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RICOCHET
Killian had never felt sostrange in his entire life… and off-kilter. Destiny was the strangest person that kept him guessing… and he liked it. He never imagined that she would get cold feet, or his intense relief that they were waiting. She had been so confident regarding the marriage – but he had been afraid of what casual sex would do to them both, discovering she was a romantic at heart, too.
That was kind of an enchanting realization…
She didn’t want to kiss because she was afraid to fall in love or get her soft heart broken or feelings hurt – and that understanding touched him in a way he never expected. She was a gentle soul deep down inside, and it was nice to realize that this marriage between them would never truly be a transaction.
Transactions were cold, clinical… but just being near her made him feel a full bevy of emotions, varying from worry or fear – to yearning or joy. He wanted to make her happy, to see those beautiful eyes of hers widen in surprise like when he’d slid the ring on her finger. Hearing her throaty laugh when something tickled her fancy made him smile – and it was endearing to think that they were finding things they had in common.
… Like sprinkles on cake.
She brought him a glass of water, two ibuprofens, and made him turn over to rub a little liniment on his back. It made him feel embarrassed to think that he’d strained something on his wedding day – and he probably should have asked his friends for help – but he really wanted to keep this moment, his Destiny, all to himself.
He didn’t want to answer a bunch of questions – including the way it made him feel to have her taking care of him. It was so wonderful to have someone doting on him unexpectedly, sighing in ardent relief and happiness washing over him.
She left the room and donned a modest nightgown that was covered by the ugliest baby blue terry cloth robe he’d ever seen, before lying down next to him. She was lying there stiffly, still tense, and he wanted to put her mind at ease. Wincing, he rolled to his side and put his arm around her, feeling her seize up.
“Is this okay if I just hold you close? It helps to lay on my side,” he whispered in the shadows, realizing that she’d left the bathroom light on in the hallway.
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry if I snore.”
“Me too.”
He smiled in the darkness, fighting the urge to laugh because apparently his little bride snored in her sleep… and he’d been lying, saying that to put her at ease.
“I’m glad we got married,” he volunteered quietly, just needing to talk and hear her voice a little more.
“You are? You aren’t disappointed or upset?”
“Not at all,” he admitted and realized it was true. “I’m hoping that maybe we’ll find a lot more in common than just sprinkles and buttercream frosting.”
He heard her soft laugh and smiled, leaning forward to kiss the back of her neck in the darkness – and felt her stiffen once more.
“Maybe you shouldn’t do that,” she whispered nervously.
“Not everything leads to passionate sex, you know,” he countered quietly. “Sometimes it’s just a way to show affection. I want us to be good friends, the best of friends, if we are going to make a ‘go’ of this. I can’t help how I am, nor am I willing to change for anyone – and I wouldn’t ask you to change either.”
“I see.”
“I would want you to be your truest self when you are with me, so I can get to know the real you… and you can get to know the real me. The rest of the world can see the shell we maintain – but I want to knowyou. Does that make sense?”
… And it was true.
He was Ricochet, a hot-tempered pilot who flew aggressively across the skies, wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, or take a stance… but he was also Killian, too.
A protective brother, a loyal friend, a music lover, and a lonely man that secretly yearned for a home and family someday – never dreaming that a mysterious woman named Destiny would tempt him into building both with her.
Maybe it was fate that he ended up at that bar with the guys?
They were originally going to go have dinner and margaritas at some Mexican food restaurant that Valkyrie adored - and it got vetoed by the rest of the team. Killian had already gone to dinner with Everly earlier in the evening, picking at his meal while listening to his sister talk about Maestro, Mallory, and Caleb.
“I agree,” Destiny said quietly, relaxing slightly against him. “I’ve always felt that the body was a shell, housing who you were on the inside…”
“Exactly.”
“But it’s really scary to let someone in,” she added in a rush – and he realized that someone had hurt her feelings at some point, someone close to her, making her afraid to trust.
