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“Well, stop looking at her that way!” I roared, livid. “Jesus Christ!”

“I’m just saying, she’s gorgeous and we all have eyes.” He snickered. “But that doesn’t mean I’m imagining myself naked on top of—”

“If you finish that sentence, I will rip your head off,” I seethed. “Fair warning.”

“Are you getting mad, Johnny?” He chuckled, arching a brow. “Hmm? Are you getting all fired up, lad?”

“What does it look like?” I snarled, not bothering to deny it.

“Perfect.” Springing out of the chair, Gibsie grinned. “Now that we’ve established that testosterone still pumps in your blood, go do something productive with your girlfriend.” He sauntered over to the door. “And none of that hand-holding bullshit,” he added. “You’re not twelve, Johnny, and neither is she.”

“Get the hell out of here,” I bit out, jaw clenched.

“Oh, and if you’re still in the air about full penetration, then I highly recommend going down the mouth-to-pussy resuscitation route.”

“Jesus Christ, Gibs!”

“It’s a scenic view and very rewarding.” He winked. “It’s a win-win, lad.”

“Go home.” I pointed at the door. “Right this instant or you’ll be the one needing resuscitating.”

“Aye, aye, Cap,” Gibsie shot back with a salute before darting from the room.

“Yeah, you better run, fucker!” I roared after him, chest heaving. “Because when I’m back to a hundred percent, I’m going to strangle—”

“Are you okay?” Shannon asked, appearing in the doorway, looking flushed and uncertain.

“No,” I bit out, chest heaving with a mixture of anger and lust as my eyes roamed over her body, drinking in the sight of her. She was so fucking beautiful, standing there in the black leggings, fluffy socks, and an oversized white T-shirt she’d changed into after school. Her hair was pulled back from her face in a high ponytail, her face was devoid of makeup—and bruises—and I’d never seen anything so fucking perfect.

I was destroyed.

I’d fucked up phenomenally and I couldn’t get out. I was all in—heart, head, body, balls…Everypart of me was wholeheartedlyinwith this girl. It felt like she had been in my life forever. Like I’d never known anything other than Shannon. She was my first love, and she was scary as fuck to me. Being with her was an obsession that threatened to consume me daily. I had to work my ass off to keep my head in check, but remembering to keep my feet on the ground and my head out of the clouds was easier said than done when I had a girl that knocked me on my ass with one glance. She wrapped me up in childish, illogical, irrational knots, with a new one attaching itself to my heart with every day that passed. I was completely losing control, and that was a problem for me. My feelings for her were a serious issue because they were too strong to rein in, too much to take, and too reeking of permanence. In other words, I was royally fucking screwed.

“I’m not okay,” I choked out, running a hand through my hair in frustration.

“Wh-what’s wrong?” she whispered, looking up at me with wide eyes. “Are you sore?”

“No, it’s not—” I stopped myself and released a pained growl. Her eyes burned holes in me so deep that I had to look away before completely losing myself in the girl. It was too much.Shewas too fucking much.

“What is it?” she asked, cautiously moving toward me. “Johnny, what’s wrong?” Her small hand curled around my arm, her touch tentative, the feel of her skin on mine setting my body on fire. “You can talk to me,” she added in a small voice, and the smell of her perfume flooded my senses.God help me.“You can tell me anything.”

“What do you want from me, Shannon?” I croaked out, feeling incredibly vulnerable as I stared down at the only girl I had ever loved. I needed her to tell me what to do. She needed to set the pace because I was weak around her, and I needed more than I feared she was ready to give. Gibsie had fucked with my head, and now my mind was stuck in fucking beast mode. I wanted her so damn much that I couldn’t think straight. Knowing that we were all alone only made it a million times more intense.

“What do you mean?” she asked, looking fearful.

“From me,” I replied, heart racing. “From this.” I shrugged, feeling helpless. “From our relationship. What do you want fromme?”

“Honestly?”

I nodded. “Always.”

“Everything,” she whispered, looking into my eyes. “Especially the broken parts.”

Aw, shite. She gave my words back to me, and I was done for.

Completely fucking done for.

I knew it the moment my lips crashed down on hers. I knew when I hoisted her up and felt her legs wrap around my waist like a vise. And I especially knew it as I carried her upstairs to my bedroom, spurred on by her moans of encouragement as she kissed me back just as fiercely. When I kicked my bedroom door open, I didn’t feel any pain. It was drowned out by the desperate urge I had to feel skin on skin with her. My knees hit the base of the bed, sending us toppling onto the mattress.

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