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CILLIAN

We head up the spiral staircase, stopping at the door next to the master bedroom, where she will eventually be. For now, though, I’ll let her have the control. She can sleep without me, even though it’ll kill me not to wake up beside her.

I take her hand, and for a moment, she tries to slip free, but I hold it tighter. Pushing the door open, I lead her into a large room with a king-sized bed at the center and pale blue walls surrounding it.

“This is your room.”

She barely glances at the space, clearly uninterested. But now that I have her, I’ll take my time proving I can be the kind of man who deserves her.

Turning toward her, I cup her face in both hands. “I know you don’t believe me right now, but I am sorry for what I did. I don’t expect forgiveness right away, but I swear I’ll earn it.”

For a moment, I catch a glimmer of softness, but she blinks it away quickly.

“Can you go? I need sleep.”

I kiss the top of her hand. “If you need anything, just let me know.”

She jerks her hand away, and I feel the sting in my chest.

Walking over to the dresser, I pull out one of my white t-shirts and hold it out to her. “This is for you to sleep in.”

She scoffs, taking the shirt from me. “What am I supposed to wear to breakfast tomorrow?”

“Another one of my shirts.” I smirk. “Until your things arrive. Konstantin said they should be here before you wake up.”

“Great,” she mutters, giving me her back.

When I turn for the door, her voice stops me.

“What am I supposed to do here all day when you’re not around?”

I glance back. “I’ll take you around the property tomorrow, introduce you to the horses, maybe teach you how to ride. Or you could spend time with my brothers’ wives.”

Now that Fionn is married too, she’ll have both women to hang out with.

She exhales sharply, and I hate seeing her this way. I want her to be happy, and I’m determined to make that happen.

“I’ll introduce you to my family tomorrow.”

“Do they know about me?”

I chuckle. “Yeah, baby. They knowallabout you.”

Her brows furrow. “What does that mean?”

I step closer, needing to be near her again. My palm finds her nape, her pulse racing under my touch. “You don’t understand how crazy I was when you disappeared. They were there for the aftermath.”

She looks down, biting her bottom lip, and I groan.

“Don’t bite your lip like that.” I tilt her chin up gently. “I’m trying hard not to throw you over my shoulder and take you to bed with me.”

That mischievous glint in her eyes returns. “I don’t recommend that. I might kill you.”

I slip her hand into mine. “It’d be worth it.”

She pulls away with a laugh—cold, sharp, and dripping with sarcasm. “We’ll see about that.”