Page 93 of His Addiction
His chest tightened, and for a moment, he hesitated. He met his brother’s eyes, his jaw tightening.
“Yeah, I like her,” he said, his gut churned as he spoke, not ready to admit how much she’d drawn him in.
Jamie pulled his phone from his pocket. Still no reply, so he snapped a quick selfie with the Vegas lights flashing behind him. A mischievous grin tugged at his lips as he typed:
The view here’s nice, but I’d say the one from your bedroom beats it hands down. I’ll confirm that on Friday. ;)
He hit send and stared at the screen, waiting.Seconds ticked by. Then minutes. His thumb hovered over her name, ready to dial.
The longer the moment dragged on, the harder his knee bounced, each anxious movement a reminder of how out of his element he was.
It was just a message. Just a selfie. So why the hell was he getting so damn restless?
And why the fuck hadn’t she read it yet?
26
Shannon
A few years ago
The laughter from the party downstairs echoed through the hall as Shannon sipped her drink, the warmth of the festive lights a stark contrast to the icy knot in her stomach.
Niall had already disappeared with some young girl, a predictable move she was growing numb to.
Shannon, now immune to his insecurities and compulsive traits, was building herself up to finally end things with him after Harry’s annual party.
While Niall entertained his latest conquest, Shannon struck up a conversation with Mitchell Ashfield, one of the top international riders in Europe.
Mitchell was funny, sweet, and refreshingly unbothered by her endless questions about training and technique.
They clicked instantly, their shared love for the sportsparking an easy connection. There was no romantic spark between them, but his sharp wit had her laughing in a way she hadn’t in ages.
As she chatted with Mitchell, she almost forgot where she was, letting the conversation flow.
But beneath her calm exterior, a storm brewed, irritation simmering at how Niall thought it was okay to cheat on her.
She’d tried to distance herself from him over time, but he had a way of making it impossible.
When Niall finally returned, stumbling in with his shirttails hanging loose, drunk and slurring, Shannon’s frustration reached its peak.
He stalked across the room and snatched her wrist, his cold eyes blazing with anger. Without a word, he dragged her away from Mitchell, his grip squeezing her bones tight.
“Let go, Niall,” she hissed.
“I can’t believe you’re flirting with every guy here. You’re a fucking slut, Shan.”
He forced her away from the crowd and shoved her into the boot room, spinning her around, before kicking the door shut.
“Are you serious?” Shannon glared up at him, her pulse racing. “Don’t you dare talk to me like that.”
He had the audacity to accuse her of flaunting herself when he was the one screwing with the other girls behind closed doors.
See folded her arms over her chest and stood tall, ready to break it off withhim.
Before her next breath, he crashed his mouth onto hers, his anger manifesting in the kiss, igniting the fury inside her even further.
With a growl of fury, she dug her heels into the floor, pushing against him with all her might, her hands battering his chest, trying to break free from his suffocating grip.
