Page 161 of Vicious Hearts

“And I love you for that—” My mouth clamps shut. My eyes go wide with horror. “I—oh—that’s not what I meant—”

“Do you?”

I swallow, looking away. “Cillian, I didn’t mean—”

“Do you.”

Fuck it.

“Yeah,” I snap, whirling back on him and shrugging “Yeah, I love you. And I get that’s not part of the freaking plan, and I get that you don’t—”

My words are silenced as his mouth crushes to mine, stealing my breath away as my pulse explodes in my ears. I melt against him as he kisses me slowly and possessively, until he pulls back with a slight nip to my bottom lip.

“I fucking love you too.”

* * *

“Una!”

Gail beams, throwing the door wide and giving me a big hug. When we pull apart, she welcomes me into her—frankly—stunningapartment. I mean it’s not Cillian’s place, or Neve and Ares’ crystal box in the sky. But it’s gorgeous all the same.

Modern, light-filled, andhuge. I mean, especially with it being in SoHo, where most closet-sized studio apartments in basements would run you three grand a month, easy. Modern and Neo-classical paintings adorn the walls, with a few Greco-Roman style statues on pedestals here and there.

Gail sighs, rolling her eyes.

“Okay, okay, full disclosure. I have family money. I gravitated to science and psychiatry because the mind fascinates me.Notfor the criminally low paychecks.”

Her gaze drops to the little cat-carrier I’ve brought Bones in. “Ooo!” she squeals. “And this is the handsome boy himself!”

“I can keep him in this—”

“Oh, no, please! He can scamper around. I love cats, but I can’t have one here. The co-op board in this place are tyrants, and the president is allergic, which means she banned all cats from the whole damn building.”

“I won’t tell if you don’t.”

She laughs. “Perfect. Can I get you some wine?”

“Sure!”

I let Bones out, who immediately runs off to find, I’m sure, a toilet to sit on top of. Then I follow Gail through the apartment into the kitchen. As we round a corner, though, my nose wrinkles suddenly as an awful scent accosts my senses.

“Ugh,” she groans. “Don’t get me started. That’s my upstairs neighbor. I have no idea what she cooks…orbrews…up there sometimes, but it smells terrible, doesn’t it?”

I make a face. “It does have a smell almost likedeathto it.”

She laughs, shaking her head. “Well, it’s especially bad right here in the hall by my office. C’mon, let’s go get that wine.”

I follow her, a grin on my face.

A bounce to my step I’ve never felt before.

A fullness in my heart I’ve never once experienced. And another completely new feeling that’s been taking hold in me the entire drive over to this place.

Hope.

He loves me.

I grin like an idiot.

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