I wonder if I’ll ever be done trying to claim my place.
Will I ever lose that deep ache in my gut that whittles away at my insides?
Self-loathing
Utter worthlessness.
That my dad was right about us all being wastes of space. That Finn and the others will never fully trust me, and at some point, they’ll see me as a pawn and sever ties.
And then where would I be? They’re all I have.
No. That’s not true.
I don’t have anyone. Not really.
And that’s how I like it.
Orlikedit—past tense—until this chestnut-haired beauty came along to challenge me body and soul. I can’t catch my breath when I’m in her presence.
My mind travels down all these impossible paths.
Love. Happiness. Real fairy-tale bullshit.
Maeve rolls toward me and releases a tiny sigh. I blow the softest of breaths across her eyes, hoping the breeze on those lashes will tickle her awake.
Success.
As her lashes flutter open, she scoots closer and grazes her lips over my shoulder. “G’morning.”
I can’t help but smile. “Hi, beautiful.”
“Have you been watching me sleep?”
“Maybe.”
Her nose wrinkles. “Perv.”
I swallow her grin with my lips and slide my hands down her side.
She flails and attempts to pull away. “No fair! Someone brushed their teeth!”
“I cheated earlier before you woke up.” Not that it matters. I find her taste addictive. Her mouth, her neck, her stomach… She’s salty from sleep, and I love the tang on my tongue. As far as I’m concerned, her pussy’s a spoonful of fucking sugar.
Ignoring her, I close my lips around her tight nipple, enjoying her shudder when I scrape the tender flesh with my teeth. I switch and give the other side equal attention, until Maeve quivers beneath me.
Her fingers dig into my shoulders. “Kellin, please,” she whimpers. “I need you.”
I crawl up her body until we’re face-to-face. My mouth crashes into hers as my cock plunges inside her. She’s warm and wet and tight and feels like home.
The world falls away. It’s just the two of us floating in a void where history and family ties don’t matter. We’re not in a famous hotel on the Sunset Strip. I’m not lying to her, and she’s not lying to me.
We’re two people who, against all odds, found each other.
And I’m not sure I ever want to return to the real world.
Not sure I want to give up this moment with just us. Just Maeve.
And whatever this tangled mess of emotions in my chest is.
