Page 7 of Aching for His Discretion

“I studied s-so hard. I only slept a few hours a night. I thought I was doing g-good,” I whispered, and he shushed me, grabbing my keys from me and opening my door for me. Stepping in, as I wiped my tears, he helped me place my many bags down as I pulled off my cardigan.

“Will you stay a little longer today?” I asked cautiously, as I didn’t want to cling too much, but I rather enjoyed his company despite knowing him for a short time.

Does “stranger danger” ring a bell, Teegan?

His jaw clenched slightly as he looked down at me, and he sighed as he pushed the door closed and placed a hand on the side of my face.

“I’ll do anything you want me to, Tesoro. I’ll even kill the person who made you this upset.”

I giggled softly as he used the same joke as the other day. “You know that joke is going to get old very quickly…” I whispered, and he didn’t say anything more as Grayson made his presence known and ran over to us. Levi didn’t seem to mind, his attention still on me as he took my sweater from me and placed it on my coat rack.God, he’s so perfect.

“No more tears. You’re both smart and intelligent, Tesoro. Don’t let one grade bring your entire night down or make you think otherwise,” he muttered, caressing my face in his hands, and I melted slightly as I nodded, staring into his eyes.

“I’ll try not to,” I responded, and he hummed.

“Good girl.”

My knees felt weak as my face went red once again.Those two words are going to be the death of me.

Chapter four

Levi

Isat back on my sweet Tesoro’s couch as she was taking a shower for the night. The cat kept me company as he lay on my lap, and I sighed heavily. This was unlike me… I was supposed to be next door killing the man who owed me more than $200,000 when I was actually sitting here in a living room that belonged to a short, sexy, somewhat talkative, and intelligent woman...along with her clingy cat. I had a man to kill, dammit, and here I was obsessing over a missed text and a few crocodile tears that made me a fucking lap dog.

But I couldn’t help it. Ever since she walked into that hospital room, I was fucking hooked. She and I were complete opposites, and the fact that I was already so drawn to her was a problem. However, I had to convince myself it was nothing but pure attraction.

When I opened the door of the man I’d almost beaten to death to see her and her furry monster just one door down, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to stay away.

Because even though I convinced myself of that fact, I now know where she works, I know her name, and I know where shelives... If that wasn’t the universe telling me to stay, then it was probably my obsessiveness trying to peek through and greedily claim the innocence that practically oozed off her,which is why I shouldn’t be here.

As if reading my mind, the cat snuggled closer into my lap as if he was forcing me to stay put, and I groaned internally. The sound of the running water had stopped, and I heard the pitter-patter of feet throughout the bathroom.

Soon, the door opened, and Teegan walked over to the couch dressed comfortably in a pair of grey tights and a long-sleeved white shirt. Her hair was in a wavy, curly mess down her back, and her lips looked plump and red. Her warm, olive-toned skin had a subtle glow, complementing her rich, brownish hazel eyes. It may be intrusive to ask about her mixed heritage directly, but part of me wanted to… just to satisfy the slither of curiosity that was already envisioning what our children could look like.

Just looking at her was a fucking privilege.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I have a few flashcards to review,” she muttered, opening her school bag, and I nodded my head in understanding. Another thing I wasn’t used to: a woman who had other priorities than simply pleasing me. It pissed me off slightly, but it made me want her even more.

But I shouldn’t...couldn’tpursue her. She’d run if she knew who I truly was. I was already starting to sound insane. I had known her for less than a day as the most time we’d spent together was about five hours… yet I had already mentioned to her that I would kill two people to keep her happy.

It was utterly pathetic, but the thought of someoneother than memaking her cry pissed me off even more.

My phone buzzed, alerting me that my men had successfully extracted the information I needed from our newest target. A dark satisfaction settled over me as I read the message.

My little Tesoro had unknowingly provided the perfect drug—one that numbed the man so thoroughly that we could sever his arm without him feeling a thing, yet still leaving him fully aware of just how deep in shit he was for going against me.

Granted, I didn’t know all of what it does… nor did I know if the man truly didn’t feel anything. To be truly honest, I was too busy enjoying his screams of terror as he watched me mockingly shake the hand that was off of his body.

The image of his panic, paired with the eerie calm of his numbed senses, brought a twisted, sadistic smile to my lips. It only made me all the more appreciative of my Tesoro’s unintended contribution.

Speaking of her, I was pulled out of my thoughts when I felt a tap on my knee—

“Mr. Amante?”

—and I looked over to see something thatimmediatelymade my cock stir.I need to leave. NOW.

There was Teegan, sitting on her knees, flashcards in one hand and her other resting on her thigh… and she was sitting dangerously close to my lower body. Her little ass perched perfectly as her hips and waist gave it more definition. Innocently looking up at me, she unintentionally pushed her chest out toward me—

---