She nearly had been.
That sobered him the way nothing else could have. “No. We’ve got to go.”
That got her attention. She tipped her head back and turned those eyes on him. “You said we’d be safe here.”
“We are.” Probably.
“C’mon.” Killian grabbed her wrist and tugged her away from the motorcycle. She followed, taking one last look.
Then Dizzie tugged her arm free and he let it drop. Gesturing for her to walk in front of him, he herded her toward the elevator that would take them upstairs. To his home.
Built in the early 1900s, the house had originally been a single-family home. In the intervening years, it had also been a bed-and-breakfast and then a bookstore with a small café on the first level. It had sat empty for years, its old-fashioned charm turning brittle and worn. Though his realtor, as well as Portia and Tommy, had tried to talk him out of the purchase, the upper floors and the view had called to him.
The elevator from the garage to the home had been designed to hold six to eight people, but now, it felt too small, too close with just the two of them. The ride felt as if it took hours and Killian regretted not taking the stairs. Surely the stairwell wouldn’t be as oppressive.
The sudden rush of nerves surprised him. He’d brought women here before, rarely and only after long internal debates. Yet when he needed a safe place to hide the courier, home had been the first location that came to mind. That was…concerning.
Still struggling to understand why he had brought her here, Killian was slow to exit the elevator behind Dizzie.
The first floor held his office, the library, and the formal dining room. The middle floor currently served as storage. The top floor, though, was a masterpiece.
The former servants’ quarters had been given new life. His architect had removed most of the walls to create one large apartment, with three spacious bedrooms and a state-of-the-art kitchen, as well as a variety of other living spaces. The elevator opened into the living room, with views out over the city.
“This is amazing.” Dizzie stopped abruptly and stared out the windows.
Warmth rushed through him. Pride in his home, he assured himself. “Thank you.”
Tommy and Portia had said he was nuts when he’d bought the old building. He had his pick of places to live in the city, but the high-tech metal-and-glass towers left him cold.
He still wasn’t sure if he’d chosen this one or if it had chosen him. Maybe it was the old brick exterior or the price or the distance from the city center. Whatever it was, he’d spent a small fortune updating the interior while maintaining the original fixtures, hand-carved woodwork, and ornate fireplaces. He loved it.
She crossed the room to the wall of windows. “This is some view.”
“Yes, it is.” What the hell was he doing, wanting to show off his home like she was a guest? She was his… He exhaled sharply and crossed the room to stand by her. He had no idea what she was, except here.
Perched on a hill, the house overlooked the city in all its chaotic glory. The view was better at night, when neon signs painted the buildings in rainbow-colored light and taillights turned the roads into ribbons of red.
Only his bedroom had a better view. Killian swallowed hard. It was folly to think of her and his bedroom.
“I didn’t bring you here to admire my home. We need to continue our conversation.”
“You don’t know how lucky you are, do you?” she admonished without looking away from the window. “I bet you never take the time to appreciate all this. The opportunities you have. The freedom.”
The last was added in a whisper.
He wouldn’t have heard her, wouldn’t have seen the puff of condensation on the window, if he hadn’t been at her side.
“You’re wrong.” He appreciated it. Had since the accident.
What she saw as freedom, he sometimes saw as chains. Duty and fear and the past bound him so tightly he might never escape. The urge to share was strong, but he buried it deep like everything else.
None of which he would ever share with the woman who had killed his best friend.
With anyone.
That was what she did to him. She drew him in until he ignored his best interests and his common sense in order to get closer to her.
He needed to get away from her, if only for a little while, to rebuild his armor and recommit to his plan.
