“You overpaid me!” My mouth presses into a hard, flat line as I exhale through my nose. “I want to earn my way and be independent. It’s important to me.”
“I understand—”
“But?” I ask, beating him to it. He’s not taking me seriously. The humor in his eyes only proves me right.
“I’m not having you pay for dinner. The MC paid you what you earned, and I put in the rest.”
My eyes widen. “That makes it worse!” I screech. “I’m getting the money now and giving it back to you.”
As I turn, he grasps my wrist. “I have heaps of money, and I want to help you.”
With a shake of my head, I tell him, “You’ve done too much already, and I can’t take money off a man.” I peer at the ground. “Not again.” I have to earn my own way and anyway, I’m notthatperson who takes and takes and takes.
His hands move to my cheeks, tilting my head up. His eyes are intense as they gaze into mine. Up close, the gold flecks sparkle in his hazel eyes. “I. Want. You!”
I gasp, surprised by his forwardness. “Why?” He could have anyone.
“I was in the Special Forces. I always trusted my instincts, and they never let me down, so I’m not going to stop now. From the moment I saw you, I knew you were different. Tell me, did you feel anything for me when we first met?”
I hesitate. He says nothing, just waits for me to talk. “Yes, I did.”
“And now, how do you feel?”
I swallow thickly as my heart hammers. “Those feelings are stronger now.”
He slowly nods. “I’m not going to rush you, but I’m hundred percent in this. I don’t give a shit about money, but I care about you, so whatever’s mine is yours. I’ve got your card linked up to my account. I’ve already organized and picked it up.”
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out, so I shut it.
“Don’t overanalyze it. The money is there for you whenever you need it. All I want is to see you happy.”
His hand goes to the back pocket of his jeans, and he pulls out his wallet, opens it up, slides out the black-and-gold card, and hands it to me. I stare at it, and sure enough, my name is on it. I blink in disbelief. He leans down, placing a soft kiss on my lips as his hand touches my hip.
When he pulls away, he smirks. “I’ve got to get going.” He peers down. “I’ve put the card in your pocket.”
Emotion chokes up my throat. I’m worried that if I talk, I’ll cry. It’s not about the money; it’s his trust and faith in me... in us. I’ve been trying to deny my feelings because I thought it was too soon, but he’s the reason I’ve been able to keep my head above water since I’ve been here.
As he walks away, I clear my throat. “Reaper.” He turns. “Can we go for that motorcycle ride you promised me?”
The corner of his mouth curves, flashing white teeth. His smile instantly calms me, making the remaining negative energy fall away.
“We can go tomorrow.”
Rage walks in wearing shorts and no shirt. I keep my eyes above his shoulders. Viper’s hands go to Rage’s shoulders, and he shakes him. “You psyched up for your fight?”
Rage laughs and steps away from him. “Get off me.”
“I want some,” Viper says, rubbing his fingers together, making the money gesture and swaying his hips. “Money, money, money.”
“You need help! That’s what you need.”
Viper kisses the air, and Rage shakes his head and laughs again.
Viper claps and yells out, “Come on, let’s go win us some money, boys!”
Cheers roar, then they walk out the front door. When the last person walks through and the door slams shut, I run straight to Reaper’s room. My heart pumps quickly as I hurry up the stairs. When I get into his room, I dart over to the bed, jump onto it, and land on my back. I cackle to myself. I forgot how good it feels to smile... to be seen... to feel appreciated. Their motorcycles start up, and they take off. I pull my phone from my pocket and look up the local pizza spot, place an order, then set my phone beside me. I snuggle further into his pillow and close my eyes with a smile.
My eyes flutter open at the faint sound of a door opening and closing, so I know Reaper’s home. The bed dips beside me, and he shuffles over behind me until his body is flush against mine, making me smile. His arm comes around me, holding me, and he places a soft kiss on my shoulder.
