“You good?”

I smiled dreamily. “Absolutely perfect.”

He rolled off me, disposed of the condom, and came back to gather me in his arms. “You’re not going anywhere tonight. My bed is your bed.”

I snuggled closer. That was exactly how I wanted it.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Willow

Warmth. Comfort. Support. That’s what I felt as I woke in Ronan’s embrace.

I wriggled until his hold loosened, then rolled over and took in the sight of his early morning face. His features were softer in sleep, but no less handsome. Tenderness welled within me, and I kissed his cheek. His eyelids fluttered open, and his eyes took a moment to focus on mine. They were completely unguarded.

I kissed him again, this time on the lips. “Good morning.”

His mouth curved into a heartbreaking smile. “Morning.”

His rough voice slid over me like velvet.

“It’s Monday,” I said sadly. “Much as I’d love to stay here, we have to go to work.”

His gaze turned flinty. “I don’t want you to leave the penthouse.”

My eyes narrowed. “Will you be staying?”

He hesitated.

“That’s what I thought.” He wanted to leave me here while he went into the office to, among other things, fix my problems. Well, that wasn’t going to happen. “I want to come with you. Won’t I be safer surrounded by trained security staff than here by myself?”

He considered the question, and I could see that he wanted to argue, but he couldn’t deny the logic of what I’d said. “If you come in, I’ll expect you to check in with me every hour so I know you’re safe, and to not leave the premises without an armed guard. Preferably Kade.”

I rolled my eyes. “Kade owns a third of the company. I doubt he has time to run around after me.”

“Ask him.” His expression dared me to do just that. “He’ll make time. Kade has a thing about women in danger.”

It seemed he wasn’t the only one.

“Okay,” I conceded. “If I want to leave the office, I’ll ask Kade to accompany me.” The point was moot anyway because I didn’t plan to leave. I wasn’t a fool. If I set foot outside, it could be poaching season with me as an endangered species. “Do we have a deal?”

His lips twitched. “You drive a hard bargain.” He thrust his hips against me until I could feel his erection. I whimpered, and his pupils dilated in response. “But yes, I agree. Just please keep my sanity in mind before you do anything risky.” He smoothed my hair back from my face. “If you were hurt, I’d lose it.”

“I won’t do anything stupid,” I promised, pressing a kiss to the center of his palm. I broke away and rolled out of bed. “Let’s go.”

An hour later, we arrived at the office. I noticed several people glance at us as we walked past, and one openly stared. Before we went our separate ways, Ronan kissed my forehead.