Page 95 of Follow the Rhythm
“See ya later, then, love,” he murmured, so quietly I almost couldn’t hear him. He turned to go, and fear rooted me to the spot. I watched him walk away until the crowd swallowed him from sight.
The noises of the city dropped away, until all I could hear was a loud rushing sound and the pounding of my heart. He was slipping out of my grasp, and if I didn’t act now, I would lose him forever.
Before I could rethink it, I took off running. I sprinted down the sidewalk after him, dodging confused tourists and cursing my platform boots.
When I got right behind him and was about to call out, I tripped. I went down hard on my hands and knees, and my yell turned into a yelp. I rolled into the fall, trying to protect my wrists, and landed on my back, looking up at the blue summer sky, framed by the spires of skyscrapers.
“Ow,” I whimpered. My hands and knees burned, but that was nothing compared to my ego. In true Fairview fashion, nobody stopped to help the crazy woman; they just skirted out of my way.
“Are you mad?” Kieran said, his face appearing in my line of sight. He knelt over me with a mix of exasperation and worry on his face. “What the hell were you doing?”
“I was chasingyou, obviously.”
Kieran helped me sit up. He was so close to me, I could see the ring of bright green in his eyes. “Bloody hell, Jess, you’re bleeding.”
Scrapes marked my knees and the heels of my hands. I scoffed, “Barely.”
“Do I even want to ask why you were chasing me, wearing these ridiculous shoes?” He flicked the sole of one of my boots.
“I had no choice. You didn’t give me a chance to talk,” I said.
Kieran raised his eyebrows skeptically, but didn’t respond.
“I mean, back there. I have things to say.”
“I’m listening, love.”
“I’m sorry,” I breathed. “I was scared, which isn’t an excuse, but that’s all I’ve got.” My heart felt as scraped raw as my hands, but if I wanted a second chance, I had to be brave. “I’ve missed you too, every fucking day. If you feel differently now, I understand, but I have to tell you…” I trailed off, fear squeezing the breath from my lungs.
He slid a finger under my chin until I looked at him. His eyes were soft, like he already knew what I was going to say, and that let me take another breath.
“Tell me what, love?” he murmured.
“That I love you, okay? I love you, and I know that’s crazy because we barely know each other, but -”
He cut me off with a kiss, an all-consuming kiss that silenced my fear and indecision. I forgot where we were, the pain in my knees, the people moving past us on the sidewalk, everything that wasn’t the sensuous slide of his tongue or his soft, full lips molding to mine.
“Of course I love you, you wonderfully infuriating woman,” he said, his hand sliding to cradle my jaw. He smiled, and it transformed his face back into the man I remembered waking up next to those precious few days we’d had together. I smiled back so wide that my cheeks hurt. “Oh, love, you’ve made me so happy.”
I pressed my hand to his chest to feel the pounding of his heart and knew that I wanted to feel how his heart was beating,at all times, no matter where he was. I wanted him to know how full my heart was of love and wonder that somehow we’d found each other.
I hissed at the twinge of pain from my palm, where the fabric of his shirt abraded my cut.
Kieran captured my hand and pressed a tender kiss to the broken skin. “Let’s get you cleaned up,” he said. In one movement, he picked me up and cradled me in his arms.
I rolled my eyes. “Is there any point in telling you to put me down?”
“Absolutely not.” He smiled and kissed me again.
Chapter 29 - Kieran
“Ican’t believe you chased me down the street, you madwoman,” I teased. It felt like a dream, having her in my arms.
The realization that she loved me kept recurring, over and over with each step as I carried her home, and each time brought a jolt of happiness. I felt almost drunk on it.
“I was going for a grand gesture.” Jess gave me a mischievous grin. “I think I succeeded.”
I carried her through the car park and up the lift to my flat. She was lighter than the last time I’d held her, and too thin. My Alpha was fighting between the urge to fuck her and feed her up.
