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“Distance is good. It’ll make his heart grow fonder.” She grins. “Now tell me about her. Will you be bringing her to family dinners? Can I scare the fuck out of her?” Her grin widens.

“That wouldn’t be nice, Iseult.” Fionn shakes his head. “You wouldn’t want to scare off his future wife.”

“Shit, man. You two are annoying together.”

He throws an arm around her. “We work well as a team.”

I mutter a low curse. “It’s no one. Now lay off.” Finishing my coffee, I drop the mug in the sink. “I’m going to Caellach to work out. Don’t bother me.” I hit them with an irritated glare.

“You won’t even give us her name?” Iseult throws a hand in the air, laughing with Fionn as I start to head out.

“Fuck no.”

“See, I knew it was a girl.” She laughs while I shake my head, fighting a smile.

Pain in the ass or not, I’d kill for each one of them.

I step outside the house and make my way toward the towering mansion that houses Caellach, the school my father established years ago to train the next generation. Once inside, I take the elevator down, retrieve my keys, and scan one of them over the doorknob. Each key holds a chip inside.

The moment I enter, I head straight for the workout room, where recruits and trainers are already busy. Just as I’m about to grab a bar to add more weight, my phone pings from the floor.

Shit, maybe it’s her.

Anticipation shoots through me, and I hate it because I’ve never been this damn juvenile over a girl.

Dinara

Hey, morning. How’s your day? Sorry I didn’t see your text before.

See, she didn’t see your text. She wasn’t purposely ignoring you, psycho.

Cillian

Spent it thinking about you.

Dinara

I may have done the same. Thinking about you, I mean. Not myself. That would be weird.

Cillian

Did you just admit you were thinking about me?

My grin widens, and the young seventeen-somethings glance at me like I’ve grown an extra arm. I’m never what one would call cheery. When I zero them in with a laser-focused glare, they dart their stares away, shuffling to return to their workouts.

Dinara

I did, but I won’t tell you in what capacity because all you’d do is gloat.

My mind fills with dirty thoughts, and blood rushes to my dick.

Cillian

It isn’t fair to make a man think about you like that when you’re not close enough to touch or taste. And shit, do I still taste you on my tongue.

Dinara

Are you always this vulgar at nine in the morning?