Page 47 of Christmas Mafia Prince
Aspen clearly omitted the fact that he also told my fake husband a bunch of bullshit that probably reached him through gossip between the uninitiated.
“No. You will be completely safe. I swear,” I say and cup his face so he can’t look away or run. “I don’t know what Aspen told you, but it’s bullshit. I wouldneverput my husband in danger!”
I hate the way his lips tremble, but at least it means there’s feelings for me other than anger hidden behind the growing wall. “So they won’t be huntingme?”
I’m going to kill my cousin.
“No. Nothing of the sort.”
Killian takes a deep breath. “I asked you for one thing. You promised not to lie to me. You know how important that is to me. And here I am. Like a fucking dumbass. Trusting a man who hunts people for sport. You are my worst choice yet!” He hits my chest without much conviction.
So Iamhis choice.
Maybe I shouldn’t smile when he’s in crisis, but the affirmation he accidentally delivers makes my heart feel lighter.
“They’re bad people though.”
His eyes settle on me, the internal struggle all too clear. “How bad?”
Hook. Line. Sinker.
“Worse than me,” I whisper, caging him against the fence as Bessie pokes her head out and sniffs my pocket. I ignore her and stroke my boy’s cheekbones as his dark eyes watch me with all the hope in the world. He wants to believe me.
He wants to be mine.
“And you know how bad I can be,” I finish softly.
His eyes moisten, and I hate myself for being the reason for his tears. “Why did you lie to me?” he utters.
I sigh, knowing there’s no running from the fact that I did omit some truths. I hate that.
“Well… I didn’tlieexactly. I was waiting for the right moment to tell you, because—” I swallow the rock forming in my throat and meet his tearful gaze. “You were undecided, and I wanted you to like me.”
This isn’t another lie to manipulate him. Deep in my heart, I was still afraid to show him all of me, afraid he’d turn away from me if he knew that yes, I am the kind of man to be excited about tracking and hunting down our family’s enemies. It’s not normal.
“And you still do? Is that why you said I’m yours?” The hand he punched my chest with before now flattens over my heart. He wants this. I knew it. He’s not even protesting the hunt anymore.
He is my gem. The one who’s worth all this hassle. The only one for me.
Emotions flood me unexpectedly, and I descend to one knee, holding on to both his hands. “Mon chéri, I will never not want you. This time apart, when I couldn’t touch you the way I wanted was torture. It only proved what I already knew before you broke off our engagement. We need each other. I did give you time to think, yes, but I never wanted to just let you go. You belong with me, and I will prove it to you every single day.”
Killian slides his fingers into my hair watching me with half-lidded eyes. “You wouldn’t let me go?”
I shoot to my feet and kiss his forehead as I wrap my arms around his small form, pulling him close, where he belongs. “I know it’s wrong, and if you truly wanted to leave… I would have let you, but you don’t. I know you want me too, and I’m not going to let you make the mistake of running from this thing between us.”
“It is wrong. It’s fucked up,” Kill whispers against my shoulder. “But it’s exactly what I want deep down. The kind of relationship that borders on unhealthy. I’ve been trying to reason with myself, but I’m done. I’m not letting my brain decideabout things that should only be judged by my heart. If I die, I die. I’m not afraid anymore. I want to feel the burn of your passion. Can you be that for me?”
I never wanted anything more, but when he says this so frankly, I’m borderline intimidated by the intensity in his eyes. He’s beautiful like this, ready to sacrifice himself on the altar of our relationship.
“You won’t die, because if someone wants to get rid of you, they’ll have to go through me first. I’m never letting you go, baby.”
Kill slides his arms around my waist, making me groan. Oh, how I missed his touch. No audience here. This is real and just for me. “No lies? I can handle everything you are.” He kisses my neck, and I’m already getting hard at his closeness.
The promise he’s made is everything I’ve ever wanted, and I grab his ass, lifting him so he can close his legs around my hips. He is the perfect size for this. “Never. You will know everything if you let me love you.”
Kill lets out a happy little whimper and nods, then catches my lips in a kiss. For the first time in a week, I don’t need to wonder if it’s just for show. I don’t steal it from him, it’s freely given. Even his legs are already open to me.
I not only feel seen butseehim too. He is committed, soft-hearted, and craves love like it’s oxygen. I can give him that in spades, and when I do, he’ll make me the happiest husband on earth.
