I pump harder and faster picturing myself inside Ella, she would be so tight and sweet around my cock. Her whimpers and moans have me jerking faster until I release across the tiles of the shower. Coming down slowly off the tips of my toes, I give my cock a few final jerks, emptying it before finishing my shower.
***
Declan’s estate sits on the outskirts of Brownstown. My stomach churns as I enter the property. This isn’t just about the wake. My father will arrive and with it, I will return to just Lucas. Brendan will make sure to rub it in. I tighten my hands on the steering wheel as I follow the direction of two men who wave me to my parking spot.
Two large greyhounds roam near the front door. Declan is a betting man and had his own greyhounds in the races. They were such an ugly dog. They always looked half fed. They don’t come near me as I make my way up the four steps and push open the red front door that’s been left slightly ajar.
Signing my name in the book of condolences, I follow the soft chatter into a large sitting room. The décor is what you would expect for an Estate house. It’s a smaller scale than our own, but just as expensively decorated.
Debbie is the first to see me. Her blond hair is pinned in a tight bun on top of her head. The black dress she wears is fitting. Her neck is decorated in pearls.
“Mr. O’ Faolain.” She takes my hand.
I smile at her. “Please, Debbie. Call me Lucas.”
Her smile grows. “Thank you for coming, Lucas.”
“Declan was a good man.”
She nods, but her makeup stays on perfectly. Money kept her here, not Declan. Money kept us all in our place. No one is going to marry me for anything other than power, a position. That’s how it went.
Debbie still hasn’t released my hand. “He’s over here.” She brings me to the coffin like I might not have noticed it or known where Declan was.
I want my hand back, but I also want information. Leaning in, my eyes go straight to his hands. One is placed over the other, hiding the missing finger.
“I’m sorry about his finger,” I whisper but glance at Debbie.
Her nose curls. “Would you notice it missing? I had them rearrange his hands three times.” She sounds annoyed.
“No, you wouldn’t notice at all. You did a fantastic job.”
She beams. Thank you. Lucas,” she says my name slowly and I carefully detangle her from me. Someone else arrives, taking her attention off me. I turn to see Brendan, Aine and Sean seated against the wall on high-back gold chairs, like they were the most important people in the room.
“Master Lucas,” Aine greets me. That told me that my father has not reappeared yet. He would use a wake to make his return loud.
“Aine, Brendan, Sean.” I greet all three. Brendan barely says Master Lucas, but he manages to get it out. The only other people in the room are some younger people, on their phones. settled on a large couch near the double windows. Most people would be in the kitchen. Where there is food, there is people.
I return to Declan, picking up the palm that I brush on his forehead. My eyes snap to his hands again. They really had covered up his missing finger. I could see the tiny gap, but that’s only because I knew what to look for. Peeking out of the sleeve of his jacket is a small black dot. Glancing around the room I make sure no one is watching. Of course Brendan is. While Debbie is greeting a lady I make it quick, moving the white sleeve. Three black dots are tattooed on his outer thumb. Just like Henry’s.
The air in the room changes and I step back from the coffin.
“Master Andrew.” My father has arrived.
The wake ended up turning up nothing. No one spoke ill of the dead. So if he had enemies, they sung his praises. I needed to approach this from a different angle, the tattoos would be one. Why would Declan and Henry have the same tattoos?
I arrive back at the house and as I step into the foyer, I find Ella alone and pacing. When she notices me, I can’t figure out what passes her features.
Fear?
“I’m sorry for your loss.” She steps forward, hands held tightly in front of her. She’s wearing a white summer dress, it doesn’t hug her curves, but she looks angelic. Black hair falls into her face and she pushes it back behind her ear.
“Thank you.”
Her eyes widened in surprise like she isn’t expecting me to respond.
She forces a smile, but it looks just that, forced. She’s up to something. I will let this play out.
“I need a drink.” I did. I step away from Ella but she doesn’t follow. Let’s see how eager she is.
“Are you coming?” I ask but don’t turn around. I smirk when I hear her soft footsteps behind me. She is definitely up to something.
She looks awkward as I step behind the bar and take down a bottle of scotch.
I pour out two glasses. She’s standing a few feet away from the bar looking around the room. I place her drink on the counter.
“I won’t bite,” I say.
She gives me a questionable look. She looks ready to run. But she straightens and walks with her head high to the bar. Picking up the glass, she stares at it and I watch her as I sip my own drink. She raises the glass to her lips, her eyes shoot to me and my trousers tighten. What she could do with one look.
She pulls a face and I grin at her. “That’s disgusting.”
I nod, walking around to her. “I agree, but it’s a taste you get used to.”
She has that deer in headlights look as I walk around to her. She places the glass on the bar and puts her hands behind her back, but I see the tremble that she is trying to hide.
What is Ella up to?
I lean against a stool, not fully sitting on it. “Do you want to tell me why you were waiting in the foyer?” I ask before placing my drink on the bar and removing my black suit jacket.
Her eyes roam across me and I let her take me in. When her eyes travel up to mine, a splash of pink coats her cheeks and I want to kiss her.
“I wasn’t. I was actually about to take a walk in the gardens.” She lies and tries to cover it up by taking another drink of scotch. Her face twists in disgust and I smile again at her small turned-up nose.
“Really?”
She bites her lip and I think she’s trying to stop a smile.
“I hope you aren’t keeping secrets from me, Ella.”
Her face flames. It’s too easy. “No. I was only going for a walk.”
I finish my drink. “Are you sure you weren’t meeting Alex?” My temper flares like a match striking a box. I don’t know why the feeling erupts, but she flinches and I know I’m scaring her.
“No.” Her bark is loud and she curls her little fists tightly at her side.
This is my fault, I started this, but I feed off her fear and I can’t seem to help myself.
“If I find out you are, I will punish you.”
Instantly her eyes flicker to my lips. I grin. “I think you like when I punish you.” My trousers tighten painfully.
Her temper is rising, I can see it, she’s ready to lash out but at the last second something changes.
She takes a step closer to me, her eyes flicker up to mine. I don’t move as I wait to see what she’s going to do. A hand that I can feel tremble through my shirt touches my chest. The heat of her hand worms its way beneath my skin.