Page 21

Chapter 20

Deirdre

“I dread the events of the future, not in themselves but in their results.” Edgar Allan Poe

T he tension between us is suffocating.

I stand up, rooted in place, my arms crossed tightly over my chest as I look up at Kieran, daring him to say something. He does nothing at first, just watches me with that intense gaze. His dark eyes are emotionless, which only fuels my frustration.

“So, are you going to tell me why you didn’t show up last night?” My voice is sharp, my patience long gone.

Kieran exhales through his nose, his jaw tightening slightly. “I already told you.”

I let out a humorless laugh. “No. You brushed me off and told me to go to bed like a child. And then you ignored me all of Saturday night, only to text me this morning like nothing was wrong.” My throat burns with the admission. “Do you have any idea how that felt?”

His lips press into a firm line, his body stiffening as he watches me carefully. “Deirdre…”

“Stop.” I cut him off, stepping closer, my voice shaking with pent-up emotion. “I went to bed sick with anxiety, thinking you regretted being with me. Thinking maybe this whole thing was just…” I swallow, hating that my voice cracks. “That maybe I was a mistake in your eyes.”

His expression darkens immediately, a pained expression flickering behind his eyes. “A mistake?” he repeats, his voice low, dangerous.

My heart pounds against my ribs as I hold his gaze. “How am I supposed to trust you if you can’t be honest with me?”

Kieran inhales deeply, and for a moment, I think he’s going to shut down, to throw his guard back up, but instead, he closes the distance between us in two long strides.

Before I can react, his hands are on me, gripping my waist, pulling me flush against his body. A soft gasp escapes me, but he swallows it as he leans down, his forehead pressing against mine. His voice is softer now, but no less intense.

“I could never regret being with you,” he murmurs. “Not for a second.”

My breath hitches, but I don’t move.

His fingers tighten at my waist as he continues, “Everything I did last night, every decision I made, was for you . You were at the front of my mind the entire time, Deirdre.”

Decision?

I begin to cut him off, but the expression on his face stops my words from forming.

He exhales sharply. “But for your safety, for our safety, I can’t tell you where I was.”

I want to fight him on it. I want to demand answers. But the way he’s holding me, the way his voice trembles just slightly when he says for your safety , makes me hesitate.

Kieran McKnight isn’t a liar. He’s secretive, withdrawn, maybe even a little reckless in how he protects me, but he doesn’t lie.

Slowly, my hands relax where they have been balled into fists at my sides, my fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt instead.

“Kieran…” I whisper, my frustration beginning to melt into something else. Something warmer, softer.

His lips brush against my temple, then lower, his breath hot against my ear. “You have to trust me.”

I close my eyes, leaning into him.

And despite the unanswered questions still lingering between us, I realize that I do.

Kieran’s breath is warm against my skin, his body pressing into mine, a steady force grounding me amidst the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside me. I can still feel the tension in his muscles, the quiet restraint in the way he holds me. But when he pulls back slightly, just enough to look down at me, his expression shifts. The tenderness softens at the edges, leaving something darker, something more fierce that sends a shiver down my spine.

He cocks his head, studying me with an air of quiet authority, then murmurs, “So about that attitude, Miss Ravencroft…”

My stomach twists in anticipation.

Before I can respond, his fingers grip my chin, tilting my head upward so I have no choice but to meet his gaze. His touch is firm—not rough, but enough to make my breath hitch.

“Was that any way to speak to your professor?” His voice is a delicious mix of reprimand and amusement, the dominant edge to it making the butterflies in my stomach begin to awaken and flit around.

I swallow, my throat suddenly dry. “No, Sir.” The words barely come out as a whisper.

A wicked smirk tugs at the corner of his lips. “That’s better.”

Without warning, he moves, pushing me backward until my back meets the solid frame of the bookshelf. My pulse stutters, my breath catching in my throat as he presses his body against mine. One of his hands captures both of mine, pinning them above my head against the wood, while his free hand drifts down, trailing along my arm and then caressing my side. His touch is deliberate, teasing me.

My breaths grow uneven, and I glance around, my nerves spiking at the thought of where we are. The library is mostly empty aside from the students downstairs, but the idea that someone could walk by at any second makes my stomach tighten.

“Kieran,” I whisper, shifting slightly. “We’re in public…”

His grip tightens, not painfully, but just enough to make me still. “Stop,” he murmurs, his voice calm but commanding. His eyes flicker with desire as his fingers brush the inside of my wrist. “You trust me, don’t you?”

I hesitate, my pulse hammering, but the intense way he looks at me makes my body melt into his hold.

I nod slowly.

His lips curve slightly. “Good. Then focus on me.”

His free hand slides lower, his fingertips skimming my hip before dipping beneath the hem of my skirt. My body arches instinctively, desperate for his touch, but he tsks softly, stilling his movements just short of where I need him most.

“You were saying?” he murmurs against my ear.

I swallow hard, my words catching in my throat. “Kieran…”

His teeth graze my earlobe before he murmurs, “Try again.”

A shudder wracks through me, and I force the word past my lips. “Professor.”

A satisfied hum vibrates from his chest. “Good girl.”

The words send a fresh wave of heat coursing through me, leaving me dizzy with want. His grip on my wrists tightens slightly, his body pressing me further into the bookshelf. His free hand drags with torturous slowness up my thigh, fingers ghosting over the sensitive skin, teasing and testing my patience.

“This,” he murmurs, his lips finding the sensitive spot just below my jaw and pressing a lingering, open-mouthed kiss against my skin, “is what happens when you act like a brat.”

I exhale shakily, my nerves about where we are battling against the overwhelming need coursing through me. But as his hand explores me, the only thing I can focus on is him.

My pulse hammers beneath his touch, anticipation crackling like a live wire between us. The dominance in his stance, the way he effortlessly commands the moment, leaves me breathless.

“You’re squirming,” he murmurs against my ear, his voice dripping with authority. “Is there something you need, Miss Ravencroft?”

My lips part, a shiver trailing down my spine as his fingers ghost over the neckline of my blouse, teasing, never quite where I want him. He’s drawing it out, reveling in my impatience, making me crave every second of his attention.

“Kieran,” I whisper, the name slipping past my lips like a plea.

His grip tightens in response, pressing me even more firmly against the bookshelf. “Say my name again, Miss Ravencroft, and I will bend you over this table.”

I let out a shaky breath, my body aching for more. “Professor,” I correct myself, my voice barely above a breath.

His lips brush the shell of my ear, a deep hum vibrating through his chest. “Such a good student. You listen so well.”

The praise ignites a fire low in my stomach, a desperate need curling inside me, pushing away any hesitation about our surroundings. My hands flex beneath his grip, craving the freedom to touch him, but he doesn’t let me go. Instead, his mouth finds the side of my neck. Pressing his lips against my skin, he sucks hard, the scrape of his teeth making my knees weaken.

“You test my patience,” he murmurs, his lips dragging along the curve of my throat, “you make me want to ruin you right here.”

A desperate whimper escapes me, my head falling back against the shelf as his mouth continues its slow, torturous path down my neck. My body is thrumming, my nerves are on edge, and all I can think about is how much I want him closer, how much I need him to kiss me.

As if he can hear my thoughts, he finally captures my lips with his.

His kiss consumes me, setting every one of my senses on fire. His tongue sweeps across mine with a possessiveness that leaves me breathless. He deepens the kiss, his free hand tangling into my hair and tilting my head to give him better access.

I moan softly into his mouth, my body arching instinctively against him. I want to touch him, to feel every inch of him, but he still has my wrists pinned, refusing to give me that satisfaction just yet.

Kieran pulls back just enough to whisper against my lips, “You wanted my attention this morning, didn’t you?”

I nod, my breath ragged.

He brushes his thumb over my bottom lip, his eyes dark with something dangerous. “You have it. But be careful what you wish for.”

His mouth crashes against mine again, rougher this time, more possessive. He kisses me like he’s staking a claim, like he’s burning the feel of me into his memory. His hand drags down my body, gripping my hip and pulling me closer to him, making it impossible to think of anything else.

A distant sound echoes through the library, the shift of a chair, the soft hum of footsteps on carpet. Reality threatens to seep back in, but Kieran doesn’t let it. His grip stays firm, and his lips devour mine. His commanding hold on me makes it clear that, for now, the only thing that exists is us.

When he finally breaks the kiss, his chest is heaving. His breath is warm against my lips, sending a delicious shiver down my spine. My pulse is erratic, my body vibrating with anticipation as he lowers his lips to my ear once more, the air between us thick and intoxicating.

“You still need to be dealt with,” Kieran murmurs, his voice low and edged with promise. “For being such a brat.”

My breath catches, and before I can respond, he moves.

With a sudden, forceful push, Kieran spins me around and presses me against the heavy wooden table behind us. A startled gasp escapes me as my palms slap against the cool surface, my body instinctively bending slightly forward to brace myself. The sound of chairs scraping against the floor echoes through the quiet library, a sharp contrast to the heavy, heated silence wrapping around us. Papers flutter to the ground, some skidding across the floor in a chaotic mess, but Kieran doesn’t care.

Neither do I.

My heart hammers against my ribs as I glance over my shoulder, catching the dark, unwavering intensity in his gaze. His hand grips my hip, firm and unyielding, keeping me exactly where he wants me. He lifts my skirt up and gently rubs a soft circle across my ass cheek.

“You push me,” he says, his voice calm but filled with warning. “You challenge me.”

I swallow hard, my lips parting as I struggle to find my voice, but nothing comes out. The way he holds me, leaves me breathless and aching.

Kieran leans in, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. “You want this, don’t you?” he whispers, his tone sending a bolt of heat through me.

I close my eyes, my breath coming in short, uneven gasps.

I nod and whimper quietly, pushing my hips back against him and feeling his hard length in his slacks.

He’s right. I do want it. I love the way he makes me feel, like I belong to him, like he sees the deepest, darkest parts of me and doesn’t shy away. If anything, he craves them.

In one quick motion, he roughly squeezes my ass cheek then firmly slaps my sensitive skin, leaving a stinging heat in its wake.

I let out a yelp. Quickly, I cover my mouth with my hand, as if that is going to do anything to stifle my noises.

“Shhh…” He lightly chuckles. “This is a library, Miss Ravencroft. You have to be quiet.”

“Yes, Professor.”

His hands leave my hip and my ass, sliding up my sides, slow and deliberate, before gripping my wrists and pinning them down against the table. I’m completely at his mercy, and I don’t want him to stop.

The world outside this library doesn’t exist. There is no one else. No expectations, no risks, only the burning, all-consuming desire between us.

Kieran tilts his head as he leans forward, his lips brushing lightly against my neck, before he murmurs against my skin, “I’m going to take you right here. Do not make a sound; do you understand?”

A shaky breath leaves me, my body pressing back against his instinctively. “Yes, Professor,” I whisper, the words tumbling out before I can stop them.

His grip tightens, approval radiating off him as he hums in satisfaction. “Such a needy girl.”

A wave of heat floods my body, and I swear my knees nearly give out at the praise.

This man is going to ruin me. And I am going to let him.