Chapter 105 Dangerous Touch
Kira’s POV
Frederick beamed, oblivious, maybe he’s already calculating how rubbing elbows with Adrian Draven would polish his reputation and that of the company. Evelyn nodded, still pale, her eyes darting to me like I was a bomb about to go off.
She must be wondering who I am and how I got to know those things I said to her. She must be scheming inside, trying to decide if I’m an enemy they should eliminate.
And Miranda…God, Miranda…stood behind them like the spoiled fake princess, arms crossed tight, glaring daggers at Antonio, who hadn’t moved from Victoria’s side.
Adrian’s thumb brushed my hip again, slowly. And I know this might be crazy, but he always seemed to know. He always knows when I was one second from shattering…like we are magically connected in a way.
Does that even make sense?
Frederick clapped his hands together. “Wonderful! The service is in an hour at St. Augustine’s, then the burial at Rose Hill. We’ll see you there…and after, straight home. Our driver can lead the way.”
Again… Home.
The word sliced deeper this time. I felt it bleed into my throat.
Frederick adjusted his cufflinks, already half-turned toward a cluster of lingering guests. Then he paused.
His gaze drifted back to me.
Not polite. Not dismissive.
Studying.
For a second…just one…his smile faltered. Like he recognized something.
Not my face. Maybe my posture? The way I held my chin slightly higher when challenged? The way my fingers curled when I was holding back anger? They were all habits he used to mock.
His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
Then Evelyn tugged at his sleeve. “Frederick.”
The moment broke.
His smile snapped back into place…smooth, rehearsed. “We’ll see you at the service.”
As the fake Summers turned to leave, I let Adrian guide me toward the elevator.
Victoria and Antonio trailed behind us, her hand possessively on his arm now, his eyes still dazed and fixed on her like she was the only real thing in the room.
I guess the bite is hypnotic. Is that why Adrian wants to bite me too? So I’ll follow him around like a clueless sacrificial lamb?
The second we stepped into the elevator and it slammed shut, the dam broke inside me.
Not tears. Just this overwhelming, suffocating wave of rage and grief so intense I couldn’t breathe. My vision blurred at the edges and my hands shook.
Adrian stepped in front of me, as though shielding me with his body.
“I can handle this for you,” he said quietly. “You don’t have to do this.”
I laughed, but it came out broken. “Yes, I do. You won’t understand.”
“Then talk to me. Make me understand,” he said, his voice coming off more like he was begging me.
Because this was it. The funeral for the girl I used to be. The one they murdered. The one they were burying today while pretending to mourn.
I was going to sit in that church and watch them cry fake tears over my coffin.
I was going to walk into my own house and smile across the table at the people who killed me.
And I was going to make them feel every second of what they took from me.
But I didn’t tell him any of that. I just exhaled, closing my eyes briefly. And he let me. He didn’t push further.
Minutes later, we were in our room, preparing to leave for the funeral. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it might crack a rib.
Victoria had laid the dress and everything else I needed out on the bed before leaving to go and prepare.
The neckline of the dress sat high in front like I was some untouchable queen, but the back plunged low enough to show skin without giving everything away.
Thin crimson threads ran along the seams, catching the light like fresh blood every time I moved. It absolutely screamed ‘you tried to kill me but I’m back, bitches’ in the classiest way possible.
I slipped it on, zipped it up, and stared at myself in the full-length mirror. For the first time since I woke up in this new body, I actually looked like the woman who was about to burn their world down.
I reached for the diamond necklace that went with it but remembered Mom’s old set, the one Evelyn had been wearing like it belonged to her.
My hands shook trying to fasten the tiny clip behind my neck…trying to put the memory behind me. Come on, come on…
Adrian was already dressed. Black button-down, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing off those stupid veiny forearms that made my stomach flip even when I hated him. He didn’t say a word. Just walked up behind me, silent as a shadow.
I froze when his reflection appeared in the mirror. He took the necklace from my fingers without asking. He was standing so close that his chest brushed my back…but it was warm and solid.
His fingers grazed the side of my neck as he brought the chain around. I felt it…that stupid spark, those dumb butterflies exploding in my belly like I was some teenager. His touch was careful, almost reverent, as he worked the clasp. Every tiny brush of skin sent heat racing down my spine.
This man is a trap, I told myself, jaw tight. Everything about him screams danger…yet, this body leans into him like a moth to a fire. He keeps acting like we’re destined or whatever. Why didn’t he do all that with Abby? I won’t fall for it again. I won’t.
But this body…Abby’s body wasn’t listening. How come her body is craving someone who treated her badly? Stockholm syndrome?
My breath hitched when his knuckles skimmed the nape of my neck one more time interrupting my thought.
He finished the necklace and moved to the matching earrings on the dresser. Leaned in even closer, breath warm against my ear as he slid one in, then the other. His fingers lingered on my earlobes, gentle but deliberate, like he was memorizing the feel of me.
I hated how good it felt. Hated how my pulse jumped under his touch.
He finished, then reached up and gently swept my hair back into place, letting his hands rest on my shoulders. In the mirror, his eyes locked on mine… dark, intense, full of things I didn’t want to name.
“I can’t wait,” he murmured against my ear, voice low and rough, “for the day you finally accept me. Accept us. The bond. All of it. When you forgive me for everything.”
His words hit like a punch to the chest. I wanted to snap something back, but then he leaned down and pressed his lips to the side of my neck.
Soft. His lips were impossibly soft. Like clouds and sin at the same time.
I gasped before I could stop myself and my eyes fluttered shut. One particular spot…right where his teeth had been before…started throbbing like it had its own heartbeat. Begging. Aching. Like it remembered and wanted more.
No. No, no, no.
I shoved away from him, stumbling a step. “We have a funeral to attend,” I stammered, voice way too breathy.
Adrian groaned, low and frustrated, dragging a hand down his face. “The goddess knows how badly I want you. Every single minute of every damn day, princess.”
Those words lit my nerves on fire. My whole body flushed hot. I could feel myself leaning toward him before I caught myself.
This is biology. It’s simply science. There’s nothing extraordinary.
I pushed past him, snatching my purse off the chair. “Yeah, well, keep wanting. Some of us have actual important things to focus on.”
I didn’t look back as I headed for the door, but I heard him chuckle behind me…dark, hungry, full of promise.
We were seconds from stepping out of the door when Adrian grabbed my arm, pulling me back into the room.
“What…” I began to protest until my eyes met his.