“It’s okay if you don’t feel that way,” she said, voice soft and ready to break.
“It’s not that, darlin’,” I said, shocked that she could even doubt how fucking loveable she was. I rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling while my thoughts raced. Eventually I found my balls and turned to face her open expression. “I guess I wasn’t expecting you to say those words to me. If I’m being honest, I was half expecting you were gonna tell me that you were leaving…”
“Why would you think that?” she said, looking puzzled.
“Because I’m an outlaw biker who brought trouble into your life?”
“Maybe at the start I was worried about what being with someone like you would be like…” she started. “Because I wasn’t sure if I was strong enough to feel the way I felt today, multipletimes in my life. And…” she sighed, gaze meeting mine. “I wasn’t sure I was what you wanted or needed.” Her fingers trailed down the middle of my chest.
“And now?” My voice sounded hopeful and I was, dammit. I wanted her more than I wanted my next breath.
“Now I know that I love you and Z enough that I’ll make myself strong enough to handle the fear and the worry because you both are worth it. And I think we’re really good together. Damn good,” she added with a confident grin.
“And school?” Our lives were so different that I wasn’t sure she ever imagined living in my world.
Her smile grew as she traced the line of my jaw with her finger, like she couldn’t help but touch me. “I’m almost finished and I plan to finish. I want Zoya to see that she can be anything she wants to be in this world. If she wants to be a bad-ass biker babe or a nerdy Ph.D. student, she can be that or anything else.” Her smile was gorgeous. “Helping her has really inspired me and I want to help more kids like her. And me.”
She was so amazing and she had no idea. “I love you too, Eliana. You’re too beautiful, too young, and entirely too naive. You have so much fucking life ahead of you that I feel guilty for wanting you, but I love you and I want you. I’m a greedy bastard and I want the life we could have together because I think we’d be a fucking awesome family.”
It must’ve been the right thing to say because she smiled so big it lit up the whole room, and then she kissed me, slowly and gently. “I want that too.” She deepened the kiss and moaned when my fingers slid between her thighs, pushing her hips closer.
“You’re already so fucking wet for me again.”
She pulled back and stared at my face. “I’m always wet when it comes to you.” She kissed me again, a little harder and pulled back suddenly.
“Get dressed. There’s something we have to do right now. Shit! I should have told you straight away!” She was already off the bed, searching for her clothes. She froze and looked at me. “It’s kind of hot the way I can feel you sliding down my legs.”
My gaze darkened and my pulse sped up. “Keep talking like that and we won’t leave this room for the next thirty days.”
Her lips spread into a wide grin. “Sounds good to me. But later,” she said, pointing to my clothes again. “Dressed. Now.”
I nodded. “I’m working on it.” I shoved my feet into my jeans and stood, searching for a clean shirt. “You want to tell me where we’re going?”
She shook her head, a mischievous smile on her face. “Nope. This is something you really have to experience for yourself.” Her smile was contagious and I didn’t even question it when she took my hand and dragged me from the bedroom.
“Is this necessary?” She tugged me with more force than someone her size should have and I let her because seeing her like this was incredible.
“It absolutely is. Just wait.”
I followed her through the clubhouse and into the backyard. She stopped a few feet away from where Zoya sat with Olivia, Leo, and Chopper. Zoya’s face was lit in a bright smile that made my heart beat faster. “Hey Z,” she called out. “Ready to greet your daddy?”
Zoya turned with a big-ass smile for Eliana before turning back to Chopper for a hug, then she jumped to her feet and rushed over to me with a wide smile. “Daddy, you’re back!” She threw herself at me, confident I would catch her and I did. I hugged her tight and watched Eliana with a thousand questions in my eyes.
Her eyes were wide and filled with joy. “Right?” She mouthed the word, throwing her head back with a sultry laugh.
“I told you I’d be back. I promised.” I couldn’t even believe what I was hearing, my sweet girl’s voice for the first time. “It’s so good to hear your voice, baby.” My gaze met Eliana’s again, and she was smiling so bright, eyes suspiciously damp as she watched us together.
“I love you,” I mouthed the words to her, meaning them more than I’d ever meant anything in my life. I couldn’t believe it was her, the woman I didn’t even want to hire, who not only stole my heart, but gave me my daughter back. More than anything, she gave Zoya her voice and her childhood back. It wasn’t too late for her.
“I love you more,” she mouthed in return.
Right there I promised myself that I would never do anything to make Eliana regret trusting me with her heart and her love.
Epilogue
Eliana
Six Months Later
