Page 174 of Fighting Chance

Emmy went to bed hours ago, and by the dim lighting in the library room, it’s well into the late evening, yet I’m too afraid to put my book down.

Kieran has been staring at me from the entryway.

Emmy and I were sitting in the reading chair looking through our new books and reading pages here and there. Emmy, now that she’s beginning to talk more, has started reading out loud sometimes. Just a few words, if she likes them.

It must have been hours before Kieran decided to break us apart and take Emmy away for dinner and a bath, insisting that I keep reading. So I did—I don’t have to be told twice.

That was a while ago, though. The second I felt those eyes lock on me, I couldn’t keep reading. I’ve been pretending to read for the past fifteen minutes. His gaze is searing my skin, making my blood hum with anticipation.

His voice sends a shiver down my spine. “How long are you going to keep pretending to read for?”

“However long you keep staring.”

Peering up at Kieran over the book, I see he didn’t escapeEmmy’s wrath in the bath. His white shirt is splattered with water, molding to his body like a second skin and making my mouth water.

I’ve never been a girl obsessed over men with muscles but Kieran is different. You can’tnotnotice it. His body is cut to perfection, the hours in the gym on full display.

Leaning against the doorframe, he folds his arms over his chest, a brow quirking. “When I first came in you were blushing. Care to share what you were reading?”

I snap the book shut. “Absolutely not.”

“Come on, sunshine, share with the class,” he teases.

“It’s not your taste.”

“I can guarantee you that anything you like is my taste.”

Holding out the book, I call his bluff. “Go on, then. Read up on yourtaste.”

Pushing off the door, he strides toward me, every step as assured and confident as the smug grin plastered across his face. He leans forward, crawling onto the large reading chair, electricity sparking between us. “My pleasure.”

Taking the book, he sits in front of me, his back to me, but I can tell the moment he starts reading. The veins in his forearms protrude as he white-knuckles the book. His breathing grows labored, and I find I’m holding my breath as I watch him.

I’m not sure where this burst of confidence comes from, no idea what possesses me, but I’m suddenly moving forward, sliding my hands up Kieran’s back and over his shoulders, relishing in his warmth and heat. I dangle my arms over his chest, peering over his shoulder to see which part he’s at.

For once, I’m the one with my lips against his ear. “Find it to your liking…boss?” I purr.

The word snaps all of his self-control. With a groan of pure need, Kieran grips my arm, my waist, and swings me, lifting me up and placing me down on his lap.

He aligns us perfectly. The moment I come into contact with his hips, I gasp at feeling his hardness against my softness.

He slides his hands up my neck and cups the back of my head, holding me to him. “You, my sunshine, are teasing me.”

With this new surge, I lean forward, placing my hand on his chest, savoring the way he seems to stop breathing. “Not teasing if I’m all but begging.”

His brow quirks. “And what is it that you’re begging for?”

“You,” I breathe.

He swallows thickly, his eyes shuttering. “Keep talking like that and I’ll lose all control.”

“Good.” Pressing more of my weight down onto his lap, I roll my hips, a smile tipping the corner of my lips as he moans, his hold on me tightening slightly.

His hands rip from the back of my head, fisting them on either side of him.

“You know…” I say slowly, bending my head so I’m hovering just above him. “You still haven’t kissed me.” My tongue darts out to lick my lips. “You’ve made me come but you haven’t kissed me.”

His eyes flare wide open. “I’m well aware.”