Chapter 12
Celani
The strange text from Pierce, and Killian’s odd reaction to it linger in my mind as Asher drives us to the hair salon.
Killian spends the drive in silence, his eyes focused out of the window on the busy city streets, looking deep in thought.
When we arrive he comes around to open my door for me and leads me inside. He looks around the foyer as we walk inside and are greeted with the low murmur of chattering hair stylists, and music.
I see my hair stylist, Ebony, hustling over to greet us, giving Killian a not so subtle once over as she comes over to me.
“Celani! Come on back, honey,” she exclaims, smiling and shaking my hand.
“Thanks for fitting me in on such short notice, Ebony,” I say, walking alongside her to her station at the back of the salon.
A few women, and men, turn their heads as we walk by and I know the attention is all on Killian strolling behind us in his all-black ensemble. The calm demeanor he had with me all morning is gone, and has been replaced by the intimidating mask that he always wears in public.
Ebony gives him a nervous smile as we reach her station, craning her neck to look up at him. “Would you like to have a seat, Sir? I can bring over another chair,” she offers.
Killian shakes his head. “Not necessary,” he responds, positioning himself a few feet away from me.
He observes me closely as I take my seat. His eyes meet mine before he crosses one tattooed hand in front of the other, his green eyes scanning slowly around the salon.
Ebony shakes out my cape and ties it around my neck before leaning down to my ear. “Is he always this intense?” she whispers curiously.
I smile looking at Killian through the mirror. “Not always,” I respond fondly.
Ebony glances at him, “Well I know no one is going to mess with you while he’s around. Not unless they have a death wish,” she says, smirking at me. “Come, let’s go wash your hair.”
Getting my hair done is always so relaxing and it takes my mind off of any stress I have at least while I’m here. I listen to Ebony telling me about her dating woes while she blow-dries my hair, but my eyes are focused on the mirror in front of me as I watch Killian.
He paces around behind me like a restless lion the entire time. He tries to blend in when we go out in public and not draw too much attention to himself, but it seems impossible for a man like him.
Anyone with a pulse would have their attention drawn to him like a magnet, and I am obviously no exception. His tall stature and well-built body are impossible to ignore, and I am helpless trying to.
My body had given up trying the second I started to get to know him more.
Ebony spins my chair sideways and I turn to glance at Killian to find him already staring at me. His eyes narrow and I swear he knows exactly what was just going through my mind. A pulse vibrates between my legs and his Adam’s apple bobs as he sees me squirm in my seat.
“All done, honey!” Ebony chirps, startling me out of my eye-fucking session with Killian.
She spins me back so I can see myself in the mirror, and I swallow down the guilt I feel for letting my mind get so carried away.
I gently touch my freshly straightened hair. “Oh it looks so beautiful! Thank you, Ebony!” I say, as she unties my cape. “You always work miracles.”
She waves a hand through the air and smiles. “It’s easy to make your hair look good, girl. You take great care of it.”
We walk to the front and I pay her and leave a good tip before following Killian back outside. Asher is already there standing outside of the SUV. He opens the back door for me and I thank him before getting inside.
My head snaps over to the other side of the car as the door opens and Killian gets into the second row with me. Neither one of us has openly acknowledged the fact that he stopped sitting in the front next to Asher. Something has shifted between us that we don’t feel the need to say out loud.
He looks over to make sure my seatbelt is on before staring into my eyes. I feel a familiar warmth flooding through me having him next to me again. I drop my eyes down to my bracelet, playing with it to try to distract myself from his magnetic gaze.
He reaches his hand over to me, unaware of the war going on inside of me, and my stomach swarms with butterflies as he gently touches my hair.
“You look beautiful, Celani,” he murmurs, his voice full of warmth.
My heart skitters in my chest and I hesitantly look up at him. The intimidating expression he had is gone, and it’s just sweet Killian sitting with me again.
“Thank you, Killian,” I respond quietly.
A ghost of a smile moves across his lips and he drops his hand down on the seat next to me barely grazing my leg. He directs his attention to the front of the car.
“Head back to the house, Asher.”