AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I pause.
“Yesterday.”
He groans, bringing his forehead to the kitchen table. He stays there for a moment or so, head underneath his shoulder blades, the muscles working in his back.
“And you had no idea who Luca Abruzzo was?” He asks into the oak.
“He’s not exactly the type of guy you can Google!”
Eventually, he looks up. His jaw is working overtime, and the fire in his eyes is enough to burn down a city. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
My laugh is strangled. “When should I have told you, Cillian? After you rescued me from the Van der Boors? On your jet back to the States? ‘Thanks for saving me, kind stranger, by the way, I’m also in debt to the tune of eight million dollars.’”
“That’s exactly what you should have done,” he growls back.
“Why? What would you have done?” I say quietly, putting the glass down on the counter with trembling hands. “Killed him?”
He pauses. “Yes.”
“Great,” I say, feeling the emotion blocking my airways.I need to get out of here.“Then I’d be in debt to you again, right?”
I stalk to the door before the tears fall.
“Dahlia—”
“My name’s Lottie. Lottie Lewis,” I shriek over my shoulder as I hurry down the cobbled path of the Garden. “And I’m leaving! Right now. I’ll deal with it myself because look what happens every time I rely on a man.” I spin round and see Cillian standing in the pathway behind me, arms crossed, a hard expression on his face. “They take advantage of me. Nimo beat me senseless, Lucky blackmailed me into doing his dirty work, and you saved me in exchange for my body.” A sob escapes me, and a million more threaten to follow. I’m leaving, truly I am—I’m packing my shit and I’m getting out of here. Let Lucky kill me. I’m tired of running, tired of pretending to be someone I’m not.
I’m almost at the stepping stones when I feel a strong grip on my forearm. Cillian spins me around, pulling me towards him. “You chose to be here, Dahlia,” he says in a low growl. Two fingers under my chin force me to meet his gaze. I can barely see him through my blurry eyes, but I can tell he’s mad. “Don’t tar me with the same brush as those assholes.”
“I’m here because you promised me a new life. How long until you come and find me, wanting something else from me?” I struggle against his arm, but he only holds me tighter. “It’s a vicious circle and I’m sick of it. I made my bed the day I got on the back of Nimo’s motorcycle, and I’ve tried for so long not to lay down in it. I’m tired, Cillian. I’m tired of running.”
I’m so hysterical that I don’t realize his arm has moved away from my hip and to the back of my head. I don’t realize that I’m leaning against his chest, breathing in the warmth of his sweater, his hand tangled in my hair.
We stay like this for a while, the humidity of the garden swirling around us, as I buckle in sobs against his hard body. He doesn’t let me go.
“Lottie Lewis,” he eventually says slowly. “The little Lottie flower. A dwarf breed of Lavender that grows in the English countryside.” In a movement just as slow as his words, he leans back enough to look at me. “It symbolizes trust,” he whispers, searching my eyes. With the rough pad of his thumb, he brushes away a stray tear, then a matted strand of hair from my forehead. His touch leaves a burning trail on my skin. “Mylittle Lottie flower,” he murmurs, “You trust me, right?”
I look into the charcoal pits of his eyes. Only the truth slips through my lips.
“Yes.”
He breathes in, filling his lungs with humid air, then nods as he breathes back out. His back straightens, his jaw sets.
He’s made up his mind.
“Then trust that I’ll make all of your problems go away.” As I open my mouth to speak, he presses a finger against my lips. “No debt, no deal. No more favors. You’ll owe me nothing.”
I could collapse against him. Instead, I lean my forehead against his, staring at the curve of his lips. “Thank you,” I breathe.
We’re so close… I could kiss him. God, how I want to kiss him.
Fuck it.
My lips brush against his and he instantly freezes. My eyes flicker back to his, trying to decipher the meaning of his hard gaze. As always, it’s impossible to read. I put my lips to his again, only this time, I’m not just testing the waters, I’ve dived right in. I kiss him with all of the gratitude in my body. His lips are softer than the grip he has around my waist, but they don’t move. He doesn’t move. When I pull away, he does nothing but stare at me.
“I told you not to kiss me.”
“I know and I don’t care. I’ll take the punishment. I just had to—”
