Page 116 of Scars Run Deep

He reached out and brushed his thumb over my cheek, careful to avoid the abrasions. His other grasped my hip as he pushed himself against me so our bodies were touching gloriously, sending a tremble of awareness through me. “The secret-keeping with Asher is different, Aurora. I’ve known him for years, we’ve been friends since childhood and brothers since our teen years. We’ve lived together for a long time. We’re brothers. And still he pulls that shit of his, not trusting us, going around us, behind our backs.” He sucked in a breath to dispel how worked up talking about that had gotten him, then he told me calmly, “It’s different for you. Trust takes time, especially when it comes to something like this. This Uncle Drew is your family and you don’t have a whole lot of that—blood family anyway. This was you protecting him in that ferociously beautiful way of yours. What we’re mixed up in, combined with the way things started out with you coming into our lives… it’s a lot to push past. Trust was fractured before it even really got the chance to take root.” A huge, beaming smile spread over his face. “So you telling me this now, it’s a major fucking deal. It shows just how much you trust me, maybe us, if you’re gonna tell Ash and J too. It’s a major marker in this weird-ass relationship of ours.” He shifted from my cheek to stroking my hair. “And it means a fuck of a lot to me.”

I couldn’t believe it.

He was so… he was just incredible with me.

Considering the way things had started off, what seemed like a distant memory now, it was all the more remarkable and absolutely amazing.

“It means a lot to me too.”

His eyes shone. “Yeah?”

“Why do you sound so surprised?”

“You play it close to your vest a lot of the time. With the big stuff. The big feelings, darlin’.”

Yeah, I did. It was a defense mechanism, me trying to stop myself from falling too hard.

Well, in this case, trying to convince myself that I already hadn’t.

God, it was ridiculous.

We were long past that now.

Every day that went by just proved that in yet another way.

The way I felt about the three of them… it could no longer be contained.

Before I could get a word out, Killian told me, “I actually think it’s a good idea for you to go home for Christmas. To your uncle, I mean.”

I cocked a very skeptical eyebrow, given how he was with me, something that had just been demonstrated minutes ago with his harsh refusal to even entertain Ronan’s advice that I take a break away from Hexwood. I didn’t see Asher reacting any better. Maybe worse. Jonah was the only one who I expected to be cool with it, as he let things roll off his back a whole lot better than the other two. His presence really helped to break up that intensity.

“You’re not just okay with me going away, but you’re actually pushing for it?” I asked, unable to hide my incredulity even slightly.

He grinned. “Seems way out there, right?”

“Absolutely.”

“Absolutely… hmm, Asher again. But, yeah, if Ash can arrange it where you’ll be safe to leave, I think it’ll be good for you to take a break from all of this. Spend Christmas with your uncle, then come back to us and we’ll have a second celebration here.” He gazed at me with utter adoration. “I want you happy and at peace, so if this is what it takes—and I think it is at this point—I’m all for you doing it.”

“I love you, Killian.”

His hand stroking my hair stilled.

His eyes went wide, a whole wealth of emotions flickering in them all at once.

I chuckled as I took his hand on my hip and held it between us, giving it a squeeze. “You all right there?”

“Fuck,” he croaked. “I love you.” He tugged our joined hands to his chest, resting them over his heart. “I’ve wanted to say it for a while, but I didn’t want to freak you out.” His gaze dropped to my lips. “I want to kiss you so badly right now, but… your lip… you’re hurt.”

“It’s worth it.”

I caught him off guard in the next moment as I wrapped my free hand around his nape and tugged him down to me, crushing my lips to his.

It wasn’t a wild, out of control frenzy this time, instead, slow and easy, as we reveled in one another and our shared confession.

I opened for him and his tongue slid into my mouth, hooking around mine, tasting me, breathing me in, as I did him.

When we pulled back he was looking at me with so much affection, love, and no small hint of possessiveness, that it cracked something inside of me.

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