Page 103 of Sins of Innocence

And he made sure that conversation happened. "It wasn't just about getting our stories straight."

"No."

"The boss always wants input from the assigned personnel." Ellie grins at me. "He's a little high handed, but he's a good guy."

"I'm not personnel though," I tell Kieran. "I'm going to be your wife." I say the last in a near subvocal, really not wanting my mom or girls to overhear.

"You could have said no."

"And we would have gone to Vegas?" I clarify.

He squints.

"That's a no then."

"This is better."

I can't deny that.

"You're going to be insufferable if I let you get away with this one." I'm not sure he won't be insufferably certain of his own course either way.

Kieran's not a vain man. Not like Troy with his designer watches and perfectly turned-out family. But my soon-to-be husband has his own share of arrogance.

Maybe more than.

"I'm used to making my own decisions," he says.

Which A) is a full thought without prompting and B) implies he might need to get used to taking my opinion into account.

"Marriage works best when both people have a say," I inform him.

He cocks his head in thought and then nods. "That's how my grandparents were."

"That's how I want us to be." No doubt his grandparents loved each other and that's why neither ran roughshod over the other one. "Is that possible?"

"Yes."

There's something about that yes. I look toward Ellie and see she's looking at me, her expression worried.

"You don't think Kieran will respect my opinions?" I ask her.

"If I didn't, I'd have put the kibosh on this plan whatever it took," my BFF promises me. "But he's going to do what he thinks is best. I know you, Áine. You'll do the same."

Huh. She might be right about that. "We'll both do our best though, right?"

I'm not talking to Ellie and she's not the one who answers.

"Yes," Kieran replies.

I believe him. Troy loved me, but I couldn't trust him to watch out for me and our girls, even if I didn't know it.

Kieran has no tender feelings for me at all, unless lust is a tender feeling and I'm not sure I believe it is, but despite the short time we've known each other, I trust him to make our protection a priority. And I trust him to keep his promises.

Maybe because it has been such a short time and he's already stepped up and kept his word on multiple occasions.

"Okay." I rest my head back against the seat and let myself breathe for the first time in what feels like six years.

Outside the oval window, the city falls away beneath us, gray and sprawling and small.