Page 13 of Unmatched Devil

That made sense. Kylian sat across from Rian at the small two-person table inside his eat-in kitchen. They took turns making their plates while Kylian kept up his side of the conversation. “So, Warden is the one Sean loves.”

Rian froze with his fork raised halfway to his mouth.

A soft laugh escaped Kylian at Rian’s reaction. He cut into his chicken. “Don’t look at me like that. He looks exactly like you. You have the same eyes. The first time I saw him after meeting you, everything clicked. Plus, it only took a modicum of digging after that to find out you own the security company Dad hired to back up King.” Kylian took a bite and smiled. He waited until he swallowed to add, “You should probably always assume I know everything. Like those cameras in my bedroom back home and all the ones you planted here.”

Rian set his fork on his plate. “Kylian, I should explain.”

Kylian made a dismissive motion. “Assume I know.” He took a bite of the fancy-looking asparagus Rian had ordered for them. It wasn’t bad. He decided to ask about the parts of Rian’s business he didn’t know. “So Warden is your…”

“Second in command,” Rian supplied, looking relieved to have moved on from all his trickery. “He worked for my father and people listen to him, but he’s not the type to lead. Warden prefers being the muscle.”

Kylian chuckled. “Ah, a physical beast. King is like that. He’s an actual genius. Like genius genius. The guy has an IQ of like one thirty-five or something crazy like that. But he prefers just being at my dad’s side and watching his back. They’re happy in their roles.”

“Your father chose a good husband in King. He needs a protector.”

That caught Kylian off guard. “Is my dad still in danger?”

Rian’s light green gaze locked onto Kylian. “Not from me, but likely, yes. As long as your father continues to accept work from people like Archer Woods, he’s accepting the risks. That’s doubly true if he knows the intended use of the land he develops.”

Kylian tried to play it cool, but his insides shook. He knew he should stop digging, but learning his dad worked with criminals was fairly new information for him. Kylian wanted to know more, so maybe he could understand why his genuinely loving father would tie himself to a criminal lifestyle. “What is Archer doing with that land? My dad does everything from finding the perfect spot for the space needed, handling permits, to hiring contractors and keeping them on schedule. I imagine he would have to know the intended purpose to ensure everything turned out as planned. So how much danger does this put him in with Archer?”

Rian looked thoughtful, as if he weighed Kylian’s question. “I suppose, if all their meetings took place on Archer’s terms—where there was zero chance he could record their conversations—then Archer might not see him as any sort of threat. Like me, Archer has connections. He can keep his men and himself safe from prosecution. Additionally, I imagine he didn’t hire Bryson on a whim. Likely, your father had already worked with someone who could vouch for his loyalty and silence.”

Kylian’s heart sank. “You mean Archer isn’t the only criminal my dad has worked with over the years?”

A bright smile exploded across Rian’s face. “Angel, the typical land developer—even big commercial developers—aren’t billionaires. They might make a good living, yes, but not like your father. That’s dirty money.” He eyed Kylian for a second before adding, “Don’t judge him too harshly. You’re having dinner with a criminal.”

A snort escaped Kylian, followed by a bark of laughter. He covered his mouth, hoping to stifle the sound. Kylian really was doing that. He sat with an actual mafia king. Maybe he was insane.

Rian’s eyes swam with laughter. “You’re always beautiful, but damn, you’re breathtaking when you’re happy.”

He was so fucking happy. Rian had bought them this nice dinner, and all Kylian wanted was to touch Rian. He stood. Heat flashed in Rian’s eyes. Kylian didn’t have a plan. He should let Rian eat his expensive dinner. A loud pop rent the air. Kylian found himself on the floor with Rian’s body covering his. Rian’s head turned from side to side, as if searching for the direction of their attack.

Kylian gripped Rian’s waist. He cradled Rian’s body with his. “My neighbor’s motorcycle backfires every time he starts it.”

Rian’s gaze shot to his. His expression went through a series of changes, from disbelief to comical. Then their current position obviously sank in, and his features shifted to something dark. Hungry. He didn’t attack. Instead, Rian slowly lowered his head. When their lips met, the backs of Kylian’s eyes burned at the sweetness of their kiss. He prayed—this time—Rian wouldn’t stop.

It was possible Rian had some issues with getting shot at over the years. Tonight, the resulting reaction was nothing to complain about. He had Kylian beneath him. Rian didn’t want to make love to Kylian on the kitchen floor, but he would. He wouldn’t risk Kylian coming to his good senses by taking this to another room. Rian couldn’t get enough of tasting Kylian’s lips. Kylian was hard beneath him. Everything felt like a dream. He honestly never thought they would end up like this, especially with Kylian knowing all his secrets, and accepting him anyway.

Rian’s mouth moved to Kylian’s neck. His hands moved south. Kylian’s cellphone rang on the kitchen table.

“Oh no. That’s my dad’s ringtone.”

Rian shot to his knees and snagged the phone. He passed it Kylian’s way. Rian half-ass listened to Kylian answer while going to work on his clothes.

“Hey, Dad. Sorry. I know I forgot to call when I landed. Rian was waiting for me at the airport, and I lost track of time.”

Kylian stared up at Rian with hunger etching his features.

Rian took off his shirt.

Kylian’s gaze moved down Rian’s body and latched on to where Rian unbuckled his belt and unbuttoned his jeans. “Can I call you back later? We’re in the middle of dinner.” Kylian’s fingertips skimmed Rian’s bare stomach as Rian unzipped his jeans. “Yep. Love you too. Bye.” Kylian tossed the phone aside. In a sexy show of core strength, he rolled upward. His arms encircled Rian, bringing him back down into Kylian’s arms. Their mouths clashed again.

Rian braced his palms on either side of Kylian’s head while Kylian explored his body. He burned like an inferno. Rian hated to slow things down, but he needed to know. He pulled away a hair so he could meet Kylian’s stare. “Are you a virgin?”

The way Kylian’s gaze skirted away was answer enough. He reclaimed Kylian’s lips. Rian could be gentle and patient. He would be for Kylian. Between kisses, he stole Kylian’s shirt. He took a moment to savor Kylian’s body. It was so fucking beautiful. A work of art, really. Rian needed to stay in shape in case he had to defend himself. He hated he had made Kylian feel the same, but the results were undeniably beautiful.

Rian dug out his wallet. There was one condom and a tiny packet of travel-sized lube. He hoped it was enough. Rian hadn’t expected to do this tonight, and he doubted Kylian had anything at all for this situation. Kylian watched him, so quiet and trusting.

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