Page 21 of Savage Bond

I slowly spin her around so I can see her back and begin untying the corset. My fingers brush over her soft skin and I have to bite back a groan.

“How do you get out of this thing normally?” I grumble, barely able to control myself.

I want to cut it off of her. I want to drop to my knees and beg her to wear my property patch. To marry me. Anything to make her officially mine.

“I wake up Oakley or Dixie.” She shrugs like it’s normal.

“Don’t they get annoyed?”

“They used to. Now, I don’t think they care. I wear stuff like this all the time. They help me lace up the back before work and unlace it when I get home. I help them with weird things all the time. Like Oakley’s woken me up so I could braid her hair before she goes to work. We don’t complain, we just do it.”

“You girls are so weird.” I shake my head and keep working.

A few moments later, she’s free from the corset. She spins around to face me, carefully keeping the fabric in place to cover herself. She gazes up at me with so much curiosity in her eyes. I nibble on my bottom lip and shove my hands in my pockets. Anything to keep myself from touching her.

She spins around so she’s facing away from me and quickly slips my shirt over her head. As soon as she’s covered, I wrap an arm around her waist and tug her back against my chest.

“You have no clue what you do to me, baby. It’s taking every ounce of restraint I have to not kiss you,” I growl, letting my warm breath fan over her bare neck.

Roxy shivers in my arms. I'm not sure if it’s from my words or because she’s cold. I hold her a little closer and press a soft kiss to her neck.

“Why would you want to do that?” She asks barely above a whisper.

“Because I’ve wanted you for over a decade, baby. I’ve followed you around because I wanted to, not because I was asked to. You’re all I’ve ever wanted.”

“Then why didn’t you do anything about it?” She challenges me. I'm not sure if she feels the same way or if she’s pushing me to see how far I’ll go.

It’s not smart for her to push me though. I'm a man hanging on by a thread. It won't take much to push me over the edge. To beg her to give me a shot. We both know she’s safe with me and I’d never do anything she didn’t want.

“Because you’re a Reeves. That’s like signing my own death warrant.”

“Everyone’s always afraid of Daddy,” she sighs.

“Let me make something painfully clear to you, Roxy. I respect your father, but I'm not scared of him. If I thought you wanted me as much as I want you, I’d risk everything to be with you. But I'm not starting drama for you to push me away. I’d put you above everything else, but I need to know I'm not the only one interested here.”

She spins in my arms so she can meet my gaze. She stares up at me for several long moments. She’s driving me crazy, but I'm not about to push her to do something she doesn’t want.

“You’re not the only one,” she whispers so quietly I almost don’t hear her.

“I need the words, Rox. Tell me what you want.”

“I want you, Chopper.” She snakes her arms around my neck and stands on her tippy toes.

She presses her lips against mine and I instantly know I'm a goner. There’s no way I’ll survive Roxy Reeves.

Chapter 14

Roxy

I don’t know what’s wrong with me tonight. Normally I can pretend I feel nothing towards Chopper and I can keep my distance from him. I know how to keep him boxed into a non-romantic section of my brain. I was happy with him there. I knew that’s where he belonged.

Now? I don’t know what’s happening. This is uncharted territory.

I pressed my lips to his before I could lose the nerve and back away. For once, I wanted to make a decision I wanted and not think about all of the consequences I'm going to face because of it. I just wanted to act on impulse and see where it took me.

As soon as Chopper’s lips touched mine, I knew I’d be changed forever. There’s no way I can pretend I don’t want him anymore. There’s no way I’ll be able to shove him back into that non-romantic section of my brain. He’s here to stay and my brain is screaming to never let him go.

We kiss for what feels like forever and yet only a few seconds at the same time. When he steps away from me, there’s a soft smile playing on his lips. He looks so sweet, so much like the boy I fell in love with a decade ago.