Page 24 of Room One Hundred and Four: Shock and Awe

When the door swings open to reveal Navy in a pair of tight jeans and a simple t-shirt, I’m in awe of her beauty for a moment. This is the first time I’ve seen her look so casual, and it does something to me. Hell, I think I would like her in pajamas even more.

She looks much more relaxed and comfortable than she did when she was dressed to perform. I want her to feel like she can be herself around me, around us.

“Spark,” she gasps in surprise, her eyebrows pulling together as she looks me over. “What are you doing here?”

I shove my hands deep into my pockets and rock back on my heels slightly. I nod toward my bike. “Can I take you for a ride, Navy? I think we need to talk.”

Her dark blue eyes are big and round as she glances between me and my bike. What she doesn’t know is that I have a helmet in my saddle bag just for her. It’s been there for the last two days just waiting for me to stop being a fucking coward.

She looks down at her outfit and then back up to me. “Do I need to put on something else?”

I shake my head because I have a jacket for her as well, a DSMC jacket that will mold to her curves and tell everyone to stay the fuck away from our woman. It’ll look so damn good on her.

I look down at her shoes and frown slightly, “Sneakers are fine this time, but next time you’ll need some boots.”

She eagerly nods while reaching for something next to her, the jingling of her keys telling me what she’s up to. Once her home is all locked up, we’re heading to my bike. I give her a quick rundown about where to put her feet, basic safety and how she’ll need to lean into the curves with me.

Excitement, anticipation, and curiosity are coming off her in waves. It’s clear without me asking that she’s never been on a bike before, but she’s not afraid of a new adventure and that has her stealing another piece of my heart without even realizing it. She doesn’t even have to try to do it, honestly.

I pull the jacket out first and help her into it before tugging out her helmet and helping her with the strap. I climb on the back of my bike first and then offer her a hand. The way she slides into place behind me has my heart pounding hard in my chest while something settles deep in my gut.

It feels so damn right to have her here with me. When her arms wrap around me, I know this is right. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to let my brothers have her on the back of their bikes because this feels so damn good, but I’ll try.

For her I’ll try.

Navy lets out a squeak that’s a mix of surprise and excitement when I fire up my bike. Her arms tighten around me as I pull out into traffic, and I cover her hands with my own to give her a reassuring squeeze. I’ve got her; I’ll always have her.

The feeling of riding with our woman holding onto me is like nothing I’ve ever felt before. The more we ride, the more she relaxes. When we head toward the outskirts of the city, traffic thins out and the view is fucking amazing.

Are colors even brighter and more vibrant with my woman on the back of my bike or is it just a trick of my heart and mind? I guess it doesn’t really matter.

When I pull off to the side of the road and into a more secluded lookout point, I stop the bike and we sit there in silence for a few minutes. But then I need to see her. I need to talk to her.

My grip is firm as I reach back, pick her up and move her until she’s straddling my hips and looking into my eyes. I remove her helmet and hang it on the handlebars while we study each other.

I know I need to be the one to speak first, but I get lost in her dark blue eyes for a moment. They remind me of a night sky filled with stars, especially with the way they’re sparkling and full of happiness right now.

“That was amazing,” she breathes out. “Thank you.”

“You don’t ever have to thank me, Navy.” I swallow hard and prepare myself to be something that’s not easy for me—vulnerable. “I should be the one thanking you.” Her eyebrows pull together like she’s confused. “You didn’t have to trust me and get on the back of my bike or even give me a few minutes of your time.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because I was an asshole,” my words are direct and to the point, my voice matching my words. “I wasn’t sure if I would be able to share you.”

She makes a humming sound and wraps her arms around my neck. I find myself closing my eyes and soaking up the feeling. “What made you change your mind?” I open my eyes slowly and she arches an eyebrow. “You did change your mind, right?”

“There wasn’t anything to change really. I just needed to deal with my bullshit. I’m sure that I’ll have bouts of jealousy. I’m not thrilled about sharing you, but my brothers are the only men I could do it with. Rites and Crucify are more than my brothers even, they’re my best friends. I trust them, and the rest of my club brothers, with my life, but I couldn’t share you with anyone else but them.”

She narrows her eyes slightly. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to do anything you aren’t sure about.”

I chuckle because she’s so fucking adorable. I close the distance between us and kiss her, needing that connection, needing to taste her. “I’m sure,” I mumble against her lips before I deepen the kiss.

Having her in my arms gives me the same feeling of freedom I get when I’m riding. The thought of sharing her with Crucify and Rites doesn’t make me want to lash out, not right now. Honestly, it feels a little wrong to be with her alone now, but I know it’s not.

She moans into my mouth and the beast inside of me that desperately needs her takes over. I lift her quickly and stand her next to the bike, my eyes raking over her as she looks at me curiously. There’s still no fear there and it does something funny to my heart.

“Strip out of your jeans, Siren,” my voice is a gruff demand.

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