Page 16 of Savage Bond

Within five minutes, the bar is empty except for Chopper, who’s still staring at me.

“C’mon, baby. Let’s get you home.” He rounds the bar and takes my hand in his.

I don’t miss the tingles that spread up my arm and through my body with his physical contact. We’ve always had a spark between us, but we both know nothing can come of it. I'm off limits. Even though Storm somehow got Dad’s blessing, I don’t think Chopper will have the same type of luck.

I also don’t want to be with someone who’s constantly trying to save me. I want a man who will let me stand on my own two feet.

“I’m just walking home,” I murmur, trying to pull away from him.

“Nah, it’s one o’clock in the morning. There’s no way I'm letting you walk home alone. I don’t trust that someone won't try to touch you and I don’t share.”

“Oh my gosh! I'm not yours, Chopper. How many times do we need to go over this?” I tug my hand away from him and he lets me.

But a moment later I'm pinned between Chopper’s muscular body and the wall. He has a hand on either side of my head and I know there’s no way I’ll get away from him unless he lets me go.

If another man tried this with me, I’d have him on the floor and I’d be trying to figure out the best way to inflict the most harm to him. Yet I’d never hurt Chopper and I know he’d never do anything to hurt me.

“We’ll keep going over this until you realize you’re wrong. You’re mine. I won't allow any other man to have you.”

“So, I’ll just stay single forever.” I smirk.

“We both know you want what Dixie and Storm have, even if you’ll never admit it.”

“I don’t want some man to keep tabs on me. I can handle myself,” I growl, shoving at his chest, but he doesn’t move an inch.

Chopper leans in closer and skims his nose up the column of my neck. His warm breath fans over my exposed skin and it takes everything in me to not shiver at the contact. I’ve never wanted someone to kiss me as badly as I want him to right now.

“You might not want a man to keep tabs on you, but you want someone to lean on. You want a man who will be strong for you and let you be feminine. Someone who doesn’t expect you to be strong and fierce all the time. Someone who will let you be yourself and not the person you pretend to be,” he whispers against the shell of my ear.

I feel like I'm going to melt into a puddle at his feet. How does he see through my carefully constructed mask? How does he know that’s exactly how I feel?

He pulls back and meets my gaze. A smirk slowly spreads across his plump lips. I want to lean in and kiss him. I want to put both of us out of our misery and finally know what it’s like to be consumed by him… but I'm not letting him win.

“You don’t know anything.” I slip under his arm and grab my purse off the bar. I know I only got away from him because he let me, but I'll act like that isn't the case. Anything to keep me confident and not feeling weak.

I push open the door to the bar and impatiently wait for Chopper to follow me. After locking up, I turn and begin walking towards the clubhouse. My apartment that I share with Oakley is on the compound and annoyingly next to Chopper’s apartment. Storm and Dixie live on the other side of us.

I don’t make it five steps before an arm snakes around my waist and tugs me against his solid chest.

“I don’t think so, baby. Get on my bike or I’ll call your daddy.”

“Chopper!” I stomp my foot as I stick out my bottom lip in a pout. I don’t like being treated like a child.

Chopper spins me around in his arms and smirks when he sees my pout. He shakes his head and chuckles under his breath.

“It will never stop amazing me how adorable you are when you pout. It transforms you from this tough biker princess to this soft sexy woman.” He holds me a little closer. I can feel every hard plain of his body against mine. “Please, get on my bike, baby. I don’t want anything to happen to you.” Gone is the demand in his voice and in its place is a soft, gentle tone.

“Fine,” I sigh. “But only because I really want to take a bath and this is cutting into my bath time.”

Chopper takes his time slipping a helmet over my head and buckling the strap under my chin. He mounts his motorcycle and waits for me to climb on behind him.

When I don’t wrap my arms around him, he glances over his shoulders and raises a brow. I roll my eyes and barely hold onto his waist. He chuckles, his body shaking, as he grabs my hands and tugs me tighter against him. Every part of me is pressed up against his back.

I wish I could ride on the back of Chopper’s bike every day. I’d love to hold onto him and lean my head against his back… but he can never be mine. It’s not allowed. That’s why I always act like I hate him. It’s easier than admitting I want more with him and not being allowed the chance.

The bike rumbles to life and a moment later, Chopper takes off down the road. The cool night air beats against my hands, making me shiver. I have a jacket on, but it’s doing nothing for my fingers. When we stop at a traffic light, Chopper slips my hands beneath the hem of his shirt and rests them against his warm skin. He squeezes my thigh before taking off again.

I don’t know how he notices everything I do, but he does. He knew I was cold and even though my fingers against his bare skin will make him colder, he doesn’t care. He’ll always put me first and I know it.