Page 18 of Legacy Of Ashes
"She needs to prove herself to the men. They still see her as the little girl who used to steal cookies from their lunch boxes. Time they learned different."
I close my eyes. Saoirse has been back from Oxford for three weeks, and every day makes it harder to remember she'soff-limits. Watching her take charge of family meetings, seeing her sharp mind dissect problems—it's like watching a goddess discover her power.
"Understood. I'll protect her."
"You'll do more than that. You'll make sure she succeeds. Because if she fails..." Tiernan doesn't finish the threat. He doesn't need to.
I arrive at the warehouse to find Saoirse already there, standing at the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the harbor. She wears a charcoal suit that hugs her curves like armor, her dark hair swept up to expose the elegant line of her neck. The sight of her hits me like a punch to the gut.
She doesn't turn when I approach, but her reflection in the glass shows eyes bright with nervous energy.
"Scared?" I ask.
"Terrified," she admits. "These men have known me since I was born. How do I make them forget the child and see the leader?"
"You stop asking for their respect and start commanding it."
She faces me then, and I'm struck again by how much she's changed. The shy girl who left for university has been replaced by a woman who could rule empires.
"Easy for you to say. You've had twenty years to earn their loyalty."
"I've had twenty years to serve your father. You're his blood. That means something."
"Does it mean something to you?"
The question catches me off guard. There's heat in her eyes, challenge mixed with something deeper. Something that makes my cock stir despite every reason I should keep my distance.
"You know it does."
"Do I? Because you've barely looked at me since I came home."
She steps closer, close enough that I catch her scent—vanilla and something uniquely her that drives me wild. I force myself to stay still.
"Looking at you is dangerous," I say.
"Why?"
Because I want to bend you over that desk and make you scream my name. Because I've imagined claiming you in every room of your father's house. Because you're the one thing in this world I can't have, and that makes me want you more than breathing.
"Because you're Tiernan's daughter."
"I'm also a grown woman who can make her own choices."
Before I can respond, car doors slam outside. Mickey and his crew have arrived.
"Time to be the princess they expect or the queen you are," I tell her. "Your choice."
She straightens, and I watch her transform from uncertain woman to Kavanagh royalty.
"Then let's give them a queen."
The dock workers file in like they're attending a funeral. Twelve men who've bled for this family, now facing an uncertain future. Mickey leads them, his weathered face grim.
"Princess." He removes his cap, the gesture respectful but patronizing. "Your father feeling better?"
"Much better, thank you." Saoirse doesn't move from behind the desk, forcing them to approach her. Power play, and a good one. "But as you know, family business doesn't pause for anyone's health."
I stand near the door—close enough to intervene, far enough to let her command the room. But watching her work is torture. Every gesture, every tilt of her head sends heat through my veins.
