Page 57 of Bound Lies

My stomach twists as I continue to stand frozen, staring at the bed as if it might swallow me whole if I were to even approach it.

“I’ll take the chair,” Kieran eventually says, stepping past me and crossing over to drop his bag onto the armchair in the corner.

It’s fairly large, but not large enough for his hulking great frame to stretch out on.

“You’ll break your spine if you sleep on that.”

“It’s better than you being uncomfortable.”

I stare at Kieran.

I don’t know if he’s actually being considerate or if this is some passive-aggressive jab because I pulled away from him after the kiss.

Knowing Kieran, it’s probably the second one.

I open my mouth and consider blurting out the secret that’s been on the tip of my tongue since last night. My shameful secret. The reason I’m apparently so valuable I can be traded for territory.

Maybe if he knew the truth of why I pushed him away, he would be more understanding…

That’s why I panicked and pulled away. Not because I didn’t want him to kiss me, but because I was terrified of what it would lead to. I know Kieran’s no virgin himself, and the thought of him not enjoying himself because of my lack of experience is nothing short of mortifying.

My cheeks flood with color, and I push the thought away.

I shouldn’t even be entertaining such ideas because it’s never going to happen, and the fact that I was even considering coming clean about the fact that I’m a virgin just because I felt bad for bruising Kieran’s ego is honestly laughable.

I need to get it together and remind myself that any information I give to Kieran, he will only end up using against me anyway. We might be fighting on the same side, but in his eyes, I will always be the enemy.

I cross over to the bed and set down my backpack, which sends the rose petals flying.

“So, what’s the plan from here?”

“We hit a chapel to make this thing official, and then call Ronan and tell him the good news.”

I chew on my lower lip as I glance around the room.

“And then we just…act like we’re married?”

“Pretty much.”

“It’s just so…clinical.”

“It’s a fake marriage; what do you expect?”

I try not to flinch at the venom in his tone. I have no idea what I expected from him, but it wasn’t this.

Maybe it’s the kiss that is confusing everything. If I didn’t know how good it felt to have my body pressed up against Kieran’s, I could keep a level head. But the truth is I can’t forget how good it felt, and seeing all the rose petals and the champagne, I feel a pang of something in my gut that I can’t seem to name.

“I’m not looking forward to telling my family when we get home,” I say just to break the silence.

“You won’t have to.”

I frown. “What do you mean?”

“Oscar already knows.” Kieran shrugs.

My head snaps up, and my entire body turns cold. “What?”

“He found out, but it’s fine. I took care of it.”