Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 104802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Both Dean and Tiernan look over at Cillian.
I stand. “Don’t defer to him like I can’t make choices for myself.”
Dean smiles, and Tiernan gives me a slight chuckle before speaking. “Sit the fuck down, Ollie. You’re not going anywhere.”
“Was our brave little bunny about to fight Tiernan for Cil?” Rory walks into the room. “Dean said when they first met, he was ready to go after him when Dean came home with hickeys all over. He wanted to make sure Dean was safe.”
“I like him!” Aislin chimes in while I’m trying not to melt into the floor. I fully get that there’s not much I can do to protect anyone, so hearing them talk like this just makes me feel foolish.
“Come on, let’s take your shit up to my room,” Cillian says.
His room. I’ll be staying in his room. Of course, I knew that. I’ve been sleeping with him at my place too, but I swear, it feels like everyone is looking at me, and for the second time in a minute, I feel like they’re laughing at me.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Cillian
I grab one of Ollie’s bags, leaving the second one for him because I know he’ll get upset if I take both, then make my way upstairs. He’s right behind me, not saying a word, but then, he doesn’t really have to. Not with the scowl on his face.
My head is too fucked up today to deal with any more complicated feelings, but unfortunately, that seems to be all I have anymore. I’m still pissed about my dad. Tiernan took me out shooting to try and help me get my head on straight, but it didn’t work.
I was nervous about being around Ollie when I feel this way. He seems to be able to pull stuff out of me that I’m usually pretty good at keeping locked up.
That had been my plan—to keep my distance and get out of my head—but then Ollie went and said what he did to Tiernan. The way he’d been willing to risk himself for me, the way he’d stood up to Tiernan for me…that took fucking balls. Especially when you’re dealing with someone like Tiernan and coming from someone like Ollie. Someone who is kind and doesn’t ever want to see someone get hurt.
And I know he hadn’t done that because he feels something special about me—Ollie would have done that with anyone—but it feels that way, feels like he said it because I mean something to him, and…fuck, I want that. I want to mean something to him. How is that possible in such a short amount of time?
I unlock my bedroom door, step aside and let him in, turning on the light, though the room is bright from the three windows along the wall facing the back of the property.
“God, I feel so stupid.” He drops his bag, walks over to my bed, and plops down.
“What? Why do you feel stupid?” Did I miss something?
Ollie shoves to his feet. “They were laughing at me. The way I defended you as if they give a shit if I’m here or not, then Rory saying I was going to fight Tiernan for you. I get that I’m not the same as the rest of you, that I’m like this big joke who gets the shit kicked out of me and can’t defend myself, but—”
“No one thinks that about you.”
Ollie rolls his eyes, and though it’s not the time for it, I can’t hold back my smile. Why does just being around him make everything feel better?
I walk over to him, take his face in my hands. “It takes a lot of fucking guts to stand strong in who you are and what you believe. Most people can’t do that the way you do. No one was laughing at you. No one thinks you’re weak. They’re fucking impressed. You stood up for me the way they would. Do you think any of them would let me go down for their mistakes? Fuck no. And you wouldn’t either. That was…” More than I ever thought I would have from anyone other than Rory, Tiernan, Aislin, and Dean.
“Was what?” he asks, suddenly sounding breathless. Is it me, or are we even closer? Is his head tilted up toward mine?
“Everything,” I say, the first word that comes to mind, somehow managing to keep the second one in my thoughts. Mine, mine, mine.
Before anything else slips free, I slam my mouth down on Ollie’s. It’s not until he opens his mouth for me and I lick my way inside that I remember this is our first kiss. This is the first time I’m tasting him, and it goes straight to my head, making me feel drunk off him.
Ollie moans into my mouth, his arms encircling my shoulders. He kisses me the way he sucked my dick, like he’s dying for it, like he’s spent a hundred years in the desert, and I’m his first drink. Like he’s craving me, wants to devour me, like his whole fucking world is wrapped up in me, and despite knowing that’s not true, it’s the sexiest lie I’ve ever known.