Illicit Captor by Maggie Cole

23

Scarlet

The dull morning light peeks through the blinds, glinting off my diamond. It sparks to life as I wiggle my finger, which I've been doing for a while.

I'm still in shock. I can't believe I'm going to marry Aidan. The happiness I've felt since he gave it to me won't seem to go away, which I'm not complaining about.

He stirs, kissing the back of my neck, and murmurs, "Future Mrs. Aidan O'Connor, are ya going to stop looking at that ring or what?"

I turn to him, answering, "No. Do ya want me to?"

He grins. "Nah, as long as ya remember that I'm the one that gave it to ya."

I climb my fingers over his pecs. "How could I ever forget that?"

"Maybe I should make ya remember," he claims, then slides his hand through my hair and kisses me. His erection pushes into my pelvis, and I slide my arms around him.

A loud pounding on the door makes me jump, then freeze.

He orders, "Just ignore it," then returns to kissing me.

The knocking gets louder.

Devin's voice hurls out, "Dad's here. Time to get to breakfast."

Aidan's body turns stiff, as does mine. He buries his head into my pillow.

Devin yells, "Let me know you're awake, or I'm going to come in there."

Aidan warns, "Ya come in here, and you're going to leave with a broken neck."

"Whatever. Get your ass out to the breakfast table," Devin orders.

Aidan groans softly.

My anxiety builds in my chest. "Your da's here? I thought he wasn't coming for another week."

Aidan answers, "He must have come early. It's typical for him to surprise us, so I should have anticipated he'd arrive sooner rather than later."

I stare at him. The air in my lungs expands.

He strokes my cheek and questions, "Why do ya look pale all of a sudden, petal?"

"Your da... Is he... Is he anything like mine?"

Aidan's eyes widen. "No. Not in the way you're thinking. Ya don't have to fear him."

I swallow hard, wishing I had some water for my suddenly dry mouth. "But what will he think about us? Well, me? I'm an O'Leary."

Aidan puts his thumb over my lips. "Shh. Ya have nothing to worry about. Brody's married to Alaina. My dad knows the situation ya were in. Honestly, there's nothing to fear. My dad will welcome ya with open arms."

"How? I don't understand how that's possible. He surely won't forget I'm the daughter of his enemy."

His lips twitch. "Because he already worked out all of it with Alaina. Don't worry. You'll see. Besides, I'll be with ya the entire time. Ya have nothing to worry about."

I release an anxious breath. He pecks me on the lips, then rolls out of bed. He pulls the covers back, ordering, "Time to get up, my sexy, soon-to-be wife. Breakfast is waiting."

I groan, curl into the pillow, and pull my knees to my chest, whining, "But I'm still tired. Ya wore me out too much last night."

He challenges, "Are ya complaining?"

"Nope!"

He chuckles. "That's why I need to get some food in ya, so I can wear ya out later today."

I laugh.

He reaches forward and slides his fingers over the side of my body, tracing the curve of my waist and hips. Then he pats my ass. "Time's a ticking. Come on."

I groan again and get up, stating, "Let me take a quick shower."

"No. If my dad's at the breakfast table, we need to go. Devin wouldn't have come to get us if it wasn't necessary."

"But I want to look presentable when I first meet your da."

"Don't worry, petal. You're beautiful, all done up or not. Just toss on some joggers, and let's go downstairs."

"No way. I have to put something nicer on." I go over to the closet and fumble through my clothes.

Aidan gets dressed, and I'm still naked. He asserts, "Ya just need clothes, lass. Here." He grabs a pair of leggings and an oversized sweater. "Toss it on. Let's go."

"But this looks too..." I stare at the clothes.

"What's wrong with them?"

"This outfit is way too casual to meet your da."

He shakes his head. "Honestly, petal. Ya need to trust me on this. Put the clothes on." He shakes them in front of me again.

I cave. "Ugh. Okay, fine." I step into the leggings, put on a bra, and toss the oversized sweater over me.

Aidan wiggles his eyebrows and teases, "No panties. Just how I like ya."

I slap the back of his chest. "Do ya want me to take them off and put some panties on? Then ya can concentrate at breakfast better while your da's next to ya."

"Hell no. Ya keep those panties off. That's a direct order."

I laugh. "Is that so?"

"Aye." He pats my ass, then slings his arm across my shoulders. He leads me out of the closet.

"Can I at least brush my hair?"

"Ya look fine."

"Aidan, come on. I don't want your da to see me for the first time with my hair a mess like I just got out of bed."

Mischief fills his grin. "But ya did just get out of bed. My bed." He puffs out his chest.

I elbow him.

"Ouch! You're getting too dangerous with that move of yours," he declares.

"Seriously. I'm going to the bathroom." I shove out of his grasp and rush past the doorway. I pick up his toothbrush and call out, "Ya should brush your teeth first too."

He enters the room. "So I can eat breakfast and drink coffee?"

"Yea." I put toothpaste on his toothbrush and hand it to him. Then I put some on mine, and we brush our teeth and swig mouthwash.

"There. Let's go," Aidan states.

"Not yet!" I grab my hairbrush and pull it through my locks. I reach for makeup.

He grabs my hand. "Ya don't need makeup. It's breakfast."

"I'm sure Alaina will have her makeup on."

"There are lots of times Alaina doesn't have her makeup on."

"Yea, but your da's in town. It's different," I declare.

"Seriously, petal. You'll see. Come on." He drags me out of the bathroom before I can put on makeup, and we leave the bedroom.

"Aidan, please let me put a little bit on so I can look more presentable," I protest.

"You're fine. Beautiful as always," he asserts, then spins and scoops me up in his arms.

I shriek, "What are ya doing?"

"I'm carrying ya downstairs so ya can't go back."

"Aidan!" I laugh and slap his chest.

"It's going to take a lot more energy to make a mark on my body," he boasts.

"Ha ha, funny."

He kisses me on the forehead and walks down the stairs. I lace my hands around his neck, saying, "Ya really can put me down."

"Yea, I know, but I'm not going to."

"Honestly, you're being dramatic."

"Rather be dramatic than ya go back into the bedroom and put on a ton of makeup. My dad will love your natural beauty anyway." He drags his eyes over my body.

My cheeks heat.

We get to the bottom of the stairs, and I order, "Okay, time to put me down. I don't want ya to carry me into the breakfast room."

"What will ya give me if I put ya down?" he taunts, continuing to walk down the hallway.

"What do ya want?"

"I think ya should get creative and figure out what I want."

I roll my eyes. "Let me guess. It's something sexual and has to do with your cock. Maybe my mouth around it?"

"That's a good start, lass," he teases.

I lean closer to his ear, lower my voice, and add, "Or maybe ya want my mouth around your balls."

"Hmm, those are both good options. Ya have permission to do all of it."

I lick his lobe, then suggest, "Or maybe ya want my hot pussy dripping over your hard cock. Would that be better?" I retreat and bat my eyes.

"Vixen."

"I'm your vixen." I smirk.

"Aye. Ya are. Don't forget it. And I'm holding ya to all three of the above," he declares.

I giggle. "Of course ya are."

He stops walking and then gives me another peck on the lips. "Are ya ready to meet my dad?"

My anxiety builds again. "No," I admit.

"Honestly, petal, there's nothing to worry about. He'll love ya."

"Please set me down," I beg.

Aidan softly chuckles. "Okay. Your wish is my command." He puts me on my feet but keeps his arm around my waist, tugging me close to him. He opens the door to the breakfast room and guides me inside.

My gut fills with butterflies as Brody states, "Ya can't light that up. Alaina can't be around smoke. Plus, we have a no smoking rule in this house."

An older man, who I assume is Aidan's father, with a smoker's voice, grumbles, "That's not a rule. That's just a stupid idea that ya have in your head."

"No, it's not a stupid idea, and they're our rules. Our house, our rules."

"I bought ya this house."

"Ya gifted us this house. And remember, you're on my turf now."

Tully shakes his head, asserting, "I gave ya a little bit of power, and look what's going to your head."

"Call it what ya want. No smoking in here," Brody restates as he leans back and slides his arm around Alaina.

"It really is best for the baby, Tully. But we have a porch out back that ya can use. I even had the staff put ashtrays out there for ya," Alaina adds in a sweet tone I barely ever hear her use.

Tully puts his cigar down, and his voice softens. "Since you're pregnant, I'll smoke on the porch."

Alaina beams. "Thanks, Tully."

"Dad, you're early," Aidan states and stops guiding me toward the table.

Tully turns. Wrinkles line his face, but his eyes are kinder than I imagined. He looks me over, then rises, saying, "I'm assuming you're Scarlet?"

"Yea." I hold my hand out.

He glances at my hand, then chuckles and coughs, turning his head into his elbow.

Devin mutters, "Ya might want to stop smoking those killer cigars, Dad."

Tully ignores him, stops coughing, then steps forward. He tugs me into his arms. "Glad to see you're safe and alive."

Embarrassment washes over me, but I'm also overwhelmed. I thought he'd be cold like my da was, and I didn't expect a hug. My da never hugged any of us. The thick scent of his previous cigars flares in my nostrils, but I'm grateful it's not cigarette smoke.

When he releases me, I offer a smile, still nervous. I reply, "Yea, thanks to Aidan."

Tully glances at Aidan, and his expression turns stern. "Heard you've been a little busy."

Before Aidan can say anything, I interject, "If Aidan hadn't rescued me, I'd still be with Tommy. Who knows, I might be dead by now. He saved me. Please don't be mad at him."

Tully turns his head and looks at Alaina. "I see your sister's got a bunch of your balls, huh?"

She laughs and then lifts her chin with pride. "She sure does. Never really realized it until lately."

"What do ya mean? I'm nothing like Alaina," I declare.

He shakes his head. "Ya sure are. But don't worry about it." He motions to a seat. "Please, sit down. Let's have some breakfast. I'm starving. Are ya hungry?"

My stomach growls, and I put my hand over it, answering, "I guess so."

Aidan pulls my chair out. "Sit down, petal."

We both take our seats, and food gets passed around the table.

When my plate's full, Alaina asks, "What is that around your finger?"

I glance down at my ring and then at Aidan, unable to stop beaming.

"Is that what I think it is?" Alaina inquires.

The room turns silent.

Aidan tugs me closer to him and announces, "Aye. I asked Scarlet to marry me. She agreed. We're going to get married as soon as possible."

"What?" Alaina shrieks.

Brody puts his hands over his ears. "Since when do ya shriek, Alaina?"

"Oh, sorry." She smirks and gets up. She comes around the table.

I rise, and she hugs me.

"So we get to plan a wedding, and we get to plan for a baby. This is going to be so much fun."

I laugh. "I don't remember the last time I heard ya use the word fun, Alaina."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, not at all."

"Good. We can have some fun. We're going to do some baby shopping today anyway. Just ya and me."

Excitement fills me. "You're going to let me out of the house? Awesome!"

The excitement on her face dulls. "Not exactly."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, we have a baby consultant coming to the house, and her team's bringing a ton of things over for us to look at."

I groan. "You're not going to let me out of the house again, are ya?"

"It's just easier this way," she claims.

I tilt my head and stare at her with my hand on my hip. "Really? Is that the excuse you're going to use?"

She smirks. "Yep, and since I'm pregnant and the one who's tired, ya have to go by what I say."

"Since when does anybody not have to go by what ya say?" I tease.

She reaches over and hugs me again. "Oh, I'm so excited for ya. Congratulations. Even if it is Aidan you're marrying." She smirks at him.

He booms, "Well, aren't ya chipper this morning, Queen Alaina."

"Well, I kind of have to be nice to ya now."

"Do ya?"

She shrugs.

"We'll see how long it lasts," he states.

Alaina rolls her eyes, squeezes me again, and returns to her seat.

Tully rises again and pulls me back in his arms. "Another O'Leary coming into the O'Connor clan. Starting to like how ya ladies give up your family allegiance."

I freeze, and panic fills me. I thought any loyalty I felt toward the O'Learys was over, but it feels weird all of a sudden.

Tully challenges, "Are ya questioning coming into the O'Connor clan?"

I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. I look at Alaina for help.

She interjects, "Give her a minute to process, Tully."

For the first time in a while, I'm relieved that my sister's my sister.

Tully studies me another moment, then declares, "You'll get used to us, lass. You'll be happy you're an O'Connor and that we're caring for ya." He winks and sits down.

I glance at Alaina again.

She nods for me to take my seat and shoots me a look like I shouldn't worry about anything, but I have anxiety that won't go away.

Devin asks, "So ya want to get married sooner rather than later?"

"Yep, soon as possible. Scarlet and I talked about it last night," Aidan answers.

"Ya know you're going to have a problem," Devin proclaims.

Aidan's eyes turn to slits. "And why is that, little brother?"

Devin sits back in his chair with his arms crossed and a satisfied look on his face. He glances at Tynan and shakes his head. "They always think the youngest ones are the dumbest, but we're actually the smartest, aren't we?"

Tynan nods arrogantly. "Yep. One of these days, they're going to realize it."

"What the fuck are ya talking about?" Aidan barks out.

Devin puts his gaze back on him. "Did ya forget about the fact that Scarlet's already married?"

Aidan's face shows his anger. "She's not married. They forced her, and she never even said her vows. Her da said them for her. So she's not married."

Devin adds, "That's the case, true. However, that's not how Ireland or the church see it."

"Are ya trying to start trouble?" Aidan hurls.

"No. I'm trying to get ya to use your brain. There's a marriage license on file."

"How do ya know they filed it?" Aidan asks.

"Of course they would've filed it, dumbass. Ya think Tommy wasn't going to claim the daughter of the clan as his?"

My stomach flips. I grab Aidan's thigh, fretting, "Is this true? We won't be able to get married?"

He tugs me tighter to him. "Of course we're going to be able to get married. Don't listen to my asshole brother. I'll take care of it."

"But how? He's right. I'm not legally divorced."

"Or widowed," Devin mutters.

"She will be soon," Aidan claims.

"But I'm not right now," I point out again.

"We don't even know for sure if it's on file. Plus, everything can change in life. Don't worry about this, petal. I'll take care of it," Aidan insists.

The room turns quiet for a while.

He murmurs in my ear, "Honestly, ya have nothing to worry about. I will figure it out and take care of whatever needs to happen. I'll start right after breakfast, okay?"

I release an anxious breath. "Okay."

"Ya spend the day with your sister planning for the baby and whatever else ya want to plan for the wedding."

"Ya don't want to do that with me?" I question.

He kisses me on the forehead. "Whatever ya want me to be involved in, I will. Whatever ya want to do with your sister is fine. But I'm going to take care of the legalities because I won't marry ya in a ceremony and not have things legal. Do ya understand me?"

"What if ya can't undo it?"

His eyes darken. "No matter what I have to do, I will legally marry ya. Now, don't worry about this."

I swallow hard and nod. "All right. If ya are sure—"

"I'm sure." He glances at my plate. "Finish your breakfast. I don't need ya to turn into skin and bones again."