“Yes, I take pride in using my skills to help people. I wasn’t exactly poor when I joined the Hounds, but it’s a big plus that what we earn from it means my family will never want for anything. Our work might not be strictly legal, but a form of justice that is even stronger. That’s the code I live by.”
I thought back to what Ace had told me about Ronan and how he’d earned his road name. “I get it.”
“Thank you, baby.” He tipped my chin up. “You can trust me to keep the darkness away from you. Because I will. Every fucking day.”
It sounded like a vow he meant to keep. And I hoped the life I wanted to build with him on the farm would bring light to his darkness.
14
REBEL
When sunlight started to slip in through the blinds, Clara was tucked into my side. Her head was resting on my shoulder, her long chestnut hair splayed out behind her, and her breathing slow and even.
I took a moment to savor how fucking perfect it felt waking up with her in my bed, her curvy body molded seamlessly against mine. Like she’d been meant to be there all along.
I loved being at the orchard, but her small apartment was a tight squeeze for a man my size. So we’d slept at my place the past couple of nights.
My phone buzzed on the nightstand, dragging me out of my reverie, and I realized it was what had woken me up in the first place. I reached out and grabbed it, careful not to wake Clara. The screen illuminated with King’s name, and the short text sent a ripple of tension through my body.Fucking hell.
King
Progress. My office. ASAP
My muscles tensed, and I sucked in a deep breath, releasing it slowly. If the interruption was anything else, I would haveignored it and stayed in bed with my woman. A low growl of irritation rumbled in my throat as I eased carefully away from Clara, my body immediately protesting the absence of her warmth.
She stirred, her eyelids fluttering open, and she peered up at me, still soft and sleepy. She looked so adorable and fucking sexy at the same time. My eyes drifted down her bare curves beneath the sheet, my cock twitching in appreciation. It took every ounce of my self-control to keep from rolling her beneath me and driving my cock back inside her.
Every time I took her was incredible, but there’d been something different about her last night. Less tense, and more settled. For some reason, that had made her horny as hell. She’d been so damn tight and hot, giving herself to me over and over, leaving us both spent.
“Morning.” Stretching languidly, her tits pushed up with the motion, and the urge to bend down and take one of her pretty nipples into my mouth made my cock ache. She winced slightly and laughed softly. “Good grief, Ronan. I feel like I ran a marathon last night.”
I couldn’t stop the slow smirk that curved my lips as I admired the fresh flush that rose on her cheeks. “You took it like a fucking champ, baby. Gonna feel me for days.”
She giggled, a sound that tightened my chest and made my cock even harder. I loved her laugh. Fuck, I loved everything about her. It wasn’t exactly a shocking realization, but it still took me a second to let the thought sink in.
She must have seen something on my face because when she looked up at me, her amber eyes were serious despite her teasing. “Everything okay?”
I hesitated for a second before nodding tightly. It wasn’t the right time to talk about my emotional revelations, so I skirted around the topic. “King needs me at the clubhouse.” I brushedmy fingers lightly over her flushed cheek. “I’ll drop you at the orchard on my way. But I’ll be back there as soon as I can, okay?”
She pushed up onto her elbow, the sheet falling to her waist and baring her soft tits, drawing my hungry gaze like a magnet. Fucking torture.
“I understand.”
She didn’t press for details, she never did. But same as last night, I felt like she was different today. More trusting and content.
Rubbing her eyes, she sat up fully. The sheet dropped completely as she pushed the messy strands of hair from her face. “Give me ten minutes, and I’ll be ready.”
I watched as she scooted off the bed, leaving the sheet behind and giving me a perfect view of her bare ass as she strode toward the bathroom. Once she was at the door, she glanced back at me over her shoulder with a coquettish smile. “Are you coming?”
I fucking wish.
Shaking my head, I sighed. “If I follow you in there, we’ll never get out of here, Clara.”
Her eyes sparkled with mischief and desire. “I guess I’ll just have to wash every inch of my body by myself this morning.”
“Little tease,” I muttered, shaking my head as I forced myself up and out of bed. My erection throbbed painfully as I pulled on jeans and a clean shirt. I forced my attention to getting ready, rather than the wet, naked woman singing off-key in my shower.
When we were finally dressed, we hopped on my motorcycle and headed to the orchard. The ride passed too quickly, her arms wrapped securely around my waist, her soft body pressed against my back. We pulled into Winslet Orchard and Farm’s familiar gravel driveway. The place was already bustling with early morning festival activity, vendors arriving, stalls being set up, and the scent of freshly baked apple pies and cider donuts drifting out from the store.
