Page 35 of Lucky Strike

“You’ve inherited them.” Her eyes shuttered, and she looked away. “Not me. I’d never choose that life willingly.”

I’d long suspected my sister disagreed with our family legacy, but to hear her say it that plainly felt too close to betrayal. I steered the conversation back to where it needed to be. “Talk to Bria. Let her know she has nothing to worry about,” I said. “And neither do you, Maeve. I’m behaving myself with her.”

“Doubtful, but okay.”

“I’m serious. I’m one hundred percent real with her,” I said. “I’m about to graduate, you know? She knows I’m going to college in a few months.”

Maeve peered dubiously at me. “But does she know you’re going to college in Belfast?”

I grimaced, knowing damn well I couldn’t deny her question. “Not yet. I haven’t had the chance to tell her.”

“You should probably get on that.” She rose, straightening the couch cushion. “She deserves to know.”

I sat for a long time after she left, thinking about what she’d said. Coincidentally, I’d had a conversation about Bria with Dad a few weeks ago, too. He’d been asking about girlfriends, and I mentioned I had a thing with somebody. Within minutes, he’d pieced together that it was Bria based on something I’d said.

“Why do you look so surprised?” he’d asked with a smirk.

“I guess I shouldn’t be.” Dad was worse than the CIA, which he’d proved with his next comment.

“I look into everyone you get close to, especially if they’re going to be spending time at my home. You know that,” he’d chided. “Everyone. All of Maeve’s friends, all of Tristan’s. All of yours.”

“All of Mom’s, too?”

“No, smartass. Mom does her own checking.”

Something I’d told him before clicked into place. “Green Haven.”

“Of course.” He seemed pleased I’d figured it out. “When you told me your girl’s father was incarcerated there, it didn’t take long for me to put two and two together.”

Guilt pricked at me. Bria had told me that in confidence. I’d mentioned it to my dad, that my girl’s old man was in jail, because I could see it becoming a problem for us if we ever got to that point. She’d already had her heart broken by a man who chose that life. Did she want to chance it with another?

I’d hoped Dad would tell me I was reaching, but instead he’d encouraged me not to get too serious with her.

“She’s a good girl, Con. Her mother might’ve sent her away to get away from that shit. Don’t drag her back into it.”

Bria moaned beneath me,her skin satin-soft as we rolled around my bed. It was late, and we were in my room again, fooling around with our clothes off.

Well, we had our underwear on. It was hard to hold back when I was with Bria, but I was determined to try. Regardless of how much I wanted her, how much I thought about her mouth and her body and the way she felt, I couldn’t just take her virginity and then leave the country. She’d never forgive me.I’dnever forgive me.

Propping myself up on my forearms, I gazed down at her. The moon shone in through the slats of the blinds, sending hazy stripes of light across her plump lips and shining eyes. She caressed her fingertips up and down my back, bringing goosebumps to the surface. When I didn’t say anything, she stilled, her legs snug around my hips. “What?”

“I like looking at you.” I dipped down, kissing her mouth, her chin, her nipple.

“Lucky…” She gasped, holding my head to her as I suckled. Her body undulated in a perfect wave, and then another andshit. See, when she did things like that it was really hard to behave. I switched to her other nipple, sucking it until she was panting.

I slid lower still, giving in and peeling her underwear down her legs. We’d done this before, and while being this close to her without being inside of her was torture, it was the sweetest kind. Making Bria feel good was one of my favorite things, like the song fromThe Sound of Musicbut dirtier. I thought about these moments when I was alone. In bed. In the shower. I knew I’d think about them when I was gone, an ocean between us. I’d think about how I’d been the first to do it to her, and how I’d taught her to do it to me.

Bria’s smooth thighs fell open, and I kissed my way between them, drawing my tongue up the very center of her. She hummed in approval, the hitch in her voice saying more than words ever could, and her nails scratched gently against my scalp.That feels good. I licked her again, and again, getting off on her sounds and how wet I made her, concentrating all my attention on that one special place. Sucking it, I used my fingers to fuck her at the same time, gentle and slow, until she melted all over me.

Later, after she returned the favor and I returned it back—because Iliked having the upper hand in these little games—we lazed in bed, listening to a playlist I’d been compiling all year.

“I like this song,” murmured Bria, playing with a lock of my hair. It was getting long, constantly in my eyes.

“I’ll share it to your Spotify.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

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