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Callum Junior is the ruler, and Paddy is his right hand. And Saoirse … well, she is the princess. The baby of the family, the only girl.
Her job is to stay the fuck away from this shit. I’ll be sure she does, even if I have to drag her back to Seattle myself. If she can’t stay in Boston without getting herself hemmed up with the Southie shit, I’ll kidnap her and shove her back onto a plane myself. Strap her down to the seat too, if that’s what’s needed.
I shake my head, hating the way thoughts of her tied up are turning into desire and need for more. I stifle a groan. God, why does everything have to go there in that way with her?
From the corner of my eye, I catch her chewing on the inside of her cheek while she plays with that pretty gold necklace. The ‘S’ pendant twists between her fingers. My chest inflates with satisfaction. She hasn’t taken it off.
Sure, I already knew that since I’d given it to her after placing a tracking chip inside of it, but seeing it on her, watching her fidget with it in my presence, stirs something inside of me. It awakens that carnal beast I tuck away, the possessiveness I have no right to lay claim over her. It may just be a piece of jewelry to her and to everyone around us, but to me, it’s my mark. It’s the thing that makes her mine.
“Whose funeral?” she asks, not wanting to let up on the topic.
“Someone from my unit,” I say, making eye contact with her again. I clear my throat. “His name was Louis.” I stuff my hands into the pockets of my trousers to keep from reaching out and touching her soft face.
“I’m sorry, Jaime,” she whispers, using the nickname for my given name. She’s the only one who flips between the names, the only one who acknowledges I even have a first name, and it’s just the way I like it. It’s something special. It’shermark on me.
She owns a piece of my soul just as much as I own a piece of hers.
I nod a silent thanks, then turn back to Callum and Sean. “I’m ready to be back. Let me know where I can help.”
Callum nods, tucking his fiance into his side. Haley reaches up and strokes his auburn-colored beard, then turns and smiles at me. “Good to have you back, Scotty.”
I dip my chin, giving her a smirk. “It’s good to be back.”
The pit in my stomach is a clear indication that it’s a lie. I can already feel myself gravitating to her, needing her, wanting her. It’s been easy the last fifteen months because she’s been in Seattle, or I’ve been in Virginia.
Now that we’re both home, the true test begins. How long will it be before I break? No. It can never happen. This is the way it has to be. I’ll have to make sure Sean keeps me busy and away from her.
Chapter Two
MystomachgrumblesasI stir the pot of tomato soup while Haley sits on the counter beside me, reading a scene of the latest monster smut we’ve been going through together. She huffs, shaking her head. Brunette hair falls over her shoulders. “I can’t get into this one.”
“Why?” I ask, turning the burner on the stove off.
“It’s too slow burn. When are they going to just fuck?”
“Slow burn is the best, though, isn’t it? The tension, then the passion, and then the good stuff is the reward.” I reach for my wine glass, taking a sip while I slide the grilled cheeses onto plates.
The slow burns are the first stories I ever got into. The pining, forbidden romance that rips your soul apart, makes you scream with excitement when the main characters finally give into the boiling tension. Sure, the fast burns are great. There’s a type of love and chemistry that works in those books.
“You want a fast burn?” I ask. “Check outTheir Monstrous Naturesby Honor St. Jean.”
She pulls out her phone, typing away fast. “Spooky cover. I dig it.”
I brush away a strand of hair, heading back to the soup, my mind in the past. The first books Scotty ever gave me had been filled with tension. I still remember it as if it weren’t six years ago, when he stormed into the apartment I had off campus. I had spent the night before getting wasted with Lyla Carlson, and crying over my broken heart.
Freddy Hutchins had used me just like all the other boys before him. He got what he wanted from me, then disposed of me. Scotty had grown tired of seeing me mope over stupid boys, and had taught me to stop handing out paper hearts only for them to be torn and crumbled with disregard.
He came in, a brown bag from the local bookstore in hand, and tossed it onto the kitchen table while I ate breakfast. I can still hear the familiar clicking of his dress shoes on the tile as he approached. He scowled, his jaw tight and the muscle flexing as he folded his arms over his chest.
“What’s this?” I had asked, glancing up at him.
“I brought you a gift, and I swear to God if you tell anyone, I’ll murder you. Consequences be damned,” Scotty grumbled.
I remember the way my chest squeezed with excitement. Presents have always been my love language, both giving and receiving. I had torn the bag open, revealing a pile of books.
“Stop letting these boys who don’t deserve you affect you. You don’t need them, Saoirse. You don’t deserve being treated like shit, then left when they’ve got what they want.” He pressed his hand against the table, invading me with his spicy scent. He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “When a man takes you to bed, he should worship you. Don’t settle for less.”
“How are things going with you and Corbin?” Haley asks, pulling me from the memory.
