Chapter 28 Kira #2
His muscular shoulders, his side—I could only hold on as he left me shattered against the door. As I came back down, the hum of the machines invaded my senses. The coolness of the steel door along my thigh since he’d flipped up my damn dress.
And then he slipped his fingers free of me and licked them right in front of me. “If I could, I’d bottle this.”
I didn’t have words for that one. I wasn’t sure I could come up with any at all right then.
“Taste?” He covered my mouth again and I sucked in a startled breath at how earthy I tasted on his lips. Salt and more that I couldn’t identify. “Taste of sunshine,” he said against my mouth. “My Sunshine.”
“Ronan…”
Everything I wanted to say was just stuck in my brain and seemed inadequate in response.
“I made all the ciders, Kira. I finished them and they loved them.” He brushed his beardy jaw along my cheek and nibbled on my ear. “You broke it all open last night.”
“I did?”
“You did.” He moved back to my lips, grinning against my mouth. “You can let go of me now. Unless you want to go for round two.”
I unhooked my knee from his hip and set my foot down. “Right.” I pushed him back then smoothed out my dress. I was wrinkled beyond repair.
He tipped my chin up to look at him. “I really did bring you in here to tell you about the ciders.”
“Did you need to bring me into the shed?”
“Nope.” He shrugged and threw a devilish grin at me. “I just needed a second with you alone.” He moved to the large, center tank and patted it lovingly. “I did set this bad boy up for a full batch. We’ll be able to keg it up a few days early. Make sure everything is smooth behind the bar.”
“Oh. Really?” I fixed my belt and tried to focus on the fact that I went from zero to orgasm and back to work in the space of a few minutes.
He came back to me, invading my space again. He slid his knee between my knees. “You inspired me last night in more than one way.”
“Back it up, Viking. You’re dangerous.”
One eyebrow spiked. “I don’t mind hearing that.”
“That’s not why I’m here.”
He lowered his face to mine, brushing my nose with his. “That’s true. I did miss you though.”
I licked my lips. “I missed you too.”
The smile that spread across his face made my stomach flip and my chest tighten. He really was the most beautiful man.
He reached beyond me to open the door. “So, I brought Beckett and his brothers out here to try out the ciders.”
“Plural?”
“Yes. I finished them all last night.”
“All?”
“They were all nearly ready, just needed the flavor profiles. Now I have them. Because of you.”
I shook my head. He really had no clue how amazing he was. Some of that was on me. I was so afraid to tell him just how much he meant to me. To let him see inside me because I was sure I was the one who was lacking.
But all along, he was here. He was standing for me in every way. “No. It’s because of you, Ronan. Always has been.”
He shook his head. “You were the key. Since the first day we met.”
I lifted my hand to his flushed face. “The things you say to me.” Happiness and pride shone so clearly in his dark eyes. Sure, he was a little buzzed on the actual alcohol content of his work, but he wasn’t that inebriated.
Would he still feel the same way if he knew the truth about my family? About the things I allowed to be hung on me to protect them? Especially since they didn’t deserve my protection. I didn’t want to burst that happy bubble he was in.
He covered my hand with his. “They’re all true. I came here for a fresh start. The minute I stepped foot on the threshold of this workshop, I knew it was special. Then I met you and everything clicked.”
“I—”
“I was looking for you two.”
I whirled at the voice behind me. Beckett stood in the open barn door. My heart dropped. “Beckett…” The words seized up into my throat.
Excuses for my behavior bubbled and tried to come, but there was no real way I could talk myself out of this one.
Ronan came up behind me. I could feel his warmth even before his big hand settled on my waist. I could feel the tension in him, but as usual, he was an immovable monolith.
The urge to ignore and downplay what we were just wouldn’t come anymore. Instead I cupped my hand around his. “I’m seeing Ronan,” I blurted out.
Ronan stiffened behind me, but was silent.
“It won’t interfere with work—well, much. And okay, yes, we were in here alone and definitely not working, but we ended up talking about work. That counts right?”
Beckett tucked his hands into his pockets and didn’t say a word.
“I can do my job and still have a relationship with someone. It happens all the time in the world, right? And we work so well together. Even when we fight, we still do our jobs. I mean we don’t fight a lot, but sometimes because he can be an idiot.”
Beckett’s eyebrow rose.
“Thanks, Sunshine.”
I looked over my shoulder at him. “I mean, you can be an idiot. You didn’t sleep all night and then started day drinking.”
He just grinned at me. “It’s called a tasting.”
“Yeah, right. The color in your cheeks says otherwise.”
I released Ronan’s hand and stalked toward Beckett.
“I bust my ass and give everything to the orchard, but I think I can have both. I deserve both, dammit.” I poked him in the chest when he didn’t say anything.
I was just babbling at this point, but the boulder in my throat started to dislodge with the rightness of it all.
“I hope you’re good with that, because I’m not giving him up. ”
Beckett grabbed my finger. “Stop poking me.”
My chest was heaving as I stared into his blue eyes.
The man gave very little away at the best of times, but right now he was a blank slate.
Suddenly he grinned at me, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
“It’s about damn time, Key. He seems like a good guy.
” He looked over my shoulder at Ronan. “He better be.”
I reached behind me and found Viking right there. The nerves evened out at how real and right he felt behind me.
Ronan drew me back to stand beside him, our fingers linked. “I think we make a pretty good team, especially since I plan on marrying her as soon as she gets comfortable with the idea.”
My head swiveled to him. “Pump the brakes, pal.”
He grinned down at me. “There’s no brakes when it comes to how I feel about you, Sunshine.”
“Okay, I’m out. I’ll be at the taproom if you guys can tear yourselves away.”
I moved to follow him, but Ronan held me beside him. “We’ll be right there.”
“Viking, we have so much to do.”
“Just another minute.” He drew me in front of him. “It’s not every day my girl tells her best friend she’s into me.”
I curled my arms around his waist. “Beck and I don’t exactly talk about that kind of thing, but I don’t want to hide us. You don’t deserve that.”
“But it was a big step.” He dropped a soft kiss on my mouth.
“And would you stop talking about marrying me?”
“Never. At least until you’re at the end of the aisle walking my way.”
“How can you be so certain so fast?” I would probably be asking that until the end of time. At the same time, I didn’t want to let go of him.
Nothing in my life had ever felt so big or so overwhelming since I’d taken the job at the taproom. Was I getting my feelings mixed up with the stress of the opening, and it would fade?
Or was it just as important?
How could I tell?
He cupped my face and some of the worries fell away. “I just know.”
“Kira, c’mon!” Justin called from the porch.
I started to pull away, but he held fast. “I’m not going anywhere. What can I do to make you believe that?” His brow furrowed in frustration. “I know this isn’t the time, but give me something.”
“That you’ll stick, no matter what. So many people have let me down.” My voice broke and I hated it. “No matter how much we fight about the taproom or about us, I need to know you won’t bail on me.”
He opened his mouth, and I rose on my toes to cover it. He growled when I stepped back. “Think about it before you promise me anything. Because I need to know you mean it, even when it’s hard.”
Then I slipped away and ran for the taproom.
I wasn’t sure I was ready to hear if he agreed.