness, I stroked him.

“I want you inside me, Duncan.”

“Patience, mo bandia .”

“I’m not a patient person by nature,” I told him, squeezing him into another hiss, and he grabbed my wrist.

Removing my hand from his cock, he brought it up to his neck. “Hold on” was all he said before he lifted me and turned. He strolled into the bedroom as if we had all the time in the world.

We had tonight for certain. After that was anyone’s guess.

Duncan positioned me on the bed, covering me with his body. His lips bore a path to my jaw, then down my neck to my collarbone. He continued his pursuit, nipping and sucking as he went.

Reaching my waist, he kissed me just above my belly button, then settled beside me on the bed. He looked up at me as he swirled his fingertips over my belly, teasing the band of the panties I still wore. Those and my heels were the only clothing not left on the floor of the living room.