Page 18 of My Irish Roommate

I try to calm myself down but my adrenaline is still on overdrive. I take her by the arm and tell her, “Upstairs. Now.”

I want to continue scolding her for putting herself in danger every time I turn my back, but now I’m too turned on to think of anything but getting her out of her clothes.

She questions me with her eyes but doesn’t say a word and follows me to the apartment. Once inside, I pounce on her like a lion on its prey. I strip her of her clothes without saying a word and release my aching tool from its cloth prison.

Ricki is stunned by my aggression, but I don’t care. My need for her is more powerful than any drug on the market, and I will have her right now.

I lift her off the floor and press her back against the wall. Cupping her mound, I groan when I find she’s soaked. Pulling her legs up and around my waist, I slide into her. She wraps her arms around me and holds on as I saw in and out of her. I drive myself into her as deep as I can and pound her against the wall in short, hard strokes, following the instincts being driven by the animal inside me.

My emotions are twisted and raw, leaving me rage-fueled and grateful that nothing bad happened to her.

Both our orgasms come quickly, and I find myself breathless and feeling hung over from the natural high the situation has given me. My thoughts begin to come clearer, and I’m struck with the realization that Ricki may not approve of how rough I was with her. Still deep inside her, I carry her to the bed and set her down.

She takes a moment to catch her breath then asks me, “What was that? I thought you were angry with me. When you told me to come upstairs, this was not what I expected.”

“Did I hurt you, little girl?” I ask with genuine concern since this was the first time I’ve been rough with her.

She smiles and shakes her head. “No, it was amazing. I just thought you were really mad at me. I thought you might be bringing me up here to kick me out.”

“Are you serious? You’re not going anywhere. See what you do to me? I went from murderous rage to horny like a beast in a matter of seconds.”

I sit down beside her and close my eyes, trying to slow my pounding heart. She’s about to speak but stops when her phone rings. She retrieves it from the nightstand and frowns, “It’s a private number again.”

“Answer it on speaker,” I tell her.

“Hello?”

A voice from the other side says, “Your new boyfriend has a very bad temper, Ricki. I’m very disappointed in you. You’re too perfect to waste your time with a Neanderthal like that. I guess I’ll have to intervene.”

So much for slowing my adrenaline. I’ve gone from zero to one thousand again. I shout, “Why don’t you come and try? I’m right here, asshole. Instead of scaring little girls, come face me like a man.”

The call ends and Ricki rests her head on my shoulder, one arm wrapping around my abs. Thank fuck for her. She’s the only one who can help me cool down.

“I don’t understand why this is happening,” she whispers. “Why can’t he just go away and leave me alone?”

“Some people have a screw or two loose and they do crazy things,” I tell her, rubbing her shoulder to calm her down. “There’s no need to figure out why he’s doing it. Just know that you’re safe and I’m going to put an end to it.”

If there was ever a doubt in my mind, it’s gone now. This man isn’t going to lose interest and go away on his own accord. I’m going to have to take care of him myself. No more waiting for him to step out of the shadows. It’s time to set a trap and lure him out into the open.

I don’t want to use Ricki as bait, but I don’t see any other choice. It’s either that or spending the rest of our lives with her looking over her shoulder.

I look at Ricki and see the fear-stricken look in her eyes. I can’t imagine what it was like for her to have to deal with this all alone in Boston. She’s stronger than she seems. I look at her still-naked body.

She’s so tiny and fragile on the outside, but she must have the heart of a lion. She did the right thing by coming here. She might not have known it at the time, but we’re meant to be together.

I’m the one man in this world who will do whatever it takes to protect her, and I won’t rest until I’ve dealt with this bastard.

10

FROM OUT OF THE SHADOWS

RICKI

Rowan is gone when I wake up in the morning. It’s the first time he’s gotten up before me since I arrived here. I roll over and find a folded note lying on his pillow.

It reads, “Running errands. Didn’t want to disturb you. Be back soon.” I place the note on the night table and sit up, disappointed that Rowan doesn’t have a coffee maker up here. I toss on some shorts and a T-shirt so I can go downstairs and get some. I pull my hair back in a ponytail and head out the door.

The gym is quiet at this time of the day, with only a few early risers finishing up their morning workouts. I keep my eyes forward and slip into the kitchen area. I don’t want to have a repeat of yesterday. The last thing I need is for some man to hit on me just as Rowan gets home from his errands.

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