Page 2 of Wicked Devotions

“Great idea.” Cillian pulls out his phone. “I’ll call Jared and have him come get dinner started. Any requests for your first night with us?”

“No, I’ll be fine with whatever you want.” I flash him a brief smile before following my mom upstairs.

“Cillian’s room is at the end of the hall. I’m staying in the room beside his.” She points at an open door down the hall from where we’re standing. “This is your room.”

I turn the knob and walk into a bright, airy space. The walls are painted a warm white, and gauzy curtains drift in the breeze from the open windows. As I look around and take everything in, I can hear waves crashing in the distance. The duvet is soft under my fingers, the baby blue floral pattern is exactly what I would have picked.

“I love it. Thank you.”

“Good.” Relief washes through my mom’s body. “The bathroom is through that door. You’ll have to share with Declan, but it’s stocked with all the products you like.”

I nod and continue to look around, openingdrawers to check out how much space I have. Not that I have much left after all our things were sold off. All the purses, jewelry, and shoes my father gifted me over the years were sold. Even my horse, Annie, was auctioned off over the summer. That hurt the most.

“Your dress for the wedding is hanging in the closet. Would you mind trying it on and showing me? Just to make sure I don’t have to call the seamstress right before the ceremony.”

“Sure.” The closet is surprisingly deep and full of clothes. I poke my head out and look at my mom questioningly. “Whose clothes are these?”

“Yours.” She smiles. “Cillian wanted you to feel at home, so we did some shopping for you.”

“That was really kind of him.” I move back into the closet and locate the blush satin dress my mom chose.

“He really is a wonderful man to help us like this.”

I pull my shirt off, letting it drop to the floor beside my shorts. The dress skims my body in a flattering manner, but it’s much more revealing than anything I’ve worn before. The neckline drapes down across my chest, revealing a peek of cleavage. The only thing holding the dress upare the two thin straps that rest over my shoulders.

Dad never would have let me wear something like this.

And that makes me like it.

I step out of the closet to show my mom, and I can tell by the way her eyes light up that she feels the same way.

“You look gorgeous.” She follows me over to the arched mirror resting against the wall. “Are you comfortable in it? I know it shows more than you’re used to.”

The length hits me at mid-calf, so I’m mostly covered. It wraps my body in a way that shows off the curves I’ve always had to hide. I do a half turn to make sure the back and sides cover all my scars. “I love it. It’s perfect.”

Mom’s misty eyes meet mine. She wraps her arm around my waist and pulls me to her side. She’s only thirty-seven and honestly looks more like she could be my sister than my mom now. Especially with her face and body filling in with healthy weight after years of being rail thin.

“We’re gonna be okay, kid.” A tear rolls down her cheek.

“We are.”

At dinner Cillianintroduces me to his chef, Jared, who asks me for preferences and favorite dishes. He’s covered in tattoos from his neck to his fingers; they’re all colorful against his skin, and I have to force myself to stop looking. It’s always been a secret desire of mine to get a small, hidden tattoo. I didn’t dare risk it before, but maybe now I can do it without fear of punishment.

Cillian pulls out my mom’s chair and gestures for me to sit as well. He checks his watch and looks toward the door with an irritated look on his face. Jared sets a large salad bowl in the center of the table along with a basket of fresh bread.

We’re halfway through the salad and speaking about the wedding when the side door opens and closes. The sound of heavy footsteps behind me makes the hair on the back of my neck raise, even though I know I’m safe. I keep my eyes on my plate, but I can still see Declan walk around to the empty seat beside me.

“Sorry, I hit traffic.” He reaches across to serve himself.

“Between Emerson’s house and ours?” Cillian raises an eyebrow.

“Yep.”

“Declan, this is my daughter, Harper.” Mom gives him a smile as she introduces us.

“Oh, we go way back. No introductions necessary, right Harper?” He sets his arm on the back of my chair and pulls on a lock of my hair.

I turn my head, irritated at being the butt of his subtle joke. It was a mistake because I didn’t realize the visceral reaction being this close to him would have on my body. A bolt of electricity races through my body as our eyes lock. I’m transfixed by the deep emerald of his gaze and incensed by the slight twitch of his lips into a smirk. I come quickly to my senses and pull my hair to the other side of my neck and out of his reach.

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