“So you don’t want me but no one else can have me either?” I ask, our eyes connected.
His swim with indecision.
Mine swim with hope.
“Wanting you isn’t the issue, trust me on that,” he finally says, giving me a sad smile.
“Then what is it?” I dare to ask.
I squeeze my eyes shut as his lips touch my forehead. “You know what you want, and you won’t accept any less. Truth?”
I nod my head.
He pulls back and his eyes cloud over. “When I come to you, I need to know that I can give you everything you deserve.”
“It didn’t stop you from having me before,” I point out.
He grins crookedly. “That was one night, this is a little more permanent.”
“How permanent?” I ask, drawing each word out.
Now he smiles. “Ball and chain permanent.”
Wait, what?
He stands and offers me his hand, pulling me up when I place it in his. “Let’s get you home.”
“I’m still pissed at you,” I tell him as he picks up my shopping bags from the seat next to me.
“I wouldn’t expect any less,” he replies, sounding amused as hell.
“Where did you go last night?” I ask him as he walks to his car. “Where’s your bike?”
“You’re pregnant, no bike for you. And I went out, but I didn’t fuck anyone,” he says bluntly, opening the car door with a press of a button.
“Where did you go then?” I ask when we’re seated.
“Babe,” he says, lip twitching.
“Don’t you babe me, you jerk,” I growl, narrowing my eyes on him.
“You know I don’t think anyone’s ever spoken to me this way,” he muses, not sounding like it’s a bad thing.
“Well you better get used to it,” I add, flashing him a fake smile.
“You were always a feisty one, even as a kid,” he says. “Even your crazy mum wouldn’t break your spirit.”
I think about defending my mum, but then don’t bother. What he says is true. “I used to try to follow you around.”
He huffs. “I remember. You tried to make me eat a cupcake you’d made. It was all squashed, and I’m pretty sure you’d dropped it on the floor!”
My shoulders shake with my laughter. “What do you mean tried? You ate that damn cupcake and loved it!”
He scoffs. “What was I supposed to say? No? You with your huge hazel eyes and auburn ringlets, I don’t think anyone could say no to you.”
“Big bad biker afraid of some puppy dog eyes?”
“Yours,” I think I hear him mutter under his breath.
Whoa.
“Then you started dating Eric…” he says, looking straight ahead at the road. He drums his fingers on the steering wheel in beat with a made up rhythm.
“Yeah, and that ended well. How did you know I was pissed at him when we slept together?” I ask him, remembering the comment he made about wanting a taste of wild.
“My mum rings me all the time,” is all he says. His mum is a gossip, I’d always known that. “She said Eric was upset.”
I scoff. “I’ll bet. Eric and I were just together because it was convenient. I guess he just realized it before me since he started screwing around.”
“And I’m sure he will regret it when he realises what a great woman he lost,” he says simply. “But it’s too late for him.”
“Does he know?” I ask, wringing my hands.
“Yeah, I told him. I also told him to leave you the hell alone. I got you the new sim card and phone too, it has my number programmed. And all the brother’s too. Just in case.”
“God, you’re bossy.”
“You love it,” he replies. “I probably should warn you.”
“What?” I ask warily, my head snapping to him.
“Brothers are having a party tonight,” he says, looking at me with a grin.
“How is that different from every other night?” I ask, thinking about how they all hang out, drink, and hook up every night.
“Doesn’t matter, you and I are staying in the room. I bought a few things for us to check out,” he says.
“Like what?” I ask, getting excited.
“Be patient.”
“Fine. Oh and one more thing Dex,” I say.
“What’s that?”
“Talk to me like you did last night again, and I’m gone.”
He nods once, slowly. His eyes harden at my threat, but he manages to hide his anger. “Noted. I lose my temper sometimes, but I’ll always make it up to you.”
“Is that your apology?” I ask. It might need a little work.
He grins and says, “I guess it was.”
“Now take me home and feed me,” I demand.
He laughs and does as he’s told.
Chapter Fourteen
When Dex and I walk back into the clubhouse, there are people everywhere. He wasn’t joking about the party. The place is filled with bikers I haven’t met before, and Dex explains to me that they are Wind Dragons from other chapters. He stops to greet a tall, burly-looking man.
“Long time no see,” the man says, slapping Dex on the shoulder.
“I know, how you been?” Dex asks him.
“All good,” the man replies, staring at a woman who walks by.
Dex laughs. “You enjoy yourself, you hear?”
“You not sticking around?” the man asks, looking down at me as if finally noticing me. “Maybe we could share this fine little thing.”
Dex stiffens. “No can do, bro, she’s mine.”
The man doesn’t look pleased. “When you come my way, I let you have any bitch you want.”
Dex nods. “This one’s different. No disrespect, but no one touches her but me.”
The man nods in acceptance but still doesn’t look happy. I keep my mouth shut, knowing this is not the time for me to speak.
Dex says bye, and we continue on. The place is swarming with beautiful women, and I don’t miss the looks they shoot Dex. My fist clenches as I see one in particular, staring at him as though she’s already had him. When Dex steers me away from her, I assume she has. Before we can walk down the hall that leads to our room, a stunning redhead stops in front of Dex and puts her hand on his chest.
Oh , hell no!
“Sin, long time no see,” she purrs.
Dex pushes her hand off, which I appreciate. “Not interested.”
“That’s not what you said last time,” she replies, licking her lips. She has wide green eyes and hardly any clothes on. I can’t even lie—she’s a knockout. If I swung that way…
“It’s what I’m saying now. Now get the fuck out of my way,” he says in a voice so cold, even I cringe.
“You’ve never turned me down before,” she says, now frowning and finally looking to me. “Sin…”
“He said no. Have some fucking self-respect,” I say before she can start begging.
She opens her mouth to say something when Dex eventually grabs my arm and walks around her, leaving her standing there with her mouth hanging open. He locks the door behind us as we enter the room and puts all the shopping bags on the bed.
“Well that was interesting,” I say slowly. “An old friend of yours?”
“Babe,” is all he says. Like that’s an answer!
“And who was that man?” I ask.
Dex grins. “Good thing he backed down or we would have had a problem. And you stayed quiet, good girl.”
“I’m learning,” I say dryly. “At least with the men.”
He laughs at me. “Good to see.”
“What did you want to show me?” I ask, sliding my shoes off and sitting on the bed.
“Oh, right,” he says, opening a drawer and pulling out four books.
“Books?” I ask, my eyebrows reaching my hairline.
He sits down next to me on the bed and spreads them out. Two are baby name books, one is a book about pregnancy, and the other is about labor. My throat starts to burn at the thoughtful gesture and the proof that he’s serious about this. “This is really nice.”
He shrugs it off. “I want to be prepared. Soon we can move into my house, and the baby will have his own room we can fix up.”
“Your house?” I ask, feeling confused.
He winces. “I have a house babe, it’s getting renovated right now. It will be ready in a month. I don’t expect you to stay here forever, especially not with the little one.”