Page 80 of Yours

“Because you’re mine to take care of,” I replied simply, brushing a kiss against her hair as I settled her onto the bed.

Her eyes searched mine, wide and uncertain, but she didn’t question me again. Instead, she curled into me as I pulled the covers over us, her head resting on my chest as her breathing slowed and the tension in her body melted away completely.

For the first time in what felt like years, I wasn’t thinking about deals or alliances or the tangled web of chaos that ran through my life. I wasn’t calculating or strategizing or plotting my next move.

I was just… here.

With her.

And for reasons I couldn’t explain, that felt like enough.

My chest tightened as I looked down at her, her damp hair spilling across the pillow, her cheeks still faintly flushed from the warmth of the bath. I could feel the steady beat of her heart against me, could see the way her lashes fluttered softly as she lingered between sleep and wakefulness.

She was beautiful. Not in the way I’d always noticed before—defiant, sassy, intelligent, absolutely stunning—but in a way that hit me like a blow to the ribs.

Because somewhere in the middle of it all, I’d fallen for Kiera Delaney.

And I wasn’t ever going to let her go.

The thought sent a rush of something unfamiliar coursing through me, something that wrapped around my chest and squeezed so tight, I almost couldn’t breathe.

Love.

I swallowed hard, the realization settling heavy and certain. For the first time in years—maybe ever—I felt it. Not the possessiveness I’d always carried, not the need to protect or claim, but love.

Pure, undeniable, all-consuming love.

Her voice broke through my thoughts, soft and hesitant. “What are you thinking about?”

I hesitated, my thumb brushing along her cheek as she tilted her face up to look at me. Her green eyes searched mine, wide and curious, and for once, I didn’t try to hide.

“You,” I said simply, my voice low.

She smiled faintly, a hint of uncertainty flickering across her face.

“Me?”

“Yes.” I paused, the weight of the moment pressing down on me, but I didn’t falter. “I was thinking about how much I love you.”

Her breath caught, her eyes widening as she stared at me. “What?”

“I love you, Kiera,” I said, the words steady and sure. “Not just because you drive me insane, or because you push me in ways no one else does. I love you because you’re you. Because you are pure fire and chaos and stubbornness, and because you’re the only person who’s ever made me feel like this.”

Her lips parted, but no sound came out. Her cheeks flushed, her eyes shimmering with emotion, and for a moment, she just stared at me, as if trying to process what I’d said.

Then, slowly, she reached up, her fingers brushing against my jaw as her lips curved into a soft, almost disbelieving smile.

“I… I don’t know what to say,” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

“You don’t have to say anything,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Just let me love you, Kiera. That’s all I need.”

CHAPTER 29

Kiera

Ronan’s words hung in the air between us, warm and heavy and completely impossible to ignore.

“I love you.”

---