Kian

“Did it?”

“Yeah.” His hand rested on my hip, pulling me a little closer to him. “My dad didn’t understand why I wanted to see you or why I wanted your help with the building. He just listened to his advisors, and at that time, his advisors weren’t pro-Jordan. They wanted me to have nothing to do with you.”

I knew all of this.

The advisors changed their minds when Kian stated he wouldn’t leave me. They either accepted him with me or he’d leave the company. He had a similar showdown with his parents, and it was enough to change their minds. His parents reluctantly became pro-Jordan.

“And the other reason?”

His hand tightened on my hip, his fingers sinking into my skin. His eyes darkened with lust. “Because I wanted to make sure you always had a job, if you wanted it.”

A lump was on the bottom of my throat. “I wasn’t working here when you were released. I started a few days later.”

“Cal told me you worked here every summer. If you came back, there’d always be a spot.” A quiet laugh left him. “I wasn’t looking for you that first day, when we ran into each other outside of here.”

I tilted my head up to him. “You weren’t?”

“I didn’t even know you started working here. I was coming to look over the place.” His eyes switched, trailing over my shoulders. He nodded toward where Paul was at the bar, talking with the bartenders. “I had a middleman between your boss and me, so even he didn’t know about me, not until your real identity came out. The next day, he found out who I was. I’m glad I bought it. It’s a good investment, no matter what, and you can always work here.”

“As a hostess?” I teased.

“No.” He grew solemn again, glancing back to my lips. He moved closer, his face only a few inches from mine. “You can manage it with him, if you want to. I don’t care. I just wanted you not to have to worry about one more thing. That’s all. I wanted to take care of you.”

“Thank you.” Suddenly, I didn’t want to be there. I didn’t want to be in a room full of people, even if they were people I knew. I wanted to be with him and only him. I lifted my lips and grinned up at him. “Can we leave?”

Kian’s eyes darkened, and he grinned. He murmured right before touching his lips to mine, “I thought you’d never ask.”