face.
Claire’s eyes nearly fell out. All that time she’d been making an ass out of herself to one of the richest people at the party.
“Claire,” someone called from the back.
The crowd parted as Conor made his way to the front.
“What are you doing here?” She stared at him.
He stood there, clad in a black tuxedo with a red bow tie and matching red cummerbund. It was the first time she’d seen him so dressed up, and although the look suited him, she missed his stretched t-shirt and rippling muscles.
Conor ran a hand through his sandy brown hair.
“I just...” He glanced around. People near them were leaning in to catch what he had to say. He looked over at Jason and frowned. “What the fuck is going on here?”
“I punched him,” Claire said. She waved a hand in dismissal. “He had it coming.”
She watched as he looked around at the growing crowd. She either had just blown the election or made an entire room of fans.
“We’re getting out of here,” he said and took her hand.
Without waiting, he pulled her though the mass of people and back into the great hall. When they had made it out the front door, she pulled back a little.
“Conor,” she said. She yanked a little harder until he stopped to look at her. “We can’t just leave.”
“The hell we can’t,” he said. “I stay here with that prick, and I might just finish him off.”
She glanced around as a few people scurried out of their way.
“What about Anna?” she asked.
“Claire,” Anna called from behind them.
“Oh, Anna.” She rushed to her. “I’m so sorry.”
Anna pulled back and shook her head. “I suspected as much,” she said. “I’m so sorry he put you through that.”
“In the end, he got the worst of it.” She shrugged.
Anna nodded. “I caught that part.”
“I’m going to call Finn and have him send someone over to pick you up,” she said.
Anna shook her head. “Maxwell has offered me a ride. You have made a very affluent friend. I guess he likes your moxie or whatever.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “I'll be okay. Jason won't, and that makes me...happier than I'd have thought.”
She nodded, still slightly shocked at the change. Claire gave a quick hug and moved back to Conor.
“Let’s go,” he said and pulled her beside him again.
“Where are we going?” she asked, almost afraid to even know.
Conor pulled her between two cars and pressed her against him. His mouth came hard against her, and she gasped in surprise. Wasting no time, he slipped his tongue into her mouth and groaned. His hands came up to cup her face, and he pulled away.
“I’m taking you back to your place, and then I’m going to have you all the ways I’ve dreamed about,” he whispered. “No more running, no more obstacles. I’ve wanted you from the moment we met and not an ounce of that has gone away over the years.”
Her heart filled to the brim with all the love she’d been holding on to. In just a few words, Conor had said everything she ever hoped to hear from him. Claire threw her arms around his neck. Tears of joy splashed his nice clothes, but she couldn’t seem to turn them off.
“I think I’ve got to keep you close,” he whispered in her ear. “Every time I let you out of my sight, you're either getting into car chases or picking fights.”
Claire laughed through her tears. “I think you’d better.”
Chapter Eleven
Conor gritted his teeth as he pulled away. Every part of him wanted to go back to that party and beat the shit out of Jason. The thought of that bastard with his hand on Claire just about pushed him to the limit.
He had been late getting there. A little earlier, and she wouldn’t have even had gone through that. He cursed himself for not being there, for pushing her away when he should have been pulling her in. All the time he’d wasted haunted him.
When he glanced over to Claire, he was surprised to find her sitting calmly. A large part of him worried that
Claire’s eyes nearly fell out. All that time she’d been making an ass out of herself to one of the richest people at the party.
“Claire,” someone called from the back.
The crowd parted as Conor made his way to the front.
“What are you doing here?” She stared at him.
He stood there, clad in a black tuxedo with a red bow tie and matching red cummerbund. It was the first time she’d seen him so dressed up, and although the look suited him, she missed his stretched t-shirt and rippling muscles.
Conor ran a hand through his sandy brown hair.
“I just...” He glanced around. People near them were leaning in to catch what he had to say. He looked over at Jason and frowned. “What the fuck is going on here?”
“I punched him,” Claire said. She waved a hand in dismissal. “He had it coming.”
She watched as he looked around at the growing crowd. She either had just blown the election or made an entire room of fans.
“We’re getting out of here,” he said and took her hand.
Without waiting, he pulled her though the mass of people and back into the great hall. When they had made it out the front door, she pulled back a little.
“Conor,” she said. She yanked a little harder until he stopped to look at her. “We can’t just leave.”
“The hell we can’t,” he said. “I stay here with that prick, and I might just finish him off.”
She glanced around as a few people scurried out of their way.
“What about Anna?” she asked.
“Claire,” Anna called from behind them.
“Oh, Anna.” She rushed to her. “I’m so sorry.”
Anna pulled back and shook her head. “I suspected as much,” she said. “I’m so sorry he put you through that.”
“In the end, he got the worst of it.” She shrugged.
Anna nodded. “I caught that part.”
“I’m going to call Finn and have him send someone over to pick you up,” she said.
Anna shook her head. “Maxwell has offered me a ride. You have made a very affluent friend. I guess he likes your moxie or whatever.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “I'll be okay. Jason won't, and that makes me...happier than I'd have thought.”
She nodded, still slightly shocked at the change. Claire gave a quick hug and moved back to Conor.
“Let’s go,” he said and pulled her beside him again.
“Where are we going?” she asked, almost afraid to even know.
Conor pulled her between two cars and pressed her against him. His mouth came hard against her, and she gasped in surprise. Wasting no time, he slipped his tongue into her mouth and groaned. His hands came up to cup her face, and he pulled away.
“I’m taking you back to your place, and then I’m going to have you all the ways I’ve dreamed about,” he whispered. “No more running, no more obstacles. I’ve wanted you from the moment we met and not an ounce of that has gone away over the years.”
Her heart filled to the brim with all the love she’d been holding on to. In just a few words, Conor had said everything she ever hoped to hear from him. Claire threw her arms around his neck. Tears of joy splashed his nice clothes, but she couldn’t seem to turn them off.
“I think I’ve got to keep you close,” he whispered in her ear. “Every time I let you out of my sight, you're either getting into car chases or picking fights.”
Claire laughed through her tears. “I think you’d better.”
Chapter Eleven
Conor gritted his teeth as he pulled away. Every part of him wanted to go back to that party and beat the shit out of Jason. The thought of that bastard with his hand on Claire just about pushed him to the limit.
He had been late getting there. A little earlier, and she wouldn’t have even had gone through that. He cursed himself for not being there, for pushing her away when he should have been pulling her in. All the time he’d wasted haunted him.
When he glanced over to Claire, he was surprised to find her sitting calmly. A large part of him worried that
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