Chapter 5

Vivienne’s POV

I slowly peeled my eyes open, and what I saw next, wasn't what I'd expected at all. I'd woken up to warmth. Solid and steady warmth.

My head swirled a bit, but somehow, whatever I was laying on, served like some sort of cushion I had no idea I needed. From the corner of my eyes, I could make out the feel of something like a leather jacket. I'd always thought them to be uncomfortable, but right now, I could lay all over this one and not want to wake up at all.

For a second, I allowed myself to melt into it, the low hum of the engine lulling me in ans out of sleep. I cozied into my firm but soft backdrop, until I noticed something.

It wasn't just moving, but rising and falling with each breath too.

Wait.

My heart slammed in my chest as my brain caught up.

I wasn't in a bed. I wasn't even in the motel from last night.

I was in a car, and I was lying on Ronan.

Shit.

His shoulder was beneath me, firm and unyielding. Like that wasn't mortifying enough, one of his arms was stretched casually along the back of the seat, his fingers resting just inches away from my neck.

Shit . Shit. Shit.

I froze on the spot, as I forced my mind to come up with a solution as to how I got here.

How the hell did I end up on him?

Memories from yesterday flashed in my mind, and I pressed my eyes shut, just so I could pinpoint the moment where everything went wrong.

Flashbacks of the shabby wedding played in my mind, then the kiss, the shock from the pregnancy test, and me trying to figure out what I was going to do.

I struggled to remember anything after that, but luckily, fate was on my side. Apparently, after I'd talked myself into calming down, I headed straight to our room in the motel we'd booked in, and forced myself to sleep.

My motive behind that was simple. If I wasn't awake by the time Ronan arrived, then I wouldn't have to deal with him.

But I was wrong, very wrong.

Not only had he not woken me up, he'd carried me into his car too.

Oh good Lord.

I sucked in a sharp breath, before jerking away from him and pressing myself against the car door like I'd just been burned.

Ronan didn't even flinch. He didn't tease, neither did he let out his signature smirk, followed by a snarky remark.

Instead, he tilted his head slightly, his unreadable gaze flicking to me in the dim lights of the passing street lamps.

“You comfortable?” That was what he went with to break the silence. His voice was low, too deep and calm, and I didn't miss how it made goosebumps crawl up my skin.

“I. I wasn't.” I trailed off, not knowing what else to say. Heat crawled up my neck and cheeks, and I hoped he didn't see it.

“You drool in your sleep you know?” His lips curved up into a small smirk as he spoke.

“No, I do not.” I nearly choked. Whatever level of embarrassment I must have felt tripled, and I wanted to disappear. Reluctantly, I found myself wiping at the side of my mouth for proof of what he'd just said.

There wasn't any.

Liar.

“Liar.” I huffed.

Ronan didn't so much as respond, but I didn't miss the amusement that shone in his eyes. His shoulder lifted in a lazy shrug, before his grin widened.

He was enjoying this way too much, and at my own detriment too.

“You should have woken me up.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Why didn't you?”

“I was going to.” He tone was lazy as his gaze flicked to the driver. “Then I thought, nah…let her get comfortable.”

Asshole.

He must have read my mind, because he added.

“I didn't touch you though.” I could swear he was on the verge of laughing. “If that's what you're afraid of, but I doubt you would mind.”

“Liar.” I let out again. “If you didn't, how did I end up in the car then? Certainly, I couldn't have walked here myself and….”

“I asked him to carry you.” He cut me off, before tilting his head towards the driver.

The driver, who I hadn't even noticed until now, remained silent, his face hidden in the shadows of the car. From his whole demeanor, you could tell he was the type that saw everything, but rarely ever spoke.

Smart. But dangerous.

With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Ronan chortled. “Just say the words, and I'll do it myself next time, princess.”

I wanted to respond, but I figured I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was successfully riling me up. Instead, I decided to calm my racing heart, before talking to him again.

“Where are we?” I asked. A couple of minutes had passed, and I realized I had no idea where we were, neither did I recognize any of the landmarks we'd just passed. “And where are we going?”

“Home.” his voice sent a shiver down my spine.

The concept was simple but daunting. It wasn't just any home, it was his home and If I didn't know earlier, this was every indication I needed to know that I was stuck in his own little world.

“You're tense, Valentina.” He whistled. “loosen up a bit.”

“My name is Vivienne.” I scoffed. “You think?”

I had no idea what was going through his mind when he'd asked his question, but it wasn't what he did next.

One minute, there was a plausible distance between us, and the next, he'd cut through it all, just to lean in closer.

My breath hitched as his arm brushed my waist , his scent wrapping around me like a thick blanket. He smelled faintly of smoke, a clean aftershave, and something else I couldn't quite put my finger on. Whatever it was though, he smelled amazing and it made me heady.

“You need to relax, Vivienne.” his voice was smooth, coaxing , but laced with something dangerous. I gasped as his fingers drew lazy shapes into my sides.

“What are you doing?” I turned my head to escape him, but all it did was bring us closer. So close that his lips lingered at the base of my ear.

“Testing a theory.” He whispered.

“What theory?”

“You like it when I get close.” His fingers trailed over my wrist, slow and deliberate, his featherlight touches making my head swirl.

I sucked in a large breath, before pushing my gaze towards the driver.

He didn't even react, neither did he glance in the rearview mirror, and I couldn't help but think he had seen this play out before.

It might have been normal to him, but it wasn't to me.

“Back off.” I scowled, shoving his hand away from me. “Touch me again and I'll snap all your fingers into two.”

Ronan chuckled, a truly hearty sound, before finally leaning back, but the damage had been done.

He'd made me breathless and he knew it.

“Hey.” He let out suddenly. I jerked my head in his direction, and the sight that laid in front of me wasn't one I saw coming. Every trace of amusement was long gone, and had been replaced by a stoic expression so hard, it could break up an iceberg. “Try to run, and see what happens.”

I gasped. Fear and anxiety swirled around me, and I found it hard to breathe.

Was he a mind reader now? I had barely thought about it, and yet he was already throwing a warning at me.

“What ..”

“Relax, princess.” And just like that, it was gone.

I was still reeling from the bombshell he'd just dropped, when he let another one loose.

“We're home, princess.”

The engine cut off at his words, and the soft click of the doors unlocking reached my ears.

Home. And that was all it took my heart to drop officially.