“I won’t be able to see you now before Wednesday,” Dillon tells me later that night as he walks me home. “We’ve got to rehearse a lot before the ball.” The guys managed to secure a twenty-minute slot at the Trinity Ball, which is a big deal for them.
“Will the groupies be there?” I ask.
“No fucking way. Even if it wasn’t a closed rehearsal, we wouldn’t bring them. I’d only want you there.”
“Okay. Good.”
“Don’t worry about them. For as long as we’re together, you’re the only woman I’ll be with. You’re the only one I want.” He lifts our conjoined hands to his lips, kissing my knuckles. “I talked to Aoife, and I set her straight. She won’t give you any more grief.” His eyes drill into mine. “If she does, you let me know, and she’ll be cut off completely.”
His words hint at our inevitable ending, but I refuse to linger on that now. I still have months left in Ireland, and I’m determined to have fun with Dillon for however long it lasts. We’re both going into this with our eyes open, knowing this has a termination date. As long as my heart doesn’t get invested, it’ll work out fine.
“I won’t share you,” he adds, “and I hold myself to the same standards. I know I don’t have much experience to go on, and I understand if you’re reluctant to trust me, but I promise I won’t cheat on you or mess around with other girls. I know what you’ve been through, and I could never hurt you like that. I’ve seen what it did to my sister. I never want to be that guy.”
He says all the right things, and I want to accept his words at face value, not read into everything, but it’s hard when your trust in the male race has been completely decimated. Still, I made a vow to myself that I wouldn’t punish Dillon for Reeve’s sins, and I meant it.
“Thank you.” I peck his lips, hating how much reassurance I crave. He must think I’m so clingy and needy, and that’s not who I am deep down inside. “I needed to hear that.”
“I know.” His eyes are all seeing as he tightens his arm around my shoulders, holding me closer to his side as we walk.
“I guess I’ll just have to find a way to survive without you for a few days,” I say, replying to his original statement. “I’ve tons of studying to keep me occupied, and I have to turn in my next article for the paper.” The Trinity News student paper published an article I wrote on being an American student in Dublin last month to favorable feedback, so they asked me to write something else. “I’ve also got to finish an assignment for my scriptwriting class, so it should be enough to keep me from missing you too much.”
He pushes me into the nearest wall and kisses me like he might never get to do it again.
“What was that for?” I pant, when we finally surface for air. “Not that I’m complaining.” I grin.
“You said you’d miss me. I liked hearing that.”
Sweet baby Jesus. This guy is going to ruin me. If he keeps this up, I’m going to have a hard time stopping my heart from becoming invested. Pressing my body against his, I wrap my arms around his neck. “Won’t you miss me?”
His lower hand slides around my back, and he pulls me in tight to his body. His erection presses into my stomach, shooting darts of desire straight to my pussy. “I think that answers your question.”
He smirks, and I nip at his earlobe. “So, you’ll only miss my body?”
Holding my hand, he steers me in the direction of my apartment. “I will miss everything about you, Viv. I just love being with you, full stop.” He glances at me, and sincerity radiates from his eyes. “I love how you constantly challenge me and you’re never predictable. You always surprise me. I love your excitement for new things and how brave and strong you are.”
His beautiful words wrap around my heart like a comfort blanket, and I can almost feel some of the fissures being repaired.
He squeezes my hand, drawing circles on my skin with his thumb. “It feels like I’ve known you forever, and I’ve never felt this happy with any girl. I’ve never met anyone who consumes my every waking thought like you do.” He flashes me a boyish grin. “You’re under my skin, Hollywood. In more ways than one.”
47
“Do you want to come up?” I offer, when we reach my apartment building.
One side of his mouth lifts, and his eyes heat. “For a nightcap or…”