Page 80 of Corrupted Union

It was no great sacrifice.

They’d been his almost from the moment we met when something deep inside me recognized him as safe and familiar. Being with Keir felt like coming home, and I never wanted to leave.

Two Weeks Later

“You have plans tomorrow?”I had wrapped up some phone calls in my home office and came out to find Rowan at the dining table with her laptop. It didn’t seem like the most comfortable spot to work, but she swore the view was better there than anywhere in the apartment.

“I’m just trying to get as much done on this term paper today and tomorrow. I doubt I’ll get much done the rest of break, and after Thanksgiving, it’s only a couple of weeks until finals.” Her hair was piled on her head in a messy bun, and she was wearing sweats at least two sizes too big. She wasn’t even trying, yet she was so damn cute.

“If you think you can make some time, I have a designer coming by tomorrow morning.”

“Designer?”

I pulled out a chair and joined her at the table. “Yeah, she comes highly recommended. She’s agreed to help us turn one of the spare bedrooms into a dance studio.”

Rowan’s eyes rounded. “Really?” she breathed.

I couldn’t hold back my smile any longer. “Really, if that’s what you’d like.”

“I hadn’t said anything, but I’ve been thinking a lot about what to do after graduation. At this point, it would have been silly not to get my degree, but we both know politics doesn’t suit me.” She tugged nervously at her sleeves. “I’ve been thinking about getting back into dance. I know it’s been a while since I trained, but I love it so much. I was thinking maybe … I could even teach.”

“If there’s one thing in this world I have absolute confidence in, it’s your ability to accomplish whatever it is you set out to do.”

“So you don’t think it’s a silly idea?”

“When it comes to you dancing, silly is the last thing on my mind.” My dick throbbed as if seconding my opinion. “Why do you think I want a studio here in the house? You may think it’s thoughtful, but I assure you, it’s one hundred percent selfish.”

Her bottom lip scraped between her teeth as her smile spread wide. “I’m good with that.” She closed her laptop and looked back at me excitedly. “Which room were you thinking?”

“Doesn’t much matter to me.”

“The gray room,” she shot back. “If you don’t care, the windows in that room are perfect.”

I dipped my head once in acquiescence. “The gray room it is. Shall we have a look?”

She was up and out of her chair like a rocket. We walked back to the gray bedroom and talked about the changes that would be needed. The flooring would be the most impactful and intensive part of the remodel. The rest was relatively cosmetic once the furniture was gone.

“And this wall would be perfect for mirrors and a ballet bar.” Rowan surveyed the only wall in the room without a window or door.

“Regular or frosted?”

She no longer cringed when confronted with a mirror, but I wasn’t sure if she was ready to commit to a full wall of them.

“Regular.” She smiled, her eyes softening as they met mine. “I hadn’t realized how much I missed having a studio until now. I’m so excited, Keir. Thank you.”

I snagged her fingers and pulled her close, taking long seconds to admire the splashes of green and gold pigment battling for dominance in her eyes.

“Kiss me,” I ordered in a soft rasp.

She lifted onto her toes and brought her lips to mine. Reverently. Passionately. Perfection.

Her arms came over my shoulders before the kiss waned and her eyes drifted open to stare into mine. “I love you, Keir Byrne.”

It was the first time she’d said the words. The first time either of us had. I’d known for weeks that I was hopelessly in love with her, but I’d been reluctant to say it. The fact that I’d forced her into the relationship at the beginning made me want to hear her take that next step on her own, not out of some need to reciprocate.

Hearing her finally say those three little words made my ribs feel inadequate to contain the rapid expansion of my heart. It pressed on the confines of my chest and filled my throat, strangling my voice to a thick, garbled growl.

“Show me.”

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