Knots (Club Imperial Book 4) (23 page)

“Stepford wife,” Cece mumbled.

“I can’t wait for Killian to give me my ring,” Diane answered, moving to sit on the chair across from her. “We’ll have a grand wedding with all the trimmings and a huge wedding party. I want a big cake, and gorgeous flowers… And I guess that I’ll have to get used to the idea of spitting out a few kids.”

“You really think that Killian is going to propose?”

“His mother and my mother have been talking about it for a long time.”

“Don’t you want a say in that?” Cece sat up on the couch. “Don’t you have any aspirations beyond society trophy wife and mother?”

“Why would I?” Diane seemed really confused by the question. “I marry Killian, I pop out a few kids. Hand the kids over to a nanny, go out and find myself an affair and do what. Ever. I. Want. Why would I need more than that?”

“You’re not curious about anything? There’s nothing you’d go to school for to learn more about?”

“School is for the bourgeoisie.”

“Do you even know what that means?”

“The common folk.”

“Um. No. You’re the bourgeoisie. If you’re trying to find a polite insult for the people who value education and hard work, you’re looking for plebes, or the proletariat. I don’t even know why I’m telling you this. You don’t care.”

“Not even remotely,” Diane said.

“It’s that attitude that’s going to cripple you, Diane.”

“Look, all I care about is that ring. I mean why should I go out and better myself when I already am better than ninety percent of the population.”

Cece looked at the woman sitting across from her. “Do you even like Killian?”

“I like him enough to fuck him.”

“Seriously.” Cece thumped her head back. “Do you believe in love at all?”

“Waste of time,” Diane answered.

“What about Nick and Morgan?”

Diane shook her head. “New money. Nicholas Dovadsky isn’t marriage stuff. He’s wild, filthy fling material. You can’t marry someone who isn’t established.”

“What about Emmy and Nathaniel?”

Diane grunted. “Okay, there’s real love there, but that whole thing was so damn… weird. The whole thing with the whips and corsets and…” She picked at the arm of the chair. “I see that they really love each other. The whole thing with Lance was bizarre. Lance…”

Cece turned her head to look at Diane again. “Lance what?”

Diane cleared her throat. “He was slimy. Scheming. He always gave me the creeps and the heebee-geebies. There was just always something off about him. I get that people like that kink stuff and hey, what’s wrong with a little dirty play and a good fucking? But Lance just took it too far. Or too seriously? Or maybe not seriously enough.”

Cece was sure that her shock showed on her face. “Did Lance…”

Diane pursed her lips. “Yes.”

“What did he do?”

“Tried to choke me.” Her demeanor changed in that second. She seemed to fold in on herself. “When we were in high school. He said he wanted to kill me and fuck my dead body.”

Cece just watched her. “I had no idea.”

Diane shrugged, her eyes drifting over to the door. “No one ever talked about it. I just made sure I was never alone with him again.”

There was knock on the door, and a moment later it cracked open. Everett’s head popped in. “How are you doing, Cece?”

“She’s fine.” Diane the society whore was back in that moment. “She could come back out and mingle with the party people.”

“Don’t ever say that again,” Cece groaned. “I need another minute alone.”

Everett nodded and motioned to Diane. “Come on. Give the lady a minute to recoup herself.” Everett motioned Diane out of the chair. She obviously wanted to keep taunting Cece, but Everett made it clear that she needed to go. Diane huffed as she left the room. He watched her go, and closed the door after stepping in.

“How are you?”

Cece tossed a dramatic arm over her eyes. “Exhausted. I want to get completely shitfaced and not give a damn about anything.”

“I can get behind that,” Everett laughed. He sat on the edge of the chair Diane had vacated. “Tonight made me realize something, Cece. We…”

Cece waved him off. “I know. We can’t anymore. We have to stop the whole thing. It’s the smart and the right thing to do. With everything that’s going on, there’s no way we can.”

Everett nodded. “I don’t want to either.”

Cece let out a long breath. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not.” The smiled was in his voice. “I do not regret one thing about any of this. It’s been amazing and it’s been fun. Now, things are changing too quickly to hold onto something that has to change as well. There’s only one thing I would ask.”

The word ‘mistress’ was implied at the end of his sentence. Cece smirked into her arm. It was going to suck not having him around for a good shibari session. She’d learned to read him so well. “What’s that?”

“That Dusty and Tessa might help me find a new partner.”

Cece turned and peered at him, approving his use of hers and Emmy’s club names. Who knew who might listening outside the door? A moment later, she smiled and nodded. “Of course. You know they’ll help you. I’m sure there’s a student or new hire who can help you with that.” Cece bobbed her head. She actually had someone in mind. “Let’s set up a… um… interview this weekend?”

“Sounds good.”

“However, I think you shouldn’t be too hasty to cancel your Tuesday research.”

Everett cocked his head. “It’s drawing to a close.”

“Mm. It is. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find what you’re looking for one last time at the library. You know I’m happy to help you with that. Just one last time.”

Everett coughed, and adjust on the arm of the chair. Cece laughed inwardly; she knew he had a raging hard on at her suggestion. And she liked the idea that just the thought of what they could and would do together got him hard. “Well, I do think that last article is hiding in the stacks.”

“Me, too.”

The door flew open this time with no pretense and no warning. Everett came close to tumbling off the chair, and managed to grab the edge of the chair at the last moment. Cece whipped her head around to see who was being rude.

Killian stood there. “Ev, Saundra is looking for you. The sitter called and Imogene is really sick.”

Everett was out the door almost before Killian could move out of his way. Cece sat up and trotted over to the door. “What’s wrong?”

“High fever, vomiting. The nanny took her to the hospital on my order. Saundra was panicking.” Killian looked at her. “Apparently, your brother is pissed Saundra wanted Everett to go with her instead of him.”

“My brother is an asshole.” Cece peered down the hall. “Did the shithead leave?”

“He was going to follow them to the hospital, but Saundra wasn’t having it.” Killian glanced down at her. “Imogene isn’t his kid. And Ev loves that little girl.”

“Not even remotely disagreeing with you.” Cece stepped back in the room. “I was just kind of hoping my jerk sibling was going to go away for the rest of the night.”

The door closed and the feeling the room changed. Cece didn’t know if she liked it or not, but turned to find Killian stalking toward her. His arm slid around her waist, swooping her around to back her against the door. His eyes were burning—but she couldn’t name the emotion there.

“Did you like it?”

His voice was a low, angry growl.

“Like what?” Cece was shocked at how mousy her own tone sounded. 

“Did you like kissing Paul?” Wordlessly, she shook her head. There seemed to be no air in her lungs around Killian. His hand was hot against her skin, sparking things in her that weren’t supposed to be lit at her own engagement party. “You didn’t like one thing about it? Not one?”

She swallowed. “He’s a good kisser—but it wasn’t right.”

“Right how?” Killian’s visage grew dark.

“Jealousy doesn’t become you, Kay.” Cece started to find her voice again.

“This isn’t jealousy.” His face drew near. “This is possession. I want you. You’re mine.”

Cece couldn’t stop her reaction to him. She stepped into him. “I know I’m yours. But we have to pretend. We have to see this through. I have to remember that Hannah needs this. She and I will come out the other end free of this bullshit.”

Killian breathed slowly, his exhale tripping over her skin. “Having Paul near you when I can’t touch you in public makes me a monster.”

She caught his eyes with hers. “We’re not in public.”

There was no answer Killian could give to that, save to capture her lips with his in a searing, punishing kiss, sweeping his tongue into her mouth and removing any memory or trace of the kiss with Paul. Cece’s entire body reacted to him, leaning closer, wrapping her arms around him. She welcome him as he licked and sucked on her lips.

“Goddamn it, Cece,” he barely managed.

She brushed her words across his lips. “Fuck me, Killian. Right here. Right now.”

“It’s wrong…”

“I don’t give a shit.” Cece wound her fingers into his hair. “Nothing that has happened tonight has been right. Make this be the one wrong thing that feels right.”

He didn’t answer—instead he growled again and owned her mouth with his. Killian’s hands found the edge of her skirt as he slid her whole body from the door to against the wall. Cece flipped the lock and her hand very quickly found the zipper on his pants.

“Shit, you’re hard,” she breathed.

“You’re wet.” His fingers found home in her folds, telegraphing his intent through her whole body. “No panties.”

“My own little rebellion.” Cece’s hand found his cock, and she dropped the pants off his ass. “Did you get angry when I kissed him?”

“Furious.” Killian’s free hand worked her blouse free of its confines, and yanked her bra up and over her breast, palming it. “I wanted to rip his balls off.” His hand was possessive, plumping and pinching her.

“Did you want to show everyone what you really thought?” Cece asked, cupping his sac in her hand, rolling him, taunting.

“Yes.” His found her entrance and drove two rough fingers into her pussy. “I wanted to grab you and throw on the floor and fuck you senseless. I wanted to fuck you and let everyone know you’re mine and no one else’s.”

“God yes,” Cece managed. She crashed her mouth on his and their heated tongues tangled desperately with each other. “Get your cock in me, Killian. Get it inside me.”

His hands moved quickly to her ass, and hoisted her up against the wall. Cece wrapped her legs around him, locking them at his waist, while her hand that had never let go of his erection guided him to his rightful place inside her.

Killian shoved into her once he was at the entrance, filling her completely. Cece bit her lip to stop the scream she wanted to let out at his intrusion. She knew what they were doing was wrong on so many levels, but she didn’t care. This was the man whose ring she should be wearing, the man who should be sharing the toasts and gifts and well-wishes with her. And if she couldn’t have him, she damn well have his dick slamming into her.

“Damn it, Cece, you’re so wet.” Killian’s shaft slid easily in her, and she was impressed with his strength as he held her against the wall.

“Just fuck me,” she hissed in his ear. “Make me come. Fill me with yours.”

“You’re a filthy woman.” Killian lowered his mouth to hers. “I fucking love it.”

“You have no idea,” Cece mumbled just as his mouth and tongue tangled with hers. He drove himself into her at a relentless pace, bracing her against the wall. It was a heartbeat later that she felt his fingers on her clit with no mercy at his punishing rhythm. “Oh, shit yes.”

“Filthy gorgeous woman,” he repeated. “Come for me. Come soon.”

“Rub my clit,” Cece directed. “I’m getting close.”

“I want to feel your pussy around me, squeezing me.”

“This is wrong.” Cece laced her fingers into his hair, and breathed the words into him.

“So, so wrong,” Killian agreed. “And I don’t care. I want to spend the rest of my life doing wrong with you.”

“Oh, God, yes,” Cece cried, both as a response and as a warning that she was going hit her climax soon. “Yes, please, yes.”

“Coming.” Killian pressed her harder into the wall, leaning one hand there, leaving the other on her clit in his own form of torture and trusted that she would hang on to him and the wall could hold her still. His onslaught was animalistic, rough, possessive. Cece understood that feeling. “I’m coming, Cece.”

“Come, come,” she chanted, pressing her hips into him. “Make me come too.”

He knew her body already—just as he thrust into her as hard as he could and released himself into her pussy, he pinched the bundle of nerves at his fingers hard. The rough, demanding pinch shot through her and her whole body erupted in a mind-shattering climax making her undulate over his hand, around his dick. She arched her back, and her head slammed against the wall. Cece let out a string of incomprehensible noises, unable to form a coherent thought as both of them enjoy the release they brought each other.