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“That’s a great idea, Kimmie. He’ll be safe. And you could use a little time to yourself,” Bella adds, shooting Ringo a look that I can’t decipher.
Remmy looks at me with excitement brimming in his eyes. “Yeah, Mom, can I go? Please?”
I look between the three of them, my instincts warring with the trust that has been slowly building in Ringo. “You’re sure it’s safe?” I ask, needing reassurance more than anything.
Ringo steps a little closer to me, his hand brushing against mine as he leans in, his voice dipping just for her. “I’ll be with him the whole time, Kimmie. You know I’d never let anything happen to him.”
The promise in his voice calming my frazzled nervousness, but it was the look in his eyes that was making my pulse race.
There was something there, something making me feel...wanted. An unfamiliar sensation And it terrifies me with how much I want to give in to it.
I nod, feeling both relief and an unfamiliar ache. “Okay, but you better bring him back in one piece.”
Ringo smirks back with a cocky grin, surprising me. “Wouldn’t dream of it any other way.”
Walking further into the cafe, the warm, familiar scent of cappuccino wrapping around us. Remmy quickly finds a seat in the back corner, already diving into his game, leaving the rest of us to our usual routine.
Ringo orders a coffee but takes it into the kitchen. I’ve noticed how he avoids crowded areas and also how his sentences become more stilted while speaking to other people not close to him.
Exactly how he spoke with me in the beginning but seems to do a lot better with it now.
Being several minutes early for work, we take our coffee to the couch in Bella’s office. The soft light from the overhead lamp casting a soft glow around the room.
Ringo leans back, studying me with an intensity that makes me feel exposed, like he can see right through me.
“You’re thinking awfully hard,” he says, his voice a gentle rumble that she feels all through her.
Huffing, I stir my coffee absently. “Can you blame me? You spring this ranch trip on me out of nowhere. I didn’t even know you had other kids out there.”
Ringo chuckles, reaching out to still my hand. “Relax. They aren’t mine. They belong to some of my club brothers and their wives.”
I release a breath I didn’t even know I was holding in and he grins even bigger.
“I wouldn’t offer to take him out there if it wasn’t safe, plus the other kids wouldn’t be out there either. Besides, you need some time to breathe. When’s the last time you did something just for you?”
My breath stills at his touch, my mind momentarily blanking. “I...don’t remember,” she admitted softly.
His thumb begins to trace lazy circles on the skin of my hand, his touch warm and grounding, drawing all of my attention to it. “You’ve been running on empty for too long. Let me take care of this, take care of you for a bit.”
My heart pounds, my gaze locking on his. I feel an overwhelming need to argue, to push him away before I fall for him, but the way he’s looking at me, the way he’s started making me feel more alive, desired, and safe is too much to fight at this moment.
“I don’t need you to take care of me, Ringo. I’ve done pretty well on my own for thirteen years.” I whisper, though, even I can tell my words lack conviction.
His eyes darken with a hint of frustration and something else I can’t quite name flickering there. “Maybe not. But I want to. I feel like I have to. Just let me in, Kimmie.”
His words send a shiver down my spine, that desire for a man that I’ve not allowed myself to feel in years bubbling up from somewhere deep.
My defenses are starting to crumble, and the way he keeps looking at me, like I’m the only thing in the world that might matter to him, makes it nearly impossible to keep them locked away.
Without thinking, I lean forward, closing the distance between us. “Why are you doing this?” I ask, my voice barely more than a breath.
Ringo’s hand tightens around mine, his gaze dropping to my lips before returning to my eyes again. “Because I can’t stop thinking about you.”
My heart slams against my ribs, the weight of his words making me dizzy. Knowing deep down what he’s offering, more than just rides to and from work. He’s offering himself, all of him, and it scares the absolute shit out of me.
But it excites me, too.
Slowly, I nod, giving him the answer we both want. “Okay.”
