A laugh escaped me, followed by a frisson of vulnerability. Would Charles, Amelia, and Theo look at me differently? I’d run into them over the last few weeks, but only for brief interchanges, and mostly regarding business. However, their knowing glances made it clear they’d pieced together what was going on between me and Cillian.
It didn’t help that I was covered in marks now. The visible bite marks on my shoulders leading up to my neck were a dead giveaway, as the only other person up here with fangs was Theo, and he was spoken for. I resisted the urge to press my fingers against the bruises like I’d been doing from the moment I received them.
“I needed coffee,” I said, gesturing to the percolating machine beside me. I pulled out another mug for him, since Charles seemed to have an addiction as big as mine. “Want a cup?”
“Yes, please,” he said, finding a spot to lean beside me at the counter. “I’m sure you need the extra energy.” His grin was instantaneous, a twinkle in his eyes that I enjoyed.
I shook my head, a mirroring grin rising to my lips as I poured myself a cup of coffee. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Do you see me complaining? I’ve known Cillian a long time, and he’s never been this sociable or pleasant. Keep up the good work. For morale.”
“For morale,” I said, lifting my mug in salute.
“What are you conspiring about in here?” Cillian’s rich voice came from the doorway, and my body and mind perked up in unison. A cord tethered us together, one I didn’t want to sever, and I couldn’t help my reaction any more than I could help my next breath.
“Oh.Coffee and Conspiracies,” Charles said, pouring himself a cup. “That’s the perfect title for a podcast.”
Cillian snorted as he swept into the room, his presence dominating my attention the way it always seemed to.
What would we do here? I licked my lips, the urge to kiss him, to fall against him threatening to consume me. However, we hadn’t discussed how to act around his staff and friends.
Cillian answered for me, stepping into my space and leaning down to claim my lips in a kiss. Surprise exploded within me, as well as a burst of lust from how he consumed me without a care who watched. My heart thudded hard. Actions like this left a deeper mark on me than he might ever realize, after spending years of my youth being bullied and ignored.
Charles let out a whistle. “Damn, you’re going to make me have to hunt down Theo if you keep being all hot up in my space.”
Cillian’s rumble of a laugh vibrated against my lips, and he slowly pulled away. “Go find your boyfriend. I’m stealing this one away for the day.”
A thrill rose inside me at the idea of what he might have in store. “Oh? Do I get a say in where we’re going?”
“Outside the Spires.” He arched a brow, as if daring me to challenge him.
The reality of his statement crashed down on me like a bolt of lightning. Leaving the Spires? I never could’ve imagined he’d allow that.
“I can trust you to not run off, right?” he asked, a teasing in his voice that implied he already did.
“Believe me,” I said. “I’ve seen what would happen if I did.” The memory of Thorin’s attempt at kidnapping me was fresh in my mind, even though it had happened weeks ago, as was the way Cillian had swept in to the rescue. The thought of going outinto the world with him by my side made me feel as though I wielded a protection I hadn’t had before.
“Have fun,” Charles said, waggling his brows. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
I rolled my eyes, even though part of me loved that we weren’t hiding anything from Charles. That Cillian allowed his closest to learn about us. “Do I get to know where we’re going?”
Cillian shook his head. “You wouldn’t know the place even if I told you.”
I took a final sip of my coffee and put the mug down in the sink, my whole body vibrating at the prospect of leaving the Spires. The freedom to be out in the world was something I missed, even if the feeling had become tangled up in this newfound…thing with Cillian, and the fear of what awaited me as well.
Cillian had already taken the first steps to the door, and he waited for me there. I followed, and once I reached him, he slid a hand behind my lower back, guiding me forward. The subtle pressure of his warm palm there lit me up, my whole body humming at his proximity. He’d fucked me harder and better than I’d ever experienced before, and even his touch was a reminder of the orgasms he’d wrung from me.
We strode down the hallway and quickly made it onto the elevator, which I’d traveled on many a time with him at this point. Except Cillian pressed the P level, which wasn’t one we’d gone to before. The elevatorwhoosheddown, and I leaned in against him, reveling in the hard muscle beside me, the heat of his body, the possessiveness of his touch.
“What sparked this idea?” I asked, even though I wasn’t sad about it in the slightest.
“I’ve been spending too much time in the Spires too,” he commented. “It’s about time we break free for a little bit.”
In a way, Cillian sometimes seemed as much a prisoner here as I was, trapped inside this place. The statements he dropped on occasion made my heart squeeze tight, a reminder he was far more than he appeared.
The elevator doors opened to a parking garage, and we stepped out. The chill from the darkened area swept through me, a crispness there hinting of outside. It should be warmer today, which meant I’d get a glimpse of the sunshine and Peregrine City at its balmiest, as well as wherever Cillian planned on dragging me to.
He directed me over to a gunmetal-gray car, sturdy with sleek lines, and he pulled the keys out and pressed the button, the lights flashing.
