Page 56 of Sins of Innocence

"What does that have to do with anything?" I ask around a bite of a fresh raspberry filled mini croissant.

"Your conscious mind is too occupied with current concerns to acknowledge ordinary sounds."

"So, you're saying I didn't hear my daughter go to the bathroom, but if she'd fallen or headed into the living room to turn on the TV, I would have?"

"Yes."

Huh. "I only have your word for it that she got up at all."

"Yes."

"That's all you're going to say?" The words might sound exasperated, but my tone isn't.

I wouldn't mind if he offered more, but I'm not upset that he didn't. Apparently because my conscious mind is too occupied with current concerns.

"Who is Dan?"

"What?" I lean forward and try to grab my phone. "Are you going through all my text messages?"

I haven't texted with Dan in over a month.

Kieran keeps my phone out of reach and fixes me with an uncompromising glare. "Who. Is. Dan?"

Wow. I'd read about making each word it's own sentence before, but I've never heard anyone do it.

"Dan is a friend."

"You dated him."

"Are you kidding me? How far back did you scroll on that text thread?" He must speedread because really? That's a lot of friend texts to get through before the awkward ones between Dan and me setting up our first and only date.

"Are you still dating?" Kieran demands.

Save me from nosy alpha men. "No. We're friends though. We realized pretty quickly that there was no spark."

"How?"

"How do you think?"

"You had sex with him?" There's a dangerous quality to Kieran's voice that makes me think it's Wraith the mobster asking.

"That's none of your business."

Kieran shrugs and goes back to reading my text messages.

"What does that shrug mean?" And why am I so sure it's not that Kieran has just dropped the subject.

"It won't matter if he's fucked your tight pussy, or not, if he's dead."

Gasping, I press a hand to my heart. Fucked your tight pussy. Said pussy is soaking the crotch of my pajama pants.

Is Kieran a dirty talker in bed?

When he said what he just did as casually as if he'd been making the coffee order, how can I doubt it?

I'm going to melt right off this chair. Until the last part of what my soon-to-be husband said penetrates my conscious mind and sends a wholly inappropriate atavistic shudder of appreciation through me.

"You cannot go around killing all the men I've dated." Not that there have been many.