Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 108926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
His fingers tightened on my hips as he turned me until I straddled his lap, my knees resting on the couch cushions on either side of his thighs. Once he had me exactly where he wanted me, he lowered his head until our noses were almost touching each other. When he spoke, I felt his lips move against mine. “First of all, there’s no need for you to find your place. You’re the boss of the O’Reillys. It’s over and done with, your place is already secured.”
“It’s not that simple,” I argued, my words swallowed by his mouth as he claimed mine in a punishing kiss. By the time he lifted his head, both our chests were heaving.
“I wasn’t done,” he rumbled, not giving me time to chime in before he continued. “Secondly, there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. You are marrying me. You’ll be saying your ‘I do’s’ this week, just like you agreed to in the back of the limo.”
“You mean what you seduced me into saying while you tortured me by not letting me come,” I mumbled irritably.
“And you enjoyed every damn second of my torture,” he answered smugly.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I wouldn’t say enjoy exactly.”
“You’re right, it’s not a strong enough word to describe the way your pussy squeezed my cock when you climaxed all over me.”
I wanted to stomp my foot in frustration, but since I was perched on his lap it wasn’t exactly an option. I lifted my left hand and pointed at my ring finger. “You seem to have skipped a step, Mr. Smartypants.”
“You’ll do well to never underestimate me, kitten,” he growled, dumping me onto my back on the couch cushions before stalking over to the suit jacket he’d tossed onto the chair. When he pulled a tiny black box from the inside pocket, my jaw dropped open.
“Where the hell did that come from?” I gasped, scrambling onto my feet, only to have Brandon tug me back down to a sitting position as he kneeled at my feet.
“The jewelry store,” he deadpanned. Using his thumb, he flipped open the lid of the box and I was struck silent in awe at the ring nestled inside.
“You got me a Claddagh?”
“I stumbled across them while I was searching for rings online,” he explained. “When I read about the meaning behind them, I knew it was exactly what I wanted.”
“Love,” I whispered, running my fingertip over the huge heart-shaped emerald nestled in the center of the ring. “Friendship,” I continued, staring at the hands on either side of the stone.
“And loyalty,” Brandon finished, referring to the crown. “Because you’ll have mine. Unconditionally, just like my love for you.”
“Oh, Brandon,” I cried, tears streaming down my cheeks at his beautiful declaration. “I wish it were different, but your first loyalty has to be with Nic and the DeLucas. You’re his second. His enforcer. Even with the alliance, there’s bound to be times when you’ll be torn between what I want and what he needs.”
His thumb swept over my face, brushing the tears away. “And that brings me to my third point. You won’t be standing behind the DeLuca enforcer; you’ll be standing beside your husband. But behind your protector. Your enforcer. In order to get to you, everyone will go through me.”
“Mine?” What he was suggesting was unheard of. He wasn’t Irish, wasn’t part of the O’Reilly family, and was part of a family we’d been at war with for years. The alliance changed things, and so would our marriage, but it wasn’t going to alter the way our world worked overnight. “What does Nic have to say about this?”
“He supports it one-hundred-percent. So much so that he’s already selected my replacement.” His answer stunned me. My shock must have been evident because Brandon smiled down at me before he continued. “How could he not understand when he has Anna in his life? He’d make the same decision as me if our roles were reversed, and he’d have my full support. We’re family and he wants me to be happy.”
“But will you be happy? It means you’ll follow my lead, at least when it comes to business, and you’ll do it surrounded by men who won’t trust you because of you are.”
“I know I have what it takes to be the boss.” My heart fell at his answer, only to quickly leap again when he continued. “But it’s not what I want for myself. I’ll be your first line of defense, but the final word will be yours or ours. You’re the brains, kitten. I’m the brawn.” He winked and warmth infused me. “I was raised to be an enforcer, and I’m damn good at my job. I never once resented Nic for the role he was born to play in the DeLuca organization. He’s my family, and I love him. Supporting him, protecting him, and doing the things he couldn’t do himself made me happy. But you, Carly O’Reilly soon-to-be DeLuca, mean more to me than my cousin ever could. You’re my heart. My future. My everything. I’ll be damn proud to offer you my support and protection. To make sure you never come to harm. And to fucking do whatever needs to be done to make sure you and the family we build together thrives.”