He looked forward to taming her.

And if she kept up with the mouthiness, he'd gag her.

Shite. That idea nearly made him ejaculate without even touching his cock.

The zip of his jeans chafed. Teach him to leave off his boxers now, wouldn't it?

He felt more than saw the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she drifted off to sleep.

He lifted an imaginary pint. She wouldn't admit it, but this round had gone to him.

As soon as he was convinced she was completely asleep, he got out of bed and picked up the silver comb. Indeed, it was her family's crest on the back. He placed it inside his jacket pocket, along with the one his mthair Chrona had found.

He exchanged text messages with his pilot, making sure the woman was prepped for an early-morning departure. After that, still feeling restless, probably from the denial of an orgasm his body craved, he climbed back into bed.

It took all his resolve, and turning down the room's temperature several degrees, to keep his clothes on. Through the years, and by many people, he'd been called arrogant. The truth was, he was. But he decided he wanted to see her on her knees, sucking his cock, making it hard and wet, before he claimed her.

That decision hadn't stopped his shaft from standing to attention the entire damn night, however.

Although dawn approached, she still slept soundly, and he let her. He'd kept her covered, kept her warm, kept her close.

He wasn't a fool.

He knew he'd pushed her sexual boundaries last night.

His grandmother's people had interviewed several of her former boyfriends. One idiot had called her frigid. And indeed, the barkeep had said her nickname was the Titanic.

The man she'd nearly been engaged to, Donal, had come closest to uncovering the truth. When he'd been interviewed, he'd politely mentioned she had some unusual tastes that he'd done his best to put a stop to. He'd stopped short of using the word 'perversion'. But obviously his tight-arsed opinions had something of an impact on her.

Since then, she'd obviously kept her passion on a tight leash. Maybe it scared her. Or maybe she'd never been with anyone man enough to bring it out in her.

Because of her interest in BDSM, he could see her being bored by most men, by most of her sexual experiences. But Jack Quinn wasn't most men and he had tastes she'd never even dreamt of. She might consider herself kinky, but she had no idea.

Most of all, she didn't scare him, despite her quick tongue. In fact, he found that one of her more endearing qualities.

She might not realise it, but he'd been there for her last night after her first ever spanking. He wasn't sure how she would react She could have felt panic, guilt, or maybe she'd have a unique reaction. He wouldn't have been surprised if she had been angry.

She'd slept hard, though.

At one point, right before the heater had kicked on, she'd shivered. He'd tucked the blankets around her shoulders.

In sleep, her defences had been down. She'd snuggled against him. Her hand had curled into the material of his shirt. She'd never do that if she were awake.

He murmured soothing words, encouraging her to rest.

Within seconds, she'd settled again.

The lovely Sinead was going to be the perfect submissive. She distrusted him now, but she'd learn, eventually, to rely on him.

Finally knowing they risked running late for their flight, he reached over and switched on a lamp.

"You're a beast. "Turn off that light."

"We've a plane to catch."

"Are you still about that nonsense?"

In answer, he moved quickly. In moments, he had her naked body pinned beneath his. "Oh, aye, I'm still about that nonsense." He grabbed her arms and pinned her wrists above her head. "Or I can keep you here all day and fuck you until you can't stand."

"I thought you were going to be a gentleman."

"A gentleman? Compared to what's driving me right now, I am being a gentleman. And you should be grateful."

Her mouth opened just a little. He was more than tempted to kiss her deeply. She looked so very lovely with her eyes still hooded from sleep, her hair mussed around her face. It'd been a long time since he'd woken in bed beside a woman. And the idea of waking next to her appealed on so many levels. "Now you've got two choices. You can get dressed and I can get you a cup of tea-"

"Stuff it. I don't drink tea."

"What are you, uncivilised?"

"Too uncivilised for the likes of you. So you can feel free to turn your back anytime, and I'll just slip out the door. Might save yourself from harm."

Nay. Now he'd found her, he wouldn't be letting her go. "Then I'll just have to see about some coffee," he offered.

"Cream and sugar." She licked her upper lip. "And a pastry."

"You drive a hard bargain."

"Chocolate something."

He rolled his eyes. "I was rather hoping you'd select the second option that I never had the chance to make." He moved against her suggestively. Despite her protests, she'd spread her legs a bit. Even through his jeans, he felt the heat that radiated from her body.

"I'll stick with the coffee and the pastry. Option number two probably has something to do with your body being naked, seeing as how you've woken up with a hard-on, and really, I have no desire to have any part of you inside me."

Her comment might have deflated his ego, but it had absolutely no effect on his morning erection. In fact, her challenging words served to raise his libido a couple of notches. "I think you liked your spanking. I think you secretly want another."

"I think I want coffee and a pastry, a chocolate pastry, else I'm going back to sleep. You can be a bully at a more civilised time. Like noon." She yawned.

"Not a morning person, then?"

"For you, not a morning, mid-morning, noon, afternoon, evening, and especially not a night person. Now get off me, you big lug, and get my coffee."

"Lucky I'm not bleeding from all the wounds your words inflict." Round three to the lass from Westport.

"You have no idea how lucky." She glared at him.

No wonder she frightened the men who wanted to bed her.

He rolled off her, but before leaving her, he flipped her over.

She squealed, all girl. "What the hell are you about?"

"Seeing how red your arse is from last night's spanking."

She reached back to cover her buttocks, but he imprisoned both her wrists.

"You could have taken quite a bit more." Her skin was barely pink in a couple of places. "I'll give you another hiding later, one that'll last longer." Just having her in this position made his cock massively, ragingly hard.

Before he forgot himself and kept the plane waiting all day, he nipped her right buttock then released her, delighting in her gasp.

He grabbed the phone and punched the button for the front desk. He requested a toothbrush for himself, coffee for both of them, a pastry for her, and he added they'd be leaving in about half an hour and would need a taxi.

Keeping her body angled away from him, as if that could lessen his ardour, she wrapped herself in her robe.

"Leave that bathroom door open a crack," he called out when she slipped from the bed and headed across the room, "else I'll take it off the hinges. And yes, I would."

Her response was earthy, and a four-letter word, no matter the language.

Still, she was a smart woman and she was learning. She left the door open a crack.

While she freshened up, a bit difficult he imagined as she'd already gathered up her toiletries, he grabbed toothpaste and a hairbrush from her bag, before organising her clothing so the bag would actually zip shut. Seemed the woman was a disaster at taking care of her stuff.

Moments later housekeeping arrived with his toothbrush. She promised the coffee would arrive shortly, and they'd deliver it in to-go cups.

Her eyes widened at the sight of the tip he gave her. 'Twas worth every penny if it made Sinead happy.

Sinead might think him an ogre, but he waited for her to finish up. It wasn't until after he heard the toilet flush that he pushed opened the door.

He stopped short and stared, entranced. His woman was taking a bidet.

Her back to him, she was crouched over the water's spray, her labia spread, her hips angled forward. If he didn't miss his guess, she was halfway to an orgasm, one he hadn't given her permission to take. They'd certainly be discussing that later. For now, he just wanted to see her get off.

"What the hell do you think you're doing barging in here?" she demanded, looking over her shoulder. Her voice cracked and her face turned red, from her jaw to her cheeks.

"We need to be accustomed to sharing personal space, and I need to freshen up before we go to the airport." He continued into the room, rubbing the shadow on his jaw. "I could do with a shave, but it can wait until we're on the plane. Carry on with what you're doing."

"I..." She dropped her right hand to the knob to shut off the water then reached for a towel. "Christ on a stick, Quinn."

He squirted toothpaste on the toothbrush, as if catching her on the brink of an orgasm was an everyday occurrence. In the mirror, he looked at her.

"I was just cleaning up."

"Don't let me stop you." He made a mental note to have a bidet installed in every bathroom he owned.

"I-"

"I'll tolerate no shyness between us," he said. He splashed water on his hair and face. His kingdom for a razor. "Your choice, Sinead. You started down this path. Turn that water back on and continue to masturbate, or I'll turn it on for you. And if I do, I'll make sure you're not only clean, but that you have multiple orgasms."

Her eyes widened. "You'd..." She stumbled for words. "You'd..."

"In fact, that's a marvellous idea." He dried his hands on a towel.

"Oh, no you don't, you scoundrel."

"Your choice, a rn."

My dear? He was calling her my dear? He had nerve. She gritted her teeth. "Fine. I'll do it myself."

"More's the pity."

He dropped the towel and regarded her.

Her eyes were wide and her cheeks were still red. She appeared both embarrassed and aroused by his earthy demand.

As he waited with infinite patience, she turned the water back on and adjusted the temperature before closing her eyes and rocking her hips. She held her labia apart with one hand, and she slid the index finger of her right hand across her clit.

The water's spray and her positioning made it impossible for him to see as clearly as he wanted. But watching her reaction was enough for him.

As the orgasm built, her head tipped back, and her fiery blonde hair spilled over her shoulders and down her back.

She moved her finger faster and faster and her hips all but gyrated.

He couldn't help himself.

He moved in closer and stood behind her. He reached around her to cup her breasts. As her breaths became desperate gulps for air, he flicked his thumbs across her nipples, making the nubs even harder.

"Jack!"

"Aye." Damn but his cock was hard as a mountain. He hoped that when he finally fucked her he'd last longer than a teenager.

"I'm there," she said.

She was asking permission, he realised. Shite. He could ejaculate without even touching his dick at this point. "Come for me, Sinead."

Her vulva was reddened from the heat, and she jerked against the spray. He couldn't be more delighted with her. His worst nightmare wasn't a woman like Sinead. His worst nightmare was a woman who was cold, unresponsive, even frightened. But this defiant she-devil? He looked forward to the challenge of conquering her.

She screamed out.

Like he knew, she wasn't one for polite little orgasms. They were drawn from deep inside her. And they turned him on.

She seemed to lose her balance, and he was there, releasing her breasts and holding her around the waist to steady her.

Instead of shoving him away, she grabbed on, her fingers digging into his forearms. She dragged breaths through her partially opened mouth rather than her nose.

If he had his way, he'd keep her fulfilled all the time. She was a sexy, sexy woman.

She blinked, as if returning to herself. "That was..." She trailed off. Then she tried again, "hot."

"A rn, you've no idea how hot you are." Or how fecking much he wanted her. Holding her with only one hand, he reached for a towel. "Allow me."