“So you’re okay with Verek spending the night with me?” I ask in shock.
“That’s your decision. If you’re okay with it, then yes, I am,” Paul says confidently. “Charlotte was worried about you being alone this week. If I can’t be there with you, then at least there’s someone else who is able to make you feel safe.”
“I do feel safe with Verek,” I tell him honestly.
“Then he can have your nights if I can have your days. That’s all I’m asking for,” he says, which is…surprising. And it’s a huge relief because I wasn’t ready to ask Verek to leave or stop fooling around with him, as selfish as that sounds. That was what we would’ve done if Paul hadn’t showed up out of the blue without an invitation from me, so I think he’s right. Why should we have to change our plans just because he’s here? I shouldn’t feel guilty for finally being intimate with a man of my choosing just because one day, months ago, I was engaged to someone else.
Besides, fooling around with Verek is just a physical act, one I’m already in desperate need of again. And maybe once I’m able to be intimate with him, I’ll have enough courage to try and be with Paul without feeling like I’m too broken and ruined to be touched by him.
I’m finally making progress and don’t want to have to put on the brakes, especially now that I have Paul’s permission.
Verek
* * *
For the third time since Tessa left with Paul, walking to the closest pier, I call up the prospects after getting their cell numbers from Cannon.
“Hello again, Verek,” Lucas answers. “They’re still fishing. Just fishing. No, he hasn’t laid a finger on her. Do you want me to send another picture or a video?”
“Yes,” I respond because a photo is worth more than any of his words, and videos don’t lie.
“Fine. Give me a second,” the prospect says with a sigh.
“How much longer do you think they’ll be out there? It’s been almost two hours!”
“Man, I don’t know. They still haven’t caught anything. Maybe they’re really determined to reel something in, or maybe they’re just a lot more patient than you. I’m just a bystander watching from afar, not even close enough to hear their conversation.”
“You’re worthless,” I tell him.
“So you’ve said. Sir,” he mutters, unperturbed by my insult, tacking on the word meant to mean respect in a mocking tone. We’ll see if the little shit still gives me lip once I’ve got my patches back on Monday. “I’ll call you if anything changes, and we’ll throw him over the railing if he touches her.”
“Okay. Good,” I say before ending the call and immediately making another one, this time to Cannon.
“Yo?” he answers. “What do you need now, Verek?”
“A ride,” I tell him. “My bike is still at the clubhouse, and I need to go back to my town house and make sure it’s still there.”
“Okay. I’ll try and head out of the store once the lunch rush slows down,” he says, referring to the Harley Davidson store he runs with Conrad. I start to bitch and tell him to hurry up, but I know the twins have also been helping cover the club while I was gone these past six months, basically working all day and half the night.
“Fine,” I tell him. “I’m at Tessa’s apartment. Do you know where that is?”
“Roman left the address with everyone, asking us to ride by if we’re out and about just to check on things. Guess I’m not surprised that you’re there.”
“Of course he did,” I grumble. “Which means he doesn’t trust the prospects.”
“He trusts them,” Cannon replies. “He just wants to be extra cautious now that she’s here in the city alone…”
“She’s not alone. I’m staying with her, and her former fiancé decided to show up this week, thanks to Roman and Charlotte’s meddling. I answered the door for him this morning.”
Cannon lets loose a whistle. “Did it come to blows?”
“Not yet. I don’t think he’s the fighting type. It would be a one-sided knockout, and I would look like the dick if I hit him.”
“Probably so,” he agrees. “Try not to snap.”
“I’ll try,” I reply.
“See you in a few.”
“Thanks, man,” I say before ending the call and then pacing around the apartment while I wait. I can’t stop thinking about Tessa with Paul and wondering if she’s falling for him all over again. It wouldn’t be hard since she still loves him.
And while I hate to admit it, he’s the best man for her. I’m sure good ole Paul came from a normal family; his parents are most likely still happily married and in love. He knows what it means to be with one woman forever, while I used to panic, thinking that if I let a woman stay all night in my bed, I may never be able to get rid of her. My father raised me to think women weren’t worth more than a good fuck, and then you had to move on, in order to sample as many as possible.
But now I know that after six months, I still couldn’t stop thinking about Tessa. I want to be with her, to see her every day. I’m just not sure if I have what it takes to be a decent boyfriend, much less a husband.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Tessa
* * *
“So, I had a great time with you today,” Paul says with a smile when he walks me up to my apartment, pretending we don’t have an audience of two right behind us.
“I had fun too,” I agree. I don’t get out enough, mostly because I still freak out when I see work vans or groups of men. Charlotte drags me out with her and Roman to get groceries once a week and to hang out at the clubhouse on the weekends, but that’s about it. I’ve missed the sunshine, even though it’s winter. And the pier restaurant we went to at sunset was very romantic.
“Can I see you tomorrow?” Paul asks.
“Sure.”
“We could go grab lunch and then see a movie or a show?”
“As long as it’s a comedy, I think I would enjoy either of those,” I tell him.
“Okay, good. I’ll call with the time,” he says and reaches toward my arm before dropping his hand sadly. “Have a good night.”
“You too,” I reply even though I doubt our nights will be anything alike as I shove my key into the apartment to unlock the door.
“We’re supposed to take a look around before you go inside,” Jake says.
“Oh, well, Verek’s probably here,” I say as I open the door…and find the apartment empty. “Or not.”
“Just a second,” Lucas says as both prospects slip inside and do a quick sweep for anything out of place. It seems silly but does make me feel better since Verek’s not here.
While they search, I try to figure out how I would feel if Paul went to a hotel bar and picked up a woman to take back to his room tonight. He’s bound to have slept with someone since we’ve been broken up, and that thought…doesn’t bother me at all.