Kian (Undercover Billionaire, #1)(45)

“My brother and the sheriff will be here soon,” he told her.

“What? Why?” she asked.

Lily had fallen asleep in the last few minutes, and Roxie truly felt comforted by having her in her arms.

“Someone could be here,” he told her.

“It also could have been nothing but a bad dream,” she insisted.

“I want you to move in with me.” His voice was firm, as if that was going to get her to do what he was so foolishly commanding.

“We’re fine. I shouldn’t have called you,” she told him.

Though she was reluctant to let Lily out of her arms, she had to use the bathroom, and she could really use a drink. Being careful not to stir her too much, Roxie laid Lily down in her bed, tucked her in tight, then stood over her for a few moments to make sure she wasn’t going to wake up. Once she was sure, she moved to the bathroom and shut the door without bothering to tell Kian.

By the time she came back out, his brothers Declan and Owen were in her living room along with the sheriff. The four men were standing close, whispering. She approached cautiously.

“I’m sorry to have spooked you all. I’m sure it was nothing more than a dream,” Roxie said.

“There are footprints outside Lily’s window,” Declan said. A new shiver of fear ran down her spine.

“That could have been Kian when he did a perimeter sweep,” Roxie said hopefully.

“I don’t think so,” Declan said. The way he spoke was all business and was spooking her even more than she needed to be.

“It’s okay, Roxie. We’re going to keep you both safe,” Owen assured her, the first of them to approach and pull her in for a hug she hadn’t even realized she needed. She wrapped her arms tightly around him and took comfort from someone who had always been a great friend.

“She’d be safe if she just came to my place,” Kian told her, his eyes narrowing as Owen’s hand rested low on her back. She rolled her eyes at him as she let go of Owen and took a step back so Kian wouldn’t think he could grab her next.

“I’ll just add an extra lock or two,” Roxie said, satisfied with her solution.

Kian stared at her for several moments, not wanting to back down. She looked right back at him, letting him know without words she wasn’t a damsel in distress who needed rescuing.

He lifted his phone, punched in a number, and waited. Roxie could hear the irritated voice from six feet away as it snapped out a greeting to him. Kian didn’t even blink as he interrupted the man.

“How soon can you get a security system installed?” he said. The command in his tone would make most people jump to do his bidding.

“Not good enough,” Kian said. He waited a moment longer. “I’ll triple it if you get someone here by morning.” Again, there was a pause, and the person was no longer yelling. “Done.” Kian hung up the phone.

“What did you do?” she asked.

“I’m not leaving tonight. A system will be put in tomorrow,” Kian said.

Exhaustion was quickly pulling Roxie under, and she had no desire to keep fighting with him, especially in front of his brothers and the town sheriff, who appeared to be amused. Yeah, Kian was just a barrel of laughs.

“Blankets are in the closet. Good night,” she told him without a smile. She did give the others a thank-you and a smile before turning around and going into her bedroom, firmly shutting the door behind her.

Even with the excitement in the middle of the night, Roxie didn’t have any trouble drifting off to sleep again. She wouldn’t admit, even under torture, that maybe, just maybe, it was because Kian was out there ensuring her safety.





Chapter Eighteen

After putting in a security system for Roxie, Kian was able to leave town for two days for an emergency in California. But he was back now, and he’d insisted on seeing Lily. He was trying to give Roxie some space and respect, and trying to be patient, but that certainly wasn’t a virtue for him.

Kian wouldn’t say life had been easy for him, but he’d been born with natural talent and the drive to succeed. It always seemed odd to him when others had to work so hard to make it in life. Didn’t everyone want to have all they could? Apparently not. Some just wanted to skate by. Kian wasn’t one of those people.

Now he found himself more nervous than he’d been the first time he’d held a scalpel in one hand and the life of a patient in the other. He paced around the children’s park as he waited for Roxie to show up with Lily. He wanted to tell the child she was his; he wanted the world to know he was a father. But at least he was getting to visit with her. That was a step in the right direction.

He never should have had sex with Roxie again—twice. That had opened up a whole chain of emotions he hadn’t been ready to open, and now he was even more reluctant to do what needed to be done in order for his daughter to be raised how she deserved to be. She was his daughter, and every single day she wasn’t in his home was another day he lost.

But his feelings were clouded and getting more and more mixed up in Roxie. He couldn’t stop thinking about the woman. He should be focused solely on Lily, but now he couldn’t imagine Lily without Roxie. He wanted them both.

He watched as small children climbed up ladders and slid down slides, laughing and chasing one another. Never had Kian imagined himself smiling as he sat at a park and enjoyed the warm laughter of children. His life had changed in the blink of an eye, and he wasn’t sure what to think about that.