Stepping into the room, she let her gaze roam, taking in the dual thrones, the heavy furniture.
And the bed where she’d given him her virginity.
Killian
* * *
It had been a gamble, not just bringing her to the club but bringing her back to the princess room.
But watching her now, the soft smile on her lips as she ran her hand lovingly over the comforter of the bed where they’d conceived their first child—because it was only the first of many, if he had his way about things—the rightness of it all settled in his gut.
Then she turned, her blue eyes shining even in the dimmed lights, and he was lost all over again.
“Why?”
One word, but it was all he needed. Crossing the room to stand in front of her, he brought his hands up to rest on her hips. Holding her, but not capturing her. Not keeping her pinned. She could escape if she wanted to.
He really hoped she wouldn’t want to.
“That first time, we didn’t even know each other’s names. I wanted…” He hesitated, suddenly uncertain of how much he should tell her. How vulnerable he could make himself.
If you want her to fall in love with you, then you need to show her that you trust her.
Reagan’s words once again echoed in his mind as he stared down into the wide, questioning blue of his princess’s eyes. “I suppose I wanted a chance to do this the right way. Eyes wide open, with all our cards on the table.”
I want you to choose me, even knowing exactly who I am. What I am.
“And are they?” When he didn’t answer immediately, she tilted her head to the side, studying him with that unnerving way she had. “Our cards, I mean. Are they all on the table?”
“Mine are. I’ve been more honest with you than I have with anyone who wasn’t related to me by blood.”
“I’m not sure that’s exactly a high bar, O’Rourke.”
Even though she was teasing, the words landed heavy in his stomach. “You’re right. Who I am, what I do… It all requires a degree of discretion. So no, I don’t make a habit of being entirely honest with the women I take to bed. And I can’t promise there won’t be times I feel the need to keep you in the dark for your own safety. But I am giving you as much openness, as much honesty as I possibly can, Aria.”
“I know.” Her hands raised to rest on his face, her expression turning earnest. “And I know what it costs you to give me that. I’m doing my best not to take it for granted.”
“I suppose that’s all either of us can ask for. To do our best by each other.”
“And our child.”
A fierce wave of possessiveness washed over him, tightening his throat as he dipped his head to brush his lips over hers. “Yes. And our child.”
When he finally lifted his head again, her eyes were glazed over with need. “Cards on the table, right?” she asked, breathless.
Intuition pricked at the back of his mind. What was she about to confess? “Yes.”
“There’s something I haven’t told you. About that night. The first time we…” An adorable blush stole across her cheeks, making her look so much more innocent than he knew her to be.
“And what might that be, princess?”
“It wasn’t just our first time. It was my first time. Like. Ever.”
It took a moment for her words to register. And when they did, that wave of possessiveness turned to a tsunami. “I was your first.”
“My only, actually. I never… There was never anyone else, Killian. Just you. Only you.”
Emotion lodged in his throat. Fingers digging into her hips, he hauled her to him, crushing his lips to hers in a brutal claiming of a kiss.
