Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 127(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 127(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
Silence. Then Slate, his voice like hot steel. “I’m not screwing with her, Saxon.”
“No? What are you doing then?”
A second pause. Longer this time.
The tension is so high I feel like I’m going to pass out.
“I love her, Saxon.” Slate’s words send a shiver through me, and I have to brace myself against a chair to keep from falling to my knees. “She’s mine.”
I was not expecting that. I mean, I had my suspicions, and I was hoping to hear it one day. But directly from him. And not so soon.
He really feels that way about me?
I don’t know why I’m having such a hard time with this. Maybe it’s because deep down, I know I feel the same way about him.
When Slate’s gone, it’s like the world is somehow duller. Like it’s lost its intensity. Its vibrancy. And all I can think about is seeing him again. This big, brawny, biker man completes me.
“You love her?” Saxon asks, his tone accusatory. “You barely know her.”
Slate scoffs. “You’re one to talk. How long did it take for you to fall for Tammy?”
Tammy, Saxon’s wife. I’ve seen her around maybe once or twice.
Saxon shakes his head and sighs. “Maybe you’ve got a point,” he replies. “But as the club’s leader, I can’t allow this.”
“Saxon–”
“Too much depends on it, and Frank would kill me if he found out I knew about this.” He levels his eyes at Slate. “You either end it with Ivy or you’ve gotta be done here. I’m sorry.”
A heavy load of guilt suddenly washes over me, and I head for the door. I should have seen this coming. My dad warned me about The Heartless Bastards, and now Saxon is warning Slate. I never should have said yes when he asked me to go bowling with him.
But how could I resist?
Those crystal blue eyes, dirty blond hair, muscles upon muscles, and a jawline most men would kill for. What girl could say no to that?
But now I’m literally going to end up destroying his life. And I don’t want to be that girl. Who even knows if we’ll end up working out? I want to believe we will, but doesn’t everybody?
What if he gives up everything to be with me and then we crash and burn like a bike popping a flat on the freeway?
No. I can’t let that happen.
I’m barely outside, gasping the cool night air into my lungs, when I hear Slate behind me. “Ivy, wait.”
I’m starting to cry. God, what a mess I am.
I don’t stop. I keep walking.
“Ivy!” He races up and steps in front of me, blocking my progress with his massive frame. I drop my head and try to skirt by him, but he grabs my arms and ducks down, forcing me to face him. His eyes are wild and stormy, causing my heart to flutter like a flag in the wind.
“You heard, didn’t you?”
I nod. “Yes.”
“I’m not leaving you,” he says firmly. He’s holding me so tightly that it hurts, but I can feel the love in his grip, and it feels good.
I swallow hard, blink up at him. “But the club–?”
“Fuck it.” He smiles. “I am not leaving you. Understand?”
A hot, joyful feeling spreads through me like a growing fire. A warm feeling twisting through my chest.
He chose me.
Me.
“I don’t want to ruin your life–”
“Ruin my life?” He scoffs, pulling me close. “Ivy, you’re the best thing to ever happen to my life.”
I crumble.
My skin starts to tingle. I’m close to overheating. I can feel my cheeks blush as my lips twist into a smile.
I don’t even think. I just reach up and grab him by the collar and pull him down to me. Our lips crash together, hot and filled with lust, instantly washing every thought from my mind.
The heat spreads between my legs, prickling with anticipation. The next thing I know, Slate has me in his arms and is carrying me over to his bike. It’s like I weigh nothing to him.
We have to break our kiss as we slide into the saddle together, and I feel a sense of loss like a hollow crater just formed in my stomach. But as Slate kicks the engine to life, I wrap my arms around his waist and lean into him, holding him close as we speed out of the parking lot, his words echoing in my mind.
“I love her, Saxon. She’s mine.”
My dad will find out sooner or later. And when he does, he might kill me.
He might kill Slate too.
But what choice do I have? I’ve fallen for Slate, and there’s no coming back. No resisting. No fighting it. All I can do is go with the flow and pray that it all works out.
Because he’s not letting me go.
And I’m not letting him go.
Not ever.
6
SLATE
I should be thinking about what I just did.