Page 103 of The Dark Before Light

Sven stands by the windows. I catch his gaze for an instant before I’m ushered down the hallway to Kieran’s bedroom. Bo and Elian take up positions outside the door. Gabe pauses on the threshold.

“You good here?” he asks.

I nod. “Before you go—quick question. Did Kieran tell his executive team he was going to the Maldives instead of Ireland?”

Gabe frowns. “No. They know he goes back to Ireland every couple of months. Why?”

I tell him about seeing Oliver last week and what he said. By the time I’m finished, Gabe’s expression is so neutral I know it’s forced.

“Why would he say that? Was he trying to see if I’d contradict him? Reveal the real reason Kieran was in Ireland?”

“I don’t know, but thank you for telling me. I’ll share it with Sven. Fair warning, he might have some follow-up questions.”

My heart skips a beat. “Does that mean Oliver’s a suspect?”

Gabe steps quickly inside the room and closes the door. “Excluding Alistair, yes—all Lumitech execs are under investigation at this point.”

“Makes sense,” I muse. “The people closest to Kieran would have the most access to him.”

Gabe opens his mouth, hesitates, and finally says, “So far there’s no evidence implicating Oliver or anyone else, but we’re on high alert.”

I think about the overheard conversation. “He told them about the trials.”

He nods. “Early this morning.”

I chew my lip. “I don’t like him—Oliver. He makes my skin crawl.”

Gabe gives me a dry smile of agreement. “None of us like him, but Kieran’s known him far longer than we have.”

I nod distractedly. “For Kieran’s sake, I hope it isn’t him.”

“I agree.”

The door opens behind Gabe. My thoughts evaporate as Kieran strides toward me, his troubled expression melting into one of relief. I barely notice Gabe’s retreat or the door closing because I’m enveloped in a crushing embrace.

“I missed you,” he mumbles against my neck.

My heart expands like a balloon, pushing against the confines of my ribs. “I missed you, too.” Leaning back, I frame his face with my hands. “Are you okay?”

Stormy blue eyes roam my face. “I am now.”

“How was therapy?”

“Good.”

“Do you?—”

His lips swallow my words, the kiss swiftly turning ravenous. Hands flow down my back to my ass, kneading me through my jeans. All my thoughts and worries flee.

“Are you sore?” he asks between kisses.

I pull up his shirt, palming his warm skin. “Does it matter to you? Because it doesn’t matter to me.”

His answer is a groan.

Our clothes hit the floor and we fall onto the bed in a tangle of limbs. Kieran rolls us and rises to his forearms. My legs frame his hips. I arch into him, eager and mindless, before realizing he’s stopped moving. Relaxing back to see his face, my breath catches. Sunlight from the windows turns his eyes to blue flame, and he stares down at me like… like…

“Tá mé i ngrá leat,” he murmurs. “I’m in love with you. Tá grá agam duit—I love you. Mo ghrá—my love. You’re everything to me.”

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