67. Kian

67

KIAN

I follow Lorelei down onto the dark, silent beach.

The moon is sitting high in the sky, and there are stars twinkling down at us.

It's beautiful. Peaceful. Two things that I'm not sure are often used to describe this place I've found myself in.

Finding a spot she likes, Lorelei suddenly drops down, crossing her legs and staring out at the calm ocean before us.

Lowering myself to the patch of sand beside her, I follow her lead, waiting for her to speak first.

It takes long, torturous minutes, but eventually, her soft voice rings through the air.

Her words might be predictable, but they don't sting any less than the first time I heard them.

"You shouldn't have come here."

"Because you're afraid that I'll judge you for where you grew up? Or because you're terrified to face me and the reality of this thing between us?"

"Because you should be in Chicago getting ready for work in the morning."

"So should you," I counter.

"Kian," she sighs.

"No," I snap, a little harsher than intended. "Don't do that. Don't make out like you're not as important as me."

"I'm not. I'm just your?—"

"Everything?" I ask, cutting her off.

A bitter laugh spills from her lips.

"You need to stop."

"No, you need to stop. I know you're scared, Lorelei. I know I terrified you with everything I said on Friday night. But…don't you think that I'm scared too?" I ask, reaching for her hand.

I expect her to pull away instantly, but she surprises me and allows me to lace our fingers together.

She hangs her head and lets out a huge breath.

"I didn't think anyone with the surname of Callahan was scared of anything."

"Then you don't know me as well as I thought you did."

She doesn't respond, and for a handful of seconds, I fall quiet too.

"I was livid when you ran away without a second glance on Friday night," I eventually explain. Her breath catches, but she doesn't say anything.

"I thought…" I shake my head. "I stupidly thought for a moment there that you were with me.

"I spent all week in England trying to figure my shit out, and just when I thought everything had fallen right into place, you pulled the rug right out from underneath me again.No one has ever had the power to affect me like that before, Lorelei. Never.

"But you…" I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding as relief floods through my veins.

She might not believe the words, or be brave enough to do anything with them, but I feel better for saying them.

"I came for you, you know. I practically knocked your door down trying to get to you. I think your neighbors hate me, by the way."

I glance over just in time to catch the small smile that appears on her lips.

"I begged Tate to tell me where you were. That woman is stubborn as fuck," I say with a laugh.

"She's good people," Lorelei says, her voice so quiet it barely carries over the sound of the ocean filling the air around us.

"She is, if she's keeping your secret. When you're the one who wants information, she's annoying as hell."

"How did you find me if Tate didn't?—"

"After stalking you on Instagram and finding Wilder's post, I convinced Thomas to give me the master key to your apartment. I searched until I found your iPad and then their address. And here I am."

"Here you are," she mutters.

My heart drops when she pulls her hand from mine and gets to her feet again. I sit there for a moment, watching as she moves closer to the ocean.

She stares out at the horizon silently, and it does nothing to soothe the unease I can't shake.

Climbing to my feet, I move closer to her—as close as I can without touching her.

"I want you, Lorelei," I confess. "You drive me crazy, and I know I do the same to you. We're different, I get that. Really fucking different. But I love that. I love that you're not the same as every other woman I've met. You challenge me, surprise me. You fight me. Fuck, do you fight me. But it wouldn't be the same if you didn't.

"Since you started at Callahan, I look forward to coming into work in the mornings in a way I never have before. And not only that, but I'm better for it. I know I'm overbearing and controlling, and generally just an asshole, but I need you to know that I trust you. I always have.

"I don't care where you come from, Lorelei. I don't care that you weren't privately educated or have fancy vacations every year. Do you know what I do care about, though?" I ask, reaching for her arm and spinning her around to face me.

"I care that you do everything you can to give your brothers the best chance at a future. I care that you dropped everything the moment Wilder was hurt so that you could be here to support him.

"I love how fiercely you love them, and how fiercely they love you in return.I love that you've taken hold of every opportunity that's come your way to try and better your life.I love that you call me out on my bullshit and make me look at things in a whole new light."

Reaching out, I cup her jaw, my eyes holding her watery ones so she has little choice but to really hear what I'm saying.

"I love your smile. I love the wicked things that come from these lips," I say, dragging my thumb across her bottom one.

"I love—" A tear splashes against my knuckles, and my words falter.

"Kian," she whispers brokenly as her entire body trembles.

Leaning forward, I press my brow against hers.

"I love…falling in love with you."

All the air rushes from her lungs, tickling over my face as more tears spill free.

"I know all the reasons why you don't think we work. But I think you're forgetting the most important thing…" Her eyes search mine, waiting for what I have to say. "Despite all of that, Temptress, we work. We make sense. And you know it just as much as I do. You just need to be brave enough to take a chance on me. On us."

My fingers wrap around her throat. Her pulse pounds against them, giving away how she's feeling right now.

Silence rings out between us. Only the sound of the crashing waves can be heard as the cool evening ocean breeze blows around us.

She doesn't say anything for the longest time, but she wants to. I can see it in her eyes. What I don't know is if I've said enough. If she's brave enough to take the next step with me.

Sucking her bottom lip into her mouth, she chews on it for a moment before fucking sucking in a deep breath, ready to speak.

"I'm really mad at you," she finally says.

An unexpected laugh bubbles out of me. "I guess that's something we'll both have to get used to. I'm going to fuck up, Lorelei. I've no idea how to do this."

She closes her eyes for a beat before staring back up at me.

There are so many emotions swimming in her eyes I don't stand a chance of identifying them.

"I'm serious, Kian," she states.

"I know," I assure her, although I'm not entirely sure what I've done. "But I'm okay with that. Be mad. Shout at me. Scream. Hit me if you want. I came here for you, to tell you how I feel, to tell you that this is real, to tell you that I'm yours. If you want me. Fuck everything else."

"You blocked Ryder on my cell," she seethes.

"Ah, yeah. I did do that."

She shakes her head, her anger palpable.

"Why?" she whispers.

I smirk. "Because you're mine, Lorelei. Mine. Not his."

"I've never been Ryder's, Kian."

"Maybe not, but you were sending him photographs of something that belongs to me."

"I'm not yours either," she argues.

"Maybe not, but you're going to be." I search her eyes, needing her to see just how serious I am. "I blocked Matt, too. I don't see you arguing about that one."

"No. I should have done that myself a long time ago. But it probably has a lot to do with the state of my apartment last week. Has your team found him yet?"

My nostrils flare. "You know they haven't," I confess.

"And you think that's okay?"

"No," I bark a little too forcefully. "It is not okay. Nothing is okay while he's out there and could possibly hurt you."

My hand trembles where it's still holding her neck. The thought of him getting anywhere near her makes me feral.

That's the exact reason why I insisted that we weren't calling the authorities. He'd have been let off with a slap on the wrist and be free to continue tormenting her.

I want him gone. And I want him to face the wrath he deserves for hurting her.

"He won't?—"

"He might, and that's not fucking happening, Lorelei. I'll do anything in my power to protect you. Anything."

Tears continue to fill her eyes, but she manages to keep them contained for now.

"What do you want, Lorelei? Forget your fears and apprehension. What do you really want?"

She lowers her eyes as she continues to fight between her head and her heart.

All I can hope is that her heart wins this time.

My thumb brushes over her cheek, reminding her that I'm here and praying that she can feel how desperate I am to hear her give us a chance. A real chance.

It feels like an eternity has passed when she lifts her eyes again.

My heart jumps into my throat as I wait for her answer.

"I want…" Her voice is rough and cracked with emotion. "I want…you."

The final word is so quiet, it almost gets carried away in the breeze, but I hear it. I hear it loud and clear, and it makes my entire body come alive in a way I've never felt before.

This isn't some woman telling me that she wants a night with me because of my surname, my money, my connections. This is a woman who is terrified of being hurt but willing to put her heart on the line. For me.

Fuck. She brings me to my fucking knees.

My lips part to respond, but I quickly discover that I don't have any words.

There aren't any worthy of this moment. Only actions are good enough.

I lean forward and let my lips brush against hers.

Our first kiss is hesitant, as if we're testing each other out all over again, confirming that what we've said is correct before diving in too deep.

But then as the seconds tick by, the air around us and the connection crackling between us amps up.

The second my lips part and my tongue sneaks out, so do hers. We collide with an expression of desire as I wrap my arm around her waist, pinning her body against mine as my fingers sink into the hair at the nape of her neck, angling her exactly as I want her.

Her moan mingles with mine as we devour each other right there in the middle of the deserted beach.

Not that it matters it's empty; we could be in the middle of a crowd right now and the only person I'd be aware of is her.

"You can't take it back this time. I won't let you," I rasp as I drag my lips from hers and kiss across her jaw and down her neck. "You're mine, Lorelei Tempest. Mine."

"Kian," she moans as I suck on the patch of sensitive skin under her ear. "Yours. I'm yours."

"Fuck. Say it again," I demand as I drop my hands to her ass and lift her from the sand.

She instantly wraps her legs around my waist and I turn around, walking away from the ocean a little before dropping her onto her back in the sand.

"I'm yours, Kian Callahan. Please…" She gasps as I settle myself between her legs. "Please be gentle with me."

"With your heart, always. In the bedroom…never."