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Cadence's face turned red when she realized what he was implying. "I...I..." She found herself taking a step back as her body started to shake. "I would n-never..."

Keiran realized two things as he watched her doe-like eyes slowly fill with tears.

The first truth that hit him? He had hurt her.

The second truth that hit him? He cared that he had hurt her because he wanted her.

FUCK, FUCK, FUCK.

All Cadence wanted to do was flee, but no sooner had she turned around when he spun her back around, and she found herself gazing up into Keiran's eyes.

"Damn you."

The words should've hurt her. Scared her. But instead it made Cadence catch her breath because of how his voice had suddenly turned rough, and even in her innocence, there was no mistaking the desire in his eyes.

"I d-didn't mean to fall," she heard herself say unevenly. "I'm n-not lying—-"

"I know."

Then why did he—-

"I wish I could convince myself you're lying," Keiran bit out, "but I know you're not, and that's what makes it hard for men like me to forget why we have to stay away."

Cadence swallowed hard. She knew she wasn't supposed to say this, but...

"What if I don't want you to stay away?"

One second, they were standing a few feet apart.

The next moment, she was pressed against a stone wall in the garden, hidden behind a curtain of hedges and flowering vines. Far from prying eyes. Far enough to hide what he was about to do to her.

His mouth crashed into hers.

It wasn’t gentle.

It wasn’t slow.

It was like a man on the edge of death, dragging her down with him.

Cadence moaned into his mouth, fingers clinging to his shirt even as he kissed her like he hated her for being so damn perfect.

Keiran's hand slid under her skirt, and a groan escaped him when he found her already wet for his touch.

Cadence bit her lip to keep from making a sound, but then his fingers stroked her again, deeper, slower, and her knees buckled.

“K-Keiran—”

He clamped his hand over her mouth, his voice like gravel against her skin. “Don’t. Say. My name.”

Her body trembled as his fingers found the sensitive nub at the center of her, circling, pressing, teasing.

She whimpered behind his hand, and Keiran could only clench his jaw as the sound had him throbbing more painfully behind his pants.

“You have no idea what you do to me,” he growled. “No idea how close I am to ruining everything."

He slid two fingers inside her, and she gasped against his palm.

“Shh,”he whispered, his mouth brushing her temple. “It's okay. I'm just giving you what we both want. And you want this, don't you?”