Keeping 13 (Boys of Tommen, #2)

by Chloe Walsh

“I don’t sing anymore and I don’t dance. My favorite color is green, and I haven’t picked up a basketball since Da stuck a knife through mine for bouncing it against the side of the house. I stopped bringing home animals a long time ago because I realized I didn’t want them to be caged with me—when I realized they were safer in the wild than with me. I’m not going to go to college and become a vet because I’ve failed every single one of my classes for the last three years.” I kept my gaze trained on his as I spoke. “Even if, by some miraculous intervention, I managed to pull my school marks up and pass my exams, I’m not naive enough to believe I could ever afford to go to college. I don’t want to travel the world anymore, and my ultimate ambition is to survive.” He flinched but I forced myself to finish. “The girl you remember is gone, Darren. I’m not her anymore. Whatever I used to be, he beat it out of me a long time ago.”

“He has to pay, Shannon.” “Easy for you to say,” I shot back, trembling. “When you’re not the price.”

“You asked me to look after her, and then you took her away from me! You took her back to him,” I roared, chest heaving.

“So, when did you get home?” I asked, feeling hoarse and off-balance. “This evening.” He raised my hand and pressed a kiss to my knuckles. “Took me forever to get back to you.”

“Are you going to kiss me or not?” Shannon stunned me by asking. “I just… I don’t… I’m trying…” My words broke off and I exhaled a pained sigh as I watched her watch me, those sucker-punching blue eyes wide and welcoming. “Fuck it—”

“Do you hear that, son?” Dad laughed, slapping a hand on my shoulder. “The doctor says you can pull on your balls again.” Fuck. My. Life.

“Are you sure you don’t want to play GTA?” Johnny offered, tone thick and gruff. He playfully walked his fingers up my bare thigh, skimming the edge of my knickers. “I might beat you this time.” Just when I thought he was going to move his fingers higher, when everything inside of me was screaming at him to move his fingers higher, he pulled his hand back to rest on my thigh again. “What do you say? Hmm? Do you want a rematch, Shannon like the river?” I shook my head, my breathing hard and uneven. “No.” “No?” He arched a brow, smirk still firmly in place. “Then what do you want from me?”

“Johnny—” Shivering violently, I arched into his touch, kissing him almost frantically. “So much okay.” His hand moved lower, fingers grazing over my hip bone, before his hand settled on the front of my knickers. “What about this?” Stroking his nose against mine, he slipped his hand inside my underwear and cupped me there. “Is this okay?” My body jerked beneath him, hips bucking, and I nodded like a mad person. “Don’t stop.” Exhaling a ragged breath, he slipped his tongue into my mouth at the same time he slid one finger inside me.

“Jesus,” I cried out, tearing my lips from his as my entire body jerked. “What’s happening—oh my god!” “Shh,” he coaxed, kissing my neck. “Just ride it out.” He suckled on my neck. “Enjoy it.” “Uh.” Clenching my eyes shut, I allowed myself to absorb what I was feeling. “Okay…” “You like that, Shan?” he whispered in my ear, pumping his fingers in and out, prolonging the seizure-induced pleasure wrecking me. “Coming on my fingers?” He kissed me again, harder this time. “Because I fucking love it.” Oh my god…

“I want to taste you,” he told me as he knelt on my bedroom floor and reached for the edge of my knickers. “Is that okay?” Was it? Oh god.

“Are you protecting her?” he continued, directing his question at Johnny. “Are you being safe? Am I going to have to worry about her coming home with a plus-one?” “What I do or don’t do with Shannon is none of your bleeding business,” Johnny shot back, looking wholly enraged. “So back the fuck off.” “It’s my business if she comes home pregnant—” “No,” Johnny snapped, interrupting him. “It’s my business if that happens. Not yours or any other member of your fucked-up family’s. It’s mine.” Turning back to me, he pressed a kiss to my cheek and said, “Bye, Shannon,” before stalking out of my bedroom. “Bye, Johnny,” I croaked out. “Don’t let me catch you in my sister’s room again, Kavanagh,” Darren called after him. “Yeah, yeah,” Johnny shot back, not missing a beat. “I’ll call you later, babe.”

“Yeah, well, I’m shy,” I huffed, flopping down on his bed. “How can I just show someone that?” He shot me a disbelieving look. “You don’t count,” I snapped, flustered. “My poor pussy,” Johnny said with a sigh as he sank down on the bed beside me. “You’re a butcher.”

“You look good in my bed.” Clamping his hands on my thighs, he dragged my body closer, groaning loudly when we connected. “On your back,” he added, hovering above me, “with me between your legs,” before sealing his lips to mine.

“You’re my queen,” he purred, slapping his thighs. “So come here and let me worship ya.”