“It has an infinity pool.”
“You’re not listening to me.”
“You can get over your petty squabble. It was a minor indiscretion, and I’m sure he’s sorry.”
Not fucking likely. “Could you ever just take my side?”
“It’s business, and he’s good for your brand.”
“Well, as long as it looks good on paper, who cares if I’m happy, right?”
“What does that have to do with anything? This is what I’m talking about. This place,” she waves around with a sneer on her mouth, “has changed you. You never used to be so combative.”
“Now, I don’t believe that for a second. The Jade I know is always primed for a fight.” Tieran’s voice instantly soothes me, and when I look over, it’s to see his towering form dwarfing the open doorway of my flat as he leans against the trim, hair damp from his post practice shower. In his hands are flowers and a bottle of my favorite wine, and the sight makes my throat tighten, my eyes filling with the threat of tears.
God, I missed him.
“Hi,” I squeak out.
The corner of his mouth curls up as he holds my stare, and the warmth in his gaze feels like a blanket wrapping around me, comforting me. “Hey, Hellfire.”
Tieran strides into the flat with the confidence of a king in his castle, not stopping until he’s slinging his strong arm around my waist and pulling me in to place a soft kiss against my temple. My eyes close as I lean into the touch, taking solace in his steady presence.
“I’m Tieran. It’s lovely to meet you.” He extends a hand out in greeting.
“Maxine,” she replies, eyeing up all his tattoos before hesitantly reaching out and giving him a half-assed handshake.
I’d love nothing more than to get him away from my mom so she can’t find a way to dig her claws into him, but I also don’t want to tip off that he’s someone she could leverage to her advantage. She doesn’t need to know he’s one of my players or that he’s successful in his own right. If she found that out, the wheels in her head would start to turn, and they wouldn’t stop until he ran away.
“What is it that you do, Tieran?”
I interrupt before he can respond. “He works in finance.”
Tieran lifts a brow but doesn’t try to correct me, instead leaning into the fake job he gave me the night we met. “I love a good spreadsheet.”
I think I love him a little bit in this moment—maybe a lot, if I'm being honest. It should scare me, the force of those feelings, but instead, I feel a peace settle into my bones, and strength like armor clicks into place as the warmth from his body curls around me. Nothing my mother says or does can touch me when he’s by my side.
Mom’s gaze bounces between us, jaw clenched, and I can see her mind turning, trying to find a way to manipulate the situation to fit her needs.
“Did you need something? We were about to eat dinner.” I place my free hand on Tieran’s stomach and feel him flex beneath my touch.
Show off.
“I just wanted to see where my daughter lives. Is that a crime?”
My hackles rise, and I’m close to snapping. It wouldn’t be a crime if she was visiting because she cares about me, but the sad truth is, she doesn’t want to see where I live tobe supportive—she wants to snoop and find ways to manipulate me.
I didn’t realize until I was out from under her thumb that’s what she’s been doing since I was a teenager. The betrayal stings, and Tieran must notice the hurt, because his grip on me tightens, and his thumb lazily strokes my side in a soothing motion.
I’m here. I’ll always be here.It says.
“Well, I’ve had a long day crunching numbers, and Jade has been non-stop since five this morning. It’s mad how hard she works.” He nods his head in the direction of the dinner spread out on my coffee table.
It’s as much of aget the fuck outas I’ve ever heard, and my heart swells even further for him. Yeah, it’s definitely love I feel coursing through my bloodstream. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.
I risk a glance up at him to find him already looking down at me, a soft smile playing on his lips and mischief in his azure eyes when he winks.
I’m in deep, unending trouble where he’s concerned.
