Page 189 of Always: A Legacy Novel

“Cross?”

“Hmm?”

“Was this what you were arguing with my father about?” she asked. “This place, and me?”

Cross straightened a bit, and placed his hands to either side of her on the pool table’s edge. “Yeah, it was.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re graduating in less than two months. Manhattan is farther from your parents’ home than where I live now, and closer to the university I already knew you were going to get accepted into. My intentions are to ask you to be here with me when you graduate—you’re eighteen, you can go or do whatever you want, and it’s your choice. I let him know that, so he was aware, and it wouldn’t feel like I snuck something up on him. It wasn’t that I needed to let him know, but I’ve got enough respect for the man to see his lines in the sand. This would be one of those, and I didn’t want to jump over it without first giving him a heads up.”

“And he didn’t like it,” Catherine assumed.

Cross looked away. “That’s putting it mildly, but no, he didn’t like it.”

“What does he want?”

“Likely me out of the picture,” Cross said under his breath.

“Don’t say that.”

Cross gave her a half smile. “I’m being a shit, I know.”

“A little.”

“Dante would like for you to be where he can see you, so that he doesn’t have to worry all the time. It’s funny, that’s all.”

“Why is that funny?” she asked.

“Because that’s the same reason I want you with me, but he just doesn’t realize it. We’re out for the same goal, and the real problem is that we both think we can do it better.”

Catherine twisted her hands together, considering his words. “Have you thought about telling him that?”

“He’s like you; stubborn and difficult. I’m like me—”

“Arrogant and trouble.”

Cross let out a hard laugh. “Exactly. It’s like oil and water.”

“So why do we mix so well, then?”

“Because I love you.”

Catherine watched him under dark lashes. “Oh?”

“And I get to fuck you, so that helps.”

She punched him in the gut, not holding back for a second. It even made her knuckles hurt, and Cross half buckled at the unexpected hit. “Ass.”

He straightened with a glint in his eye, and his hands grabbed her spread open thighs hard enough to make her gasp. “You owe me for that one, babe.”

Anticipation curled in her stomach, beating like butterflies.

“At least we made it to Manhattan.”

Cross nodded. “That we did.”

Catherine fumbled with Cross’s belt as his hands slipped under her dress and teased her black lace panties down her thighs to her knees. The article dropped to the floor on its own while he pushed the skirt of the wine-red cocktail dress high around her waist. Catherine had only managed to pull his belt out and unsnap the buttons; he worked much faster than she did.