“Would you get fired?” My brow furrowed and I pursed my lips. I didn’t want him to lose his job or, even worse, his best friend because he was dating me.
He shook his head. “Probably not, but I do have a responsibly as the second-in-command at the company. If I break whatever rule I want, why wouldn’t the people below me?”
“Then why didn’t you wait?”
He laughed humorlessly. “I couldn’t, Caroline. You’re addictive and sweet. So damn sexy. I tried, but I wanted you so badly, and every time I saw you, that want grew until I couldn’t resist kissing you. Being with you.”
I nodded, going to check the noodles. I drained them and rinsed them, and I ran through Kiernan’s words in my mind as I plated our dinner. I placed a bowl in front of each chair and sat back down. I twirled spaghetti around my fork, but I didn’t take a bite.
“The second the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them,” he said. I found his gaze, searching it. There was only honesty there. “Please believe me. I will fix this, Caroline. I’ll go to Roman first thing tomorrow and make it right.”
I sighed. “I don’t want you to lose your job.”
He shook his head. “I won’t. Roman wouldn’t know what to do without me. And even if I did, it would be worth it, Caroline. Roman will be pissed I lied to him, but I’ll handle that.”
“I do believe you, Kiernan.”
“I’m so sorry, Caroline,” he said, framing my face with his large hands. His eyes bounced back and forth between mine before his lips descended and landed on mine. I melted under his kiss for a moment before breaking it.
“I’ve been put in the shadows my entire life, I couldn’t take it if you put me there too.”
He shook his head. “I’ll make sure you live every day of your life in the light. You could never be in the shadows. You are my light.”
“If we need to wait until you and Maddox catch this guy, we can do that, but…” I bit my lip, looking down, feeling shy now that I was about to lay my feelings on the table. I wasn’t saying those three little words. I wasn’t ready for that, but I was admitting something huge. “I’m not ready to let you go.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to let you go, sweetness,” Kiernan said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. I lifted my gaze and met his, breaking into a beaming smile.
“You’re definitely all light, baby. Never let anyone take that away,” he said, staring at me. His lips tilted up. “Even me if I’m being an idiot.”
I laughed and leaned forward, looping my arms around his neck. “Deal,” I whispered. “Are you hungry?” I asked, a blush rising on my neck and cheeks.
“Yeah, but not for spaghetti.” He smirked and picked me up from my chair, putting me on the table. He flicked the button of my jeans open and dragged my jeans down my legs. I lifted my shirt, tossing it away, not wanting to waste a second. He stood up, shedding his shirt and jeans before leaning over me and taking my mouth in a heated kiss. It was all tongues and passion and unsaid promises.
His lips trailed down my neck to the tops of my breasts. He peeled down the cups of my bra and took a nipple into his mouth, keeping his gaze on mine. I arched my back and reached around, unhooking my bra before flinging it aside. Kiernan’s fingers skimmed down my sides and pulled my panties down my legs. He got rid of his briefs a moment later and bent to grab a condom from his jeans.
I grabbed his hand and shook my head. “I’m on birth control. I…I trust you,” I said softly.
His eyes heated and he nodded before covering me with his body and kissing me again. A kiss I felt down to my toes. Kiernan’s fingers found my clit and slid lower to my entrance. “You’re so wet,” he said, nibbling along my neck.
I nodded. “I need you. Now. Please, Kiernan.”
One second I was empty, and the next Kiernan slammed into me. We were a frenzy of movement. A bowl of spaghetti crashed to the floor, but Kiernan didn’t stop. I met every thrust with a roll of my hips.
“I’ll never hurt you again,” Kiernan promised.
My nails raked down his back, and his fingers circled my clit. His tongue swept into my mouth. I was consumed with Kiernan. In this moment, he was all I saw. All I tasted, felt, heard, and smelled. I loved every second and didn’t want this moment to end, but I couldn’t stop the orgasm that was crashing into me.
“Fuck,” he groaned. I threw my head back and came on a cry of his name. He followed me a minute later with my name on his lips.
33 Kiernan
The wind snapped the door back, after I yanked it open, and it hit the side of the building. I was on a mission. Since the moment I’d dropped Caroline off at her clinic, I’d been moving with a purpose. I’d gunned my truck on the way to MarxMen. Most mornings I stopped by the desk to check in with whoever was manning it, but this morning, I didn’t even offer a chin lift. Roman’s office was my destination, and I wasn’t going to stop for anything else.
My boots squeaked against the coated and stained concrete floor. Every thud was a warning to Roman that I was coming and a reminder to myself of my new priorities. All it took for a man to shift his way of thinking, his entire way of life, was for the woman he was
