“My ex, Tawny…”
“Yeah, no, I got that part,” I say, interrupting him as I wave my hand through the air. “But please explain the part about claiming me and me being an old lady.”
He laughs. “Basically, it means that I told the club that you’re mine, you’re off limits to anyone else who may have been thinking about…”
“Oh, hell no….”
He slams his lips down on mine again for a quick kiss, shutting me up.
“Just listen. It means that you’re one of the most important people in my life and it also means that any one of my brothers would die to protect you, just like I would for someone they care about. It means I choose you, I want you.”
I suck in a breath. “Oh.”
“What the fuck?” he growls and I jerk back to look up at his face. He’s staring out at the street and I follow his gaze to a black SUV that I recognize from outside Mercedes’ office. Oh, no. Sawyer plants a kiss on my forehead before gently shoving me away from him. “Stay here.”
“Sawyer,” I call but it’s too late. He storms across the grass, looking intimidating as hell as he closes in on the P.I. and my stomach rolls. Once he gets to the open driver’s side window, he starts yelling. It’s loud enough that I can hear his voice but I can’t make out what he is saying as he gestures wildly before pointing to me.
Oh, Lord Almighty.
After a couple more tense seconds of angry conversation, Sawyer shoves the guy and backs up onto the sidewalk before pointing down the street in a clear order to leave. The SUV backs out of the space and races off. He watches it leave before turning around and marching back to me as he scans his surroundings. When he stops in front of me, he runs his hand through his hair and pulls me back into his arms.
“It’s a goddamn P.I. and he’s watching you.”
“Oh,” I whisper like I didn’t already know that.
“He wouldn’t tell me who he’s working for, though. Son of a bitch. Maybe I can get Streak to hack his phone or something to get us some answers.”
Squeezing my eyes shut, I consider telling him everything but when I open my mouth, that’s not what comes out. “I’ve seen him around before…”
“What?” he bellows, stepping back to look in my eyes. “And you didn’t tell me?”
“I didn’t know for sure,” I reason, shaking my head. “And when I confronted him, he said he was just taking pictures of the city. I didn’t know what to do.”
He shakes his head. “Why would someone have a P.I. following you around?”
“I don’t know,” I lie, my hands trembling and the words burning as they spill out of my mouth. He takes a deep breath and pulls me back into his arms almost like he needs the comfort as much as I do.
“Listen, I have a little cabin out in the middle of nowhere. What do you say we go get lost for a few days and then when we get back we can figure all of this out?”
I nod, relief flooding me at the thought of being away from Gavin’s prying eyes for a little while and I promise myself that after we get back, I’ll tell him everything.
Chapter Eighteen
Juliette
“Just Got Started Lovin’ You” by James Otto spills out of the speakers in the truck as we wind down a back country road on the way to Sawyer’s cabin and I smile as I lay my head back on the seat and close my eyes. My feet are up on the dash and the windows are down, letting the sun warm my skin and the wind whip through my hair and away from the prying eyes of Gavin and his lackey, as all my stress melts away. After the abrupt end to our date last night, we went back to the house and I helped Sawyer pack up supplies before I called Nico to see when she thought she’d be down in Baton Rouge. She said she has a few things to wrap up in Miami and she should get into town in three days which gives us the perfect opportunity for a mini getaway to the woods. I turn my head to the other side and smile across the cab at Sawyer. He peeks in my direction before grinning and returning his gaze to the road.
“You’re gorgeous.”
Turning to face forward, my smile widens. “Flattery will get you everywhere, sir.”
He laughs as he slows down and turns on his blinker. Dropping my feet from the dash, I lean forward and scan the tree line. There’s a little dirt road nestled in there, almost hidden from view and my belly does a little flip as he turns down the road.
“I can’t wait to see your cabin.”
He shakes his head. “Fuck, I’m nervous. I’ve never brought anyone out here.”
“Not even Molly?”
He sighs. “No… Molly wasn’t really into this kind of thing.”
“What? Nature?” I ask, laughing and he glances over at me with a nod. “Oh.”
“She couldn’t stand the thought of being in my little two room cabin and lord help you if you mentioned the bugs out here.”
I scowl. “So, what? You always just did what she wanted to do?”
“Pretty much but I didn’t mind. Making her happy made me happy.”
Oh my God.
How has this sweet, perfect man not been taken by another woman yet? How does he not know how perfect he is?
“Did she make you happy?” I ask as the trees open up slightly to reveal a cute little log cabin and he scowls as he parks the truck.
“You know, before I met you, I would have said yes without even thinking about it but now, I don’t know… I mean, it’s not like she never did anything for me or that I was at her beck and call.”
I reach across the cab and grab his hand. “It’s okay. You don’t have to stress it.”
“Is that what you’re doing? Just coming out here with me to make me happy?”
“Yes and no. I really do love being out in nature. Get me next to a lake and I’ll be a happy girl. Plus, I’m never going to say no to spending alone time with you. You are very quickly turning into my favorite person.”
He grins, a look of vulnerability in his eyes. “Yeah?”
“Oh, yeah,” I agree with a nod as I scoot across the bench seat and straddle his legs. He grips my hips gently and I lay my hands on his chest. I can’t help rocking my hips against his denim covered cock and he groans softly before shaking his head at me.
“You know… if you walk through those trees over there,” he points over my shoulder and I glance behind me, “you’ll find the lake you were talking about.”
I beam as I turn back to him. “Really?”
“Yep.”
“Will you show me?”
He glances down at his lap and manipulates my hips with his hands, rubbing my core against his growing erection. “You sure you don’t want to check out the cabin first?”
“On second thought, that sounds like a better idea,” I whisper as he rotates my hips again. My fingers dig into his chest as warmth rushes through me and I gasp. “Sawyer.”
“Fuck… I think that’s my favorite way I’ve heard you say my name, angel.”
My eyes roll back as he does it again and my nipples pebble, aching to be touched. “Take me inside.”
“I thought you wanted to check out the lake?” he asks, flashing me a very convincing confused puppy look as he forces my hips down at the same time that he thrusts up and groans. Jesus H. Christ. I’m going to die, combust right here in his truck if he doesn’t stop doing that. I shake my head.