AllFreeNovel
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I close my eyes and adjust until my forehead is resting in the middle of his broad back as I nod in understanding and acknowledgement. My lips won’t form the words needed to tell him that he’s wrong and that I don’t belong on the back of his bike.
Because he isn’t wrong and for the first time since we spent the night together, writhing with passion written on our skin, I can’t deny it for my own sake.
Crosby gives my hands one more squeeze and then lets go, but the echo of his touch remains. As I brace my hand against his shoulder, I climb off from behind him, unsure about how to move forward with him even though I’m willing to admit that it’s what I want.
Instead of looking into his dark, fathomless eyes, I stare down at the ground. He unsnaps my helmet and places it on the seat of his bike, not caring that a woman’s helmet, with glitter, is sitting on his bike like a talisman. With his thumb and forefinger Crosby grips my chin and lifts my head. The affection swirling in his gaze when I meet his eyes has me forgetting how to breathe.
I’ve refused to acknowledge the way he looks at me, but now it seems it’s the only thing I can see.
Fuck. I’ve been an idiot.
“You, firefly,” there’s a growl in his voice that has the hairs at the nape of my neck standing at attention, “you never look down. You hold your head high. I know why you pushed me away. I could see it in your eyes,” he answers my question as my mouth drops open to ask him how he could possibly know. His fingers release my chin, and his calloused fingers slide along my jaw and hook around the back of my neck, grounding me and making me feel small and cherished at the same time. “I don’t blame you for it and we don’t owe an explanation to anyone other than ourselves.”
“You waited for me to figure it all out,” my words aren’t a question but a statement of fact.
Because I know Crosby has been waiting for me. To get over my fears and myself. And then to heal.
He nods slowly, his eyes lighting up in the last of the sunset that held us in its embrace as we rode his bike. “I’d wait forever, Sioux.” His eyes fill with pain and his voice goes gruff, “But we also know that forever isn’t guaranteed.”
I lick my lips as the memory of the way he looked down on me that day flashes in my mind. Again. It causes a shiver to slide up my spine and Crosby grounds me by giving the back of my neck a squeeze.
“No, it’s not,” I murmur the words, knowing that he’ll hear me.
He always seems to hear me. With a smirk gracing his lips, which shouldn’t make him even hotter. “I might not want to share you, especially when you’re being sweet right now,” I scoff and he chuckles softly, “but I know you want to see Wrenley.”
“I do,” I narrow my eyes again as if she’s standing in front of me and she’ll break down and tell me all her secrets because of my look.
Crosby tilts his head back and his laughter floats on the air around us. How the hell does a man laughing make me feel like fireworks are going off inside of my body? It makes no damn sense, but here we are just the same.
“I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of that look, Firefly,” he teases.
“See that you don’t keep secrets from me then,” I sass him right back.
He wraps an arm around my shoulders and leads me toward the double doors of the clubhouse. I ponder the devil’s skull emblem as we get closer to it. While I won’t try and pretend that the bikers of the DSMC aren’t rough, and they sure as hell will let violence rein when they need to, but I haven’t met a brother who I find scary. Quite the opposite.
I’ve felt included within their ranks right from the beginning. Those they hold close are treated like family. And the way they stand together to support their family is awe inspiring.
I wasn’t expecting the men of the DSMC the first time I came to visit Wrenley as she was hiding out from her biker stalker. Honestly, I was ready to meet more men like Anarchy, who I met the night he set his sights on my best friend. It was my suggestion to go to The Alloy Riot to have a drink and to maybe find Wrenley a hook-up for the night.
I had no idea it was a biker owned bar and I was horrified when she finally told me everything that was going on and how Anarchy wouldn’t leave her alone. While I was grateful that she found protection with the DSMC, I wasn’t expecting anything more than misogynistic posturing and men who thought women existed only for their pleasure.
I’ve never been more pleased to be wrong in my life.
The moment I walked into the clubhouse, I felt the difference in atmosphere. Seeing Wrenley taken care of is all I wanted and needed. Nothing could have prepared me for meeting Crosby that night.
It was clear he wanted me because the hunger was easy to read in his eyes, but there was something deeper there as well. Something I wanted to run from. I don’t think I want to run anymore.
When Crosby swings open one of the doors, the music, laughter, and general tomfoolery of the brothers assaults me. I find myself smiling because of it. It sounds like everyone is having fun, but, more than that, it sounds like home.
Crosby kisses my temple and I force myself to lean into it instead of recoiling. I’ve done enough running. It’s time to face what has made me so afraid.
His large hand slides down from my shoulder to the small of my back, goosebumps rising on my skin in the wake of his touch. As we enter the large common room, heads swing our way, and our closeness is not missed. By anyone.
I hear a squeal and barely have enough time to brace before the impact of Wrenley’s body against mine pushes me back a step. Crosby growls under his breath next to me and his fingers tense against my back. If it was any other man, I would doubt the ability of his one hand, really just his fingers, from stopping my fall, but I’m pretty sure my hulking man could accomplish such a feat.
“Wrenley,” there’s a gentle warning in Crosby’s voice, “be careful.”
When I glance up at him to tell him I’m fine, the look on his face has me pausing. He’s glancing between us as if he’s unsure whether he’s warning her to be careful for my sake or hers. I narrow my eyes at him much the same way I did outside while thinking about the fact that my best friend is hiding something from me.
