Cillian holds it together for longer than I probably would have.
I’ve gotta give him credit for that.
Then he loses it, tossing his head back and laughing. It’s one of my new favorite sounds, deep and raspy, echoing off the walls of my bedroom.
I try to be annoyed, I really do, but God, this is so absolutely fucking ridiculous and something that wouldonlyhappen to me, that I can’t help the laugh that bursts out of me.
Except the material of this stupid, godforsaken dress is so tight I can’t even really laugh because I can hardly breathe.
“Please, for the love of God, get this off of me,” I wheeze. “S-Scissors are in the drawer. Over there.” I jerk my head toward my nightstand.
“Okay, I’m sorry, but that’s fucking hilarious. And hot.Definitely hot too,” he chokes out between a laugh. “In the literal sense, not the figurative one since I’m sure you’re sweating in that thing.”
“I’m going to murder you if you do not help me out of this dress, Cillian Cairney, I swear to God.”
His hands lift in surrender, even though he’s still sporting a shit-eating grin. “Okay, okay.”
I stay rooted in place as he strides over to my nightstand, bending to pull the drawer open. He rifles around inside it for a second before turning back to face me, his cheeks suddenly red.
Why would he be tur—
Oh my God.
“Please pretend that you did not see that and carry on with your task.” My words tumble out in a rush. Of course, he found my vibrator. Of course. Because what else could make this entire embarrassing fiasco that much worse? A hot guy finding your battery-operated boyfriend.
Perfect.
Not that it’s something I use regularly because, sadly, I’m not that great at it. It’s overstimulating, and I’m more of a finger kind of girl, but that’s beside the point.
That’snotsomething I need to defend to him. There’s nothing wrong with self-care.
“Nice. Verygirthy, St. James.” The lazy grin curving his lips only furthers my mortification and I’m positive that I’m going to die any moment now.
Truly, RIP, Rory.
She’s gone now.
Groaning, I squeeze my eyes shut and try to pretend that he’snot standing there holding my vibrator in his hand. “You’re going to forget this ever happened, and you’re not going to tell a soul, I swear to G—”
“I wouldn’t. I’m just fucking with you.” He laughs. “I wouldn’t judge you anyway.”
Finally, freaking finally, he drops it back into the drawer, pulls out the scissors, and shuts the drawer. He makes it back to where I’m standing in two short strides.
He holds up the scissors. “How are we doing this?”
My brow arches. “What, you’ve nevercuta dress off a girl before?”
“Can’t say I have, but here’s to the first.” He smirks lazily, giving me a wink that makes my stomach flip.
I truly don’t understand how someone can be so effortlessly charming but also a broody, grumpy dick sometimes. How does he do both entirely too well?
“Well, I’m also naked under here so…” I trail off, lifting my gaze to his. His green-flecked irises seem to darken, and I swallow the lump of whatever sitting in my throat. “Couldn’t exactly get this on with anything underneath it.”
“Right.”
“So, I guess we just cut it down the center? I don’t think you’d be able to get the scissors beneath anywhere else, but there’s a small enough gap between my boobs,” I add, nodding toward my chest.
Cillian’s gaze drops down, and I watch his jaw tense as he swallows.