“Don’t call that,” he grumped.
“Essential?”
“Yes,” he snapped. Then, “No.” He shook his head, flustered, and I giggled.
With a growl, he claimed my mouth, cutting off my amusement and making my stomach swoop with the possessiveness with which he kissed. Hearing him tell me I was essential? Powerful. But him showing me?Supreme.
His lips slanted over mine in declaration, silencing any doubt with authority and proving his need was unquestionably true. His arms pushed between the bed and my back, cradling me like I was precious, while his tongue lashed against mine with greed. My thoughts were jumbled, my lips numb when he torehis mouth free and kissed across my jaw and down to my neck where he branded me with a fresh mark.
“Maybe I was a little worried,” he admitted, voice muffled against my neck.
I smiled into the darkness and patted his back. “I know.”
“Can we finish this conversation in the morning, baby doll? I need some sleep.”
“Yes,” I replied, carding my fingers through his dark hair.
He moaned in satisfaction and went boneless on top of me. Did I mention he’s like twice the size of me?
“Don’t you want to roll over?” I asked, squished beneath him.
“No,” he declared, then started to snore.
It shouldn’t have been easy to sleep while being smothered by a massive lawnmower.
Turns out it was.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-SIX
Kieran
You ever feel like you’re being watched?
Nine out of ten times, it’s because you are.
In this case, I wasdefinitelybeing stared at. So hard I was surprised I didn’t have a hole in my face. I didn’t like being stared at, but I hated talking more.
It might come as a surprise, but I’m not much of a sharer. Fine. I’m a greedy bastard. You know what being open and sharing things got me in the past? Of course you do because last night I outtalked a parrot on espresso.
It was easier and a hell of a lot less exhausting just to keep my mouth shut. It burned a lot of energy trying to explain to someone why I am the way I am.
Why does it even matter? This is how I am. Deal with it.
Couldn’t really say that to Hazard, though. Hence why I was still lying here feigning sleep. I knew the second I opened my eyes, he’d start asking me five million questions.
Last night, we’d only talked about me. I still had to tell him what was in that file Ghost gave me.
What a fucking shit show.
Although, he took the news of me being a hitman better than I thought he would. So maybe he’d take this news in stride too. Still, I was worried because finding out something about someone else was different than finding out secrets about yourself.
His mother dumped him outside a hospital.I was a hard man and didn’t care much for kids, but even I would have a tough time doing something like that. What a mindfuck that must be to a kid. Abandoned by your own mother. Left alone in the world.
I wanted to hate his mother… and I mostly did. But part of me understood because of what I knew.
Beside me, Hazard fidgeted.
