Love Came Back (a Pyro-Princess Design and Style novel Book 1) (14 page)

Without my permission and to my cold-stare in which he ignored, he snatched the keys from my hands and unlocked the door.

“Hey! You can’t just waltz up here and decide to take things over! You, you…ah! You arrogant, alpha, asshole MALE!”

My voice rose with the last few words and what did the man do? He just smiled, and waved his arm for me to enter.

Growling incoherent words, I stalked past him and thanked God my mother was at work for a few hours.

Konner grabbed my upper arm gently to still me and used his heel to shut the door. He whipped me around so my back was to the door, and for once the manhandling didn’t freak me out. It just pissed me off.

“Don’t manhandle me again.”

“You about done, babe?” when I refused to answer, I could see the steel hardening in his eyes. "Answer me, Siddaleigh Mare.”

I finally looked up into his eyes and saw a little irritation, maybe a little anger but a lot of hurt. It was that hurt that made my tongue loosen.

“I have been busy. You must know and must have seen, I am having my fashion show in just a few days. Prepping it hasn’t been all tea and cookies. Why’d you grab me like that? You treat everyone this way?”

He even had the audacity to chuckle at me. Now, I was getting good and pissed.

“Well no,
banphrionsa
, that’s just what you do to me. I want to be with you, you silly woman. I willna leave you to go by yourself to your fashion show,
leannán.
Who’s gonna take you?”

“Not that it’s any of ‘
yer’
business, but I was going by myself. Why? Does the mighty Konner Patrick O’Brian have a problem with that?”

With that, I shoved him back with my fists on his chest and rushed towards the bathroom. For some reason, arguing with him was starting to make me feel the opposite of anger. It was making me hot. It made me feel alive. Like something was waking up inside me.

Konner beat me to the door and blocked the entrance with his hands spread out on the door frame. I closed my eyes and counted to ten. I clenched my teeth in frustration and was about to rip into him when I opened my eyes and Konner swiftly hauled me to him for a quick hard kiss.

Then he nuzzled my face to trace kisses to my ear and whispered, “Talk to me,
álainn
. I am right here. Can’t you listen to what your heart is tellin’ you?” he backed away and I felt my eyes getting ready to water. So he continued. This time, at normal level.

“I know you’ve been miserable. I can see it in your eyes. The way your shoulders hang when you think no one’s looking. I pass by your shop as least once a day. Do you think I do not know you? Deep down? Lean on me,
mo féin
. I’ve worked long hours for m’dad and uncle, but it doesna stop me from making sure you’re safe.”

Konner slipped his hands to my shoulders and urged me in the direction of my kitchen on the other side of the apartment.

“This time, we’ll stop dodging each other and get to the heart of our problems. I am not leaving here, Siddaleigh, until we come to an agreement. Alright, love?”

23

Breakfast and Mothers

..::Konner::..

Seeing her sigh with resignation, I couldn’t help but feel helpless. I knew she was just as miserable as I’ve been this past month. Silly stubborn woman.

Whenever I could, I dropped by the store, and tried to get her to talk to me. Even if it was just to see how she was doing. She always closed up as if seeing me was a hardship for her. She had no idea what she was doing to me. It wasn’t just a hardship for her. Not being with her was causing me to lose sleep. To not be able to feel her in my arms felt like bullets being shot into me. I knew how those felt. Like a fucking bitch. I hated seeing her look so down and miserable.

In some ways I had felt like a stalker, always checking up on her, but I had to know she was safe. After what happened last time, I couldn’t let her slip away. Seeing her at her place a few weeks ago was like a sucker punch to my gut. I wanted her badly. Lust raged through my veins and seeing her in her pajamas made my dick harder than granite. Then she had to go and ruin it by mentioning what not finding her did to her and that whole Mikhail bullshit. I wanted to tell her how I looked for her, and I did, until we learned our system had been hacked into. It was impossible to keep looking at that time.

I had not been celibate in the past and I made it out to be practice for her. There was so many things I wanted to do with her. To her. For her pleasure. For mine. Teach her how to let go of her inhibitions and let all that sweet built up sexuality go free. The one night I spent with her wasn’t enough. God, I don’t think a life time would be long enough. Every night I went to bed with a raging hard-on and fisting my cock almost every second of the day was starting to kill my wrist. I came every time but still. Woman was driving me insane with lust. I wanted her like nothing else I’ll ever want and I needed her like my next breath.

I had been biding my time though. I knew I wouldn’t last too much longer. I was only going to give her so much time and then I was going to give it to her. In all sense of the word. She wouldn’t be without me as I wasn’t going to live my life without her.

Looking at her now, it seemed as if something was weighing heavily on her and all I wanted to do was go to her and get her to tell me. To tell her, whatever her burden may be, I was here for the long haul. I wanted to carry that weight for her. As is my rite. To make sure her every dream came true and her every need taken care of. That fire in her eyes was dimming more each day and I was about tired of seeing that happen.

Looking at the way she sat down on one of her bar stools and avoided looking my way, I knew that more than the upcoming event was on her mind.

“
Mo chroí
, tell me what’s wrong. Please? While you do, I’ll cook my favorite meal. How does eggs over easy and toast sound?”

I was pleased to get a genuine smile out of her.
Finally
.

“Favorite meal my behind. It’s easy to make goofball. That’s good enough for me though. I don’t think I could eat much right now. My nerves are practically shot with everything going on. So hit me with it, big boy. I’ll bite.”

“That’s my girl! She’s easy to please.”

Siddaleigh burst out laughing, and that punch in the gut happened once more. God how I loved hearing her laugh. Seeing her eyes light up, even for just a moment, made me feel victorious.

“That’s what I like to see,
leannán
, that beautiful smile of yours.”

“Oh Kon, things have been definitely not easy these past few weeks. Even stuffing my face with Reese’s big cups haven’t lifted up anything except an extra five pounds.”

Siddaleigh sighed and let out a deep breath. Told me all about her store, her family problems. This was telling because it told me the situation with her mother and how her sisters have lately been calling her to bitch about their marital problems was starting to take a toll on her.

I honestly didn’t know what to say. My parents have been married for thirty-five years and it seemed as if they were still newlyweds. I never saw them argue over anything more than my da telling her to sit down and put her feet up every once in a while. I guess they argued but maybe they only did it in private so as not to fight in view of Brianne or myself.

“If Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups is all it takes to put a smile of your face, then I’ll be sure to keep a hefty supply of them for you. So if you ever need a pick me up, you know who to come to, to get them.”

Grabbing eggs from the refrigerator, I looked around the counter for the bread bag.

“Where’s your bread,
bhean
?”

“It’s in that container by the toaster.”

Totally surprised at the soft texture of the bread, I almost didn’t believe it.

“Uh, Sidda-love, did you make this bread? There’s neither a wrapper nor brand on it or did you go to a bakery?” I turned around to look at her and noticed a blush, flare on her neck. Damn, that blush did things to my body, or namely my dick. I liked seeing her flush and shy.

I knew Sidda was talented but homemade bread? My woman was full of sweet surprises. Siddaleigh walked up beside me, and grabbed from the knife block and sliced a piece of the soft bread.

“Here, it’s soft, yeah? It’s a recipe from my grandmother. She gave it to me when I was younger. Never knew I liked baking, but once I started and learned how to make it proper, it’s been a great stress reliever. I haven’t had a lot of time to bake much, but I try on Saturday nights when I have time. The girls from work come over after church on Sunday. That’s been like a tradition for the past six months or so. Kind of like a book club. We chose a book to read for the month, which I read more than that but we discuss it, and eat lunch here. Sometimes it turns into like a brunch thing where we drink margaritas and talk about everything else. I’ve never really had close friends. I mean in college I had Mags and I’m rambling now, sorry.”

Her face lit up with such joy when she talked about her books and friends. Her eyes shined like the brightest star and I couldn’t help what happened next.

“Siddaleigh.”

I know I growled just a bit, but I just couldn’t stop from lifting her chin towards mine to kiss her deep. She breathed in with her mouth and it gave me the chance to sweep my tongue to kiss her minty taste. Our kiss was passion filled and the semi-hard-on I was packing came to full life. I could feel it throbbing beneath my jeans, begging to see and take care of what belong to it.

I felt her hands draw up to my chest and I shifted mine to her hips. I lifted her just a bit so I could grind my hard dick that she brought out of me so quickly against her. Dear God in Heaven, even grinding myself against her was making me restless to get inside her.

The clearing of a throat made me freeze. I did my best to keep the groan I wanted to release inside and I put a smile on my face before turning towards the intruder. We both turned to see her mother staring at us with a cheesy ass grin spreading across her face.

♥

..::Siddaleigh::..

Are you freaking kidding me?

Seeing my mom look at Konner and me making out made me feel like a teenager again. I had to take a moment to calm myself. I knew how I looked. Like a starlet. A hussy. A wanton. And it was all true. The moment his lips and tongue met mine, I was a goner.

Konner made me burn so hot and wild; my insides were raging on fire for him. My mother wasn’t due home for at least another hour!

Dammit
.

Now that I declared, finally, to myself that the hiatus was the top level of idiocy, I needed Konner’s hands all over me.

Every time he touched any part of me, or kissed me on my forehead or the hollow of my neck where shoulder and neck met, made me burn, tingle; it made me want to growl, roar and rip off his clothes. I wanted to devour him. Lick every inch of his hard beautiful body that he said could be mine and just…bite into him.

Mmmm, grrroooowl.

“I thought you said it wasn’t serious, Siddaleigh? This must be Konner. Hello.”

Mom stretched her hand out to his, when instead he took it and hauled her in for a welcoming hug. I knew he wanted people to see him as hard and rough, but he had an immensely sweet side that came so natural to him.

“You must be Corrine, right? We were about to eat, would ye care to join us, ma’am?”

Konner was always a gentleman. And he seriously played thick into his accent so it was broguish and deep enough to make even my mother go gooey. I knew he could be brazen when we’re alone, but he was so respectful to my mom and seemed genuinely concerned about her. I really liked that.

I knew telling him about my mom was the right thing. Konner had this thousand watt smile that made even my mother blush a little. The color was coming back to her pale features and that was a plus.

“No, but thank you. I had Wendy’s on my way here,” she turned to me and said, “I was thinking about going over to the house and trying to talk to him. It’s been a month. We love each other. We need to work it out. I will call if I’m coming back tonight, okay, Sidda?”

“You sure that’s a good idea mom? I mean, he kinda flipped a little bit when I called to see how he was doing last week.”

“Yes, I am sure. He is working through his own reasons. It’s such a hard time and with the loss of his mother; my breast cancer, it’s taken such a great toll on him, too. He works so much. Too hard sometimes. Hopefully we will discuss all this like adults. It was nice to finally meet you, Konner. Do my daughter right.”

With that, my mother walked away to the guest room to gather her things.

Konner cocked his head back to me and shook his head in amazement.

“Your father is an ass for putting her through this. She’s a good woman.”

He kissed my nose and turned to resume getting our dinner ready.

“Yeah, she totally is. She only works part time and I think my dad just needs to get help. He has taken on a lot with the funeral and my mother’s diagnosis. It’s just, I don’t know really. I pray for him and although it doesn’t seem like it’s enough, it’s the only thing I could think of doing for him. Them. You know?”

I reached in the fridge and looked at our selection of drinks, “Yeah, uhm, Konner? It’s milk, water or sweet tea.”

“For our breakfast dinner? I’d rather have coffee, but seeing as how I know you hate the stuff, milk is good.”

“Sorry, but I like milk. I drink it with almost everything. That’s probably why I don’t lose the weight. I know I’m weird but it’s like water to me. I drink a lot of water, too. I don’t mind coffee. Much. It just has to be blended with like one too many scoops of ice cream.”

I poured our glasses of milk and waited until he served our platter of food.

“That should be good when you bear children. At least I would think so. Maybe not too much milk but two full glasses or…” Konner trailed off that last bit by looking at my face. I raised my eyebrow with question, so he hastily continued. “Not that I have any kids. I don‘t have any. But seeing as how if a woman breast feeds, wouldn’t drinking milk be helpful? Don’t you think? Or maybe I should just shut up. Yeah, shutting up, now.”

I tried keeping my face serious, but when he looked like he was trying not to embarrass himself, I had to just laugh.

“Oh, Konner, you’re too much. I wouldn’t know, I’ve don’t have kids either.” I laughed some more. Even though the thought of having children made me think of John Christian. I knew I’d meet him someday, and I didn’t let it deter me from laughing at Konner’s silly speech.

“Think that’s funny do you? Well
leannán
, you best eat up your food, and since your mother might take her evening out, I’m gonna show you who’ll have the last laugh.”

Just like before at his apartment, we ate in a companionable silence while Chris Young, my favorite singer ever, sings and serenades in the background. We finished and he made me sit with my feet up while he took care of the dishes.

It was nice having him around. And since Mags stayed with Candace last night, I found Konner being here a welcome sight.

Now that I’ve got food in my tummy, it’s time to wash the day off. A nice, hot, bubble bath sounded perfect. Maybe I’ll let him join me. Maybe.

“I’m gonna go take a bath now. You can make yourself at home. I should be out in an hour. Okay?”

I got up and began walking to the bathroom. The sound was almost inaudible, but I heard Konner growling? Or groaning?

I turned to see what the problem was and the look on his face was something I was beginning to enjoy. The sight of passion in his eyes made me feel so wanton when I’ve never felt wanton before.

“What?”

When Konner just kept looking at me, he tilted his head to the side as if contemplating his next move. And just as fast, he levered himself away from the sink and began making his way towards me. Fast, like a predator and intent on one thing.

Me.

“Oh, no you don’t!” I made a run for it towards the hallway when he, to my utter delight, swept me into his arms and I couldn’t fight the laughter that spilled out of me even as he kissed me deep and rough.