Page 30 of Sins of Innocence

Noah obeys fast and I stand dumbfounded. "You knew."

"That the girls would convince their big sister faster than I could?" Áine nods. "When you're a single mom, you learn fast how to manage your kids with the most efficiency for all your sakes."

"Not a single mom anymore," I promise with satisfaction.

"What? No…" She shakes her head. "Come on. You're right, we need to talk."

Chapter seven

Plotting the Fake Relationship

ÁINE

My heart is beating a mile a minute as Kieran opens the passenger door on his SUV for me.

That was…I don't know what that was. I've never reacted to another man like that! I was about to climb Kieran like a tree when Sadie's yell got through to my passion fogged brain.

My body is still buzzing with need.

Not just desire.

Need.

I ache between my legs, sensitive flesh that hasn't been touched by another person in six years pulses with a craving to be filled. By this near stranger.

My nipples are so engorged with blood, they ache and it's all I can do not to rub and soothe them.

Kieran reaches across me to clip my seatbelt in place, his scent too familiar after a single afternoon and evening spent together. He doesn't wear cologne, or aftershave. This is pure, basic man and my ovaries scream for it like teenage girls at a Tyla concert.

Overwhelmed with his size and blatant masculinity, for a moment, all I can see, smell, or feel is him. My fingers cramp with how hard I have to curl them into my palms so I don't reach out to slide my hand inside his leather coat and caress the hard muscles I felt pressed against my body during that kiss.

I'm still trying to breathe past my body's staggering reaction to him when Kieran slides behind the steering wheel and starts the SUV.

His big hands flex on the steering wheel as he turns onto the drive and my brain throws up the fantasy of those same hands cupping my breasts, strong fingertips plucking at my aching nipples.

Pleasure pulses in my core and a full body shudder goes through me at the image.

Kieran curses. "I should have turned on the car ahead of time."

When there's not even frost on the ground in the morning, much less right now? This man has a serious case of over-protectiveness.

"That's a full sentence," I force myself to tease, not even a little willing to tell him the shudder was not from cold.

How could it be? Despite that sudden shower today, we've been having record breaking temps during the day this Spring and it's still seventy degrees outside.

You need to get a handle on your hormones, girl!

Kieran's jaw clenches. "I don't like to talk."

"Why?"

He doesn't answer.

"Isn't that something I should know if we are supposed to be in a relationship?" I press, hoping that talking will curb the unexpected desire raging through me.

He doesn't answer immediately and I get the impression he's considering my question. Then, he says, "No."

Surprise. Not surprise.