Page 113 of Hook

His Adam’s apple bobs, and I realize in that moment that he’s nervous. Cillian Hook is nervous, something I never believed I’d see.

“I’m here to save you,” he says, stepping closer.

“Save me?”

He keeps moving, closing the gap until he’s inches from me. His hands land on my hips and he groans. “I’ve missed you so damn much.”

I shut my eyes, tears welling behind my eyelids. “I hate to say it, but I’ve missed you, too.”

He chuckles. “Good.”

I shake my head, forcing myself to look at him. “But that doesn’t change the fact I’m about to get married.”

“Did you file the papers?” he asks, searching my eyes.

I shake my head. “I couldn’t bring myself—”

He kisses me, his lips forceful against my own, followed by his tongue delving inside. I claw at him, desperate to draw him closer, as if he’s my oxygen and I’m running out. A moan escapes my lips as I feel the press of his erection against my abdomen. “Cillian, anyone could walk in.”

He grabs a fistful of my hair and yanks my head back, glaring at me. “And what? See me kissing my lawfully wedded wife? They can’t annul our marriage. This wedding can’t go ahead.”

I lick my lips. “And how exactly are you going to stop it?”

“First of all, I want to hear you tell me you want me to stop it.” His eyes narrow.

I nod frantically. “I want you to stop it, please.”

He smirks. “Why?”

Hhe wants me to tell him the truth. That the feelings I had for him while his captive were never Stockholm Syndrome. I love him. No matter how ridiculous that may be. I opt for a different angle.

“Because I’m pregnant,” I say.

His eyes widen and then darken. “You knew when I let you go?” His voice is lethally calm—too calm.

I swallow hard as his eyes burn holes in me. “Yes, but I knew you wouldn’t let me go, if—”

He yanks me even closer, his warm breath tickling my face. “You left with our fucking unborn baby growing in you, Gwendolyne. I had a right to know about it.” His eyes are full of dark and dangerous fury. “I wouldn’t have let you go.”

“That’s why I couldn’t tell you.”

He growls, wrapping his hand gently around my throat. “That’s a foolish thing to say. I’d protect the two of your with my life, but if your father or Piero had learned of the baby…” He shudders. “You know what they would have done.”

I nod, as I know they would have forced me to get rid of it.. “I didn’t think about that at the time. All I knew was that I needed space away from you to be sure the way I felt was real.”

There’s an unmistakable flash of hope in his eyes. One that makes my heart race and butterflies erupt in my stomach. “And what is it that you feel, princess?”

The crazy thing is the way I feel for this man shouldn’t be possible. I shouldn’t love someone who has done the things he has to me, but there’s no denying the truth. I’m in love with Cillian Hook. Every complex and dark part of him that makes him who he is. He may have captured me and locked me in a prison, but I’d never felt freer than when I was with him.

I’ve been a prisoner all my life. Locked away for fear that something could happen to me, like it happened to my mom. I don’t remember her as she died when I was two years old. Dad lost sight of what was important in life the moment she died and he’s never been the same again.

“I love you,” I breathe, my voice so quiet I’m not sure he’ll hear me.

“Princess, you don’t know how badly I’ve wanted to hear those words.” He wraps his hand around the back of my neck and pulls me to him, crashing his lips against mine in the most intense kiss I’ve experienced.

It’s emotional, fierce, passionate. A throb ignites between my thighs. The ache in my chest deepens because I’m going to be married off to another man in ten minutes. Cillian may believe he can stop the wedding, but I fear he’s likely to end up dead facing Piero and my dad.

I slide my hands up his chest and dig my nails into his skin, pulling him closer. He groans in response. The kiss becomes desperate. The sounds we make together are animalistic, and we haven’t even got our clothes off. I’m panting for him, begging for more, when he breaks the kiss. He runs his nose along my neck and my whole body shudders in response.

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