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“Why did it need to be so different from New York?”
I look up into his deep brown eyes. “I didn’t want to be reminded of you and your brothers. Or the time I spent here.”
“Damn, Jessie.” He winces.
“Not because I didn’t miss you, Liam. Because it hurt too much to think about you all.”
“Why did you run so far, baby?” he reaches for me and brushes my hair from my face. “Conor almost lost his mind trying to find you.”
“I thought you didn’t want me here,” I whisper.
“Jessie,” he sighs as he takes my hands, pulling me from my stool until I’m standing between his strong thighs. “You’re one of us. That means from now on, you don’t get to run away when things get hard. Okay?”
“Okay,” I nod.
“Good,” he says as his hands slide over my hips and onto my ass. “Because this place wasn’t the same without you. None of us are the same without you.”
I press my face against his bare chest, inhaling his clean fresh scent. “I’m not the same without you either,” I whisper.
Chapter
Forty-Two
JESSIE
Walking into the kitchen later that afternoon, I almost want to turn around and walk back out when I see Shane standing there leaning against the breakfast bar with his back to me. But, I suppose I can’t avoid him forever and something needs to happen to break this tension between us.
“Afternoon,” I say as I walk to the counter and pour myself a coffee.
“Afternoon,” he says gruffly as he eyes me over the rim of his coffee mug.
The air crackles with tension and energy and I take a deep breath. “So, how are you?” I ask and then I groan inwardly for asking such a ridiculous question.
He clearly doesn’t appreciate it. “Really? Two fucking months and that’s what we’re talking about?” he frowns.
I roll my eyes, more at my own stupidity, but there is no need for his moodiness. “Okay. Something more meaningful then? So, you and Erin are back together, I see?” I ask with a flash of my eyebrows as the pang of jealousy gnaws at my center.
“Why did you come back here, Jessie?” he snaps, ignoring my question.
Jessie? I think I prefer him calling me Hacker. That was always our thing.
“Conor asked me to.”
He shakes his head. “That’s not a reason.”
I stare at him, but I don’t answer.
“So, why did you come back here?” he frowns.
“I just told you.”
“That’s what made you come back, not why.”
“I don’t understand what you want from me, Shane.”
“How about the truth?” he snarls. “I appreciate it’s not always your first instinct, but you should try it some time.”
I slam my mug onto the counter and walk over to him. “I came back here because Conor asked me to. Because I missed him, and your brothers.”
