Page 229 of Jaded Soul (Kovalyov Bratva 3)

And when it does, the O’Sullivans will be caught right in the middle of it.

There’s no place for me in his world. And I’m pretty sure he won’t want a place in mine.

Not that I blame him for that.

My world is a horrible place to live.

“I’m fine,” I demur. “I’m okay.”

“You know, it’s okay to admit that you need help sometimes, Saoirse.”

I frown. “I’m not cold.”

“Then why are you shivering?” he asks. That fucking smile… His expression changes as he regards me with exaggerated understanding. “Ohhh. Oh, I get it.”

I wrinkle my nose in confusion. “Get what?”

“You’re shivering because of me,” he explains with an all-knowing nod. “I’m making you weak in the knees. Primal reaction, really. Totally understandable. Seeing a man like me building a fire in the wilderness… You never had a chance of resisting.”

I stare at him for a second before the laughter bubbles to my lips.

The heaviness in my chest opens up and for a moment, I feel better than I have in years. I can’t remember the last time I laughed. About anything.

“Shut up, idiot,” I snap, but he knows I’m smiling too hard to be serious.

He’s still keeping his face carefully solemn. “What can I say? I have this effect on women. It’s a curse, really.”

“Stop,” I say, pushing him gently with my hand.

My hand falls against hard muscle and I almost succumb to an honest-to-goodness swoon right there in front of him. He’s a lot bigger than he used to be.

I glance up and realize that he’s caught me staring directly at his biceps.

“Yeah, I know,” he says knowingly, wagging his eyebrows at me. “And I barely workout.”

“I don’t believe that for a second. You probably live at the gym.”

“Flattered you think so,” he replies. “But not true. I actually built up all this muscle working the land.”

“Excuse me?”

His grins gets wider, but I can sense a certain sentimentality streak past his eyes.

“Long story. True story, but a long one.”

I look around. “It’s just you and me and the squirrels tonight,” I point out. “And I could use a story. I need a distraction from the cold.”

“I fucking knew it.”

I smile as he shrugs out of his jacket and forces it onto my shoulders.

“But now you’ll be cold.”

“Well,” Cillian says slyly, moving a little closer to me, “guess you’ll have to keep me warm then.”

I can’t read him.

I don’t know if he’s being deliberately flirty to try and feel me out, or if he just doesn’t give a shit either way, and he’s simply having fun.