Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81250 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81250 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
“In the basement, you promised to give me exactly what I need.” She blinks slowly, exhausted from the night’s activities. “You proved it tonight. I should’ve believed you all along.”
“It was a gamble,” I admit. “I didn’t know if it was going to be what you needed or what would make you finally leave me for good. You’ve been so sad lately. I didn’t want to feed that because I don’t think your dad is fucking worth it. I felt helpless.”
“It’s been a rough couple of days.”
I reach for her again, my hand landing on the soft curve of her jaw. “We’re meant for each other.”
She doesn’t cringe with my confession, so I continue.
“I wasn’t complete until the day I found you in that room. We couldn’t be us if my childhood wasn’t fucked up and you didn’t suffer like you did.” I swallow a lump in my throat. This emotion is either perfect after what happened tonight, or completely misplaced, but my mouth just won’t quit. “Everything that has happened has led us right to where we are. This is where we both belong.”
“I wanted to kill that girl you walked off with.”
I chuckle at the scowl on her face. Leave it to her to ruin my sentimental moment. “I knew what it would take to make you leave the clubhouse. I knew you wouldn’t stay and fight for me.” I press a finger to her lips before she can argue. “I also know you don’t think you deserve to be happy. You’ve been second best, an afterthought your whole life.”
Her eyes squeeze shut, but a tear still manages to slip out and run toward her temple.
“Look at me,” I urge. When her bright green eyes open, wet with sorrow, I fall in love with her all over again. “You are so fucking beautiful. You are everything to me. I fucking love you, Kaci.”
She doesn’t cringe at the sound of her name this time. Her smile grows as she inches her face closer, and I meet her halfway. Our kiss doesn’t turn fevered, but the biting, nipping, and tongue sucking are one hundred percent us. Soft, slow, and sensual just aren’t what either of us needs right now. My exhausted dick kicks against my naked thigh, as I imagine it will do every time her mouth is on mine, but neither one of us make a move to do anything about it.
“You’re not leaving the clubhouse.”
A wicked smile spreads across her mouth. “What are you going to do if I try?”
“You already know.”
Her pink tongue snakes out and sweeps her lower lip. “Your hands weren’t the only ones on me last night.”
The memory of my guys feeling her up, of Ronan dipping his fucking finger in her pussy is almost enough to force me out of bed to gut them. It was all planned of course, but seeing it happen made me frenzied for blood.
“I’ll kill all of those guys later,” I assure her.
“I don’t want you messing around with other girls.” She swallows, and it looks like the action causes her pain. “Don’t use other women to make me jealous or get back at me when you’re mad at me.”
“You’re more than enough woman for me,” I assure her, “and a full-time job. I can’t handle anyone else.”
She snuggles deeper, so I take it as my cue and wrap my arms around her.
“I love you,” I whisper against the top of her head.
She doesn’t say it back, but she clings to me harder, and I know that it’s her reassurance that one day she will say it. One day, she’ll trust me completely, and know that I won’t leave her, replace her, or walk away from her. It’s my job between now and then to prove myself to her, and I’m one lucky son of a bitch to be given the opportunity.
Epilogue
Kaci
One Week Later
“You’ll have to catch me first,” I squeal as TJ chases after me. He’s got that look in his eye, the confusing one where I don’t know what his intentions are. I make it down the hallway and around the corner before he catches up to me.
“I warned you. Run from me, and I’ll—”
We both stop in our tracks when we see the woman standing near the front door. TJ skids into my back, his arms somehow managing to wrap around my waist and pull me closer instead of bowling me over.
“Everything is fine, baby,” he whispers against my temple as he unwraps his arms, his hand sliding down to meet mine.
“Can we speak privately?” Detective Abigail Martin asks with a pinched look on her face.
Several people are in the room, all silent, taking their cues from TJ since he’s the highest-ranking MC member present right now.
“Why are you here?” I allow TJ to lead me to the sofa against the far wall. He sits, pulling me down beside him as if we’re having drinks with an invited guest and not a fucking cop. I don’t miss the fact that he’s positioned himself between me and the cop.