“We did,” she admits softly, “but it was in passing.”
“Well,” his voice takes on a charming tone while I envision slitting his throat, “I won’t forget again.” He glances at me and winks before adding, “Especially since you’re my brother’s woman.”
Brielle glances at me and the happiness in her eyes has me sucking in a sharp breath. She doesn’t argue when he calls her my woman. She simply smiles.
Something settles inside of my chest, and I pull her flush against my body. I take her mouth in a kiss which borders on brutal. But I’m on a mission to claim my woman.
Every brother in the room will know she’s off limits without me saying a word.
The whistles and catcalls filling the room tell the story. Brielle breaks the kiss and giggles before burying her face in my chest.
“What was that for?” Her words are muffled, but I can hear her clearly.
“You better believe I’m going to claim you every chance I get, Brielle,” I husk and her arms tighten around my waist.
“And claim you he did,” Ace teases. “Damn, that was hot.”
I look over at him, and I feel my woman turn her head to look at him as well. But she doesn’t try and put distance between us and the satisfaction it gives me is dangerous as hell.
Ace is looking around the room with a predatory glint in his eyes. He claps his hands before flashing a grin our way. “You guys have a good night. I think I see someone I need to spend some time with.”
As he walks away, Brielle pulls away enough to look up at me, but I’m already looking at her. I can’t help it. And I’m not going to apologize for it.
“Can I take you somewhere?”
Her eyes light up and the trust there floors me. “Of course,” she breathes out.
It feels like it takes forever to get us down to my bike. She won’t be wrapped around me for nearly long enough, but it’ll have to do. For now.
The moment she slides into place behind me, it’s as if my soul clicks into place. The boy I was. The man I’ve become. The father I strive to be. The man who can love her beyond this lifetime.
I pause before I start up my bike, my hand covering hers and squeezing. Can she feel it?
Her head, helmet and all, rests against my back as she takes a deep breath before letting it out slowly.
Acceptance and love wash over me.
My bike roars to life and then we’re surrounded by Vegas, almost too jarring to be real. But it is. And, in a strange way, it’s home.
Now I feel like I can lean into that feeling fully in a way I didn’t allow myself until Brielle walked back into my life. That doesn’t mean Sagebrush isn’t in my blood. That land is part of me, but I’ve been searching for this feeling of being settled.
And now it’s wrapping around me.
When I pull up to the studio, Brielle’s arms tense. Still, she lets me help her off, but her eyes never leave the building in front of us. It’s as if she already knows.
After I pull off her helmet, she still doesn’t look at me. I can’t help but grin as I watch her face.
Her voice is small, like she’s afraid to give the question more of a stage, “What is this place?”
“Your dream.” I clear my throat, “Your new dream.”
“Everton,” she gaspingly scolds as her head snaps in my direction. Her voice borders on shrill, “What are you even saying?”
I gently lead her closer to the doors and pull a set of keys out of my pocket which I hold them out in front of her. Not dangling in a taunting way, just ensuring she can see them.
“This is your building now. It’s in your name. I also have an account which you will be using to get this place fixed up and your studio off the ground,” my words are measured because I want her to hear each one.
“You can’t be serious right now.” Her hands are shaking as she reaches for the keys, but she doesn’t touch them.
