And incredibly hard on him.
When he opens his eyes, I can seehim.
“Haven’t we already discussed this,cariño? You’re mine. I’m yours. And we both protect the other,” he says softly, stepping closer and wrapping his arms around my waist. “You’re my girl, Roxie. I’m always going to protect you. In any way I can, for the rest of my life. If that means working four jobs so you don’t have to, I’ll do it. If that means keeping you out of sight of the people who actively hurt you, I’d do that too. I’myour man, and I’m so glad to be. Let me protect you, let me hold the sky up for just a little bit while you rest easy. Or,” he says quickly when I open my mouth to try and give him a rebuttal. “Or, I can at least share some of the load you carry, so it’s not so heavy.”
My heart feels like it’s going to beat out of my chest because that might have been the most romantic thing he’s ever said to me. And he’s said some pretty romantic shit.
“You want to help me hold up my sky? But you have your own to hold.”
Ty kisses my forehead and whispers, “It’s all I want. To help you, to hold you, to support you, to keep you. My sky…” He takes a soft breath. “My sky means nothing without you.”
My breath catches in my throat as I try not to let the weight of his words wrap around me.
“Ty…” I say softly, not really knowing what to say to a confession like that, but I cup his face with my hands, holding this precious human who for some unknown reason, picked me to be his. “I love you.”
A genuine smile lights up his face and he whispers, “I love you too, baby.”
“Let me help you. Please,” I say softly, matching his volume as we stay wrapped in our bubble. “I won’t…go overboard. But maybe I can help enough that you don’t need to fight anymore.”
Ty sighs heavily, dropping his gaze to the ground before looking at me, his hand comes up to brush my cheek softly like I’m precious. I lean into his touch and move my hands from his face to his waist, clutching his shirt in between my fingers.
“They’re your family, Ty. And you’re my family. No matter what happens, that’s not changing. We’re family. So let me help you,” I plead softly with him to let me support him in some way.
Ty doesn’t answer, but his thumb brushes over my cheek lovingly before he nods.
Yes, thank god.Breathing a little sigh of relief, I lean up and kiss his lips softly.
“Together, okay?” I ask, showing him that this, us, it’s about working through this life together, not alone.
The corners of Ty’s mouth tip up just slightly in a gentle grin and he nods.
“Together.”
CHAPTER 24
A few dayspass before I can convince Ty to let me come to one of his fights.
He bends over backwards to keep me safe and happy, but trying to let me do the same for him is like pulling teeth. Could I just show up? Oh, sure I could.
But I know the risks that would be taking; putting myself in the same space as Mickey and Cory. Potentially distracting Ty mid-fight, causing him to lose focus, not to mention the possibility of more of Mickey’s lackeys starting some shit. Now, all of that, I’d walk into willingly if that meant I’d be there for him if he needed me.
I had to ride him so hard that his eyes rolled back and he fell back against the pillows before I pleaded my case.
Is it bad that I felt oddly powerful watching this big, burly, dangerous man breathing heavily, completely in pleasure-filledbliss thatIbrought him to and then using his haze to get him to agree to what I want?
Manipulative? Totally. But I’ll do whatever I need to in order to keep him safe.
Let’s be so real here for a second. Ty doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want to do. I know that if hereallydidn’t want me to, he’d have told me by now. But here we are, days later, and he’s not mentioned anything.
I’m putting on the last swipes of mascara on my lashes, painting my war paint on before going into battle, and a beautiful sight leans on the doorframe, staring at me in the mirror.
Ty’s arms are crossed as he leans against the dark wooden frame, shirtless–I might add, with grey sweatpants hanging low on his hips giving me that mouth-watering view of his Adonis belt. That harsh v of muscle trailing down to…other things.
Makes me feral, every time.
“Please tell me that’s not what you’re wearing,” I say, mouth slightly open as I add more mascara to the other eye before standing upright and closing the tube. “Please, Ty, that cannot be what you’re wearing.”
Ty just stands there, an infuriatingly hot smirk on his face because this fucker knows exactly how I react to him.
