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“Conditions and rules,” he began easily. “We’ve already agreed on two of them, so what other things are a rule with you?”
“If we make a rule, we don’t break them,” she whispered painfully, thinking back to her own childhood. “Everything we do is to make sure the child feels special and loved. If we fight? We do it in private and never include them in it.”
“Agreed. What else?”
“No abuse of any kind,” she said, watching him. “Mental, physical, emotional, drug, alcohol, sexual…”
Killian gave her a hard look and the plastic casing on the pen discolored from where he was bending it in his hands.
“Were you abused?”
“Neglected.”
“You will not have to worry about abuse or neglect anymore. I will never harm you – I swear it.”
“Thank you.”
“Anything else?” he asked simply. “So far, we’ve agreed on everything, and I don’t have any to add…”
“No kissing,” she breathed, looking away from him.
“No,” he said flatly, causing her to look at him sharply. “I will not agree to that. Families are supposed to be affectionate and…”
“Fine, then just a kiss on the cheek.”
“What aboutthat?” he said bluntly, pointing at the hallway again, and she was pretty sure her t-shirt collar was going to strangle her at this point.
“Kissing is somethingemotionaland this istransactional, remember?”
“I’m not comfortable writing that down.”
“I’m not comfortable without that rule.”
“Why?”
“Because.”
“Because is not an answer – it’s the start of a sentence or a continuation of one. You would prefer that rulebecause…” he drawled pointedly.
“Because I prefer not to elaborate,” she retorted protectively.
“Why?”
“Killian, please, just no kissing, because this is not a real marriage between us. We are performing a job, a duty, and then you will be gone. I think it’s fair to make sure that there is a dividing line between us so no one ends up getting their feelings hurt should things go south.”
“I don’t like this at all – and if I write it down? Then you will be upset if I break it by mistake.”
“Then let’s make that rule conditional.”
“No,” he said bluntly.
“Why are you being so stubborn about this?” she asked in frustration.
“Because married people kiss, dang it,” he snapped hotly. “If we get married, the first thing a man does is kiss his wife during the ceremony. If we are spending Christmas together, win the lottery, have a child, or need to celebrate some emotional event – and I turn to you? I don’t want to be breaking a rule. That’s not me… and this rule is crossing a line.”
“Then it would be conditional.”
“It’s ridiculous.”
