Claimed by my husband's son

NADIA

My eyes squeezed shut as I waited for the pain, expecting it to come… instead, a sturdy hand wrapped around my waist, locking my body against a hard chest.

“Don't scream. It's me.”

The familiar voice tingled in my ears, the fight in my body ceasing almost instantly as my eyes went wide.

Killian?

As my body went lax against his, his palm over my mouth loosened and his hand around my waist fell away as he stepped back.

I turned to face him as he let go of me, my wide eyes meeting his steel-grey ones. “What are you doing here at this time of the night?” I yelled in a whisper.

He glanced at me for a second before raising one shoulder and turning to place the knife back in its original position.

I couldn't believe he was standing in front of me. The last time I'd seen him was a year ago before he suddenly stopped popping in like the devil he was.

My gaze roamed his body, taking in his appearance. His hair was shorter now. He looked well put together despite his bicep straining against his dress shirt.

But those eyes still burned with mischief and trouble like they always did a year ago.

“Does your father know you're here?” I asked again when he didn't respond.

“Yeah… actually, no.” He met my gaze, a small smile spreading over his face. One that died away quickly as his gaze dipped to my body for a split second.

He cleared his throat and I regarded him with a look.

“I was supposed to be here earlier in the morning, but my flight got delayed. Then I stopped by to see a friend. Before I knew it, time had gone and here I am.”

My lips pursed and my brows furrowed. “You couldn't wait till morning like a normal person?”

“If you're going to interrogate me, don't do it while wearing that.”

My gaze dropped and I froze.

Oh my God! I forgot my shawl! And here I was standing in front of him with everything on display!

My jaw dropped. I was mortified.

“I left my jacket in the living room—”

Without waiting for him to finish, I darted out of the kitchen and zeroed in on his suit jacket propped against the head of the sofa.

I grabbed it, shoved my little hands in it, and wrapped it around my body.

I was immediately hit with the scent of his cologne.

Woody… peppermint…

I should go back to the bedroom and pretend none of this happened…

Fuck! How could I—

“Don't beat yourself up. I didn't look long enough to commit anything to memory,” Killian said from the kitchen, and somehow that didn't make me relax at all.

I inhaled deeply, his scent going straight to my brain. I turned around and walked back into the kitchen. When I got there, the broken case had been cleared up and Killian’s head was buried in the fridge.

“Uhm… sorry about that. I wasn't… I didn't—”

“It's okay. Now, why isn't there anything to eat here?” he asked.

“Uhm, there's a Tupperware in the last row. I made lasagna for your dad this morning and…” I trailed off, watching as he shut the fridge gently and shoved the Tupperware into the microwave.

“If I'd known you were coming, I’d have prepared something ahead.”

“My father didn't tell you?” He arched a slanted eyebrow and I shook my head. “Why? Trouble in paradise?”

I swallowed, looking away. “No. Everything is good. He probably forgot.”

“Hmm. Forgot? You're not fooling anyone, Nadia, at least not me.”

I ignored him, forced my gaze on the microwave as he moved around the kitchen.

“Nadia, I'm curious about something.”

“What's that?”

“Have you ever thought about hooking up with someone else?”

I croaked.

He looked at me, giving me his undivided attention. “Like someone younger?” His eyes burned. That intense gaze roamed my body and it was almost as if I wasn't wearing his jacket… like he could see everything underneath.

My cheeks were on fire. I darted my gaze, my mouth opening and closing a million times without a single sound coming from it.

A chuckle echoed in the air and I spared him a glance to find him leaning against the cabinet with his arms folded.

“God, you're still the same. So easily flustered with those red chubby cheeks giving you away each time.”

My hands fisted and I glared at him, my teeth grinding against each other.

Yep! He certainly hasn't changed a single bit!

I huffed. “Seems like you have everything under control here. I'm going to bed.”

“Bed? Really? Won't you at least keep me company? I am your guest after all!”

I rolled my eyes. “It's not like I knew you were coming. Besides, guests do not scurry around the kitchen like rats.”

“I was starving. Can you blame me?” He held out his palms. The microwave dinged and he took out the Tupperware, scooped a healthy portion of the lasagna, grabbed a loaf of garlic bread and placed it on the kitchen island, reached for the glass cups and tilted his head.

“Will you join me?”

“No, I’m still full from dinner.”

“Okay, but keep me company. I can't eat alone.” He grabbed a stool and sat down with the bottle of wine and glass cup placed next to his plate.

“So, how have you been?” he asked as I settled on a stool across from him.

“Same ol’, same ol’. You?”

“Good… I guess. Except my life has become boring without my usual flair of amusement.” He winked.

His eyes closed as he ate the lasagna. “Have I told you what a good cook you are?”

I grinned, unable to stop the blush spreading on my cheeks. “Yes. A million times.”

“This is way better than your mom’s lasagna. Speaking of moms, how are your parents? When was the last time you saw them?”

I shrugged. “They're okay. Although I barely see them except when Elias sends them gifts. It's like I don't exist to them anymore.”

He stayed silent, staring at me with a knowing look before saying, “You shouldn't bother with that. Life with parents is genuinely overrated, take it from me.”

I chuckled, staring at him as he went back to wolfing down his very late dinner.

“Killian,”

“Hm.”

“You still haven't told me why you came back. It's been what? A year now, and you suddenly return out of the blue.”

He paused, a piece of bread sticking out of his mouth.

“I don't think you expect me to believe that you came back for the lasagna.”

“It's a great lasagna.”

I sighed. “Killian”. Tell me. What happened?”

His eyes fell, hesitation written all over his face before he finally looked up.

“The company is about to declare bankruptcy… and I'm here to save it.”

My jaw dropped. Bankruptcy? “Elias multimillion-dollar company was declaring bankruptcy?

“That's impossible. How did that even happen?”

Killian patted the corner of his lips with a napkin. “Someone from the company is embezzling funds, and I'm taking a huge guess that he didn't tell you because he's the one siphoning funds from his company.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. Why would he do that?”

Killian paused, his gaze holding mine, and there it was again. That burning intensity that made my skin sing.

“You know why, Nadia. You know why.”