Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 102546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 513(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 513(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
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WE LIE IN his bed, having just finished round two. I straddle his hips, my fingers tracing the scar on his arm. It’s hard to see due to the ink, but once you find it, you can’t miss it. “I saw the picture of you in the hospital with your arm in a cast,” I say softly, filling the silence.
He’s underneath me, one tatted arm under his head. The other rests on my hip, his fingers gently massaging my skin.
“What happened?” I ask when he doesn’t acknowledge my previous statement.
He’s quiet for a long second before he lets out a slow breath. “Broke my arm.”
My eyes find his. That was obvious. “How?” I push to see just how much he’ll open up to me. I’ve never had someone tell me about themselves before.
“Emilee wanted to go out that night. There was a concert for all ages at a club. The night didn’t go how we planned,” he answers vaguely.
I was wondering how to mention her, but he just did. So I turn the conversation to her. “She was in the pictures I saw.”
He nods once. “She and Jasmine made us scrapbooks before we graduated college.”
“You’ve always been close,” I wonder, but he doesn’t respond. I guess, technically, that wasn’t a question. Taking in a shaky breath, I ask what I’ve been dying to know ever since Grave told me about them. “Do you love her?” Who knows when I’ll see him again. Or when this will end. I want to know everything there is to know about Dillan Reed. And as far as I know, he could go back to avoiding me soon.
His brows pull together, his blue eyes searching mine. “She’s married to Titan.” As if that explains everything.
“We both know that sometimes marriage doesn’t equal love,” I state. The Mafia doesn’t marry for love. They marry for power. Luca got lucky that he got to marry Haven. He had to fight for her, and at times, I didn’t think my father was going to allow it.
He grabs my hips, picks me up, and places me on the bed beside him. I’ve pushed him too far. He’s going to shut me out. More so than he already has. But he surprises me by lying down and turning onto his side so he can face me. His fingers gently run over my jawline as his eyes find mine. “I loved Emilee as much as I could at that time of my life.” I’m about to say I don’t understand when he goes on. “We started hooking up, then my mother passed away my senior year in high school. Emilee was there for me when I needed her.”
For some reason, that word makes me more jealous than love. I want him to need me. I understand how lonely it can be to have no one.
“We had an understanding. It was strictly sex. She was never one of those women who needed more. And I’m that guy that wasn’t going to give more.”
My chest tightens at his words.
“I was selfish.” His eyes drop to my neck, and his fingers feel my pulse racing. I’m hanging on every word he says. Wanting to know the Dillan that the world doesn’t get the privilege to know. “I knew how Titan felt about her, but I didn’t care. I needed her too much to share her.” His eyes meet mine. “I knew if she gave him the chance, he’d take her from me.”
“So what happened?” I ask, licking my lips. “Between you and her?”
“Senior year of college, I was about to sign with the MLB, but I broke my arm, and that dream ended. I hated everything. Everyone. I shut her out. More than I had already been doing. Then me, Titan, and Cross all graduated and took over Kingdom. I never spoke to her again. She moved to Chicago after she graduated. I buried myself in the life I was forced to have. She ran from hers.” He shrugs. “Then when she came back, Titan took his chance.” He gives a soft smile as if he’s truly happy for them.
“But you three have slept together since she’s been back?” I add, remembering what Grave had said.
“We have,” he agrees. “It doesn’t mean she and Titan love each other any less. It just means that they were comfortable allowing me to join them. Sex is different than love, Mia. They’re not the same.”
The way he says it makes me feel stupid, like I should feel nothing for him just because I let him use my body. But I’m not sure I can separate the two. Not like he does. I feel something for Dillan, and I understand how idiotic that is. A King could never love a no one. My eyes drop to his tatted chest. “Do you still…?’