Page 10 of Killian
It was starting to feel like Fort Knox. This only made my curiosity about Killian Graham rise more.
“No. It’s just a fail-safe.” He reached out and grabbed my hand. “Come on. We need to get some sleep.”
“Wait.” He didn’t. He pulled me through the house, down a hall, and into a large bedroom. More like mammoth. One wall was solid steel, probably covering windows. The bed was across from it, and it could probably fit four people comfortably. The thought of him having that many in it didn’t sit right with me, so I shook it from my brain.
He let go of my hand and went to a dresser, pulling out a t-shirt then tossing it to me. I caught it reflexively.
“Hold up, Killian. This is going too fast. We need to slow this down.” He couldn’t expect me to go to bed with him. I didn’t even know him anymore.
He pulled off his shirt in that sexy way with one hand over his shoulder and boom—it was off. Yeah, that way. The way that had every inch of my body coming alive. Why was that so damn sexy? Sigh, it sure was.
His body caught my undying attention, though. The lines of his muscles and the angles of his torso as he twisted was mesmerizing.
My brother was thirty-five, so that was around Killian’s age; maybe a year older. He did not look like a man who sat around eating cupcakes and playing video games. No, he looked like a man who worked out on a regular basis and kept himself tight. Then there were the tattoos, so many tattoos—another weakness of mine. If I were thinking clearly, I’d have been able to smash the urge to look at every single one of them. Except, I had no willpower, so I was lost to the view in front of me. Shit.
He started to unbuckle his belt while talking, and I wasn’t able to take my eyes off of him. “We’re both tired. Let’s sleep, and we’ll talk in the morning.”
“I can sleep on the couch,” I replied, tearing my gaze from him and looking to the bed. The big bed. The one he wanted to sleep with me in. The bed that was personally inviting me to slide beneath its sheets and fall into a blissful slumber. I could only imagine the intoxicating scent of the linens. I wouldn't have any issue if this were a hotel or somewhere impersonal. But this bed was not in a hotel or any other place where I could retreat from the energy radiating off Killian Graham.
“No. You’re with me.”
“What? Why?”
His belt hung open through the loops of his jeans as he came to me. “Because I can’t keep you safe when you’re away from me. I need you next to me.”
Something about his tone and demeanor hit me, and fear actually crept up inside me. “Are we really in that much danger?”
“Could be.” His hands came to my arms and rubbed them up and down. “I’m gonna close up the house.” He pointed to a door across the room. “Bathroom. Go in and get changed.”
Then I shit you not, he leaned in, kissed the top of my forehead, rubbed his nose along my jaw and was gone. Like a ninja, in and out.
“What’s happening?” I whispered to the room, feeling off-kilter. The room didn’t answer.
Changing didn’t take but a second, but Killian was gone for a while. A long enough while that I’d thought about the sleeping arrangements. Then I thought about what I could do to convey to him that we were not sleeping together. Along with the rumors about his occupation, there were a ton more about the women he’d slept with. None of that I wanted to be a part of.
A smile crept across my lips.
The comforter was a deep blue and super soft. It was a shame I wouldn’t be using it. Maybe I could sneak just a little bit considering how huge it was. Killian had to have had this entire place custom made.
I rolled it back and set it in the middle of the bed, dividing it into two separate spaces. One for me, and one for Killian. That would work. Right? I considered this a compromise.
Killian still hadn’t come back, and I felt the fatigue of the day set deep inside my bones. My body was used to staying up late and working behind a bar. But a scared friend, police raid, and being kidnapped had taken its toll on me.
I crawled into the left side of the bed, slipping between the sheets that felt like heaven and smelled of Killian. The mattress was so soft, I felt my body sinking into it. With only two bedside lamps on, the room felt calm and peaceful. If you didn’t count the metal on the windows, that was.
It didn’t take long for my eyes to start drooping. The warmth of the bed cocooned my body, and I began to drift into sleep.
A bark of laughter had me bolting upright, hand to my chest, eyes crazed and panting. Killian stood in the doorframe, laughing. Yes. Laughing all the while giving me a damn heart attack. I lived alone and hadn’t had an overnight guest in so long it was embarrassing. Getting woken up like this wasn’t anything I enjoyed or found entertaining.
“What’s so funny? You made my heart stop,” I accused, watching him move into the bedroom. He now had on gunmetal gray pajama pants that hung low on his hips, no shirt, and no socks. There was something about a man walking around the house barefoot that was a huge turn-on for me.
It was lame. Most women would say abs or bare chest. Don’t get me wrong—I loved those too, but bare feet got me every damn time. He was racking up too many points in myIs a guy hotplaybook.
He put a knee against the mattress and pulled my barrier away as I tried to grab it to keep it in place. Damn man was stronger and faster than me, though, and yanked it clear away.
“You think a piece of fabric is gonna keep me at bay?” He had a light in his eyes, like he was teasing me. This guy, one who grew way the hell up, was now teasing me. What was up with that?
“I just think we need boundaries,” I started, but was interrupted by him spreading the comforter on the bed.
