Page 19 of Dangerously
“I didn’t come to New York to just deliver that. I came to New York to see you . . .andcome in you.”
“Successful on all fronts.” I’m cheeky.
Ronan shrugs. “I’m a man who gets what he wants. Even if it takes a few years.”
Years is right. He has been after me for many.
“Persistent.”
Ronan shakes his head. “Inevitable,” he clarifies. “It’s always inevitable that I get what I want.”
I suddenly feel trapped under his watchful gaze.
“And you want me?” I question.
“Yes, I do,” he states matter-of-factly. “By my side every day and in my bed every night.”
Coming from any other man, a woman might actually fall head over heels from a line like that. But Ronan isn’t just any man, and I’m not just any woman.
A pure, untainted love would never happen in our world. Love blooming at all is practically preposterous. We are killers, mercenaries, and death dealers. Chaos follows us wherever we go. And we prefer it that way. Where does love fit into anarchy like that?
It doesn’t. It shouldn’t. It never will.
Love is a poison that renders you weak. Makes you vulnerable and ultimately is your undoing.
If I were to agree to Ronan’s proposal, it would be a business transaction with sexual benefits and nothing more. No matter how many candlelit dinners or nights between the sheets we may have. I know men like Ronan. I’ve worked for them, I’ve worked with them, and I’ve killed them. At the end of the day, all that matters is him. All that matters is whathewants, whatheneeds, whathedesires.
“You flatter me.”
“You deserve it. You’re beautiful and cunning and deadly, and that’s exactly the kind of woman I need by my side.”
“A bodyguard with benefits.” I slide the envelope closer to me.
“Mmm, partly, perhaps.” There’s no guise on his part. “I strategically surround myself with only the best. And going forward, implementing that philosophy is imperative now more than ever.”
I nod, understanding. There are cracks in Ronan’s armor since the takedown of his family, and that makes him vulnerable, susceptible, and weak. It makes him the one thing no one wants to be. A target. He’s only doing what any smart criminal would. It’s flee or fight. And for Ronan, there’s only one once.Fight.
“Who’s the mark?”
“A former associate turned fucking rat.”
Ronan stands and straightens the cuffs of his dress shirt. He’s an impressive man. Tall, polished, handsome, imposing. The kind of man you would pay attention to on the street. “I want you to fucking kill him and bring me the girl he’s with.”
“A girl? Should I be jealous?”
“Maybe a little.” Ronan flashes me one of his devious smiles. “It’s not like that, though. So, you have nothing to worry about.”
“I don’t really worry, in general,” I assure him.
He seems satisfied with that response. “Read the file. Then burn it,” he orders. Bossy already.
“I know the drill.”
Ronan leans over and rests his hands on the mattress. “I know you do.” Then he kisses me again. It’s a strong, possessive kiss, with lots of tongue. And to my amazement, I don’t actually hate it. My feelings about him are conflicted, that’s for sure.
“I’ll be in touch.” He breathes heavily. “We’ll have a lot to talk about.”
I nod, my head slightly spinning from the overload of Ronan Kennedy.
