Falling in Reverse (The Seasons Change)

by Julia Wolf

Iris left the same way she’d come, hugging and kissing each man. Even Callum readily accepted her affection.

She was tired and had already given them their shot this morning, so I wrapped my arm around her, shielding her with my body, and held a hand up to block their lenses. She grumbled, but didn’t try to break away, so I took that as a win. Maybe she was finally allowing me to take care of her as I saw fit. A wave of satisfaction and pleasure at her cooperation stirred in my chest.

It had been too long since I’d spent hours rehearsing with my boys. My brain was mush and my body was exhausted, but my chest was so full, I had to press on it to make sure it wasn’t going to burst. I would never tell those jackholes how much I loved playing with them, but they probably knew. They let me yell at them when I got pissy or frustrated and never yelled back, so I was pretty sure the feeling was mutual. Even Callum, though his affection was mostly silent. That he kept showing up and signing his name on the dotted line to be contractually obligated to continue to show up was all I needed from him to know he was as committed as the rest of us.

“Everyone wonders about Callum. He just exists in his own world, and sometimes he comes to ours for a visit.”

Ronan placed a hand on the center of my back, inviting me into his sphere. I tipped my face up and found him already looking down at me.

I’d add that being present in the time you spend together is necessary. When I’m with someone important to me, they are my sole focus.” What was it about this man that had me practically panting? He infuriated me, but oh god, he turned me on just as furiously. Imagining what it would be like to be his sole focus made my panties wet. As ice cold as Ronan could be, I’d seen flashes of the heat that lay beneath and had little doubt he was as meticulous and careful about his partner’s pleasure as he was with his bespoke suits and security systems.

Ronan kept his hand on my back. As we walked, it slid up my spine until his long fingers curled around my nape. His nonanswer clawed at my brain, but I wouldn’t ask again. It really wasn’t my business, even with the blurred lines between us. His fingertips gently stroking the side of my neck went a long way to distract me from what my question had been in the first place.

“I very much liked the new song you played.” “You did?” He hadn’t exactly been the intended audience of my ragey girl anthem. I was fortunate to have a band who supported me singing about my personal truths, things that didn’t touch them directly. “I did.” I gestured from me to him, then sang a line. “It’s not even safe to walk down the street. They said you gotta have a man at your side to protect you from his brethren.” The bitter fucking irony of the situation floated between us like a specter. He hummed. “You write what you know.” “Have you listened to much of our music, Ronan?” “Some.” “Did you listen before or after you knew who I was?” He squeezed the back of my neck and turned me to face him. We were in front of my house, but he made no move to escort me inside. “After.” His fingers traveled through the back of my hair, tangling in the long strands. “Did you get hard?” His nod was barely perceptible, but it was enough for me to suck in a shuddering breath. I picked up his tie and wound it around my hand like a ribbon on a package. “If you weren’t my bodyguard, I’d invite you inside right now.” His fingers balled in my hair. His gaze burned into mine. “You wouldn’t have to invite me, Iris.” His head dipped until his mouth was only inches from mine. Warm wisps of his breath caressed my lips. “I’d already have you up against a wall right inside your door.” My heart thrashed wildly at the same time my stomach churned with disappointment. I wanted that, but it wouldn’t ...

Finn was a decent running partner. This was our second time out together, and we’d worked into a steady rhythm. He had to slow his long strides way down for my much shorter ones, but he didn’t complain. “You know I’m a TSC fan.” Finn would have been a better running partner if he could have at least pretended to be out of breath. “Your point?” “My point is I heard Ronan got to go to your rehearsal yesterday and I’m offended I wasn’t asked along. Surely you had a need for a second guard.” I snorted and almost tripped over my sneakers. “We didn’t even need the one we had. Ronan followed me to the bathroom, that’s how boring it was.” “That’s his job, you know.” He swatted my shoulder like we were old pals. “I really fuckin’ doubt Ro was bored either way.” “I meant boring as in there wasn’t any kind of danger. Our music is never boring. Although…” I wiped the back of my hand over my sweaty forehead, “he spent a lot of time on his phone.” Finn shrugged. “He’s busy. His bodyguard contracts aren’t usually as open-ended as this one and he has other responsibilities he has to keep up with.” Since he brought up the subject, I decided to take the opportunity to dig. “Who’s Lizzy?” It was Finn’s turn to be taken off guard. His steps stuttered and his face quickly went blank. “What?” “Lizzy. Who is she? Ronan was talking to her.” “Did you ask him?” I didn’t like the caginess in his voice. It made me suspicious. “What do you think?” He chuckled. “I think if Ronan wanted you to know, he ...

“Bye, Iris. Next time, take it easy on me.” I flipped him off because he deserved it. “Next time don’t patronize me.”

Finn reached for her hand and tugged her into his chest. He grabbed her ass with his other hand and slanted his mouth on hers. It was brief, but passionate and familiar. Sensing an opportunity, I cupped my hands over my mouth and yelled, “Hey, Finn!” Vanessa and Finn jumped apart like they were each a live wire. Seeing me standing there, Vanessa covered her mouth, and Finn took a few steps in my direction. “Hey, Iris,” he yelled back. “It’s not what—” “Who’s Lizzy?” I called. He stood stock-still, shoulders rolling forward in defeat, then he cupped his mouth like I had and shouted, “His ex-wife!”

How had I not felt Iris’s eyes on me? She was seated catty corner from Claire, and her head was turned as she stared in my direction. As soon as our gazes met, her head snapped forward, giving me her perfect profile.

Me: How’s your dinner? Then I watched. Waited. She took her time slipping her phone from a small clutch. Even longer to reply. Iris: It’s rude to text when you’re on a date. If you need something, text Matt. He’s my man tonight. Me: Matt’s your guard. Nothing more. From across the room, her eyes flicked to mine. Her lips curled in a slow, unreadable smile. Iris: Like the way you’re just my guard? Same thing?

I peered back at Iris, but she’d already turned away, her phone face down on the table. I could have argued, but I chose not to fight this battle. As much as I wanted to remind Iris Matt wasn’t her man and never would be, this wasn’t the time. That would come later.

Matt stood nearby, watching us closely while keeping a respectful distance.

Of the three bodyguards I’d had recently, he was my favorite because he made me forget he was there and why he was there.

Matt brought us water and stood by while we drank. My mouth was so dry and sweat beaded my forehead and upper lip. He made sure Hope and I drank it all, and I had never appreciated someone more. Matt might have been young, but he wasn’t inexperienced. A-plus for Matt.

I missed being touched in that way. Without reservation. Owned. Desired. I opened my eyes to find an angry storm staring back at me. Ronan Walsh had arrived, and he did not look pleased. Not at all.

Iris spun, and our eyes clashed. This was my first look at her head-on, and now I could see she wasn’t quite there. Lucid, but behind a glass wall, fogged with euphoria. Her easy smile and crooking finger beckoning me to her was a dead giveaway she wasn’t fully herself. I had had enough, and so had she. Closing the space between us in four strides, I wrapped my fingers around her arm and tugged her against me. “It’s time to go home, Iris.” She shook her head slowly and smoothed her palm down my chest. “No. You should dance with me.” “You’re high.” Her tongue peeked out and traced along her top lip. “I taste like cherries.” Her mouth cracked into a smile. “And I’m not that high. I’ll remember everything tomorrow.” “Did you invite her here? Megan?” She licked her lip again and slotted her finger between buttons on my shirt, touching bare skin. “No, I didn’t. I didn’t invite you either.” My hold on her tightened until she grimaced and her palm curled into claws. “Home, Iris.” “Dance with me, Ronan. You followed me here for a reason.” Her head whipped around, eyes wild. “Wait, is your girlfriend here? Where is she?” My other hand came up to grip her chin, stilling her. “No, Iris. That was my ex-wife, and she isn’t here. It’s only me.” She stepped into me, slowly rolling her hips. “And me. It’s only you and me.” She tangled her fingers in the back of my hair, scratching my scalp and nape. “Did you like when she touched you like this? Did it make you hard?” “No.” I peered down a...

Stepping in front of her, I shoved my hand under her hair, squeezing the base of her neck. She moaned and tipped her head back, watching me from under hooded eyes. “I’m not arguing with you. Not tonight. You’re coming inside with me. If I have to toss your pretty little arse over my shoulder, I will.” Not waiting—because I knew this girl now, and she would fight me for the hell of it—I tucked her under my arm and strode into my building. She stumbled, but my hold was so firm, there wasn’t a chance for her to fall. Her toes barely skimmed the ground, and she clung tight to my jacket. I should have been ashamed by how much I liked her clinging to me, but I wasn’t. Not in the least. The elevator ride was fast, and I kept Iris in my arms. She shoved at me, but not hard enough to call it a real protest. And when she stopped fighting, her fingers worked on my tie, tugging the knot loose and running her fingers along the silk. Once I had her in my apartment, door locked, alarm set, I released a heavy breath. Iris separated herself from me and walked into the living room like she owned it. Kicking off her shoes on the way, her toes curled into the plush carpet in front of my couch. I held my hand out to her. “C’mere.” To my surprise, she came, grasping my hand and stepping on my toes. She looped her arm around my neck and hopped up to wrap her legs around my waist. I gripped her bottom on instinct, but once I was there, I squeezed each cheek. Iris wasn’t a big woman, but her arse ...

Ronan had left me an extra-large T-shirt and a pair of boxer briefs. I yanked on the T-shirt but left behind the bullshit shorts. My panties were a soaking wet ball on the floor, so I was completely bare, but the T-shirt hit me mid-thigh, so nothing was showing. Not that I cared. His shirt was soft, like he’d worn it a hundred times, and it felt like a cloud floating on my overheated skin. I smelled like Ronan now too, after using his soap. Did he do this on purpose? Surround me in everything about him to torture me? If he were a rug on the floor, I’d lie down on top of him and roll myself inside him. Steam escaped the bathroom when I pushed open the door. It took me a moment to focus and find the hulking statue of a man poised on the end of his bed. His palms were upturned on his knees, head heavy, but his eyes were lifted to meet mine. He was bare from the waist up. My fingertips came alive, itching to touch every single inch of his flesh. To run along the cut of his muscles, press on every freckle, find each and every scar. “Where’s your bunny suit? With the fuzzy tail?” I blurted dumbly. My stomach swooped. My skin crawled with need. Suddenly only being surrounded by the essence of Ronan wasn’t satisfying. I needed the whole thing. The entire unreadable man. “Forgot it, meala. Forgive me.” I walked straight to him, balancing my hands on his broad shoulders. The heat from his skin soaked into my palms, setting me alight. He cupped my hips. Not tentatively, but like he’d...

“Come, Iris. Show me what this beautiful cunt looks like when it’s fluttering with pleasure. Move your fingers how you want me to lick you. You don’t stop, I won’t stop.” The orgasm took hold of me in its jaws and shook me violently. I thrashed so hard, I might have fallen off the bed if Ronan hadn’t been holding my hips in his firm grip. Before I could come down or think clearly, his mouth was there, taking my fingers’ place. Warm lips covered my clit, sucking and flicking his tongue. One orgasm plunged me even deeper into another. My back bowed, and every muscle went taut. My hands flailed uselessly. I felt like a turtle on its back, helpless and desperate. Without missing a single beat, Ronan reached up, took my hands in his, and brought them to his head. Absent of thought, I stroked his perfect hair, mussing it and toying with it until his tongue plunged inside my opening. My strokes turned to tugs, then my nails dug into his scalp, pressing him even closer. He growled against my pussy, and I took off again, like a meteor doing its final flight to freedom. He kissed my pussy lips so sweetly I trembled, goose bumps sprouting on my flesh. Two fingers plunged into me, curling forward. “My...my…” I wanted to tell him not to stop. He’d found my G-spot, and I might have died if he stopped stroking it. But I didn’t need to say a damn word. He kept up his steady ministrations until my legs were vibrating and my belly clenched. I nearly levitated off the bed when his tongue wor...

He was feral, guarding my pussy like it was his prized possession, and god, he was taking such good care of it, it might have been rightfully his. He shifted us again, then again after that, folding me into every position, over me, under me, beside me. I let him take charge, too lost in a cloud of lust and insanity. I couldn’t guess how long it went on. My world had contracted to Ronan’s hands and mouth. The sweaty sheets. His hard, unyielding body. This man, this bed, this night. Him, him, him. We were side by side again, his fingers working in and out of me, lips tangling lazily, more breathing each other in than kissing. My high was wearing off, and my body was shutting down. Blackness crept in at the edges of my vision, but that didn’t stop me from coming on Ronan’s hand another tim...

“You’re okay, meala. I have you. You can go now. You’re safe. I’m here.” The vibrations from his voice went straight into my head, caressing my mind into a trance. I believed him, that he was here, that he’d take care of me. I trusted him. “I’m ...

When I told Ronan I’d remember what happened last night, I hadn’t been lying. Some of it was lost in a fog, but for the most part, I could close my eyes and bring back every detail. His scruff on my thighs. Warm lips covering my clit. His tongue in my mouth. My wild, insatiable cries for more. The hours and hours we spent rolling around his bed in every position. Ronan making me come again and again until I finally passed out. If I thought I could sneak out of this apartment without getting caught, I would have. I didn’t know how to feel about what went on between us. Part of me leaned toward being embarrassed, but from what I remembered, Ronan had been as into it as I was—and he didn’t even get off. So maybe I wasn’t embarrassed, but I was all topsy-turvy, unclear on which way was up and which was down.

My head jerked up at the light tapping on the door. “Come out, Iris. No more hiding. I have food for you.” “Why do you think I’m hiding?” “There hasn’t been any movement for ten solid minutes. Come on.” The doorknob jiggled, but I’d locked it so it didn’t open. “Why are you listening to me in the bathroom?” Something clunked against the door. Something solid and large. Probably his head. “Iris…” he groused. With a sigh, I got up and cracked the door, peering at Ronan through the narrow opening. I half expected him to already be in a suit, but he wore a T-shirt and sweatpants. His hair was perfectly in place, though. “What did you make?” Chuckling under his breath, he pushed the door open and yanked me out by my hand. “Come see.”

Fingers twined like old lovers, he walked me to the kitchen where two steaming plates heaped with bacon and eggs sat waiting on the bar for us. I could have fallen face first into the food, I was so hungry, but thankfully, I’d gotten control of myself since last night. Ronan helped me up onto the high stool. His hand slid over my ass, and ...

I don’t even want to think about what could have happened if I hadn’t been there last night. Who would you have gone home with? The first person to offer?” Whatever leftover bubble from last night, the closeness I had started to feel, the desire, all blew up like an atomic bomb. My feelings weren’t fragile, but they were fucking hurt. I grabbed my phone and hopped off the stool. Spinning in a circle, I spotted my shoes lined up neatly in the entryway. High heels and basketball shorts were going to be a look, but there was no way I could stay here for another second. “Iris, stop,” Ronan commanded, like I was his little soldier boy. I stuffed my feet in my shoes and went for the door, but my fingertips only grazed the knob before I was hauled back into a solid wall of muscle. I slapped at the thick arm banded around my middle, squirming and wiggling to be set free. “Fuck off, Ronan. I’m leaving. Stop touching me.” I tipped my head back to hiss at him. “Who knows what kind of diseases you’ll catch from me. I’m filthy.” His arms tightened, and he glared at me like I was a maniac. “Jaysus, woman. Stop fighting me and listen for once.” “No, you listen. I’m not going to stay here and let you accuse me of being slutty. If you hadn’t shown up last night, I would have danced with my friends until we shut down the lounge and then gone home and rolled around on my bed until I passed out. If I had wanted to take home the first person to offer, I could have, and there would have been no...

For the second time in less than a day, I let darkness overtake me while curled up in Ronan’s arms. It took twenty-one days to form a habit, and we were nowhere near that. This was safe. This wasn’t a pattern.

plastered to him like a starfish on the side of an aquarium. My cheek was hot and a little sweaty from resting on his chest. Our legs were braided. My hand was tucked into the waistband of his sweats. Wow, I’d made myself comfy, hadn’t I?

Sometime while I was napping, Ronan had lost his shirt. Light beamed through the wide crack in his curtains, dappling his skin with a golden glow. The light caught my hand when I hovered it over his chest. If I touched him, I’d wake him. If I woke him… Well, I didn’t know what would happen. Maybe he’d take me home. Maybe he’d take me. I couldn’t decide which I was hoping for most. I started to pull my hand back to my lap, but strong fingers wrapped around my wrist and tugged me so hard, I toppled onto the solid chest I’d been studying moments before. “You think too loudly,” he grumbled. “Now you’re trying to police my thoughts?” I smacked his chest. “Not your thoughts, just the volume.” He caught my hands before I could hit him again. “Be still, pet.” “I’m not sleepy anymore. I’m ready to go home. You can keep napping. I’m going to call Bill for a ride.”

He grunted and rolled us so he was on top of me. Eyes open, intent on my face, he spread my legs wide and rocked his hips against mine. His thick erection nestled between my thighs, gliding up and down my clit through the thin material of my shorts. He had my hands pinned over my head so I couldn’t bring his mouth to mine. Instead, I lifted my head, straining until we connected. Ronan cupped my crown, lifting me even closer. My arms strained against his hold, but his hot tongue sliding into my mouth soon distracted me from all else. His teeth caught my bottom lip, biting to the very edge of pain, then soothing it away with a swipe of his tongue. Sighing, I chased his mouth with mine. I was wide awake and suddenly starved for this man. “Is this how you quiet me down?” I asked between hungry kisses. “If it was, I’d be doing a terrible job at it.” Ronan’s accent had deepened, like he was fresh off the boat from Ireland. His words blended, almost unrecognizable, a flurry of heated sexiness. He licked a line down the tendon in my neck. “And I always do a good job, meala. At absolutely everything.” He clamped down on my neck, sucking hard enough for me to bow off the bed and try to follow his lips. “Stop bragging and start fucking me. Show me what a good job you do.” His eyes narrowed. “I didn’t prove myself enough to you? When your juices were running down my chin and you nearly tore my sheets to shreds?” I was hot all over, but this time, not from embarrassment. Naughty-talkin...

“I want you, Ronan.” Gray eyes pierced mine as if he could read my thoughts for the truth. And fuck him, he probably could if he demanded it with enough authority. But if he saw my thoughts, he’d know they were all clustered around him. About the things he’d done to me and all I wanted to do to him. “Then you’ll have me,” he gritted out. “Condom.” He fisted my hair, touching his nose to mine. “Patience, pet.” Thankfully, he didn’t seem to have any more patience than I did. After a drawn-out moment of looking me over with a gaze so heated he left tingles along my skin, he reached behind him to grab a condom from his bedside table. Using his teeth to rip it open, he rolled it down his length. I followed his hand down, giving his thick cock a squeeze and rubbing him through the latex. Brow furrowed with impatience, he shoved me onto my back and slid his hands beneath my ass. Cock prodding my entrance, I helped guide it into my body. Once he was an inch or two inside, I let go, and so did he. In one smooth, determined motion, Ronan drove into me fully. He was so thick, I felt stretched out, fuller than ever. He hit places that had never been touched. He stared at me as he fucked me,...

“You can and you are. Your little pussy is hugging my cock so sweetly, like it's just been waiting for me.” He dipped his head and sucked my bottom lip between his. I shoveled my fingers through his hair, pulling him closer and prolonging the kiss. Ronan’s mouth was a sip of the finest cognac. Decadent and addictive, coating my tongue with a flavor I’d taste and remember him licking my mouth like a man who had no doubt I’d fall to my knees and beg for a drop more. “Tell me you want more.” He pushed up so we were only connected in one spot, his pelvis slapping relentlessly against mine. “I don’t know if I can take more.” “You can—and you want to.” He slung my leg over his arm and ground himself into me. My eyes rolled back in my head at the slightly different angle. “Beg me, Iris. Tell me you want more. Look at me.” Sucking in a sharp breath, my eyelids opened, meeting his storm. I’d already begged him once, and my pride had the words stuck in my throat. I tried to kiss him again, but he jerked away, glaring at me like I’d done something wrong. He made me desperate. I’d never begged anyone, but Ronan had me willing to lower myself to his feet and give him what he wanted so I coul...

“Iris,” he gritted out, “what are you doing to me?” “Lose your mind, Ronan.” I bit his chin gently. “Show me what I do to you.” Biting along his jaw, I felt him shaking. I nuzzled into the side of his throat and looped my arms around his neck, flattening my chest to his. Licking a line down his straining tendon, my lips wrapped around his fluttering pulse, sucking his flesh into my mouth. A deep rumble traveled from his chest to mine, then he was gripping my hips and thrusting into me frantically. I held on to him through his raging storm while he bucked and threw his head back, my name like a curse on his lips. Like he was angry I’d made him come before he was ready. As if he was in disbelief I had the ability to snap his unflappable restraint. His head dropped forward. His eyes were on me, searching for an answer to a question only he knew. When he couldn’t seem to find it, he covered my mouth with his and swept his tongue between my lips. He licked me all over and sucked on my tongue until my...

arms banded around my middle and dragged me backward. Ronan placed me on him, my back to his chest.

I turned my head, but we were so close, I couldn’t really see him. “And while I’m waiting for that to happen, I should just lie here on top of you?” “I don’t have a problem with that.” He pressed his nose to my cheek. “I spent an awful lot of time lying on top of you this morning.” I couldn’t help the little moan that escaped me. He’d fucked most of the fight out of me, and I was still a little delirious from all the orgasms he’d doled out. “Mmm, yeah you did.” I held up both hands in front of me, five fingers extended on my right, one finger on my left. “Now I need two hands.” It took Ronan a second to react—maybe for him to recall me saying I could count my past lovers on one hand. He took my right hand in his and curled his fingers around mine, until all five were balled into a fist, then he held my other hand in his, shaking it in front of my face. “The other ones don’t matter anymore. This one is the only one you’re going to be thinking about right now.” From his barely contained anger, I interpreted his “right now” as “for as long as I say.” “Is that you trying to police my thoughts?” “I’m not.” He stroked my stomach in a slow, rhythmic motion.

“But I don’t want to hear about anyone else you’ve been with when I’ve still got the flavor of your pussy on my lips.”

Pushing my ego aside, I sighed and let the stiffness flow out of my limbs. “It was stupid of me to mention. Forgive me for the fried brain. I’ll try to do better.” “That sounded sincere.” His hand moved lower, cupping my pussy like he owned it. “I forgive you.” Snorting a laugh, I rolled off him, and he allowed it, giving my butt a sharp pat on my way. I sat up, and he threw me my shorts. I shimmied into them, keenly aware of how wet I was between my thighs. The ache there took my breath away, and I had to stand still until I could fill my lungs with air. By the time I was fully dressed, Ronan had thrown on his sweats and a T-shirt and was waiting for me at his bedroom door. Even though it had been my idea to leave, I was slightly miffed how easily he went along with it and how quickly he was ready to usher me out. “You’re going in public in sweats?” I asked as I passed. “Aye. Contrary to what you think, I don’t live in a suit.” I glanced over my shoulder, finding him right behind me, and I bit my lip. “You look naked even though you’re fully clothed.” He chuckled as he slipped on his shoes. “I’ve never met a woman more obsessed with what I wear.” “That’s because there’s no one ...

Finn chased me through the park like an out-of-control stalker. He called it training, as in he was training me to evade my real-life enemies, but I thought he was just getting tired of slowing his pace for me and had been itching to run flat out. If he were my real stalker, I’d be on the ground with a knife through my heart. I was in pretty damn good shape, but Finn was nine feet tall, so he could have captured me without even trying. “I’m gettin’ close to you, love. You better move those wee legs or else!” He gnashed his teeth as his toes nipped at my heels. There was exactly zero scary about this man, but the chase had my adrenaline pumping and I squealed, my sneakers pounding the pavement. “Fuck off, leprechaun!” I held up my middle finger, laughing and panting. I had almost made it back to the bench Finn had designated as home base—and I refused to be caught. Just as the bench was in reach, he grabbed me by the middle and lifted me right off the ground. He walked me to the bench and deposited me on my bottom. Bending in half, he braced his hands on his knees and panted in my face. “Jaysus, Iris, you’re outta shape.” I laughed and fell to my side. My heart hammered away in my chest. I should have gotten up to cool off, but now that I was down, I wasn’t eager to hop back up. “Didn’t I hire LSS to keep the stalkers away? In what scenario am I running from one?” Long Shimmering Satin Finn paced in front of the bench, his hands on his hips. “I’m preparing you for the unexp...

a large man sat on the steps, peering down at his phone. That neat hair and those broad shoulders were unmistakable but didn’t make sense. We were supposed to be taking a day or two to think. He hadn’t contacted me, but he’d only dropped me off yesterday. Still, I hadn’t expected him to just show up. I guess he was done thinking.

“I didn’t expect to see you today.” He peered down at me, entirely unreadable as usual. “I said a day.” I held up two fingers. “Or two.” “A day was enough,” he volleyed back. “What if it wasn’t for me?” The truth was, I hadn’t even come close to wrapping my head around what had gone down between Ronan and me. I knew what the safe answer was, though. “That’s too bad.”

“I’ll be talking to you later.” Finn chuckled as he walked away. “Oh, I’m sure you will.”

Ronan towered over me like a marble column, unmovable and steady. He flustered me, and that wasn’t something I was used to feeling. I took on rowdy, heavy metal crowds of thousands without flinching, but this beautiful, put-together man turned me into a mumbling wallflower. Which really proved why we shouldn’t continue. From the look of determination on Ronan’s face, it probably didn’t matter what I thought. It seemed he had already made up his mind.

My fists were clenched as Iris let me into her place. Finn knew goddamn well he shouldn’t have had his hands on her like he did. It took all my willpower not to rip into him in front of Iris, but I would have looked like a jealous lover instead of a pissed-off boss. Finn knew better. He wasn’t as strictly regimented as I was when it came to the job, but he damn well knew not to let his guard down as he had when he was working. It led me to wonder what other rules he’d been flouting while on the clock. We’d be having a talk, me and him, and it wasn’t going to be pretty.

first I had to have a talk with the more than pretty woman fumbling with her lock. I placed my hand over hers, guiding the key forward, and twisted until the door opened. She glanced at me over her shoulder, eyebrow raised, but didn’t say a word. I shut the door behind me, locking us in, and placed her keys on the small entry table. Iris took off her shoes and disappeared into her kitchen. With my hands in my pockets, I followed. She stood in front of the sink, chugging a cup of water. Seeing her in her skintight leggings and sports tank, I cursed my fucking knee yet again. The seam of her leggings separated her peachy arse so perfectly, she might as well have been naked. If people were seeing her this way, then I should have been there to make it clear they could look but touching was out of the fucking question. “So, you and Finn have become pals, huh?” She choked on her water, sputtering and coughing to clear her throat. “What? I don’t know, I guess. I mean, I’m paying him to run with me, so I guess I can’t really call it a friendship, but he’s not so bad to be around.” “Mmm.” Placing her cup beside the sink, she propped a hip on the counter and folded her arms over her chest. She was probably trying to look stern, but her tits were pushed up and on display, so it was hard to be troubled by her serious expression. “Is that what you came here to talk about?” she asked. “It isn’t.” “Then why are you asking about Finn when you could just say what you want to say and leave?...