“Because I wanted to.Because I had been fighting the need to kiss you since I put you on the back of my bike.”
“You kissed me because you wanted to.”She lifted her gaze to his face again.“Is there anything else you want?”She didn’t know if she was making a mistake or not, but she trailed one finger down his chest, smoothing it down the soft cotton of his t-shirt while she watched his reaction.
Hawkeye’s brown eyes turned soft.He reached up and ran the back of one finger along the side of her face.
“Yeah, sweetheart, there’s more I want.But there are things you need to understand first.”
“What?”She frowned.Was it something horrible?Something she wouldn’t be able to live with?
“Number one and most important is this one.Once I’m inside you, you’re mine.No other man will touch you.If they try, I’ll be standing there between you and them.”He fell silent and watched her, as if he wanted to give that time to sink in.
“Can I ask something?”
“Of course.If we’re alone, you can always ask anything you want.You can tell me no, you can scream and hit me if you need to.But in front of my brothers, I need you to be a little more circumspect.Show respect to me and them, okay?”
She nodded.She could show respect.She had lots of practice at that.
“Actually, I have two questions about that.One, if I’m yours and no one else can touch me, what about you?Does anyone else get to touch you?”She remembered the way the Royal Crows had no qualms about walking up to the women there—well, not her, but the others—and demanding that they get on their knees.Or they would push them forward over a table or the back of a chair, remove whatever underthings she was wearing, if anything, then have sex there in public.She didn’t know if any of them had someone they called their own but none of them hadn’t been involved in the public sex that went on nearly anytime someone was awake.
He blinked.“Of course not.”
“Not “of course not.””She shook her head slightly.“Remember, I grew up in Jericho.Many of the men there have three or four wives.Some have as many as eight or nine.I was not raised to expect a man to be faithful to me, even though I was expected to look at no one but him.It always seemed a bit, I don’t know, off, to me.Are you going to be only with me or are the women around a club like this still fair game?”
“I’m not going to lie to you, Delilah.We have women around here, women who are here to sleep with a biker.But there’s a big difference in the women here and the ones we pulled out of the Crows clubhouse.”
She didn’t know what to say, so she remained quiet, waiting for him to tell her what the difference was.
“Those women, we call them club mamas, are here because they want to be here.No one is forcing them.If they don’t want what happens here, they simply choose not to show up.I know that wasn’t the case with a lot of the women where you were.But to answer the question that started this, no.If you’re mine, then I’m yours and I won’t touch anyone else.What was your second question?”
“How long?”She couldn’t stand to watch him, so she let her gaze drop to the collar of his shirt.She didn’t want him to see how much the thought of him setting her aside like Warren had hurt.She ignored the tear that leaked from one eye and fell silently to the pillow.She didn’t want to draw his attention to it by wiping it away.
He didn’t answer for what felt like a long time.After a while, she realized he was watching her, waiting.For what she had no idea.
“Look at me, Delilah.”His voice was gentle, yet unyielding.
If she didn’t look at him, he’d find a way to make her.Not that he would hurt her.She’d realized already that he wouldn’t hurt her if he could help it.Slowly, not ready to see what he was thinking, she lifted her gaze to his face.She hadn’t expected the sorrow in his eyes.
“Little dove,” he cupped one side of her face in the palm of his hand.“Once you’re mine, it’s permanent.No divorce, no setting anyone aside.We have a disagreement, we talk it out.We get mad, we can fuck it out or find something else that works for us.But if I make you mine, you’re mine forever.Got that?”He met her gaze.She could see the serious glint there.Something in her warmed.
“Why would you want to tie yourself to someone who can’t give you children?”
“Sweetheart, I’m not convinced that’s true.”
“What do you mean?”She searched his face.“Not one pregnancy in six years.Of course I’m barren.”
“Delilah.”His voice was patient this time.“It takes two.You said he was older, older than me, right?”
She nodded, not seeing where he was going with this.
“Did he have any other children?Had he had any wives before you, do you know?”
She frowned and tried to remember everything Warren said.Had he mentioned ever having a wife or sleeping with anyone other than her?
“No kids and I don’t think he was married in Jericho, but he may have been with someone before.”She rolled her eyes upward as she tried to find the rest of the memory that was teasing her mind.Something she couldn’t quite place.“He mentioned something one time.Something along the lines he would finally have the child she would never give him.”Delilah shook her head.“It was only the once, and so long ago I may not be remembering it right.”
“See, if he’d been with several women, and still no children, then the problem is probably the common denominator.”
She scowled.“I’m not following.I mean, you said you’ve been with women ...do you have kids?”
