Are you serious?!

Rae’s POV

The realization hit me like ice water.

I’d been wiggling happily one second, and the next I felt him, hard, thick, unmistakable, pressing right against the curve of my ass through his sweatpants. My whole body went rigid.

“Oh my God,” I whispered, mortified. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”

I tried to scramble off his lap, cheeks flaming, but his arms locked around my waist instantly, gentle yet completely immovable.

“Hey, hey,” he murmured, voice soft and amused. “Where do you think you’re going?”

He pulled me back against his chest, settling me sideways again so I wasn’t directly on the problem, though I could still feel the heat of him. One big hand cupped my jaw, tilting my face up to his.

“It’s alright, baby,” he said, eyes warm in the glow of the TV. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m always half-hard around you. Comes with the territory of being obsessed.”

Then he kissed me, slow, sweet, reassuring, lips brushing mine like a promise. When he pulled back, his thumb stroked my cheek.

“Better?”

I nodded, still blushing, and curled into him properly, head on his shoulder, fingers immediately finding their favorite spot in his hair.

I played with the soft strands at his nape, twirling them around my fingers while the movie played on, some big confession scene, rain, dramatic music. I was only half-watching.

He was quiet for a minute, then spoke softly against my temple.

“Rae?”

“Mm-hmm?”

“Tomorrow,” he said, voice a little shy, “would you let me take you on a real date?”

I froze, fingers stilling in his hair.

I turned to look at him, eyes wide. “You’re serious?”

He laughed quietly, the sound rumbling through his chest. “Dead serious. Dinner. Somewhere pretty. Just you and me. I want to see you in a dress and hold your hand across a table and kiss you goodnight like a gentleman… at least until we get home.”

My heart did a cartwheel.

“Yes,” I breathed. “Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.”

His smile was blinding. He leaned in and kissed me again, soft, lingering, full of promise, and I melted into it, fingers tightening in his hair, pouring every bit of my yes into his mouth.

When we broke apart, I settled back against him, happier than I’d ever been.

But the high only lasted a few minutes.

The movie couple on screen was laughing in a café, and suddenly the reality crashed over me: people. Waiters. Valets.

Anyone who might recognize him. Anyone who might know Victor. Anyone who could put two and two together and ruin everything.

My fingers stopped moving. My body went quiet.

Killian noticed immediately, of course he did.

He lifted my chin gently with two fingers. “Hey. What just happened?”

“I’m fine,” I lied, trying to look back at the screen.

“Rae.” His voice was soft but firm. “Talk to me.”

I bit my lip, eyes stinging. “I’m just… worried. About tomorrow. About people seeing us. Because of… you know.” I gestured vaguely between us. “The whole thing.”

He was quiet for a heartbeat, then shifted so he could look at me properly, both hands cupping my face now, thumbs stroking my cheeks.

“Listen to me,” he said, voice steady and sure. “I will sort that out. I have a place in mind, private, discreet, no one will bother us. I’ll drive us myself, park in the back, whatever it takes. No one is going to ruin this for us. I promise you that.”

The sincerity in his eyes undid me.

I squealed, actually squealed, launched myself at him, and peppered his entire face with kisses ,his cheeks, his nose, his jaw, his eyelids, the corner of his mouth, everywhere I could reach.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” I babbled between kisses, giggling when he laughed and tried to catch my lips.

He finally did, one big hand sliding into my hair, holding me still so he could kiss me properly, slow and deep and perfect.

When he pulled back, his eyes were sparkling.

“Alright, little monster,” he said, voice fond. “Time for bed before you explode from excitement.”

He stood with me still wrapped around him like a koala, one arm under my thighs, the other supporting my back.

I squeaked as he bounced me higher, then gasped when his palm delivered a playful, stinging swat to my ass.

“Killian!”

“That’s for wiggling earlier,” he teased, carrying me toward the bedroom. “And for attacking me with kisses. Very dangerous behavior.”

I buried my laughing face in his neck, legs tight around his waist, heart so full it felt like it might float away.