If that meant watching him talk nonsense to a giant man who looked like he ate toddlers for breakfast, who was I to stop it.
Then Oscar started to cry, and I hurried out into the hall. Stryker was helping him up and checking his head. From the gentle way he handled him, I guessed Oscar fell over. He’s good at walking but he’s a little clumsy. Stryker set him on his feet and handed him his puppy, then sat back down. Oscar stopped crying and after a few moments of contemplation, he sat down beside the chair, closer this time.
Stryker looked up and caught me watching and gave a simple nod, then went back to being the silent protector.
That’s when I figured out what Dana could actually like about him. Her attraction is to the fighter, she doesn’t know this side of him, I doubt many people do.
Then Raven showed up with things that both of us would need. Some of it was from my house.
“Did you really think he didn’t have a key?” she asked at my confusion then laughed at my irritation. “He’s gonna be all up in your business now, honey. Speaking of which,” she lifted a bag, made sure Oscar and Stryker weren’t paying any attention and tossed it to me.
My cheeks burned so hot I almost threw the bag back at her as she laughed. It had red lacy lingerie inside.
“You’re welcome,” she told me.
It was nice to have her here, she took my mind off everything that kept threatening to consume me. She was good with Oscar too, saying no one had any idea he existed.
When I asked if she knew who the mom might be she said no, but she looked at Oscar for a long time after that, giving me the impression she was figuring it out.
“When Nero’s ready, he’ll tell you.”
It’s odd hearing people call him that. It happened a lot last night. He was that man last night, and I was glad of it. For a while I struggled with the memory of him shooting someone but rationalized it to keep myself from getting too caught up. That was the man who burst into thebasement, who ran at me, trying to get to us, who shot the door of the panic room.
They tried to kill Jesse by tampering with his medication.
The fridge has plenty of food and Raven brought more when she came. It’s getting late so I decide to cook dinner. To keep my mind active. I’ll have to wake Oscar up soon or he won’t sleep tonight.
When did this happen? When did I start worrying about someone else’s son? It comes naturally. He’s a part of Noah. One who will always be around. I’m glad I got to know him before this happened, he trusts me.
“Hey,” Noah comes up behind me. “What are you busy thinking about out here?”
“You should be asleep.”
“I got a couple of hours.”
“It’s not enough.”
He wraps his arms around my waist and buries his face in my hair. I still and let him wrap himself around me. I’m starting to see that Noah needs to have this side of him, when he’s away from the club, with Oscar. With me.
His hand moves upwards, and he cups my breast.
“What are you doing?”
“Just making sure you’re okay?”
“You’re making surethisis okay?” I indicate where his hand is.
“Yeah,” he kisses my neck and slips his hand under the T-shirt, tugging down the bra so he can pinch my nipple. “Making sure you’re here. You’re safe.”
My head tilts back to his shoulder. This is really not the time, but I don’t stop him. He lowers his other hand and slides it inside my pants.
“Here too,” he murmurs, one finger pressing inside. “This feels very real,” he nips my earlobe making me moan.
I have to set down the knife I’m holding and grab onto the counter as he teases my nipple and pushes another finger inside me. He works his fingers faster and whispers for me to be quiet, which is almost impossible when he thrusts his hard cock against me.
“You’re mine, Cherry. No one is ever going to hurt you as long as I’m alive.”
“Don’t say that,” I shake my head, coming out of the lust induced haze.
