“Gone are the days of heroes and villains, Sophie. All that’s left are men like me.” He resumed walking, and I did the same.
“It sounds like a Greek tragedy,” I muttered under my breath.
“Or an Albanian fairy tale,” he retorted. “Bottom line is,zemër, I can ensure your safety.”
There it was again… Zemer. I was getting pissed off that he kept switching to it.
“Who’s Zemer?” I demanded.
Kian flicked me an exasperated look. “Really? Now?”
“No time like the present,” I muttered.
“It’s a nickname. If you don’t like it, I’ll find another one.”
“Oh.” Apparently this man was capable of leaving me speechless, but not for long. “What does the nickname mean?”
He sighed. “Love.”
“Whoa, whoa, buddy. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Although, internally, I was gushing.Love. It sounded exotic, intimate, and so damn hot when he said it.
He let out an amused breath. “Before you get too excited, it’s similar to Brits calling everyone love or Americans calling everyone buddy. Anyhow, back to the topic at hand. I can ensure your safety.”
I much preferred to talk about this adorable nickname, but I couldn’t very well say that, so I asked, “And what do you want in return for your safetyservices?”
He didn’t answer right away, and with every second of delay, I grew more tense.
“You,” he finally said. I stopped walking again while the word lingered between us, heavy as fog, as he continued. “The terms are simple. A summer in my world. Day and night at my side. You stay where I can see you. Where I know you’re safe.”
The city seemed to hold its breath. Even his men halted, instinctively giving us space.
“No,” I said.
He turned fully toward me then. His expression was guarded, but there was a determination and that darkness in his eyes I glimpsed before.
“I wasn’t finished,” he said.
“I don’t care,” I shot back. My hands were trembling, but I curled them into fists. “I won’t be owned. I won’t be bought.”
A beat passed.
“I will handle those who dared threaten you regardless,” Kian explained in a flat voice. “With or without your blessing.”
Fear slid into my chest like ice water. Desperation followed close behind, whispering that I was tired of running, tired of flinching at every shadow.
“This is ridiculous,” I murmured on an exhale. “You must be joking.”
Although nothing in his demeanor indicated he was.
He studied me for a long moment, eyes searching my face. I prayed he couldn’t see the lie lurking behind my eyes.
He nodded once, and in less than a minute, we were in front of my hotel.
“This is me.”
“This evening was riveting, Sophie,” he said, but there were fires that burned like coals in his eyes. “However, I still need your answer.”
The man wanted to protect me. Why was I hesitating? It wasn’t the worst thing to have a gorgeous man offering to keep me safe. I had no doubt he’d follow through, because every fiber of Kian spoke of a man who knew exactly what he was doing.
