“Thayer!” Her body arched under me, the tension finally snapping.
“That’s it, baby. Ride it out. Let me fucking feel you come all over my cock.” The headboard slammed into the wall as the sounds of her climax rang in my ears. There was no finesse, I’d lost myself entirely. My white-hot rush of release surged violently through me, and my hips ground deep as I roared her name. My chest was heaving, my body shaking violently as I came deep inside her.
It seemed to go on forever, but eventually, I was empty and collapsed onto the bed, careful though to keep my full weight off Hadley, who’d gone limp beneath me.
“Fuck, Hadley. That was…damn. You’re mine now, baby. In every fucking way.” I raised my head and gazed down at her beautiful face. She smiled, clearly exhausted, but glowing and completely wrecked in the best possible way.
Hadley belonged to me now. Fully and irrevocably. I’d marked her as my own, inside and out. Nothing would ever fucking change that.
13
HADLEY
As sunlight filtered through the edges of the blinds, I woke slowly, cocooned in heat and the steady rhythm of Thayer’s breathing against the back of my neck. His big body was curled around mine, one heavy arm locked possessively over my waist, his palm spread across my stomach like he needed to feel me even in sleep. My back was pressed flush to his chest, and every inch of skin that touched his felt branded in the best possible way.
The memory of last night still hummed through my body. I shifted a little, savoring the delicious ache between my thighs. And the way his hold tightened instinctively, pulling me closer as if he didn’t need to be awake to refuse to let me go.
A contented sigh escaped me. This was becoming my favorite way to wake up—wrapped in Thayer like I belonged here. I couldn’t stop myself from pressing a soft kiss to the tattooed forearm draped over me.
He made a low, sleepy sound in response, the vibration rumbling straight through me. His hand slid higher, his fingers splaying just beneath my breast, his thumb brushing lazy circlesthat made my nipples tighten against the sheet. Even half-asleep, the man was utterly addictive. And I loved it.
I lay there, letting myself enjoy the quiet luxury of no expectations. It was easy to imagine every morning like this, knowing I was exactly where I was meant to be. The thought made my breath catch in my chest. I’d spent years learning how to shrink myself to fit someone else’s perfect picture. But Thayer made room for all of me.
His muscles bunched as he pulled me tighter to nuzzle into my hair. “Morning, baby.”
“Good morning,” I whispered back, smiling against his arm. I turned just enough to press a kiss to his jaw, letting my fingers trace the ink on his forearm.
I was enjoying this quiet moment with him when the doorbell echoed through the house.
Thayer’s body tensed behind me. The relaxed, sleepy man vanished in an instant, replaced by the alert biker I’d first met at the track.
I sat up slowly, the sheet pooling around my waist..
“Who could that be this early?” I asked, reaching for the nearest shirt. One of his, of course.
Thayer was already rolling out of bed, pulling on sweatpants with efficient movements. “Not expecting anyone.”
The bell rang again, and something in my stomach twisted with uneasy anticipation.
Thayer pulled on a black T-shirt and pajama pants then moved toward the hallway as I scrambled out of bed, tugging his oversized shirt over my hand and down my thighs. Before I followed, I dug through my steadily growing stash of clothes for a pair of leggings and pulled them on.
Thayer opened the door before I could reach him.
My parents stood on the front step, perfectly composed in the morning light. Their expressions were polite, but their eyes werecalculating, scanning the interior of Thayer’s house with barely concealed distaste.
“Hadley.” My father spotted me behind Thayer. “It’s time to come home.”
My mother’s gaze flicked over Thayer’s broad shoulders and the leather vest hanging on the back of a kitchen stool. Her lips pressed into a thin line. “We had to piece together your location through a rather unpleasant conversation with one of your racing acquaintances, who told us about the accident. Pack your things. We’ll wait.”
I stood frozen in the hallway, the happy warmth from minutes ago draining away. I fought the need to smooth things over, my fingers twisting in the hem of Thayer’s shirt as I stepped forward. “I’m fine. Really. It was just a small accident at the track, and Thayer—Dr. Duvall—made sure I was taken care of.”
My mother’s eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of his title, as if even that professional credential couldn’t outweigh the motorcycle club patch she’d clearly noticed. “Optics matter, Hadley. You’ve been gone for days. People are starting to ask questions after you missed an important function a few nights ago. Your father has a donor dinner next week, and we cannot afford any complications.”
“Complications?” Thayer echoed, his tone carrying an unmistakable edge as he remained planted in the doorway, not inviting them inside.
My father lifted his chin. “We appreciate whatever medical assistance you provided, but our daughter belongs with her family. Our family’s reputation cannot be tied to motorcycle clubs and underground racing. It’s unseemly.”
I knew that tone. They weren’t afraid I’d been hurt but of how it looked. The perfect politician’s daughter shacking up with a biker doctor was a headline they needed to bury.
