They still hadn’t kissed, but in his fantasies, they did much more than that.
Even as Tierney’s grip on English became better, even as she grew out of the childish frills and graduated to Golden Goose sneakers and cashmere cropped tops and designer leggings, he still had no doubt she was his.
Tierney was loyal to him. She loved him fiercely, possessively, her eyes glistening with the same lethal high he felt when they were together.
“I bring popcorn.” She elbowed him, grinning.
“Bring some Coke, too. Oh, fuck, and something sweet. Chocolate, maybe.”
Her smile was so big it almost split her face.
“Why are you so happy?” He laughed. It was addictive. Laughing. Smiling. Being casual.
“Because I understood every word you said.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.” She beamed.
“Well, let’s see if you understand this…” He licked his lips. “One day you’re going to be the mother of my children, Tierney.”
Her smile collapsed, and she scurried to the kitchen, but he thought he saw her blushing.
Maybe she wasn’t ready…? Of course she wasn’t. She wasn’t even sixteen, for fuck’s sake!
Nice going,stronzo.You’ll scare her off at this rate.
She returned with a bowl of popcorn with Reese’s mini peanut-butter cups and Hershey’s Kisses tossed in. They melted over the popcorn, making it stick into gooey clusters. He read the book to her out loud. Some jokes and words he had to explain. Most, she understood. She enjoyed the dry humor, like he thought she would. They blew through that series so fast, they barely slept that week.
When they finished the last book, he asked her who her favorite character in the series was.
“Ford Prefect,” she said without missing a beat. “He is cool, like to party, and know how to survive. I want to be like him.”
He couldn’t imagine Tierney Callaghan wanting to be anyone else. She was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. So unique, so brave, the mere thought of her brought him to his knees.
“You’re better,” he blurted.
She gave him a heavy-lashed, meaningful glare. The kind his brother Luca told him to watch out for when he wanted to kiss a girl.
Then he remembered he’d rather die than lose her.
And for the first time in his murderous, psychotic, fucked-up life, he got cold feet.
Chapter Fifteen
Achilles
Fucking Tierney was a mistake.
Breaking all my rules for her? A catastrophe.
Forgiving her? The worst thing I could do for both of us. Because the hate was the leash that kept us away from each other. That reminded us this was a bad, bad idea.
I was a wreck. A mess. A goddamn disaster in a suit.
Wait, no. I wasn’t even wearing a suit. What thefuckwas I wearing? A pair of black denim jeans and a designer shirt ripped at the armpits Tierney had bought me on one of her shopping sprees. The shirt was neon green. She said it made my eyes pop.
My eyes are dark brown.
