Page 44 of Possessing Paisley
“Why are you laughing? It’s not funny, Chloe. I’m freaking out here. A week ago, I hated the guy, and now, I’m in love with him. That’s not normal. There’s something wrong with me. Right? Maybe I hit my head. Maybe when he was fucking me, it rattled my brain and now I’m confused about how I feel.”
She snorts. “First of all, ew. Can we take talking about sex with my brother off the table? I can’t think about that. Second, fucking breathe, Paisley.”
I take a quick glance over my shoulder as I suck in a breath. “Do you think there are wild animals in the city, Chloe?”
“What? Paisley, what the hell? Have you been kidnapped? Are you talking in code? I don’t understand what’s happening.”
Shaking my head, I keep moving. “Nothing. I just thought I heard something behind me. I’m on the walking path by work. That’s not why I called, though.”
“I know. You called because you’re in love with Kieran and you’re panicking, and I’m going to talk you down from it,” Chloe says confidently.
A smile spreads on my lips. I knew talking to Chloe would help calm me. “How did this happen?” I ask quietly.
“Well, let’s see. You and I went to a club to shake our asses. Bash and Kieran showed up. Then they went all overprotective and bossy on us, and you told Kieran to shove it. I’m pretty sure that’s when he first fell in love with you. I think you first fell for him when he fussed over you about freezing to death because you didn’t have any pants on.”
Calm settles over me as I remember that night. I was so pissed at Kieran. He was lecturing me and acted like a total jerk. I acted appalled, but later that night, after they dropped me off at home, I used my vibrator while thinking about him.
“He was a real ass,” I murmur. “He’s an ass a lot, actually.”
“But…”
I sigh and slow down. “But he’s also pretty amazing too. I’m scared, Chloe. What if?—”
“You can what-if it to death, Pais. You’re worrying about something that may or may not happen. The real question is, do you want to live your life wondering about what could’ve been, or do you want to pull up your big girl panties and see how wonderfully it could turn out?”
“I don’t have big girl panties,” I answer.
She snorts again. “Me either, but you know what I mean.”
“I don’t want to wonder what could’ve been.”
“Then take a chance and give it your all. My brother cares about you. I’m pretty sure he’s madly in love with you, and Kieran isn’t the type to do anything lightly.”
I turn and look behind me again, goosebumps rising along my arms. “I’m going to head back to the office. I’ll be working late.”
“Okay. I love you, Pais.”
My heart squeezes. “I love you too.”
As soon as we end the call, I head in the direction I came from at a much faster pace. I startle at the sound of a branchbreaking. There’s definitely someone or something out here with me, and I still can’t see the start of the path.
“I have a gun,” I call out. “I’ll shoot you.”
Not that an animal would understand what I’m saying.
I scream as a tall, broad figure steps out from the brush, my hand flying up to my pounding chest. “Oh my God! Patrick! What the fuck are you doing here? You scared the daylights out of me.”
Patrick holds up his hands, his expression concerned. “I’m sorry, lass. I didn’t mean to scare you. Please don’t shoot me, though. I’ve had enough bullets in my body lately.”
“Shoot you? Oh, I don’t have a gun; I was just trying to scare away what I thought was a predator or something,” I ramble. “What the hell are you doing here?”
He smiles sheepishly. “I’m part of your security detail, lass.”
Okay, now I really do think I’m losing it. “I don’t have a security detail. I don’t need a bodyguard.”
“Uh, well,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. “Declan, Bash, and Kieran feel differently. They knew you wouldn’t be happy about it, so they asked me to keep my distance. Going on these walks out here is dangerous, though; I couldn’t let you wander alone.”
Warmth spreads through me. I should be angry those overbearing, controlling, stubborn men went behind my back and did something, even though they knew I wouldn’t like it. I should call them and curse them all out. Maybe not Declan, though. He’s kinda scary, plus he’s the boss, so I should probably stay on his good side. The other two, I should give them a piece of my mind.