Page 42 of Reckless Promises

A smirk pulls at the corner of his mouth. I piss him off, but secretly, a part of him seems to enjoy it. Because the angrier he is with me, the more of a reaction I get from him. Each time offering me a glimpse of the man Fallon told me about. One who still had fire, instead of being all ice.

“Michelle, I think her name was.” I step into the room, slowly walking over to the desk.

“Correct.” He narrows his eyes when I stop on the other side, once more scanning my body. “I was told your new wardrobe arrived this morning.”

“It did.”

His gaze pauses on my bare thighs. “Could have fooled me.”

“I thought that was impossible.” I lift a finger to my lip, slowly tapping it. “The great Cillian Cross.Brilliant, all-seeing, lethal. So many rumors, yet none of them paint you as a fool.”

He bites back a smile. “At least we’re clear on that.”

I offer him a venomous one in return. “I came here to thank you for the wardrobe actually, seeing as you’ve nailed down my favorite color.”

“Do you plan on storing it for decoration or putting it on?” His jaw clenches. “Because I’m pretty sure we already had a conversation about you wandering the house in lingerie.”

Leaning forward, I plant my hands on the desk and stare at him. “This is a nightgown, not lingerie. But if you’d like to see the difference, I can wearthatnext time and explain it to you.”

He leans forward, planting his elbows on his desk, bringing himself closer, stirring up everything I refuse to feel.

“Is that why you came down here, Odette? To threaten me?”

I shake my head. “I already told you why I came down here—to thank you. Sorry, was I interrupting something?”

He smirks, and I hate that I let that slip. That he sees right through my irritation with one snappy comment. My mouth is always getting me into trouble, so why would it be any different with him?

“You’re jealous.”

“I’d have to care to be jealous, Cillian.” I cross my arms over my chest. “I’m irritated.”

“Then please enlighten me.”

“Just because we have an understanding of what this is, doesn’t mean I’ll let you make a fool of me. You can force me to be your wife, but you won’t turn me into my mother.”

“That was a business meeting.”

Maybe just now. And maybe to him. But just like he reads people, I read them too. Michelle wants more from my husband.

My husband.

I shouldn’t focus too hard on how comfortable it is starting to feel thinking of him that way.

“Come here.” Cillian wheels his chair back, leaving a gap between him and his desk.

Every instinct begs me not to. But my body ignores the warnings in favor of listening. Circling the desk, I roll my shoulders back when I stop in front of him.

“You make a lot of assumptions.” Cillian looks up at me.

“I’ve heard a lot of rumors.”

“Well, then I won’t bother lying to you.” He drops his palms to his thighs. “They’re probably all true. And they’re also probably just the surface of the things you might hear now that we’re married.”

“How comforting.”

“I’m not telling you to comfort you, Odette.” He stands up, pushing the chair back so he’s nowtowering over me.

It might be a power play, but it works. My breath stutters at the hit of spice in his cologne. A hint of something sweet complementing it.Blackberry, maybe?

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