Holding Out For Skye (6 page)

Skye had always been so sarcastic about romance, thinking what was so special about kissing and losing your head over a guy and now her heart was racing so fast, her breath catching in her throat. All because of one kiss. His eyes were open and he was staring at her.

Her mysterious brown eyes drew him in. It was as if a light shone through them, igniting them. “Stop thinking,” Cian murmured against her lips.

And then Skye couldn’t think, she could only
feel
. Her eyes shuttered closed.

His lips were warm against hers, firm. His arms swept around her, pulling her close. Her drawn knees bumped against his chest, which felt hard and muscled, surprising her. She didn’t want to think about why that fact should surprise her. Tingles erupted from her lips and spread to her nerve endings. To the tips of her fingers. To the rest of her body.

Her toes curled in her shoes. For the first time in her life, she understood that expression. In desperation, her fingers clutched at his shirt as if seeking an anchor in a raging storm.

Their lips clung and she heard a moan, barely realizing she was the one who had made the sound.

Cian banded his arms tightly around her. She was so soft and she felt
so
good. He’d never felt like this before with anyone else. As if the top of his head were about to blow up. All because of one innocent little kiss.

Her moan brought him back to earth with a start. With regret, he slowly pulled away from her. She murmured a soft protest and he couldn’t help smiling. When she opened her eyes, she had such a dazed look on her face, it was all he could do not to kiss her again.

Skye’s eyes widened. She released her grip on his shirt and lifted trembling fingers to her lips. Their gazes locked and she could only stare at him helplessly. In that one moment, they both understood something had just changed between them, maybe forever.

“Are you sure?” At the first sign of hesitation, he was calling it off.

But she only stared at him with a serious look in her beautiful brown eyes. Then softly but clearly she said, “Yes.”

Cian laughed with relief and hope and joy. He wrapped his arms around her again and held her. Just held her. He had gotten his chance. Now he just had to convince her to fall in love with him. No big deal. Make that more like Mission Impossible. But hell, after what had just happened between them, anything was possible.

Skye smiled. He looked so happy. And strangely, it made her happy too, to see him like that. She was still nervous, but he didn’t make her feel so uncomfortable—maybe it’d be okay. She felt warm and safe in his embrace. What the hell was wrong with her? Feeling this way. He was supposed to be annoying, not make her feel warm and safe.

He pulled back from her, still smiling. “Will you eat
now
?”

“Sure, I’m starving!” She looked away and tried hard not to blush since he still had his arms around her. But from his smile, she knew she hadn’t fooled him. Looked like he had just gotten the upper hand. And he knew it too.

Some time later, Skye looked at her watch and gasped. They’d already been out for more than an hour. “Cian, look at the time, we need to hurry!” Marina was going to kill them if they didn’t get to work soon.

When they got up to leave, he held out his hand to her. “May I?”

Skye gave him a startled look. Before Cian, she had never held hands with anyone before.
Remember, you agreed to this
, she told herself. She reluctantly placed her hand in his.

She couldn’t ignore the tingly sensation this time. His hand wasn’t smooth and puny like she would have thought but slightly rough and god, so
manly
. It was the hand of someone who wasn’t afraid of hard work. Hers was so much smaller than his, his hand swallowed it whole.

Breathe, Skye, just breathe.

He smiled, a quick, easy smile and swung their hands as they walked.

“Cut it out!” she hissed at him.

Cian tried not to smile again. “So, now that we’re going out, does that mean we won’t argue and you’ll go easy on me?”

“Dream on,” she shot back.

He laughed. “Some things never change.”

As they walked, she gnawed at her lip and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. She didn’t know what to expect now that their relationship had changed—changed into something she had no experience with, no guidelines. She didn’t really know how to act around a guy like him.

“Out with it. I can hear your thoughts going round and round, trying to figure things out.”

Skye scowled. That was another thing. How the hell did he know she was worrying?

“C’mon. I know you’ve got something on your mind.”

“I was just wondering where… . where do we go from here?”

“To the office, where else,” he pointed out with feigned innocence.

Skye gritted her teeth and tried to tug her hand out of his.

“All right, all right, don’t blow a fuse.” His tone became serious. “Where do you want to go from here?”

This situation was so unreal. Skye sneaked another look at him. Bit her lip again. Should she tell him or not?

Cian frowned. “What is it, Skye? I think we should decide right here not to hold back anything and be honest, okay?”

That felt right. Yes, a relationship was based on truth. And trust. And he needed to know.

“It’s just… I don’t know what to expect since I—I, uh, I’ve never gone out with anyone before,” she said in a speedy rush as if it would attract less attraction that way.

He stopped short. Turned those glittering gray eyes towards her. Searched her face. Then he understood just what she was trying to tell him. Not anyone
like him
. She meant not with
any
guy
at all
. That meant…
she’d never had a boyfriend
before
.

“Not even in school? College?” When she shook her head, he went on, “What about at your previous work place?”

“Too much of a hassle.”

Cian should have known. Of course in her book, having a relationship with someone translated into too much trouble. Wait a minute… that meant that their kiss earlier had been her
first kiss
? So that meant… He looked at her, stunned. “You’ve never—”

“No,” she interjected briskly, understanding what he was getting at. “Geez, what’s the BFD?”

God, this was so embarrassing. In high school and college, then later in her previous job, no guy had really paid much attention to her and that had been just fine with Skye. Her life so far had been all about making sure she had enough money to survive.

She made as if to walk away but he tugged at her hand and pulled her in his arms. Her breath hitched at his reaction. It felt strange and wonderful at the same time. He was so much taller than her, his body dwarfed hers.

Her heart sped up as he hugged her tightly. She felt a warmth steal over her whole being. So this was how it felt to be embraced by a boyfriend. Skye had never been comfortable with being touched. Tyler, Crystal and Kiera were the only ones who didn’t let that stop them from hugging her.

“It
is
a big deal.” His voice was husky, tugging at her heartstrings. He rubbed his chin against her hair. “Thank you for letting me be the first.”
And he would damn well make
sure he was the last.

Oh, god, his words were so embarrassing! “Cian, let go,” she hissed. “People are staring.” If she wasn’t comfortable being touched, she definitely wasn’t comfortable being touched
in public
.

“Let them.” Cian understood now why she always got embarrassed at his teasing innuendos. He also realized he would need to take it slow with her.

“Cian, let me go,” she reiterated.

“I like staying like this.”

“
Cian!
”

“Fine. But we better talk about stuff.” He finally pulled away but retained hold of her hand.

“What stuff?” she muttered as they resumed walking.

“Some ground rules of dating.”

“There are
rules
to dating?”

Cian gave her a pitying look. “Such a novice. I have my work cut out for me.” He laughed when she tried to hit him with her free hand. “No need to get violent. What about the tons of romance books you’ve read?” he wondered curiously.

She was a total novel addict, her preference being romantic comedies and paranormal romances, which was just another snippet of information he’d dug on her. Cian’d obtained that delightful tidbit of info the usual way he found out things about her—
by
snooping, of course
, he thought with a wry grin.

Skye understood immediately what he was trying to say. She shrugged. “Reading is different, you know. It’s not the same thing as experiencing it.” She blushed, glad he was looking ahead and not at her face. “Stories in books and movies are more like dreams and fantasies. Real life’s a different thing altogether.” She shrugged, uncomfortable. “I know not every relationship is the same. Um, I have an idea about relationships between couples but that’s all like theories.”

So, she was absolutely clueless.
Hmmm, how could he use that?
Cian thought. He wasn’t above fighting dirty. “Okay. First, we have concluded we like each other.”

“I think I’m having second thoughts about that. Besides, I never said that,” Skye denied.

“Too late, that ship’s sailed,” he told her cheerfully. “Secondly, we go out on dates—movies, dinners, places we want to go, and not just accepting what the other person wants, accompany each other on family things, parties etcetera. We have fun.”

“Family things?”

“Yep. Why?”

Family
. Skye’s heart gave a twist. What did someone like her know about family? “I don’t do family things well.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he said casually. Inwardly, Cian’s heart turned over in his chest at her solemn tone. He decided then and there she was going to meet his family. She would fit right in with them, he just knew it. Not to mention his mom would be relieved that he was finally serious about someone.

“Okay. What else?”

Cian could just picture Nick rolling on the floor laughing his ass off over him teaching Skye about dating. “It’s important to be honest.”

“Check. I don’t think I’ll have any trouble being honest.”

“I have no doubt about that,” he noted wryly. She had never had a problem telling him what she really thought of him.

“What’s next?” Skye looked at him questioningly as they continued walking hand in hand. This dating thing was mindboggling.

“You should have some rules for me, I guess.”

She looked a bit disconcerted at that. “I should?”

He only smiled. She was so adorable. And she’d probably punch him if he said that out loud.

“I guess I should, then.” Skye thought about what the most important thing in a relationship was to her. “No fooling around behind each other’s back. We stay faithful to each other and if either of us decides to get out of the relationship, we tell the other up front.”

Cian stopped and turned to her, trying not to be insulted that she’d made that requirement a rule. He told himself he deserved it since she’d only ever seen him play the field and not really be serious about anyone. Still, it rankled.

“Do you think I’d do that to you? Cheat on you?” He waited for her answer, his heart in his throat. If she couldn’t trust him…

Skye angled her head, watching him intently. Did she trust him? She knew she wasn’t much to look at and Cian could probably have any woman he wanted in a heartbeat. She didn’t understand why he wanted to go out with
her
. The being-in-love act in front of Alastor and Vanessa was probably to blame for that. But she also knew that when he made a commitment, he didn’t break out of it. “No, I don’t think you’d do that. But if you did, no one would
ever
find your body.”

He laughed, relieved and delighted with her. “I would expect nothing less, darling.”

Darling?
Uh, uh, no way was he calling her
darling
.
She scowled at him. “No pet names for each other.”

Cian grinned. There was no way he was letting her win that one. Unless he gained something else in its place, of course.

“Aw, c’mon, wouldn’t you love it for me to call you
honeypie
? Think of it—it sounds so lovey-dovey.”

Skye couldn’t have heard him right. Had he just said
lovey-dovey
? Horrified, she stopped in her tracks. “No way in hell!”

“
All
couples have pet names for each other,” he told her with a straight face, wondering how long he could get away with swindling her before she caught on to him.

Uh, uh. Skye knew Tyler and his girlfriend called each other sugary names. But she couldn’t picture herself doing the same. She looked at him uncertainly. Then her eyes filled with determination and her chin jutted out stubbornly. “
This
couple won’t.”

Cian hid his smile. He’d just gained something worth more than he’d expected. She’d called them a couple. “Okay.”

Skye glanced at him suspiciously. He had agreed a bit too easily. Cian just smiled widely back at her. They had almost reached the office now. She had something she had to ask him. She wondered if she should just let it go though. But he should know her answer as well.

“You didn’t ask me if I’d ever cheat on you.”

“Because you never would,” he replied just as quietly, a note of conviction ringing in his voice.

Skye’s breath caught in her throat. “You don’t know that.”

“I
do
know. You have integrity, you always will.” He squeezed her hand. “Do you have other questions?”

She swallowed. For some reason, she was having trouble getting words out. Finally, she stammered, “N—no.”

Skye felt him give her a sideways glance but she didn’t look at him. All she could think was
he trusted her.
Why did it affect her so much? She’d never cared what he thought of her before. All that had mattered to her was getting him to leave her alone.