“If I agree, will you… not hurt anyone?” I asked, fully aware of being the biggest fool on the planet. Oath or not, why in the hell was I worried about this man hurting someone who plainly deserved it? Maybe it was the fact that I didn’t want to see him get in trouble on my behalf. “And if I agree… there will be boundaries.”
His brow lifted a fraction. “Such as?”
“I will not sleep with you.” The words came out steadier than I felt. “The kiss was just… a distraction.”
“I can promise you that I won’t force you into my bed,” he said. “I’ll wait for you to come to me willingly.”
Great, now there was nothing I wanted more than to tumble between the sheets with him.
“Okay,” I whispered. “And no hurting people on my behalf.”
“As long as they have no intention of hurting you, I can promise I won’t hurt them.”
The loophole there didn’t escape me, yet I heard myself say, “I accept.”
Under the quiet moonlight, in front of the sleeping hotel, I sealed a deal that made my heart pound hard enough to betray me—knowing that safety, when purchased, always came at a cost.
His strong hand pulled me closer by my throat and he kissed me deeply, then softly bit into my lower lip. Warmth washed through me, shaking me to my core while my pulse fluttered in my throat.
“I won’t let anything happen to you, Sophie Baldwin,” he rasped against my mouth. “I’m moving you to my villa tomorrow.”
I stared at him wide-eyed as he released my throat, then watched him turn around and head toward his vehicle.
“You’re under my protection now,” he announced before sliding into the back seat of his car, one of his bodyguards appearing right behind him to shut the door.
Holy shit… What the hell just happened?
Chapter 16
Kian
Fighting the urge to turn back and pull her into my arms, I leaned back into the leather headrest and closed my eyes. Her presence clung to me long after the door shut. It followed me like a ghost, vivid and undeniable, etched into every nerve as if it had always belonged there.
My chest fucking ached when she recounted what had happened with the threats and her misplaced guilt over her niece’s kidnapping.
I exhaled slowly, shaking my head.
“Get Bremir and Mal here,” I said the moment Amir slid into the seat next to me. “Each of them can choose their own second. I want them in place immediately. Sophie needs protection around the clock.”
He arched his brow.
“Don’t you think that’s a little excessive?” he said dryly.
“No.” Heat flared behind my eyes, but I forced it down. “Now I know why she’s running. Her life was threatened and her family was hurt. She thinks distance is the only way to keep them safe.”
Amir let out a low whistle. “Well. That shut me up fast. Who’s after her?”
“Her dead boyfriend’s ex-wife.”
The words tasted like iron. And Jacqueline—and whatever loyalpack she’d gathered—were about to learn exactly what my wrath looked like.
As the city lights thinned and the road stretched into darkness, I didn’t stop to question why the need to protect Sophie burned so fiercely in my chest. Some instincts didn’t need clarification.
“At least now we know,” Amir said quietly. “We can neutralize the threat, then she can go back to her life.”
“Of course,” I replied.
I didn’t like the sound of her going back to her life, but I kept those words to myself. In fact, I didn’t even dwell on that fact, because the most important thing right now was Sophie’s safety.
