Page 21 of Protect Me

Scowling, I tip up the mug and drink the cold tea. “You’re an asshole,” I say when I’ve drained the contents.

“Is that why you kissed Bracken? Because he’s nice to you?”

“Brackenkissedme,” I argue.

But the moment the words are out, I realize I shouldn’t have said them.

A gleam lights his eyes like this is the detail he’s been digging for all along. “Ah, I see. He stole it, then.”

I say nothing.

“Well,” he says, snagging the empty mug from my hands and setting it aside. “In that case, I’ll have to take a page from his book.”

He leans over, takes my face in his hands, and presses his lips to mine.

I have every intention of shoving him away, but the moment his mouth closes over mine, I lose that battle. My breath releases in a sigh, and apparently, my reaction is all the encouragement he needs to deepen the kiss.

He tastes like whiskey, like I somehow knew he would, and I find myself arching up for more even as my brain screams at me to stop. His hand slides around to the back of my neck, pulling me closer as his lips tease mine open just enough for me to feel the tip of his tongue lick my bottom lip.

My pulse is a steady drumming in my ears as lust slams into me.

I make a small sound that mirrors the desperation I feel.

But instead of trying for more, he pulls away. I blink, trying to focus my gaze even as my vision swims. This has nothing to do with the tea; that I know instinctively. No, this is all Killian. One short kiss and I’m drunk on him.

He looks down at me, his smirk full of satisfaction. “Take that, Bracken,” he says smugly. Then, he stands and smiles down at me. “And sleep well, Sway. I’ll see you soon.”

Chapter6

Duncan

I’m torn between wishing like hell Sway never showed up and fucking terrified that she’s going to leave. Already, her mere presence has both Killian and Bracken acting like fucking love-struck idiots. It’s been a while since any of us got laid, but damn.

She’s turning things upside down, and it’s only been a day.

While I try to figure out how to stop whoever’s hunting her from finding her here, they’re both locked in a ridiculous pissing contest over who’s going to captivate the newcomer first.

I reach the top of the stairs, a steaming mug of water in my hand, though I stop before I open the door to her floor. Sway’s battered face has been stuck in my mind since the moment we found her. And somehow, I know it won’t get any closer to fading into the throes of my other bad memories so long as she’s still here.

With a deep breath, I push open the door and start down the hall.

I make it nearly halfway to her room when my heart begins to pound. Something twists in my gut. Something is off. Wrong.

An unexplainable tightness in my chest has me rushing toward her door at full speed even as some of the near-boiling water spills over and burns the skin of my hand. I withdraw my key and unlock her door then shove it open.

Her scream splits the air the moment the soundproof barrier of the wards is broken.

I slam the door shut and sprint toward her as she thrashes in the bed.

“Please, no!” she throws up her arms, grasping at an invisible attacker.

“Sway!” I reach the bedside. Her expression is pained, tortured, her eyes shut tightly.Nightmare.“Sway!” I touch her shoulder, and she swings. Pain explodes in the side of my face. “Motherfucker!” Gripping my jaw, I turn my attention back to her and see her staring at me through wide, panicked eyes.

“I hit you.” She scrambles back against the headboard then winces.

“Yeah, you fucking did.” She packs a decent punch too.

“I’m so sorry.” Sway pulls her knees up to her chest and sucks in a breath, her shoulders shaking with violent tremors.