Page 107 of Dark Surrender

“Good. If that ever changes for any reason, look me up, and I’ll put you up, keep you safe, and introduce you to my daughters-in-law and grandbabies.”

Oh.

“I… Um.” I fumble, oddly touched by his offer. “Thank you.”

Bear hums. “No. Thank you for doin’ this. Since we can’t do anythin’ more than bring ya to our safe house, you gotta do all the hard shit, and I’m not keen on the women gettin’ involved.”

“I think we’ve got this.” The tight smile I offer him isn’t all that convincing, but my tone might sell my fake optimism. Even if I haven’t exactly done this sorta job before, I’m familiar with how they run and what I need to do.

“Oh. I’m sure ya do. You’ve been takin’ care of these kinda things for a while now, haven’t ya?” Bear raises a brow, and I quickly look away so he can’t read my face.

It’s true that I’ve been taking care of these things for quite a while. Cell’s been feeding us info for years. More than half of the homes we take care of, if you call it that, were tied to the Texas chapter, which means this man’s direct chapter.

Resting my elbows on my knees, I clasp my hands together in front of me. “Ummm.” I stall, unsure how to play this. I’m in a house with mostly strangers who are men, and while I know Sola and Kali would have my back in most cases, would they have it when it comes to the men they’re tied to? Something tells me their loyalty would lie with them, not a woman they just met. As sad as that may be, I can’t say I don’t understand. ‘Cause I do.

When I say nothing more and Dark continues his internal battle, Bear doesn’t let me off easy. “There are two of ya. Always leavin’ us a mess to clean up.”

Smart man.

Sitting up straight, I slap my legs, blow out a loud, messy breath from my lips that makes them vibrate, then look at Bear straight on. “Guiltyyy,” I sing, hoping my shit attempt at cuteness keeps me from getting in trouble.

Throwing his head back, Bear laughs with his entire body. His big chest bounces, his blue eyes light up, and he smiles from ear to ear.

It’s contagious, and even I get bitten by the laughing bug.

Dark stops his pacing and just now notices Bear hanging with me on the porch. As Bear’s laughter simmers, Dark approaches the bottom step. “You’re not hittin’ on my woman, are ya, Prez?” he teases.

“I sure as fuck hope not. If he wants to live,” a man says from behind us, making me jump.

Looking over my shoulder, Ghost’s standing beside the front door, his back against the old siding, arms crossed over his chest, rocking a smirk. He nods a hello my way as Bear blows him an air kiss.

Ghost catches it and slaps it to his crotch. “Promises. Promises,” he goads, and Bear grunts as if his VP just made this conversation awkward.

Offering me his hand, Dark meets my gaze. “Let’s take a walk.”

Saying a quick goodbye to Bear, I slide my palm into Dark’s, and we do just that, around the old farmhouse. There’s a barn out back full of bikes and a man guarding the front door. Dark two-finger greets the brother, and we continue our way. Hand in hand, without talking.

What is there to say?

I was only half joking about the virginity thing. It would make things easier to get it out of the way, so both of us could stop thinking about it. Up until I met Dark, I didn’t think about it much at all. Now it’s always there, every time I see him, a niggling in my gut. A wonder. An itch that needs scratched.

His fingers in mine force goosebumps across my skin, and my heart to skip beats.

“I want your first time to be special,” Dark whispers into the night. “Until I can make that happen, we gotta table the sex talk.”

“Okay.”

“I can’t tell if this is legit, okay? Or a woman’s one that’s not actually okay?”

“Can it be both?” I tease.

“No.”

“Fine. It’s… complicated. We could use a distraction. Tomorrow morning, I’m supposed to leave for a job. The past forty-eight hours have been… a lot.” More than a lot, but he already knows that.

“We’re not using your first time as a distraction. But…” Dark’s words trail off, and his hand in mine tightens as he quickens his pace, which forces me to keep up. We race around the farmhouse and past Bear and Ghost, making out on the porch.

“Get a room. Ya fuckin’ pervs,” Dark teases as we enter the house, through the living room full of men. He drags me up the stairs only for us to be catcalled and cheered the entire journey, as if everyone knows what’s about to happen. Only they don’t, because we’ve never had sex and we aren’t having sex. That doesn’t stop the butterflies from doing their thing or my pussy from getting wet. I can’t help it. When an eager man pulls you up a flight of stairs, it gives you mixed signals.