The O'Malley Brides (16 page)

“And if I do not follow these rules?  What happens then?” she
asked softly, although she already knew.

“I will be fair
,
Tess.  There are situations that are unavoidable, but if you purposely defy me I will punish you.”

Tess swallowed.  This was nothing new to her and she would not have expected less from Rory.  At least he was being honest, nothing held back.  As he rubbed her back she relaxed against his broad chest and sighed.
  “And in the bedroom?” she questioned.

“In the bedroom what?” he asked, kissing the top of her head and holding her closer.  Just the thought of having Tess in his bed was enough to cause his already painful erection to throb.

“Do you have this control problem there also?” Tess asked
,
glad it was dark in the car.

Rory laughed.  “I don’t see it as a problem, and I don’t think you will either, but yes in the bedroom too.”

“This is a problem for me Rory.  I…I think I can mind you, at least most of the time.  I know you are this kind of man and that you want to protect me and keep me safe. 
I am not sure about…the other?  Why do you need this from me and what if I do not like it?  I would not want to worry about being punished while we were…”

“No Tess, they are two separate things.  Punishment would not be part of making love.  When I say I need to control you in the bedroom, it is for our mutual enjoyment.  I would never do anything you did not like, but I will make you try new things.  If there are things I do that you hate, you have only to tell me to stop.  I would never hurt you, not in a sexual way at least.  I can’t promise that your beautiful little ass won’t hurt if you misbehave,” he told her turning her face up to him.  He could see her lips trembling in the faint glow of the dash.  Her dark eyes searched his face
as she laid
her hand on his rough cheek.

“I will go home Rory,” Tess murmured,
lifting
her lips to his and gently kissing him.  “We can take things slowly, yes?”

Rory lifted his hips and pressed his rock hard erection into Tess’s bottom.  “I don’t know how slow I can go
, Babe
.  I already want you so badly I can’t think straight, but I will do my best,” he replied, slowly sliding his hand up her leg beneath her skirt and cupping her center.  Damp heat engulfed his searching fingers and he smiled darkly.  Pushing aside the elastic on one side of her panties his finger was bathed in her juices as he stroked lightly over her hard little nub. 

Tess tried squirming away unsuccessfully as Rory clamped his other arm tightly around he
r waist. 
 

“Hold still Babe
, I need you to show me how slow you want me to go,” he growled continuing to rub her with tantalizing unhurried brushes of his thick digit.

Tess’s head dropped back against his shoulder, lightning flowed through her and he
r
hips began to dance.  Moaning
,
she tried to pus
h herself closer to his touch, but
he held her
firmly, her bottom pushed snuggly onto his erection,
controlling her every movement.

“Easy
,” he whispered.  “I’m trying to go slow here.  I don’t want to rush you,” he grinned before capturing her lips in a melting kiss. 

“
Rory please,” she begged when he finally let her come up for air.  “Please…”

Deliberately
misunderstanding her, Rory ever so softly let his finger graze her one last time before he released her.  Shifting his hands to her waist he deposited her back in her seat gently. 

Sighing
,
he leaned back in his as seat, brought his hand to his face and licked his fingers as if he had just finished a decadent desert. 

Wide-
eyed
,
Tess gasped and shifted in her seat, trying to control the relentless need he had gifted her with.  “Rory,” she hissed, totally embarrassed.

“What?” he asked grinning w
ickedly.  “You’re delicious, Babe
.  I can’t wait for the next course.”  Adjusting his seat
,
he backed out
of the
parking space and exited the dark lot.  He knew perfectly well that Tess’s pleading
had not been for him to stop and it was extremely gratifying to know she wanted him as badly as he wanted her, even if she couldn’t admit it.  Yet.

Chapter 9

Pullin
g into the side parking lot of T
he Rose and Thistle, Rory parked the car.  Tess was still trying to stop the quivering in her limbs as he walked around to her door.  Taking her hand he pulled her out and right into his arms, her feet several inches above the ground.

“Ten minutes,” he growled nuzzling her neck.  “Get what you need for tonight.  We’ll get the rest tomorrow,” he told her insistently, setting her on the ground and turning her towards the outside stairway with a light smack on her butt.

“What is the hurry
?
” she asked over her shoulder
,
surprised by the time constraint.

“I’m not going to give you enough time to put out the fire I started,”
he told her firmly, staring into her eyes, dead serious.

Tess was shocked, it had not entered her mind to reli
eve herself, but now that
he mentioned
it, it seemed like a good idea.  No
dding, she turned to the stairs, her
foot on the first step when she paused.
 
“You are no
t going to tell Patrick are you?  I do not want to get Molly in trouble.”

“Molly can take care of herself
, little one
.  Y
ou should be more concerned about your own bottom.  I’m still not happy with the way you took off and left my mother worried sick.  No
t to mention me.
No, I’m not going to tell Patrick.
Leave your bag at the top of the stairs and meet me in the bar.  I’ll carry it down when we come out.”

Tess nodded and proceeded up the stairs, Rory watching until she closed the door.

The pub was
busy for a Tuesday night, but then they drew a decent crowd most nights. 
Patrick was tending bar and Molly was serving
sandwiches
to a table of
rowdy
women in the corner.  She glanced at Rory as she went by and smiled a sweet little nervous smile.  The one he returned wasn’t so sweet.  Before he got comfortable on his barstool, the door opened and Maggie and Nick sailed in. Plopping herself on the stool next to Rory, Maggie shrugged out of her coat and handed it to Nick.

“Hey, I heard you were back,” Patrick smiled.  “How was the honeymoon
?  Nick, did t
his termagant give you any trouble?” he teased.

“No more than usual,” Nick replied grinning as he took the barstool next to his wife after he hung up her coat
.

“Very funny you two,” Maggie replied.  “Is this a bar or just a place
where
men co
me to act like asses
? 
How about a beer and give one to my brother here, he seems a little grumpy.  You lose your woman again?” she asked
,
laughing.

“What are you doing here anyway?” Rory shot back.
“Thought you were going to Ma and
Da’s to get the kids?”

“
We were, but I decided to stop in, just in case someone needs some moral support,
” she smiled
, picking up the beer
Patrick had put
in front of her.

“Where are you gonna get some morals, Maggie,” Rory snorted.

“Not from you,” she retorted.

“Behave,
Maggie,” Nick warned.  “Can’t you go anyplace without trying to stir up trouble?”

“Me?” Maggie exclaimed.  “I never find trouble, it find’
s me, and anyway I can razz m
y brother’s if I want to.  It’s in the constitution.”

“I’ll play,” Patrick replied with a
grin, his
eyes twinkling
.  “
What part of the constitution would that be in
,
squirt?”

“The pursuit of happiness,” Maggie replied smugly. “It makes me happy.
 
So, did you misplace Tess again or did she run like hell?”

Rory growled and gave Maggie the eye, sipping his beer as he checked his watch.

Wiping the bar,
Patrick
winked at his wife as
she
busied
herself, straightening up a few ne
arby tables.  It wasn’t like Molly to ignore
the family when they came in
to
the pub, but she had been busy all afternoon so he let it be.

“Did you find Tess?”
Patrick
asked curious to find out what was really going on here.

Rory nodded.

“Well where was she?”

Rory squinted at Maggie, while Nick scowled
and Molly
hurried behind the bar.

“So Rebecca and Mason had their baby today?
”
Molly interjected cheerfully.  “You must be thrilled
,
Nick. 
Pat
rick,
would you come and give me a hand in the kitchen?”

“Just a second sweetie, s
o
where is Tess?”

“She was at our house, wasn’t she Nick?” Maggie lied.
   Looking at Molly and frowning at
the almost imperceptible shake her head, Maggie continued
.  She was in too deep now to stop.  “
Yeah
,
she called my cell
phone
and asked if she could hang out there for a few days and I said sure.”

“Jesus
,
Nick,”
Rory
groaned.  “
What
did you do to
her
? S
he’s worse than she was
.
” 

“I thought you promised me that if we came down here you were going t
o stay out of this?” Nick asked,
star
ing sternly into his wife’s eyes
.

“Stay out of what?” Patrick asked.  “I’m confused here. 
Would
somebody mind telling me what the hell is going on?  Molly, didn’t you tell me that Tess
wasn’t
at Nick and Maggie’s?
”
h
e
asked, giving Molly a warning look.  “
Did
you lie to me?”

“No, Tess didn’t stay at Maggie’s,” Molly answered quietly, picking up the bar rag and wiping up nonexistent spots.

Patrick scowled at Maggie before taking his wife’s arm and turning her to face him. “
So
Maggie is lying?”

“Well, yes,” Molly replied
lowering her eyes.

“Gee thanks
,
Molly,” Maggie spat.  “I was only trying to help
.”

“You should have stayed out of it
,
Maggie.  I had everything under control,” Molly
insisted
, hands on hips, glaring at her sister in law.

“But you didn’t know that
Rory
knew
…”

“Enough!” Patrick shouted.  “I want an expla
nation, and I want it right now
or I swear I’ll turn you both over my knee.”

“You can’t do that,” Maggie shouted.  “I’m married now and not answerable to either of you two
!
”
she stated looking from one brother to the other. “
Isn’t that right
,
Nick?” she insisted
.

“
Don’t
bet on it
, C
upcake,” Rory
answered, calmly picking up his beer and taking a sip.

Maggie’s jaw dropped as she looked at Nick expectantly. 

“Damn it Maggie, f
or
once
quit digging yourself in deeper,
”
he told her firmly.

Turning to his brother, Patrick pointedly ignored both his wife and sister.  “So I take it you found Tess?” he asked.

“Yeah, I found her,”
Rory
answered.

“Where?”

Rory didn’t
speak
.  H
e merely pointed over his head and waited for it to sink it.