Page 181 of Theirs to Ruin

Ty's frown melted away as he carried a plate of delicate pastries, just like the one’s he'd once made for me in Italy, to the table. I picked one up and took a bite. They were ricotta-filled sfogliatelle, their crispy layers golden brown and flaking at the slightest touch.

“Heaven,” I said, then caught sight of Kage. “I mean, they’re good. But I’m still dying to eat the cruffin you bought me, Kage. Where is it?”

Kage grinned and shook his head. “We’ll enjoy them later when we have some privacy.”

I blushed. When I turned to thank Ty for the pastries, he was gone.

“Where did Ty go?”

“He slipped out the back, sweetheart.” Dante said. “Said he’d catch you later.”

“Oh. Okay.” Only I knew Ty had lied. He might make pastries for me, but he’d already pulled away.

Dante checked his phone. "I should get to work. Unless you need me to stay?” he said with a quick glance at me.

Part of me wanted to say I did need him to stay. He’d had another “feeling” about me right before I was attacked. When he couldn’t get through on my cell, he’d pulled me up on his tracker and had already been heading over when Kage called him. They’d ended up getting there at the same time. "Thanks, Dante. I'll be okay.”

“Then I’ll see you later.” To my surprise, he leaned in and placed a firm kiss on my lips. The initial shock of it had me opening my mouth wide. His tongue plunged into me with the heat of a branding iron. I gasped from the onslaught of desire, but there was no air except his to draw into my lungs. I breathed him in like I was drawing his soul from his chest and that intimacy only made me crave more.

When Dante finally stepped away, I stumbled toward him like his lips had been a handrail that just gave way without warning. The absence of his mouth from mine gave me vertigo and I reached out to keep myself from falling. Dante’s hand caught mine just long enough to steady me. He raised it to hismouth and kissed my wrist before releasing me. “I’ll see you soon, Peaches,” he said. Without glancing at Kage, he left.

I watched him go before the world came crashing down around me.

Fuck. Kage.

A swirl of emotions made me feel sick: guilt and lust, shame and desire. I glanced nervously at Kage, fearing his reaction. He held my gaze for a beat before he smiled and winked. He didn’t do anything to hide his obvious erection, either.

I remembered what he’d said about my attraction to other men. That he wanted me to live life without holding back. Without fear.

“I love you,” I said. The words felt freeing and heavy all at once. After everything that had happened, I couldn’t hold them back. At the same time, I knew nothing had changed.

I never wanted to lose Kage.

Not to his family, his fate, or his future. I wanted Kage to pick me.

But as much as I wished for it, I knew it couldn’t happen.

After graduation, Kage was taking over the mafia. As for me? I had no idea.

Did I even want to stay at CU? I didn’t know. Yet I wasn’t ready to abandon my duty to my family or to walk away from Kage, Dante, or Ty. Not yet.

I could tell by Kage’s tight expression he was struggling with how to respond to me, so when he opened his mouth, I said, “Don’t say it back.”

He frowned.

“I mean it, Kage. I’ll be insulted if you only say it because I said it first.”

“Alright, Rebel,” he said slowly, his eyes locked fiercely on mine. “I won’t say it back.”

Kage slid a hand behind my head, tilted it to the side, and covered my mouth with his. He kissed me with urgency and heat, but also like he never wanted to let me go. I felt tears prick at my closed eyes. Even if he didn’t love me, everything about his kiss made me feel like he did. My tears slipped between our lips and we lapped at the salty droplets like we were dying of thirst.

When he finally broke the kiss, I sank against him. Kage held me tight against his chest as I slowly regained my composure. Laughing a little at how emotional I’d gotten, I pulled away and avoided his gaze as I wiped under my nose and cleared my throat.

“Let’s eat so we can go for that ride,” I said.

“Tá mé i ngrá leat agus déanfaidh mé foréigean ar mo bhealach féin chun do shaol a chosaint,” Kage murmured.

I tilted my head. “What does that mean?”

---