Page 113 of Pistols & Peonies

Because this is the part where I’m supposed to make a joke. Deflect. Turn it into something else so it doesn't matter so much.

But it does.

It matters too much.

Kane doesn’t rush me or try to fill the silence. He just watches, steady and unflinching, like he’s already decided I’m worth waiting for.

That’s what breaks me.

“I love you too,” I finally say, my voice rough, like the words had to fight their way out.

For a second, he goes completely still, and I hate the sharp spike of panic that follows. Like maybe I said it wrong, maybe it wasn’t enough, maybe…

His hands come up, framing my face, thumbs brushing slowly over my cheekbones.

“Say it again,” he murmurs.

I huff out a shaky breath, rolling my eyes on instinct, even as my chest feels like it’s been cleaved open. “God, you’re needy,” I mutter.

His grip tightens slightly. Not a threat, just… there. Waiting.

I swallow, my pulse thundering in my ears. For a second, it feels like I’m standing on the edge of something too big to come back from. And still, I take the leap, trusting he’ll catch me.

“I love you, Derek Kane.”

This time, it lands different. Heavier, more real, more honest than any words we’ve ever exchanged.

Something shifts in his expression– something raw slipping through the cracks of that controlled exterior– and then he’s kissing me.

His mouth crashes onto mine, hard and possessive in a way that feels earned now. His tongue pushes into my mouth, and I meet him just as hard, hands fisting in his shirt, legs bracketing his hips. I can feel every inch of him pressed against me, the heat and the tension and the wild, hungry edge of his wolf prowling just beneath the surface.

But there’s something else there now– something new.

Something that feels a lot like it could wreck me if I let it.

When he pulls back, we’re both breathing hard, and his eyes have gone nearly full gold.

“Your wolf looks like he wants to eat me,” I tease, a lazy grin tugging at my lips.

He stabs his fingers through his hair, frowning. “He does. Fucker can’t seem to get it through his head that we’re already bonded.”

The insinuation makes my own wolf surge forward sharply, peeking back at his, the bond humming between us like a live wire.

“You still wanna mark me the old-fashioned way, don’t you?” I ask, looping my arms around his neck.

His jaw clenches, hands settling at my waist. “Yeah. Instinct’s a bitch.”

I consider that for a second, letting the tension stretch. “Maybe I’ll let you someday.”

His grip tightens on my waist, heat flaring low in my belly at the reaction it pulls from him. “Don’t say shit like that unless you mean it,” he warns, voice rough.

I drag my fingernails down the back of his neck, feeling his muscles tense and release beneath my hands. “Whatcha gonna do, Commander?” I murmur. “Make me pay for it if I’m lying?”

“No,” he growls. “I’m gonna make you beg for it, mate.”

There’s a dangerous glint in his eyes, his wolf still pressing forward, and I have no doubt he’ll follow through. He knows exactly which buttons to push to make me give in.

“Are you done with breakfast?” he asks, voice all dark promise.