Chapter 3
Celani
“Celani? I thought that was you!”
I wince and turn around to see Margaret Elmsworth coming over to me at the register. I hand the cashier my card, and put on a tight, practiced smile for Margaret.
“Hello, Margaret. How are you?” I ask, as she comes over to give me air kisses.
“I’m wonderful! I was just..” Margarets’ words halt as Killian moves closer to us, eyeing her warily.
Margaret places a hand on her chest. “Oh..my. Is this your security?” She whispers dramatically, as if it’s some big secret I’m trying to hide. “David was telling me that Pierce hired a company to step in after what happened to that poor Shawn McCoy up North.”
I glance over at Killian and the intimidating grimace he is wearing on his face almost makes me laugh.
I don’t think there could be someone less suspicious than Margaret Elmsworth.
She is a petite woman in her mid-50’s that is always decked out in Chanel and pearls, while she carries a cup of Starbucks in her hand.
But I guess you never know.
“Yes. This is Killian,” I respond, motioning to him.
Margaret flutters her eyelashes at him and I scowl at her. She truly flirts with everyone. For some reason it didn’t annoy me this much when she did it with Pierce..
“It’s just so terrible how McCoy was shot right outside of his office,” Margaret tuts, finally unlatching her eyes from Killian. “It’s good that Pierce is looking out for you. David suggested that we get some security too, but I told him that the kids and I will be fine.”
She chuckles and waves a hand through the air, and I take my bag from the cashier, ready to get the hell on.
“Well it was nice to see you, Margaret. I hope you have a good day!” I say, with all the enthusiasm I can muster.
A few waves and air kisses later, and Killian is guiding me out of the front door staying right by my side. I make a quick stop next door into Redland Chocolatiers, before it’s time to head back home.
Asher is standing right out front at the curb and he opens the door when he sees us coming.
“Thank you, Asher,” I say, giving him a smile and climbing inside.
He nods and my eyes widen when I see Killian coming in the second row of seats with me. He normally sits up front next to Asher when we are driving anywhere.
I stare at him confused for a minute as my traitorous heartbeat races in my chest. His green eyes penetrate mine making my cheeks warm.
“Put your seatbelt on, Celani,” he grunts, his rough voice making me jump.
Everything he says always comes out like a command, even when I don’t think he means it too.
“Right,” I mutter, grabbing for my belt and quickly buckling it.
Asher gets in the driver's seat and Killian raises his chin to him, and we pull away from the curb into the busy Redland traffic.
“Was that woman a friend of yours?” Killian demands, as we pull behind a city bus.
“Oh, Margaret? She’s the wife of one of Pierce’s work associates,” I explain.
He looks over my face. "And you don't like her," he states plainly.
I wrinkle my nose. "Definitely not. She's just another nosy woman in the Boslin Healthcare Wives Club who knows more about my life than I care to know about hers,” I rant.
I drop my gaze realizing that I just said much more than I intended to.
A simple ‘no’ would have sufficed, Celani.
I look over to see if Killian thinks I’m crazy for my harsh response, but he is just staring at me silently in the same maddening way he always does when I speak to him.
The man never shows even a slight hint of emotion. The only thing that ever changes in his expression are his sharp, green eyes. There were a few times I’ve seen them flash with something perilous, like a warning not to test him.
There was definitely nothing outwardly sweet or inviting about Killian at all. Despite that fact, he still made my stomach feel fuzzy, and my mind felt calmer with him than any man I’d ever been around before.
He was intimidating, powerful, and curt whenever he spoke to Pierce or the members of his security team, yet there was something about him that made me feel so at ease from the first time we met.
The car pulls forward and he finally slides his eyes away from mine, and focuses on the road around us. I stare out of my window and my mind wanders to how much my life has changed even more in just the past month.
I thought it was ridiculous when Pierce told me that he was hiring us a personal security team. His sudden paranoia that developed around the time that overpaid, heartless man, Shawn McCoy, CEO of Boslin’s rival company Del Health, was killed made no sense to me.
Yes, Pierce has an important job in the same industry, but he was nowhere near as high-profile as McCoy had been. But, as usual, Pierce didn’t seem to care about my opinions anymore and hired Killian’s team despite what I tried to point out to him.
I glance at Killian out of the corner of my eye and let my gaze move over his tall, broad frame before looking away.
I’m not sure exactly what I expected when I met Killian, but it wasn’t all of this.
Obviously I expected someone strong, and intimidating, but it’s not just Killian’s build that is incredible, he is also ridiculously handsome on top of it all. His olive skin, sharp jawline, and startling green eyes had me frozen in place as I looked up at him for the first time.
I was at a total loss for words. And for me that’s very unusual.
“We’re here.”
I blink out of my sordid thoughts of Killian’s exceptional bone structure and muscles to see him staring at me.
“W-Where?” I ask foolishly.
“Home, Celani,” he responds, reaching over and unbuckling my seatbelt. “Wait here for me.”
He opens his door and I watch him walk around the front of the SUV. He looks around the yard for a few moments, and I use the time to pat down my curls while I wait for him.
The door opens and his eyes fix on mine. Electricity ignites inside of me as he steps closer, and I wonder if he feels it too.
He holds his hand out for me and I take it as I climb out of the car. He closes the door and I consider not letting him go for a moment before I come to my better senses, and slowly pull my hand from his.
We walk into the house together and I push down the unfulfillable need that seems to be constantly building inside of me as he closes the door behind us.