Page 63 of The Billionaire's Kiss
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Orla
Cara’s eyes went to the door of the bar. “Were you expecting Killian to come in tonight, Orla?”
“No.” I turned to find him smiling at me.
It had been a couple of hours since I’d had the epiphany about my share of blame in our breakups. And now here he was. The man really did have perfect timing—just as I had been thinking earlier.That must mean something, right?
“There’s my love.” He came to the bar, reaching over it to pull me to him and leaving a light kiss on my lips.
I waited to feel them tingle the way they did when I had kissed Warner, but there was nothing there at all. I hoped that could be attributed to the fact that I hadn’t actually let the idea of my culpability really seep into my heart and mind yet.
Surely the spark will come in time.
But we still had plenty of time to see if something could build between us, now that I’d become aware of our connection. “What are you doing here, Killian?”
“You. As always.” He took my hand, and his eyes glistened. “Take a break.” He seemed to be giddy, and I had no idea why.
“Okay, I’ll take a break.” I looked at the other barmaid. “Can you deal with things for fifteen minutes or so?”
“Sure thing, Orla. Take your time.”
Taking off my apron, I left it under the bar and walked around it to find Killian’s arms wrapped around me. “Thanks, mot.”
I didn’t wrap my arms back around him instinctively, the way I’d done with Warner. It made me feel terrible how guarded I’d kept myself with Killian. Slowly, I moved them to hug him back. “It’s really not a problem to take a break, but you’re welcome.”
He moved me back to take a seat on one of the empty bar stools and then stood in front of me. “How’s the night been goin’?”
“Good.” I wasn’t sure what he was getting at. “Would you like to go out later or something? Is that why you’re acting so strange?”
“I’d love to go out later.” He beamed with happiness.
Damn, I’ve been a real bitch. This man clearly adores me.
“Then we can go out after I get off.” I patted his hand, as he hadn’t let mine go. “I’m sorry if I’ve been putting you off.”
“You are?” His dark brows rose, and he looked at me in a way that made me think he was about to cry. It only made me feel worse.
“Iamsorry for how I’ve been treating you—keeping you at arm’s length all the time. I’m going to try to stop doing that to you.”
“I do love ya, you know.” He took both my hands in his as he looked into my eyes.
I looked back into his and tried to feel a spark. But nothing happened. “I believe you.”
It wasn’t what he’d hoped to hear—the way his face fell told me that much. “In all these years, you’ve never loved me, Orla?”
I wasn’t sure if I’d stumbled upon love or not. “Killian, I’m not sure what I feel for you. But I have come to realize something important. I haven’t been letting you into my heart. It’s not the way I’ve seen things in the past. By continuing to guard my heart, I shut you out. And now that I’ve realized how I hurt our relationship in the past by being closed off, I’ve got some things to think about.”
“You have no idea how good it is to hear you say that, Orla.” He stepped back. “And I’ve got something I’d like to say too. I think what I have to say might help you better understand me and how I feel about you—aboutus.”
It boggled my mind how I hadn’t seen how the man looked at me before. He absolutely adored me, and I’d never even noticed. It made me angry with myself.
Here I was, perfectly able to open my heart to a man I’d known only a couple of days. I’d fallen head over heels in love with a man who was really a stranger to me.
And here was Killian. I’d known him forever, and we’d begun our romance back when I was in my teens. Yet, I had never opened my heart to him. Not in all the years that he kept giving me a chance after chance to do so. I’d never let myself love this man who so clearly loved me.
“I’ve been so blind to you, Killian.” I reached out and ran my hand over his smooth cheek. He’d never grown a beard. I had loved Warner’s beard.
