Once.This man definitely wasn’t one to jump from relationship to relationship, while I, on the other hand, had my fair share of failed dates and relationships.
“Who was she?” I asked softly.
Sadness flickered in his eyes. “Emory’s mother.”
“What happened?”
“Elena was already married to a very cruel man and was scared to leave him. Shortly after giving birth to Emory, she wound up leaving him, but he found her and killed her. I wished she’d reached out and asked for help, but alas…”
“I’m sorry,” I murmured, unable to fathom what that woman must have gone through, although it said a lot about Kian. “No wonder you’re so protective.”
His grip on my hips tightened. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“It won’t. There are no ex-husbands, and all my previous relationships ended amicably. For the most part,” I amended. I didn’t want to think about Jonathan’s death or his ex right now. I leaned forward and briefly pressed my mouth against his. “Besides, you’re doing an excellent job protecting me, but you have to let me fight certain battles for myself. Okay?”
“Like your job,” he stated unapologetically. “I can’t promise I’ll succeed all the time, but I’ll try.”
“That’s all I’m asking.”
When he kissed me, I could taste bourbon on his tongue, drowning all my senses and striking a match low in my belly.
When he broke away, I was breathless, my mind a lustful fog. “You’re unlike anyone I’ve ever known, Kian.”
“Ditto.”
“That’s good, right?” I asked.
“Very good.”
I smiled. “And when I have to leave Albania, maybe we can try long distance. FaceTime sex can be hot.”
“Can it?”
“Mhm.”
“We can try anything you want, but I don’t want you far away from me.” His mouth moved against mine, his hands roaming my body and leaving a trail of fire in their wake. “I should admit… There was an ulterior motive with the whole job thing.”
My eyebrows arched, meeting my hairline. “There was?”
“I don’t want you to leave,” he said, darkness burning in his eyes. “I want you to stay here, with me.”
“I don’t think I can legally stay longer than three months,” I rasped. “Maybe I can hop to Greece on a visa run until we come up with a different solution.”
Strangely enough, this man and this country felt like home, and while reason told me I’d eventually have to leave, I didn’t want todwell on it. I wanted to focus on him and what was growing between us.
“We can always marry,” he suggested, his somber voice matching the expression in his eyes.
I let out a strangled chuckle, uncomfortable with how much I actually liked the idea. Maybe this was what people talked about when they spoke of falling madly in love and doing crazy things.
“Like for a green card?”
“Yes.”
“You’re joking, right?”
“I’m not, but we can table that discussion until you’re ready. Besides, the government will let you stay for up to a year without a visa.”
I looked at him wide-eyed, trying to distinguish truth from secrets in his gaze, but saw something else that made my heart shudder with delight: excitement.He wants me here. And to think I had spent years settling for Jonathan’s indecisiveness.
