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Mia giggles as I pull her down the hallway, glancing conspiratorially over my shoulder. Then I turn, pressing my back against the library door and double-checking that no one’s following before I drag her inside and close us in.
The two-story room is vast, ornate, and entirely empty, all the guests in the ballroom, preoccupied with the dance next door. But just like the other rooms of the house, this one is decorated just as splendidly. Twinkling Christmas trees furnish every window along the far wall, and colorful lights twist around the banister of the second floor.
But best of all is the mistletoe that hangs above our heads, dangling from the overhanging balcony of the second floor. Smiling wolfishly, I pull Mia close, bringing her directly beneath the holiday tradition. And when she meets my eyes, I look up at it in silent explanation.
I look down again to find her blue eyes soft and warm, her lips curving into a radiant smile.
“You planned this,” she accuses.
“Now, how could I have done that when et’s near impossible ta get an audience with ye?” I tease. But in truth, I’ve had this very spot in mind since I stumbled upon it yesterday. I was just waiting for the right opportunity.
She doesn’t argue or press me further. Instead, her hand rests lightly on my chest, as if she can feel the force of my heart beating through my ribs. Then her eyes shift to my lips, a nervous anticipation in them.
Taking the cue, I lean in slowly, my arms encircling her waist as I bring our lips together. She tastes like Christmas, a blend of cinnamon, gingerbread, and chocolate that makes me groan appreciatively, and I stroke my tongue between her lips, greedy for another taste. Her lips move with mine, her tongue soft and inviting as she kisses me sweetly.
And when she finally pulls back just enough to meet my eyes again, we’re both out of breath.
“God, I want ye. Every time I’m near ye, I ’bout lose me mind.”
Mia releases a breathy laugh, her smile soft, her eyes ablaze with temptation, and I know she wants me like I want her. So I turn with her in my arms, moving her away from the door to press her back gently against the bookshelves, and I pin her there.
But as I lean in to kiss her once again, the palm resting on my chest pushes me gently. I pause, drawing back to give her a questioning look, and the sudden anxiety in her expression makes my stomach knot.
“What’s wrong?” I murmur.
“Cilian, I need to tell you something before we go any further,” she says, her voice strained.
“Okay,” I agree, concern washing through me as I feel the tension mounting in her body. Whatever it is, she’s scared to say it, and I hate it if it’s because she doesn’t think she can talk to me. “Ye can tell me anything, Mia. Ye know that, right?”
“I—”
Whatever it is she wanted to say, I’ll never know, because at that moment, the library door bangs open and Zach and Luke stride in, their faces set with determination. They scan the room, and when they find my arms around Mia, their expressions darken.
“Are you really considering Cilian over either of us?” Zach asks, his eyes shifting to Mia’s face, his tone injured like he would find it incredibly insulting if she liked me more than him. “He’s proven himself a playboy time and again, and you shouldn’t be pinning such an important decision on someone so flighty.”
Tension fills the air as I bristle. I’ve never had a problem with Luke or Zach before, but if they’re actually going to try and turn Mia against me, I’m not about to just sit back and take it. My arms tighten around her protectively. “Mia has a right ta be with whoever she wants. She’s a grown woman with a mind of her own.”
Luke steps forward, his brows pressing into a deep frown as he cuts in. “Do you really think Cilian is ready or capable of being a responsible father?” he demands.
Mia pales visibly.
And the meaning behind Luke’s statement hits me like a bag of bricks. It tells me all I need to know. Mia’s pregnant, and the other two already know.
She went to them about it but not me.
It cuts surprisingly deeply to know she couldn’t trust me with the knowledge or think she could rely on me—like she clearly does Luke and Zach. My arms fall numbly to my sides as a painful disappointment seeps through me.
I sensed that I was lagging behind in the battle for her heart, but I hadn’t realized I wasn’t even in the race. Turning to look at Mia, just trying to understand what I did to make her trust me so little, I can see it all in her gaze.
“I was going to tell you,” she whispers, tears shimmering in eyes. “I swear. Just now. That’s why I wanted to talk to you alone. I got pregnant from our night together on Halloween.”
My heart squeezes, and her blue eyes are so round and pleading that I couldn’t doubt her if I tried. Instead, it bolsters my determination. Because even if I’m the last to know, I’m confident she still has feelings for me.
“Why did ye wait?” I ask, my voice pained. “Ta tell me, I mean. Did ye not think I’d be happy?”
“I was scared you wouldn’t want anything to do with me after you found out…”
Again, like a knife to the heart, and yet I can’t blame her. I know my reputation. I’ve never voiced any plans to settle down. But that’s only because I haven’t found the right woman until now.
