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I tapped the empty cool room space with cold fingertips, drumming them on the shelving where the wine should have sat, not bothering to disguise my irritation at myself. A simple phone call could have solved the problem, and I still didn’t have an answer for my current one. Recalling casks of the same brand as the house white near the front of the cool room, I spun on my heel.
Determined to fix at least one problem tonight, I turned too fast and ran nose first into a black-and-blue embossed waistcoat.
“Jesus, fuck. Killian, go back and do your damn job.” Flustered, I blurted out the first thing that came to my mouth, spewing profanity in my panic. Refusing to wince or take back my words, I planted my hands on my hips and stared him down.
Well, up.
Standing chin up against a six-and-a-half-foot giant had its problems.
Killian leaned forward and bared his teeth.
I wouldn’t dare to call it a smile.
I did manage to raise an eyebrow and not cower or break and dart around him.A proud moment. Not that he would have allowed me to run. I called standing my ground in the face of panty-wetting adversity a win.
Killian dipped his head and brushed his lips past my cheek, flicking his tongue across the shell of my ear. “Turn around.”
It took everything in me not to moan. I pivoted on my heel, forcing my hands to my sides.
“Liftup your hair.”
Sucking in an icy breath, I slid my hands beneath my hair and raised the heavy weight, flippingmy thick locks over one shoulder to bare my back to him. My breaths came shorter. Had I done what he wanted? What if I’d done it wrong?
How hard could lifting hair be?
A light touch at my throat sent a shiver along my skin as I half leapt out of my skin.No, not at my throat.
At my collar.
Killian’s breath brushed the back of my neck. A single shiver worked its way along my spine in both directions, sensitive and nerve spiking to the point of pain.
I wanted to moan and sigh at once.
Killian’s fingers circled my throat, around my collar, flexing the steel ring the slightest fraction. “Can I take this off?”
Like he was asking me to pass the fucking salt at the Sunday picnic.
Some part of me told me I’d been here before, and some part of me wanted to say yes.
I swallowed hard.
DoI want what he’s offering?
With all my eternal beast and soul.
Am I safe with him?
Air filled my lungs and refused to leave. Would I be able to work with him? Either way, I answered his loaded question. Would I have to leave Fray if I somehow screwed up?
I had no idea, and that scared me. That he hadn’t pushed too far the afternoon in his car spoke volumes to me of who he would be. But I’d never played with him before, and I knew he would push me in every direction. I didn’t know who Killian was outside of Fray, apart from boxing with Rafe. Only that they were best friends and had each other’s back.
There was something in that, which made this next part that much riskier.
My hands rose to brush over his. I wrapped my fingers over both his and the collar as I closed my eyes and released the air held captive in my lungs.
“No.”
A single shallow breathmy heart sailed on, and it was done.
