Chapter 55
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“You can’t be alone in a moment like this.”
“I believe I have to be,” I said.
“This is unwise,” he said, his eyes hardened–not hostile, but the disappointment was clear. My heart squeezed in my chest and I looked away, unable to hold his gaze. He moved toward me and I stepped back until I hit the table, clutching my hands at the edge of it. I cannot go with him.
“I thought we were coming to the stage of acceptance,” he said in a low, intense voice.
“Acceptance of what, exactly? I don’t expect from you what you want me to accept.”
He narrowed his eyes at me and I watched as his jaw tightened..He leaned in, and I leaned back, trying to put some distance between us, but my heart raced as his thick scent–coffee and rain–washed over me. I swallowed.
“Why don’t you…” He seemed to take a deep breath. “…ask for the things you want? Why don’t you tell me?”
“I am not in the habit of asking for things that don’t seem to be mine!” I hissed, and tried to push past him, but here I was–trapped. My mind knew I should get out, but with him near, everything inside me craved him. So much, and it scared me.
He grabbed my chin, tugged roughly, making me look at him, meet his deep, dark eyes brimming with fire that looked ready to feed on me.
“I am yours,” he said, low and clear, his words hitting my very core. “Ask,” he commanded.
My hand went to touch his chest, but instead, they curled over the fabric of his black blazer.
“You cannot use any excuse now. You have none–except that you don’t feel a thing for me.”
My eyes met his, and my heart stopped. The idea was somehow inconceivable.
“Just say what you want, and I will do it,” he said. “You can’t run. I’m too deep now,” his every word come out breathless as I felt in the moment. “This thing between us is alive and breathing. There’s no turning back.”
My heart doubled its beat, staring at him. Every fiber of me wanted to stay, but if I stayed…
“I’m afraid I will lose myself,” I admitted in a whisper. As always, unable to hide anything from him.
His hand came to my neck, holding my gaze. I felt my heart shatter, ready to give up.
an
“This thing you speak of–I’m not even sure if I want it, or if I can give you anything in return. I feel empty, but at the same time, I crave you like I need you to survive. I don’t even know what to look forward to. I’m a mess. I can’t do this with you, I’m not ready for you.” I swallowed, my voice thick with emotion, and a single tear fell from my eye.
“What do I want?” I whispered. “I don’t want to feel anything, because it scares the fuck out of me.”
My hands fell to my sides. All my fear now laid bare before him. Whatever courage I had to try with him–gone.
“You won’t lose yourself. And you won’t lose me,” he said, caressing my jawline. “If you’re not ready, that’s fine. Stay with me, Le don’t want to feel anything, don’t. Just let me be beside you. If you can’t give anything–then at least do me the honor and take from me.”
otect you. If you
This wasn’t the first time I was left speechless by his determination. But words, emotion, thoughts–all failed in front of his declaration. I stood there, breathless.
“Don’t do this to me,” I said in defeat.
“What about what you’ve already done to me?”
22.12 FUI 22 AUT
Chapter 55
“I don’t know what I’ve done… to you, for you… for you to be so… i shuddered, unable to complete it.
“So?” he asked. “For me to be so what?”
There was a smile in his tone and a twinkle in his eyes.
1 parted my lips. “To be so…” but I couldn’t say it.
“To be so completely and irrevocably in love with you,” he said.
Killian’s words sink in, and I lean back feeling a bit lost.
I knew I would never be able to look away from him again. He had me completely and irrevocably.
“Do you understand me now, Mila? I love you. And this won’t end. Ever.”
I searched his eyes for even a shred of a lie. But how could there be? He never lied about this. He was honest, and genuine, and mad. It drives me nut?
I pulled him close and crushed my lips to his. I let myself go. Like always–he caught me.
I was empty, but right now, I was warm from head to toe. He pulled me closer, one hand tangled in my hair, the other around my waist, drawing me in impossibly close. I was melting. He sucked on my lower lip and pulled away.
I gasped. He held my face in his hands.
“Tell me you know,” he said breathlessly. “Tell me you know that I love you.”
I sucked in a sharp breath. No turning back now, all was now bare, raw and open. Undeniable.
“I know,” I murmured. “Of course I know… you love me.”
“Stay with me. The only way to leave me is if I’m dead–or if you don’t want me.” Killian eyes pinned me down.
I nodded.
“No excuses.” He curled his hand behind my neck. “Never again. You will tell me what you want and never push me away. Promise me,
I tried to calm my pounding heart.
“Promise me.”
“I promise. I promise,” I said, giving in. And I felt his lips again–raw and hot against mine.
Mila.”
My eyes opened when the car stopped. I hadn’t realized I’d fallen asleep, but my head still felt heavy with it. I reached for my seatbelt, but my movements were sluggish.
“Let me,” he said, undoing the seatbelt and kissing my forehead. “Don’t move. I’ll take you inside.”
The door on my side opened, and I saw we were already in a garage. He picked me up and I wrapped my arms around his neck, curling up against him, unable to keep my eyes open.
“Where are we?” I murmured.
“Somewhere with windows,” I heard him say.
I smiled before slowly relaxing in his arms.
Chapter 35
When I opened my eyes, the first scent to reach me was coffee and cinnamon, Killian I tried to turn, but I was wrapped no
but it was oddly comforting I touched his arm and felt his breath on my fack. He tightened his hold around me, and it felt like kobe day be hands carefully, crazily turning it soft like melting wax
After all this time, after my hall hearted attempts to turn away from him, it was clear there was no escaping Killian Knight
I tried to move and managed to lift his arm, drawing in a breath, wrapping around him agairt A soft, white blanket covered us
“Mila…”
He was just asleep–truly, deeply asleep. His legs were tangled over mine, his arms wrapped around me like I might vanish it he let go. Like someone was coming for me, and he was already standing guard in his dreams.
“Killian, wake up,” I whispered, reaching up to brush his hair. My fingers slid through the silky strands, the softness strangely soothing,
His eyes fluttered open, dark and hooded, and he shifted slightly, moving away from my shoulder just enough to give me space to breathe.
He blinked once. Then again. The alertness returned quickly, but I could see the fatigue lingering beneath it.
For the first time, I noticed the shadows under his eyes–the exhaustion he never spoke of. My hand cupped his cheek, thumb grazing along his jaw
“You’re here,” he murmured, almost as if he needed to hear it aloud to believe it.
“I am,” I said softly.
He pushed himself up on one elbow, eyes scanning me with quiet concern.
“Are you uncomfortable anywhere?” His fingers brushed my hair back from my face, the gesture so gentle, so intimate, it made my chest ache.
“Don’t ask me that every time I wake up,” I muttered, narrowing my eyes.
He gave a small, apologetic smile. “We still need to keep checking. Just to monitor your health,” he said, leaning down to kiss my forehead. “You didn’t even stay awake on the way back.”
I pouted.
He blinked at me like I’d stunned him–then without warning, he leaned in and kissed me.
“So,” he asked against my lips, “what do you want to do today?”
A simple question. Ordinary.
But it settled in my chest like something I didn’t know how to hold.
What a strange place to be in–once, I had plans laid out for every hour of my life. Now, someone was finally here to ask me what I wanted… and I had no idea how to answer.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, blinking as the morning light finally caught my attention.
Sunlight spilled across the room in thin golden slants, warming the blanket tangled around us. I looked around, my senses slowly catching up.
The room looked like it had been plucked from a period drama. Cream and black décor. White curtains drawn back behind us, letti: on a four–poster bed, queen–sized, with heavy drapes pulled to the corners. Beside me stood a vintage–style lamp with an ornate brass base. To the left, a bookshelf stretched to the ceiling, its books neatly arranged but clearly untouched for a while.
e day. We were
“Where are we?” I asked, still taking it all in,
“The Knight Manor,” he said
