Page 73 of Reckless Promises

A single beam illuminates the surface of the ocean, reaching out to us.

Cillian moves behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and holding me tighter. His hard body shielding me from the chill of the night. And even if my nose is rosy and cold, I could stay here like this forever.

“You’ve seen so many things.” I breathe out. “Countries, monuments… the world. It’s hard to imagine.”

He kisses the top of my head, resting there for a moment to breathe me in. “I have.”

“How does it feel?”

Cillian hums into my hair as his fingers lace through mine, both of us staring out at the endless, dark ocean.

“It feels empty,” he says after a long pause. “Yes, I’ve traveled a lot. I’ve seen almost every country. Met people all over the world. It’s beautiful, different. But it was just another reason for me to disconnect. To never stay in one place too long.”

“To escape?”

“Yes.”

I understand that, even if for me it doesn’t look the same. Because escape is all I’ve wanted to do for a long time. The only reason I didn’t try harder was for my mom and sister. But deep down, the desire to break free simmered.

“I get it, even if I’ve never left the East Coast.” I rest my head back against Cillian’s chest. “Freedom always sounded nice, but I never did anything about it. I was scared, even if I didn’t want to admit that to myself. When people treat you like an object long enough, I guess you start to think that’s what you are.”

Cillian releases one hand to spin me around until I’m facing him. His fingers rake through my hair when the wind kicks it into my face.

“You aren’t an object to me, Odette.”

“I didn’t say—”

“I’m not saying you did.” He holds the back of my neck in his hand. “But still, you need to know that. Whatever spark you think burned out is still in you. I saw it that first moment you stepped onto the stage.”

My heart aches with his words. With the way his gunmetal eyes soften as they spear me. With the belief he means what he’s saying. He sees my fire, and for the first time in my life, he wants to be the person to kindle it instead of putting it out.

“You didn’t belong in your father’s world.” I wrap my arms around his shoulders, and he tips his forehead to mine.

“Neither did you.”

Somehow, we come from opposite sides of the same destiny and neither of us fit in where we should.

“Kind of funny we found each other then.” I can’t help but smile, and it draws one of his own.

“You mean when I bought you?”

I shake my head and laugh. “I think you enjoy saying that a little too much.”

“Because it’s ridiculous.” Cillian kisses my forehead. “I swore I’d be different. I wasn’t even going to use that money when I found it going through my father’s assets. I was going to transfer it into a different account. I always swore I’d never do what I did to you.”

“What you didforme—”

“Was inhuman,” Cillian cuts me off, his teeth grinding. “You’re not an object that should be bought and sold. You’re a person.My wife. You deserved better.”

“If you hadn’t been there, I’d be with Sascha right now.” My comment has his grip tightening on my waist. “And you’d be… I don’t know, living up to your reputation.”

He shakes his head. “I don’t want to think about any of that. What happened, happened for a reason.”

“And what if it didn’t?” I ask.

“It did.”

“I’m just saying, you didn’t want to get married; everyone’s made that pretty clear.”

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