Reading Online Novel

Saving a Legend(45)



“But you could have literally any woman in the world—look at yourself.” She motioned to his hardened body. “Why would you want to help a homeless woman with a child and a failing business with a bank loan she can’t pay back? You’re so damn perfect and can do so much better than me and my complete mess. “

“I am not perfect, not even a little bit. I’ve fucked up my life more than most people ever could, and now I’m trying to find my way back. We’re all just trying to find our way back, Fi. That’s what life is, trying to figure out what you messed up yesterday, then fixing it so you can get to tomorrow. I want my tomorrow to include you.” His hand moved from cupping her face to run his thumb gently over her lips. “I think I may want all my tomorrows to include you.”



“But why?” she pleaded, wanting to understand. She’d never felt this way before, so cherished and attended to. She felt protected and cared for in a way she hadn’t known was possible, a way she hadn’t even known to wish for.

“Because you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, inside and out, flower girl. Everything you do is for other people, and you love so deeply, it’s intoxicating. I see it when you’re looking at Shea. The moment my eyes fell on you, I knew you were special, and everything I’ve seen since that first day has only confirmed it. I can’t explain it more than that, Fi. There’s just something that draws me to you, and I don’t want to fight it.”

She looked at him intently, trying to detect a hint of sarcasm or insincerity, but she could find none. He meant what he was saying: he really did think she was beautiful. He really was drawn to her. This perfectly sweet and giving man truly wanted her; it was so pure and real that it shook her to her core.

“There’s still so much we don’t know about each other. What if there’s more to me that you won’t like?” she whispered, thinking of her past and wondering how anyone could find out about it and still want to be with her.



“There’s nothing you could’ve done that’s worse than some things I’ve done, I’m sure. And even so, it doesn’t matter to me, Fi. I don’t need to know your entire past to know your heart. The woman I’ve gotten to know so far is beautiful. She’s who I want, and nothing is going to change that,” he promised her while tucking a few stray tendrils of hair behind her ear.

As she stared into his deep blue eyes and considered the sincerity of his words, she made a decision. She was going to let herself feel this. For the first time in possibly forever, she trusted that this man before her was telling the truth. He wanted to care for her and help her. He wanted the best for her, and his motivations were true. Even more so, she wanted to let him.

She made up her mind right then and there: she wanted him, too.

“You’re kind of okay yourself,” she said, a faint smile spreading across her face as she leaned into him and swallowed the lump in her throat.

“Glad to hear it, flower girl.” Kieran’s arms hugged around her and his lips devoured hers. She was ready to give in to it all, to accept his affections with a full heart. At least she thought she was. This kiss, this man, it was everything she’d ever wished for. But one final doubt crept into her mind.

Would he still be here if he knew what I’ve done?





Chapter 11

“Is that all you need up here? Everything else I’ll store in the basement,” Kieran told Fiona, placing a small box on the bed.

“Yeah, that’s everything. Just our clothes and personal stuff—that’s about all we had anyway. The furniture in the apartment belongs to the landlord.” She frowned, looking at the three small boxes on the bed that held almost everything she owned. Luckily, the bedroom upstairs in the Kavanagh house was also fully furnished and decorated. It even had a Jack-and-Jill bathroom that connected her bedroom to Shea’s, letting her still be close to Shea in case her little sister needed her.

“Perfect. I’ll go grab the last one of Shea’s,” Kieran told her as he left.

After a quick check-in by phone with his parole officer, he’d spent the last few hours boxing up Fiona’s place with some of his brothers. He’d refused to let her go in, for fear of the building falling down or something ridiculous like that. The Kavanaghs were all big and muscled and probably each weighed twice as much as she did—and she’d told Kieran as much. If anyone, she should’ve been the one inside the unstable structure, but Kieran wasn’t having any of that.

Sighing, she sat on the bed and looked around the room. Just this morning, she’d woken up in her own bed in her own apartment. Sure, it hadn’t been much to look at, and she and Shea had barely fit in the small bed together, but it had been hers. Now she was staying at the house belonging to the parents of the man she was dating. Or was flirting with. Or had just met last week. She frowned as she realized she had no idea what to call her relationship with Kieran.