And no, my nerves have nothing to do with the secret I’m keeping from her.
I scan the sea of faces, searching, waiting…
And then, she enters.
Vivienne is vision in a flowing black gown, her smile wide and radiant, and I fall in love with her all over again. She’s stunning. Absolutely breathtaking. Her dark brown hair, usually falling down her back, is neatly pulled back, revealing the delicate curve of her neck. The sunlight catches the subtle highlights, making them shimmer like gold.
I watch my girl move through the storm of people, her eyes searching, and when they find mine, I watch as that beautiful smile widens. And then she’s running toward me, flinging herarms around my shoulders with such giddy joy that I can’t help but mirror her.
“I did it,” she whispers into my ear, her arms tightening around my neck. “God, Kyle. I did it. I…I didn’t think I could do it.”
“You did it,” I respond, tightening my arms around her, holding her close to me.
“Thank you.”
“No, baby, it was all you,” I assure her, pulling back to look at those pretty hazel eyes, filled with tears now. “Congratulations.”
She laughs, wiping the tears with the backs of her hands as she turns to acknowledge the others with me. I want to hold her tight by my side and never let go, but I move aside and give them a chance to congratulate her.
She’s glowing. Her cheeks are flushed, her eyes sparkling with more unshed tears. Lord above, she looks perfect!
I want her. My desires are far too explicit for such a public place, but Christ, I’m already hard just thinking of getting her someplace private and giving her a proper congratulations. She could keep the graduation gown on as I lick her top to bottom, savoring the honey-sweet juices of her arousal.
Fuck!
I need to control myself.
My phone rings in my jacket and I welcome the distraction, excusing myself from the crowd and stepping away to answer it. I feel Viv’s eyes follow me and when I turn around, her brows are knitted. I toss her a grin.
“Everything’s ready,” the voice on the other end of the line says. “The keys are in the lock box. I’ll text you the code.”
“Thanks,” I say before hanging up.
I’m not good at keeping secrets from my girlfriend. It’s hard to get anything past her, which shows how distracted she’s been these last couple of weeks. Hell, months. Preparing for her graduation and working on last-minute school details has kept her occupied enough that she barely noticed the secret phone calls and late-night meetings I had with her brother and her friends.
I don’t immediately walk back to her, instead standing back and watching the love of my life interact with our MC family and other friends. Attending college was a dream Viv never thought she could pursue, and when she mentioned it in passing one day, I couldn’t get it out of my mind. I shared her dream with her brother and together, we encouraged her to chase after it. And she did.
“Are you going to stand there just watching her?” A hand claps my shoulder and I turn around to find Knox standing next to me. “She looks beautiful, doesn’t she?”
“Stunning,” I respond.
“It’s just yesterday I was carrying her to daycare,” he says, his voice thick with emotion. “Christ, how time flies.” He turns to me. “I’m trusting you with my baby sister, Kyle. I know you’ll take good care of her.”
I take the blessing for what it is. He knows what I plan on doing today, and this is his final stamp of approval. “I will,” I assure him. “I’ll protect her with my life.”
“Good.”
We turn to watch her for a bit and when she beckons us over, we go. I wrap a possessive arm around her waist and pull her to my side. “The party’s happening at Crown’s, right?” she asks, alluding to the club she manages.
“Yes,” I tell her. I just don’t point out that the main guest of honor won’t be there. “Everything’s already set.”
Slowly, the conversation winds down and everyone heads to their motorcycles so we can all ride to the restaurant. “You’re driving?” she asks when she spots the car, seemingly disappointed that I didn’t bring the bike in. “Did something happen to the bike?”
“No,” I say, opening the front door for her. Her brows knit but she climbs in, waits until I’m in the driver’s seat to ask me again.
“Kyle, everyone’s riding their bikes to the restaurant,” she whispers, peering out the window as my brother rides past us. “Were you worried about my gown?”
“Nope.”
