Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 100086 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100086 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Four days from now.
Oh my God. She forced a smile. Teague had always wanted kids, and to have them with a woman he was so obviously head over heels for was his dream coming true. She watched Carrigan push to her feet and hug their brother and then his wife, her thoughts a buzz of white noise.
She was happy. But there were other, uglier, emotions in there, twisting that happiness until it was downright unrecognizable.
She wanted what Teague had, and at the same time, she resented him for having left her behind to gain it. It was selfish and horrible and she hated herself a little bit for feeling that way, even if she couldn’t stop.
I’m not even going to be here to see this baby. I’m going to miss it. I’m going to miss everything.
She waited for something to rise in her, some sign that she should change her mind, but there was nothing but a growing determination to leave Boston and everything in it behind. I’m a monster.
She realized that most of her siblings had moved over to congratulate Teague and Callie, and forced herself to her feet. She had to fake it—for both of them. To do anything else would take away from his happiness today, and she wasn’t anywhere near monster enough to do that. Not yet. Because I’m leaving. They never have to know how conflicted I feel about this whole thing. How jealous.
So she hugged Teague and cooed over Callie and managed to keep a smile on her face through the whole thing. They were so busy with everyone else that they didn’t seem to notice she wasn’t totally on board.
Which was good, because she was counting down the minutes until she put Boston behind her, once and for all.
Chapter Twelve
The rest of dinner went off without a hitch. In fact, it was going too well if Olivia was going to be honest with herself. Cillian was a perfect gentleman, and their conversation had only had the slightest hiccups through the meal. As he paid and rose to get her chair, she wasn’t sure what the next step was. She hated being so unsure, but this was completely new territory across the board. Was this a date where he’d drop her off at work with a kiss? Or was he going to get back to what they’d started in the alley behind Jameson’s?
She knew which one she’d prefer.
Let’s give him some incentive.
She stepped to the side as they walked out onto the street, and grabbed his suit jacket, tugging him against her. Her back hit the wall behind her, the feeling making her shiver with memories from the other times he’d had her in this position. Cillian caught himself with his hands on either side of her, his body pressed against hers. “Hey there.”
“Hey.” She licked her lips, her gaze on his mouth, her stomach in her throat. It would be easy to make a joke and back off, and pretend this never happened. He’d let her. Hell, he was letting her take the reins right now. If she changed her mind, he wasn’t going to blink. Knowing that only made her hotter. So she took a flying leap of faith. “I don’t suppose you know somewhere we can go to be alone? I still have an hour before my shift.”
“You mean someplace better than me dragging you into that alley?” His tone was flippant, but his eyes belied the joking. He’d do it. They both knew he’d do it.
And she’d enjoy every last second of it.
Come on, Olivia. You’re better than back-alley sex. No matter how much you like it.
Shut up.
She ran her hands up his chest, taking her time and enjoying the way his muscles flexed beneath her fingers. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“It’s not.” Still looking at her, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a phone, and dialed. “Yeah, Liam? Send a car around. One with a divider.” He hung up.
“You’re just going to do me in the backseat of your car? We’re really moving up the class level, aren’t we?” She gave a nervous laugh. “I don’t even know how I feel about that.”
Cillian leaned in, his breath brushing her ear. “You know exactly how you feel about it. And no, I’m not fucking you in the backseat, sweetheart.”
Disappointment closed her throat. Of course he wasn’t. Because he was classier than that, and it was becoming increasingly obvious that she wasn’t. She’d been the one to haul him into that alley the first time, and if he’d been down for a repeat, she wouldn’t have said a word otherwise. No, she would have dropped her pants right there in her desperation to have him. Shame rose to tangle with her disappointment. God, I am so messed up.