Page 72 of Craving Sin

“How wrong it would have felt if they’d killed me that day because I never would have met you.”

His pupils flare, just before a curse falls from his lips, and his mouth sears mine in a hard, possessive kiss.

This is the second time I’ve been with this man after he’s hurt someone, and I don’t care. What is wrong with me that I don’t care?

Rian’s tongue pushes into my mouth. My arms encircle him, hands sliding up his strong back, our bodies pressed so close together—kissing hard and hungry one second, and the next, he jerks away.

“What?” I ask, trying to find the words to finish my question.

“I don’t want to touch you like this, not after what I did tonight. Not with the stench of their blood still on me.”

Shit. He’s right. I’d lost myself. Rian O’Shea makes me lose myself, and I would have thought I would hate that, but I don’t. I think part of me needs it.

“Yeah, yeah, okay. Let’s just get going. I feel…I don’t know. Uncomfortable here now.”

He nods. I quickly get dressed, gather clothes, toiletries, and a few personal items before we head to the door. I pull the suitcase behind me, as Rian tugs his gun out, making me falter.

“I don’t think anyone is out there, Doc. They’ve had plenty of chances to come back after you since you’ve been home. I’m not sure why they haven’t yet, but I’ll figure it out. The gun is just a precaution.”

He’s right. Why haven’t they tried to kill me again? Are they just…watching me? Are they watching us now?

I nod, trusting him to do the right thing. I’ve just never been super comfortable around guns, but I am comfortable around Rian.

“Walk right behind me. Stay close.”

“Hey,” I say, before he goes out the door. “Thank you…for coming for me…for wanting me.” The vulnerability in my words is impossible to miss. Rian turns to look at me, forehead creased in this way that says he’s trying to make sense of what I mean.

His features soften. He cups my cheek, brushing his thumb against the bone there. “I’ll always come for you, and I’ll always want you. You’ll never have to feel alone again, pretty thing. Not now that you’re mine.”

I nearly come apart at his words, want to pull him into my arms and show him how much I belong to him—that I’ve known it since the day he was supposed to kill me, maybe sooner, and that I’ll always be his, even if I lose him. But now isn’t the time, so I say, “You’re mine too.”

“That won’t change, either. Even if I don’t get to keep you.”

Warmth floods every inch of my body. I don’t care if it’s unhealthy, if I would judge anyone else for feeling the way I do—being wanted by Rian fills me up, makes me whole. I deserve that, to feel craved the way I do with him.

I’ve spent my life trying to take care of people, to do the right thing, to make up for who my father is and the fact that I allowed him to hurt her. But when it comes to Rian, I don’t care what’s right. I just want him.

“Do you promise?”

I swear I see fire ignite in his eyes—his intense stare, all possessive and powerful, is the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.

“I promise.”

Rian is as loyal and devoted as they come, and for whatever reason, it’s me he wants.

Gun in one hand, and my hand in the other, Rian leads me out of my house, into an uncertain future that I’m willing to dive headfirst into as long as he’ll have me.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Abbott

As soon as we pull away, Rian makes a call. Whoever it is must answer quickly because it’s only a couple seconds later that he says, “I need a crew at,” before proceeding to give the person my address. “I need the place wiped clean of any evidence I was there or anything else I might have tracked in with me tonight.”

“Wait. What are you doing? Who are you sending to my house?”

He glances in my direction. “People I trust. I shouldn’t have been at your place before cleaning up tonight. The last thing we need is me inadvertently leaving proof of shit that doesn’t need to be tied to you.”

When he puts it that way, he’s right. But still, the idea of someone being in my home, going through my things…