Chapter 6

Mila's POV

My feet froze. He cannot be doing this—not when Franny is so close and could see us. The onyx ring on his index finger glinted under the rays of the setting sun streaming through the glass-fronted wall of the shop.

“What about this?” he asked, pointing at a pendant on a silver chain displayed on the counter. Our hands were just a breath apart. I remembered those fingers brushing against my lips yesterday, and I could imagine what it might feel like to fall back into his arms.

I shook off the thought and tried to step out of his personal space—or so I thought—but my feet seemed to have a mind of their own. I ended up flat against his chest. D*mn it! He circled his arms around my waist, a faint smile playing on his lips. He’s devastatingly beautiful. His hold was steady, but my heart was racing.

“Are you always this clumsy, or is it me who makes you slip?” His voice turned my insides to liquid, but his words made me narrow my eyes.

F*ck off, I wanted to say, but instead, I swallowed the words and settled for a quiet, “Sorry.” I stepped back, putting some distance between us.

If I didn’t react, he’d lose whatever interest he had. Don’t act. Keep it neutral. The strategy almost always worked. I couldn’t let him know how much he affected me.

“Don’t be,” he said, tilting his head. The darkness in his eyes could’ve turned anyone’s blood to ice, but I was drawn to them. The danger they held pulsed through my veins, yet behind all of it, when he looked directly at me, there was something akin to tenderness. That mix might just be lethal to my heart. I stepped back again, and he followed.

I raised a hand to stop him, but he only came closer, his eyes challenging me and chipping away at my resolve.

“Mr. Knight, you should stop,” I said firmly.

I needed to make things clear. Avoidance wouldn’t work with this man.

“What did I tell you to call me?” His tone held a threat, turning husky toward the end.

Before I realized it, I was cornered between two shelves, hidden from view. “You have to stop,” I repeated, looking straight into his eyes. I wasn’t afraid of him.

“Stop what?” He raised a hand, resting it on the shelf beside me, caging me in. Suddenly, I felt small under his intense gaze.

“You know.”

“No, I don’t.”

The teasing glint in his eyes and the faint smile softened his face, heat blooming in my cheeks. I looked away.

“You’re…”

“Yes?”

“Flirting with me,” I said through gritted teeth. Saying it out loud felt ridiculous.

“You’re married. Maybe you don’t have principles, but I do!” My annoyance was evident, though it frustrated me more that my body betrayed me around him. I tried to push him away, but he caught my hand, pressing it flat against his chest.

“You’re being absolutely inappropriate—ah!” Something tugged painfully at my hair. I reached back, but he was quicker, concern flashing across his face. He came closer, inspecting it above my head, his scent—like freshly brewed coffee—enveloping me.

“Don’t move, love,” he murmured, his other hand cradling the back of my head. I relaxed as he untangled whatever it was, warmth washing over me. I look at him, admiring the angle of his jaw and the define angle of his nose, the soft concern look in his deep dark eyes and I find my self learn towards him.

“Here you go. Are you alright?” He straightened my hair, softly patting the back of my head. Looking at him now, he seemed younger, more handsome. Our eyes met briefly before I looked away and cleared my throat. I need to keep my thoughts in check.

“I’m fine.” He pulled something out from my hair.

“I think this likes you too.” It was an anklet with a thin silver chain and a pinkish-blue shell at the center. One of my strands of hair was caught in it. It was beautiful.

“Besides,” he added, his gaze trailing from my eyes to my lips, then lower, “I haven’t started being inappropriate yet.” I grabbed his chin, forcing him to look up, warning him silently. “And technically, I’m not—” I couldn’t hear the rest of his words.

“Mila!” Franny called from the back of her shop. My hand fell from his chin, but he caught it mid-way. I looked at him, wide-eyed and pleading, as Franny’s footsteps grew louder. He kissed my knuckles and smiled.

“I’ll go.”

He disappeared quickly, leaving me to exhale in relief, though my skin still burned where his lips had touched. Dinner was just as boring as it had been the day before. My father had already spoken with Mr. Knight, and I could see the stiffness in his posture. Adeline’s bitter glances in my direction only added to the tension. It seemed like this trip hadn’t gone the way they’d hoped. The only silver lining was that no one had seen me with Killian. Was I the only one hyper-aware of his presence? Kate was doing her best to keep the conversation alive, with Adeline joining in reluctantly, and Franny occasionally chiming in. At some point, Franny mentioned something about the poolside, though I wasn’t paying much attention. Then Kate suggested we spend our last day relaxing by the pool. Franny eagerly agreed, followed by Adeline and my father. Even Nicolai nodded along. Kate turned to me with a smile that felt practiced. It always seemed like something was missing when she played the gracious host.

I nodded absentmindedly and returned to my food.

“What do you say, honey?” Kate’s voice was light, but there was an undercurrent of wariness.

“I’ll let you handle it. I won’t be joining tomorrow.” That made me look up. Killian’s words were directed at Kate, but his eyes were fixed on me. Kate froze mid-sentence, unable to ask the question everyone was thinking.

“I have errands to run,” he added, his gaze unwavering. It felt as though the explanation was meant for me alone. I looked down quickly, trying to shake off the strange weight of his stare. Why does it even matter? He’d be gone tomorrow, and later so would I. Whatever was happening between us would end before it could begin.

I excused myself early, skipping dessert, and walked outside to the front garden. Sitting on one of the garden chairs, I tried to clear my head. But Killian’s piercing gaze lingered in my mind like a shadow I couldn’t escape. Why can’t he think about his image for once? My family was obsessed with appearances. That’s why they had let me attend college instead of hiding me away until my twenty-first birthday. After my grandfather died, everyone knew of my existence. If I didn’t make appearances or attend college, it would have damaged the Anderson reputation. That tiny crack in their control gave me the sliver of freedom I had now. But Killian Knight? He was a different story entirely. A married man. A master of an organization that literally breeds killers. Everything about this was wrong. I let out a tired sigh.

“Thinking of me?”

I gasped and turned sharply, finding his eyes capturing mine. He was close enough to kiss. Killian was leaning over the back of my chair. I immediately looked away, all too aware of his proximity.

“No,” I said firmly, denying him outright.

“Liar.”

“Why would I?” I scoffed, folding my arms against my chest.

“And what do you know of my mind?” I turned to face him this time, bracing myself with a new resolve. “I’ll have you know I am not—” He came around the chair, sitting beside me with one arm resting behind me.

“What? Interested in me?” The tilt of his head, the teasing smile, and his sharp gaze unnerved me.

“Are you sure about that?”

“We are not close enough for you to finish my sentences,” I said, my voice nearly breathless.

“Oh, darling, we are close enough for me to know every thought you think between your breaths,” he said, leaning closer.

My eyes couldn’t look away. “I know you cannot look away from me,” his breath brushed against my lips, stealing the air from my lungs,

“and I cannot look away from you.” My heartbeat quickened at his admission.

“For a moment, don’t think.” And I didn’t think. He leaned in, and I leaned forward. Our lips met.