Page 25 of The Past

And perhaps settle me down so that I could become serious about taking my rightful place as the heir to Blackburn Farms.It’s funny, but I wasn’t really taking that very seriously until I saw Fiona struggling with her place in a family where tradition, loyalty and legacy drove all decisions.

Fiona’s expression was unreadable.“Ye love them.But more than that, ye respect them.”

I shrugged.“The love is the easy part.The respect they earned.”

Her smile was barely there and in appreciation for all that I had.“That must be nice.”

Her sadness spoke of all the things she didn’t have that mattered the most.It made my chest ache and I was filled with this insane need to save her from her situation.I couldn’t pull her away, but I could push her.

I nudged her lightly with my shoulder.“Don’t let your father decide your future, Fi.”

She shifted uncomfortably.“Ye wouldn’t understand.”

“I understand perfectly.We’re both guided by a need to fulfill family obligations, so I get exactly how deep bloodline loyalty goes.But there has to be a limit to it.”

She shot me a sideways glance, didn’t acknowledge my challenge to stand up for herself.“Ye said yer parents sent ye here ’cause ye were wild.What exactly were ye doin’?”

I leveled her a sly look.“Oh, just the usual.Partying.Chasing girls.”

Fiona scoffed with a wave of her hand.“That all?”

My grin was broad and unrepentant.“I was pretty good at it.”

She rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of amusement there.“Ye want me to take advice from a boy who spends his days partyin’ and chasin’ girls, do ye?”

“You make it sound like a bad thing,” I teased.

“It’s a waste of time, is what it is.”

I sighed dramatically, rubbed at my chin.“I think you might be right.”

She blinked at me in surprise.

“It’s far more fun to sit here and sip whiskey on a hay bale with you than to party with my friends.”

Another slow blink as her head tipped slightly.

I leaned in.“And none of the girls I chased were as pretty as you.”

Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly looked away, her hand tight around the neck of the whiskey bottle.

The moment seemed to call for me to throw caution to the wind, so I spoke my mind.“I want to kiss you.”

Fiona’s head whipped back my way, eyebrows raised high.Her lips parted slightly and she swallowed hard.She was shocked, and hopefully a little interested in that offer.Definitely conflicted, but nothing had ever felt more right to me.

Then she straightened, lifting her chin and thrusting the bottle back at me.I don’t know if I offended her as I took the whiskey.I was pretty much taking my life into my own hands at that point because I’m sure Rory would kill me if he knew I was trying to make out with his niece.

Fiona stared at me for a beat.I held my breath, braced for a slap across my face.

But before I could doubt my feelings or how she’d react for one more second, she leaned in and kissed me.

It started soft, hesitant.A brush of her lips against mine, so unsure… delicate, even.

I held my breath, didn’t move a muscle other than my hand reflexively tightening on the glass bottle.

But then Fiona pressed in harder, her hands lightly fisting the front of my shirt.There was no way I couldn’tnotreact to that.I groaned, deepened the kiss and my fingers grazed the curve of her waist that I could barely feel through my jacket.

This beautiful girl was warm and soft, and fuck, I wanted more.Way more than an innocent girl like her would be wanting to give.

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