Chapter 19: 19.

ARTEMIS

It had been a while since I had been unable to sleep. After last night’s… quarrel? With Kieran, I couldn’t sleep. He didn’t talk to me until we got home, and we separated without a word.

I tossed and turned the entire night, the words I had carelessly thrown at him replaying in my head over and over again like a cruel punishment.

Not only did I feel bad about the words I threw at him, but I was berating myself for mentioning Van again when I promised I wouldn’t bring him up in any discussion I had with Kieran, not when it wasn’t worth mentioning, but I did last night out of pettiness.

What was I thinking? Kieran had done something I wanted but couldn’t, freeing me and my family from Van. So, why did I keep lashing out at him? Was it shame, pride or guilt?

I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the clock while calculating the time to go out and apologise because that was the only way to ease the guilt that was eating at me.

It was already past breakfast. I couldn’t bring myself to go down for breakfast because I didn’t want to face him, but I couldn’t hide in my room forever.

I threw on a casual dress and made my way out of the room. I asked the first maid I saw about Kieran, and she told me he was in his office.

I was halfway there when I met him in the hallway. He had a small smile on his lips, which disappeared when he saw me. “Artemis, you look like you have something to tell me.”

I played with my fingers nervously as I thought of the best way to tell him what’s on my mind. It didn’t help that he kept looking at me with that intense gaze of his.

“What’s wrong?” he asked again, and this time a little bit of concern seeped into his voice.

“I…I…I just wanted to apologise for last night. My words were a little harsh, and I didn’t mean what I said.” I finally spoke, but my voice came out softer than I intended. “I was wrong to bring Van into the conversation. You pulled me out of a toxic marriage, and I should be thankful,” I finished, keeping my gaze on the floor as silence stretched between us.

My pulse raised as time passed, and he didn’t say anything. The longer the silence lasted, the more embarrassed I felt.

“Kieran, say something,” I whined softly, my cheeks tinging with embarrassment.

Kieran chuckled, and I looked up to see a playful smirk on his lips. “I love hearing you call my name. You should say it more often,”

My cheeks burned, and my mouth widened, “Is that the only thing you picked out from all this?” I sputtered.

“That’s the only part that mattered.”

My eyes darted around the hallway, looking for an escape, but he stepped closer, crowding me against the wall, his presence overwhelming.

“There’s something else, isn’t there?” he asked with a low voice, placing a hand above my head on the wall and trapping me.

I glanced at the hand then at him. The distance between us was so close that I could feel the heat from his body.

“Kieran,” I whispered, “Can you move?”

“No,” he refused immediately, “I like us like this,”

“I’m not… comfortable. With the way you touch me sometimes. As if we were…” I faltered, my courage swaying. “…as if we were lovers.”

Kieran’s smirk widened, and he leaned down so our lips were inches apart, “But we are,” his hand slid around my waist, pulling me forward.

I gasped, and my hand landed on his chest, but it was useless. We were practically glued together. “We are going to be married and you’ll be mine. That makes us anything but lovers,”

“That’s…” I sputtered, unable to form any words as his presence overwhelmed me. He leaned down, and I swear I could feel the trail of his lips on my neck, making me gasp.

“Stop…” I whimpered, hating how vulnerable I sounded. “This isn’t…”

“How much does my touch affect you?” He whispered huskily in my ears, “Does it make you tremble with need? Do you want my hands all over you?”

My breath caught with his question, and at the same time, my body trembled with something I would rather refuse to admit.

I pressed my palms against his chest and tried to push him off, but he didn’t budge. Instead, he caught my wrists and pinned them above my head with one hand.

I didn’t miss the way he eyed the curve of my cleavage as my chest arched forward with the movement.

What was wrong with Kieran? Why did he act differently every time? One minute, he was cold; the next, he teased.

“Don’t,” I whispered weakly.

“Don’t?” He whispered against my ear while the other hand squeezed my waist gently, “You say I shouldn’t, but your body is trembling. Dare I say it, fear or something else?”

My heart hammered wildly, betraying me now that I needed it to be firm.

What was it? The answer to his question. I could barely think or breathe with him being this close to me.

His fingers tracing patterns on my waist and his breath fanning against my neck made it impossible to reason.

What was this feeling? Wasn’t it too soon to feel like this towards another man just days after my divorce?

But he’s going to be your husband. That stupid voice in my head said.

I wanted to flee. I was scared. Terrified even because of this strange, unbearable pull towards him.

Just when I thought my thoughts would consume me, Kieran released me and stepped back.

It was sudden. And unexpected. The way his touch made me feel empty. His eyes stayed locked on mine, watching me with dark amusement.

It was unnerving, and I wanted to see myself through his eyes. How did I look? A mess like I felt on the inside?

“Anything else?” He asked in a mocking tone, and I did the only thing I could manage to do at that moment.

I turned and fled.