Page 53 of Pucks and Books

My lip wobbles, but I can’t lie. I just can’t. Unable to form the words, I nod slowly. I feel his body tense up at my answer, his eyes a dark, thunderous blue as he holds me in his arms.

He nods before leaning in, pressing his forehead to mine. “And your mom didn’t protect you?”

The emotions burn through me—fear, sadness, betrayal. I close my eyes. “No. She encouraged it.”

His body vibrates with anger, and I squeeze my eyes shut, humiliation coursing through me.

“Lou, look at me, love.”

I swallow hard, and while I don’t want to, I do as he asks. His eyes are so dark, so kind and encouraging, as he cups my cheek, rubbing the pad of his thumb along my bottom lip.

“I want you to know, no one—and I fucking mean no one—will ever touch you like that again. Trust me, Lou, if I ever get the chance to meet these people you so bravely escaped from, I will kill them.”

My heart is in my throat. His eyes are full of conviction, of the promise in his words. Breathlessly, I whisper, “Ciaran?—”

“No, I’m serious. I look great in orange. You’ll see that Friday,” he says, and the light moves back into his eyes, taking my breath away. He leans in, grazing my lips with his. Against them, he whispers, “No one will ever hurt you again. Not even me. I promise, Lou. Fuck, I promise you.”

I close my eyes at his words before he takes my lips with his, holding me so close I feel like we’re becoming one.

He pulls his mouth from mine, kissing the corner of my lips, my nose, then both my cheeks. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

I lean into his lips and bask in his promises.

Promises no one has ever offered me.

CHAPTER 33

Ciaran

I don’t want to let her go.

This girl is my weakness, and I have to protect her at all costs.

As I run my hands along her back, I can feel the scars, and anger erupts inside me. I hate her mother, her father, the people who allowed this beautiful soul to be hurt. I would have protected her. Why didn’t I meet her instead of Mikayla? I would have done everything in my power to protect Louisa. To care for her and give her whatever she needed. Why did I waste years on someone who wasn’t deserving?

This girl, Louisa, is who should have gotten all my time, devotion, and attention.

I kiss the spot between her ear and neck, and the breathy sigh that leaves her lips has the anger extinguishing and lust replacing it. I kiss her earlobe then her temple before dusting kissing along her jaw. Before I can take her mouth, though, we hear voices. She goes still, and I pull back to look at her.

“Customers?”

She grimaces. “Worse. My sisters.”

At that, I can’t help but laugh as someone yells Louisa’s name. Then I hear three different voices singing her name in varied tones and levels of volume. When they start to harmonize, she rolls her eyes. “Man, I was hoping to wait them out,” she grumbles as I move out of the way so she can grab the door handle. Before opening it, she looks up at me with watery eyes. She looks so relieved, so beautiful, as she whispers, “Thank you, Ciaran.”

Oh, she’s pulling at my heartstrings. “For what? Caring for you? I don’t need thanks for that.”

Her eyes sparkle. “Still, I don’t think you realize how much I appreciate that.”

I lean, kissing her nose. “It’s easy with you.”

Her lips curve, her eyes bright, as she pulls the door open, but before she goes out, her eyes lift to mine. “I should probably warn you… They’re a lot.”

I chuckle before I lean down to kiss her lips. “I’m sure they’re just as lovely as you.”

She gives me a look. “No. I’m the sane one.”

“The hell you are!” one of them calls. “She’s the basket case. I’m the normal one.”

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