I laughed, feeling warm and secure. “Either. Both.”
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
My fingers traced the swirls of artwork along his upper arm and bicep. “None of this seems real.” I rested my head against his chest, his light hair tickling my ear.
His hands skimmed underneath my shirt to rest against the small of my back as he listened to me talk.
“Three weeks ago, I was a bartender. I was getting harassed by my newly engaged best friend about my lack of living life to its fullest and I’d never even thought once about motorcycle clubs.”
I closed my eyes, enjoying the sound of his heartbeat in my ear, the steady rhythm of it solid and sure.
“Never know what life is gonna throw at you, ya know?” he said.
“That’s the truth. Sometimes I feel like…”
When I didn’t go on, Colt gently prodded me to continue.
“I feel like I react to life. Like, things happen to me and I’m just along for the ride.”
“You do remember that you walked up to a stranger in a bar and asked him to pretend to be your boyfriend, don’t you? If you ask me, that sounds like someone who takes control. That sounds like someone who doesn’t let life come at them.”
“I only did that out of a reaction,” I explained.
“Want to know what I think?” he asked quietly.
I nodded.
“I think you changed your entire life that night at Dive Bar when you walked up to me. I think even if you hadn’t gotten wrapped up in this Richie shit, you’d still be here with me, right now.”
“Do you really believe that?” I smiled and lifted my head to look at him
“Yeah, I do.” His dark eyes softened. “You’d be here in my bed.” He brushed the hair away from my cheek. “You’re still worried about what people think, aren’t you?”
“I guess I am, yeah.” I bit my lip. “I feel like—never mind.”
“Nah, you can’t do that. You gotta say it now.”
“I feel like people will think I’m trading sex for protection.”
“People? Or your best friend? Or you?”
He didn’t sound angry; I’d expected him to sound angry.
“You think I’d brand just any girl?” he continued.
I glared at him. “Maybe you shouldn’t call it branding…”
Colt laughed. “You know what I mean. You might love me, and I believe you do, but it’s like you don’t trust your gut. But in life, you have to trust your gut. We’re in this together now, yeah?”
“Yeah.
“You got inked for me,” he said with an arrogant smirk. “That’s no small thing.”
“Yeah, I suffered through pain for you.” I teased, finally moving away from him, ready to get up to face the day.
“I’ll never let you live to regret it,” he said, his tone suddenly sober.
My hand reached out to stroke his stubbly cheek. “I know.”
After Colt brushed his teeth, he threw on a pair of jeans and a clean T-shirt from his dresser drawer. I had nothing to wear except the clothes from last night, and I wasn’t in the mood to slither into skinny jeans.
“Wear a pair of my boxers,” he said. “And your T-shirt from last night. We should bring a bag with some shit for you here. Didn’t really think about it, though.”
“Well, it’s not like you knew I’d be staying here last night.”
He went over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of his boxer shorts and tossed them in my direction. “Got some other stuff for you though in my nightstand drawer.”
I opened the drawer and pulled out a few envelopes addressed to me. “My bank cards! Yes!” I danced around in my underwear as Colt looked on with amusement.
I placed the new bankcards in my wallet. Joni had generously bought our drinks the night before. Colt hadn’t said anything about money; and I’d never been out of his sight long enough to require money of my own. Though, come to think of it, he’d never made me feel weird about it. I’d only felt trapped those first few days, but then my fears and worries had melted away when I realized Colt really had wanted to protect and take care of me. Nothing more. With Colt there was no power play to keep me tied to him. No control over me because he didn’t care about control in that way.
He just wanted me.
“Oh,” I said softly, meeting his eyes.
He was smiling at me, leaning against the door. He knew what I’d just put together.
“Thank you, Colt.”
“You’re welcome, Mia.”
Chapter 16
Reap and Boxer were awake, alert and smiley as they lounged on the couches. Gray waved to me from a recliner and then turned his attention back to the TV. A local news station was on and I could distinctly make out the Shortie’s sign in the background behind the cute reporter on screen.
“What’s she saying?” I asked with a chin nod at the TV.
“She’s talking about a spike in crime in Waco.” Gray darted his gaze to Colt. I looked at Colt over my shoulder and his face betrayed nothing of his feelings.
“The clubhouse is full this morning,” I commented.
“We’re having church in an hour,” Colt explained. “So everyone is coming here.”
“I need coffee,” I muttered, heading to the kitchen where Darcy was directing Rachel and Allison with a spatula.
“Good morning,” Darcy chirped. “How are you? We heard about the drive by at Shortie’s.”
“I’m okay. It was Joni who was hurt,” I said, going to a cabinet and grabbing a mug. I emptied the pot. “Where’s the bag of coffee? I need to make more.”
“I’ve got it,” Allison said.
Cream and sugar were on the counter and I doctored my coffee heavily before sitting on a stool. Colt had taken a seat with the guys near the TV and was currently talking to Gray in a low voice.
“She’s going to be okay,” Darcy said. “Flesh wound, right?”
I nodded. I needed to text Joni to see how she was doing. My phone was still in Colt’s room and just as I was about to hop off the stool to go and grab it, Joni walked into the clubhouse with Zip behind her.
Her sorrel hair was pulled into a low side ponytail and she was wearing black yoga pants, flip-flops, and a pink tank top that revealed her bandaged arm.
I jumped off my stool and went to her immediately and gently embraced her. “How are you feeling?”
“Dopey,” she said with a smile. Her blue eyes looked a little glassy, but she wasn’t swaying. “I took some painkillers before we came over.”
Zip came to stand by her and I noticed he was carrying a duffel bag.
I pointed to it. “What’s that?”
“Joni’s shit,” he said. “She’ll be staying in a spare room at the clubhouse for a few days.”
“Why?” I asked in confusion.
“Colt will explain,” Zip said. He looked at Joni for a long moment and then took her bag out of the room and headed for the stairs.
“What was that?” I whispered.
“Nothing.” She grabbed my coffee and took a sip. Nodding, she added, “Just the way I like it.”