Page 164 of Sins of Innocence

"No arguments here," I say, imitating his gruff voice.

He squeezes me and huffs out one of his rare laughs. "Watch that sass. I’m about to have you fully at my mercy."

Yay.

And can't wait.

"You don't need handcuffs to do that." And I don't just mean because he's so much bigger than I am with muscles that would make a bodybuilder envious.

He groans, pushing the door open behind me. Gauze drapes cover the floor to ceiling windows, muting the spring sunshine, but there's still plenty of diffused light to see by.

The bed is enormous.

Like genuinely ridiculous.

The crisp white duvet is turned down and there's another tray on the bedside table holding what looks suspiciously like tiny chocolate pastries.

I kiss his neck, because it's right there, and then flick my tongue out to taste his skin because…same. "If there are chocolate dipped strawberries in the bathroom, I'm going to think you have a fetish for feeding me."

He lifts me a little higher and claims my mouth for a long, delicious kiss. "You're gonna need your strength."

Sweet lord. The deep roughness in his voice shoots straight between my legs.

He drops me onto the bed and steps back. "It's a bowl of frozen grapes on the whirlpool ledge."

"You're going to spoil me." Not that he hasn't already. "Who knew a forced marriage came with so many perks?"

Kieran stops in the act of shrugging out of his shirt. "I didn't force you."

"Didn't you?" My arousal stays at a low boil but my heart wants words between us.

He finishes taking off his shirt and pulls his undershirt over his head, tossing both to the floor. "No."

"Mick outlined two scenarios. Only one of them kept my girls safe. Marrying you."

"I will keep you all safe." Granite hard certainty infuses his tone.

Like it always does when he makes promises to me.

"I believe you."

"Our marriage was necessary for me to do that in our world." He unbuckles his belt and my heart skips a beat.

No matter how serious our conversation is, my body is primed for sex with my husband.

I don't deny it's our world. I can't. I've been living on the painful and frightening periphery of this world ever since Troy's death.

"Only because Mick Fitzgerald wanted more time to figure out who else is involved in Kenneth Shaughnessy's plan to depose him as underboss. I'm his pawn every bit as much as I was Kenneth's."

"Marriage to me made you my queen." Kieran drops his slacks to the floor and kicks them away. "You're nobody's pawn."

I open my mouth to argue, but then close it. Because we have better things to do than argue and his near naked body is driving that point in a very distracting way.

But also? Because if I am his queen and I believe I am, no matter what the reason we had for getting married, then I can't be Mick or Kenneth's pawn.

I'm not married to the king. I'm married to the knight and he will take any player off the board who threatens me.

Even his boss?