It’s not unusual, but after our discussion on the deck a few days earlier, I wonder if he’s taking my rejection seriously.
“No problem. Now we can relax.”
I laugh because he’s right. This won’t be nearly as exhausting now. Mom has a way of making everything stressful.
Our waiter arrives, and we place our drink order while perusing the menu. It’s going to take some time because I’m not a fan of eating things that usually have a shell. Before I can settle on something specific, my cell buzzes with an incoming text. Since it could be Mom, I glance at the screen.
If he touches you again, I’ll break every fucking bone in his body.
There’s no name for the sender, but I don’t need to see one to know who it is. The menu falls from my hands as my head snaps up, gazing outside for a glimpse of the biker I’ve been waiting four years to see.
He’s so close to the window that I jolt.
How the hell did I miss his presence?
His brows are a thundercloud against his tanned skin. Eyes that are normally a rich brown are dark with fury, the honey color muted from the rage I can see in the clenching of his teeth. His muscled body is a canvas of dark ink exposed by his bare arms and neck, a reminder that he’s a lethal combination ofseduction and sin. An outlaw who takes what he wants and lives by his own rules.
God, Gage is magnificent.
A gasp leaves my lungs as I shove off the table to my feet, snatching up my purse and phone as I rush out of the restaurant. Excitement floods my body as quickly as desire. This is what I’ve been waiting for. Gage here, right now, with no remaining barriers between us.
I hear Brekker curse behind me, and he tries to snatch my arm, but I shrug him off. There’s no time to whisper an apology. What can I say? He’ll never be Gage. There’s no comparison.
I’m not sure what I expect, but Gage doesn’t move when I run outside, a cry of joy on my lips. He’s leaning against his bike, a cigarette dangling from his lips. His legs are kicked out, crossing at the ankles as he smokes.
I’ve never seen him look so intimidating and irresistible. The young man I knew four years ago has matured. There’s a little bit of a hard edge to his jaw and a leaner cut to his muscled frame. He’s bigger than I remember, like he’s been working out often. Maybe he’s been using the time we’ve been apart in the gym.
“Gage!” I shout, forgetting everything around me as I throw myself at the outlaw.
He flicks his cigarette to the ground and hauls me against his side. Without a word, he continues to stare down Brekker.
The marshal isn’t intimidated by Gage. His lips curl into a grin. “Gonna pee on her next to mark your territory?”
What the fuck?
Gage doesn’t answer him. Instead, he grasps my chin, tilts my head up, and devours my lips. It’s a bold, intoxicating, carnal kiss that I feel all the way to my toes. His tongue plunges inside my mouth, and he tangles ours together as I hold back a moan. I reach for his leather vest and grip the material. My head is in a fog. I hardly know what’s happening around me.
My heartbeat, the oxygen in my lungs, even the blood pumping in my veins, is all acutely aware of Gage Blade, my stepbrother, and his touch. I wonder if I’m breathing. It’s hard to tell.
The world is tilting on its axis. I don’t know which way is up. I’m panting as he breaks the kiss, holding onto my hair with his fist, ensuring I stay exactly where he wants me.
“You’re mine, Letty Jacobs.”
Oh, God. I am—every single piece of me.
“Nod. Tell me you agree and understand, baby.”
I eagerly bob my head.
Gage breaks eye contact to stare at the marshal in front of us, and I’m vaguely aware that Brekker hasn’t moved. He stood there and watched Gage ravish my mouth. In truth, Gage staked his claim.
I guess he did piss on me in his own way.
Why was that so fucking hot?
“Now you know,” he tells Brekker.
“Know what, asshole?”
