Page 5

Nothing prepared me for the onslaught of sensation as Niall truly, properly kissed me.

The feel of his tongue on mine. The taste of him.

How he coaxed me to kiss him back, groaning as I imitated what he was doing in my mouth.

He licked deep, teased, and explored. He slid his hand into my hair, fisting it, directing me, kissing me deeper, making me gasp as he slid his lips from my mouth along my jaw and up to my ear.

“That is how I would kiss you, Anna. Every time.”

“Niall,” I pleaded, whimpering as his mouth returned to mine. We kissed until I was breathless, almost panting, as if I’d been running for miles. Then he pulled back, dropping small kisses on my cheeks, eyes, and nose. He lay back, pulling me down to his chest. He let out a long exhale of air.

“Feck,” he cursed, then muttered something in Irish.

“What did you say?” I asked.

He laughed. “Nothing, mo mhuirnín. ”

“What does that mean? You’ve called me that before.”

“Polly Pocket,” he teased.

I slapped his chest, lifting my head. “It does not.”

“A version of it. I told you that you were like a little doll.”

I frowned but put my head back down. He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Try to sleep now, Anna. I have you and you’re safe.” He chuckled. “I’m not sure who is going to keep me safe from you, though.”

“I haven’t done anything,” I protested.

He laughed again. “You’re more dangerous than an entire cartel. You just don’t understand the power you have.”

For some reason, his words made me smile.

And this time, when I shut my eyes, all I saw was Niall.

NIALL

I woke up, my cock hard and aching. The same way it had been when Anna fell asleep on me.

It took me forever to join her in dreamland, but I was grateful she only woke up once with a nightmare.

I had rocked her back to sleep and stared down at her for a long time in the dim light before falling back asleep myself.

I had been her first real kiss. This beautiful woman lying in my arms, trusting me. A possessive, overbearing part of me I didn’t even know existed roared in satisfaction. I was her first kiss.

Which meant I’d be her first everything. That only made me harder.

I shut my eyes, trying to think of something else. But all I could think of, all I could feel, was her.

The way she reacted to my touch. How right she felt in my arms. The taste of her on my tongue. The feel of her against me. How she responded. Nothing else would ever compare.

In the early morning light, I studied her.

Carefully, I gathered her hair from her face, watching her.

She was at peace. Resting. Her bruises were still dark but beginning to yellow and would hopefully fade soon and leave her creamy skin unmarked.

She had a small nose that turned up a little at the end.

I shifted my fingers through her hair. It was waist-length and straight.

Thick. The color was light, almost a golden hue, with glints of lighter blond and caramel mixed in.

Unique and it set off her dark eyes beautifully.

And her mouth. Her beautiful, sexy mouth. Full lips that were soft and felt incredible underneath mine. I gently ran my finger over her plump bottom lip, resisting the urge to bend my head and kiss her again.

Kissing Anna, I realized, could become an addiction.

I hadn’t wanted to stop kissing her last night.

But my entire body had come alive, my erect cock wanting to be in on the action, and I knew that wasn’t possible.

She had just been through a traumatic experience, and she was only beginning to heal.

She wasn’t ready—emotionally or physically.

And I wasn’t sure if I was prepared for the responsibility of being her first.

“ Her only ,” a voice in my head growled, which I ignored.

I stared at the ceiling. I had lost my own virginity when I was fifteen—over two decades ago. She had been a toddler then. There was a twelve-year age gap between us. It felt like a lifetime, given my world.

Plus, I wasn’t into relationships. After three failed ones, I wasn’t willing to try again, and I had sworn off them. I was barely into one-night stands. They left me feeling empty. Yet, I had no desire for the things Finn wanted. A wife. Kids. Forever.

Of the two of us, Finn was far more emotional, although he hid it well from the world.

He had attachments he valued greatly. Once he’d met Una, he’d carried a quiet torch for her for years.

He’d rarely looked at other women, and when he had tried, his heart wasn’t in it.

One dinner with a girl ten years prior and his heart was taken.

Even when they finally got together and she walked away, he never wavered.

He waited, patient and understanding, until she realized her own feelings.

I was far more dispassionate. Aside from my mum and Finn, I had never felt any sort of attachment to anyone.

I had a great relationship with our cousin, Sully, but I felt a disconnect with the rest of the world.

I had never looked at a woman and thought of a future.

Wondered what our kids would look like. Wanted to look after her.

When I pushed myself to try, I failed. Every time.

But somehow, with her trusting eyes and quiet need, Anna seemed to be getting under my skin. And for the first time in my life, I wondered .

I wasn’t sure I liked it.

Or what to do about it.

The touch of a finger on my face brought me out of my musings. Anna stared up at me, her large eyes peaceful for the first time ever.

“Hi,” she whispered.

“Hi, Polly,” I said to tease her.

That worked. She smiled, bringing out the dimple high on her cheek. She slapped my chest, laughing. “Stop it.”

I chuckled. “If the name fits…”

“I’m not that small.”

“I disagree. I could tuck you in my pocket or sling you over my shoulder, not a problem.”

“I doubt that.”

I tickled her under her chin. “One day when your ribs heal, I’ll show you.”

The smile left her face. “Hey,” I encouraged her, wanting her smile back. “Soon.”

She nodded. “I slept.”

“You did. You only woke once.”

She furrowed her brow, as if thinking. “I sort of recall waking up. You were still holding me.”

“You sleep better when I do.”

“What about you? Did you get some sleep?”

“Yeah, I did.” I offered her a smile. “I sleep well beside you too.”

“Oh.” She looked pleased. “That’s good, right?”

“Sure.”

“Hmm,” she hummed, laying her head back to my chest. Without thought, I pulled her close, nuzzling into her hair. She sighed, lifting her hand and stroking my head. It was intimate and sweet, a warm bubble wrapping around us in the silence.

I shifted, suddenly acutely awkward as I realized my cock was pressed into her hip. And my hand had drifted to the curve of her ass. She knew I was hard.

“Sorry,” I muttered. “Nature.”

She lifted her head, amused. “I’m from the north, Niall. Not a nunnery. I know about nature .”

I blinked then began to laugh. She sat up. “I know about sex and all that.”

“All that?” I asked, trying to hide my amusement.

“Your…penis or cock—whatever you want to call it—and everything. We had books and the internet at school. Plus, girls talk. Just because I wasn’t kissed doesn’t mean I’m not, ah, aware.”

I sat up too, so we were nose to nose. Her cheeks were flushed and warm, her breathing fast. My heart hammered in my chest. I stared at her mouth, remembering how soft those lips were. Unable to resist, I nuzzled them, loving the low whimper she made.

“When you’re healed, we’ll explore your knowledge, mo mhuirnín. I’ll show you all about my cock —” I emphasized the word “—and you can tell me all about your books. And how aware you are.”

I slid from the bed before I did something I shouldn’t. Something she wasn’t ready for, even though she thought she was.

“I’m going for a shower. I’ll take care of nature there.” I winked. “And I’ll think of you while I do.”

I left her open-mouthed in my bed.

Then I stood under the ice-cold shower, trying to ignore the voice screaming at me to return to her.

The truth was, I wasn’t ready either.