Page 69 of Lucky's Trouble

“Can you try?” I ask.

She lowers her gaze, still bent over with her arms resting on her legs, as she rubs her hands together. I prepare myself for her rejection because as much as I’ve tried to ignore it, she’s been half out the door ever since I brought her here. She seems to think this is all just a fantasy that’ll come crashing down around her. The thing is, I don’t have the ability to play pretend. I’ve seen too much reality for that, and what I feel for her is as real as it gets.

“Can you?” I ask again.

“I can try,” she whispers.

Grabbing her hand, I pull her up and over to me. She comes willingly, straddling my hips and worming her arms around my middle. I hold her there for a long minute, loving the way she fits so perfectly. This would be an ideal time for me to fuck the indecision out of her, but given her doctor’s appointment earlier, that’s not possible. So, I settle for inhaling her clean scent and kissing her exposed neck.

“Can we go eat now? I’m starving,” she says.

I smack her ass. “Let’s do it.”

As we walk outside, she’s the one taking my hand, which feels important. After what just happened, though, I’m worried I’m reading into it too much and we’re doomed for a repeat of the same conversation tomorrow. Not looking forward to that, but if I have to spend every day of the rest of my life reassuring her, then that’s what’ll happen.

“What the fuck happened to you?” Rigger asks as Tinleigh and I make our way to the buffet-style meal set up on the bar.

“I tamed the beast,” Tinleigh says proudly.

“The man himself or the one growing on his face?” Rigger chuckles, earning a swat to his belly from Navy.

“I think you look handsome,” she compliments, making Rigger nearly foam at the mouth.

“Tinleigh, this Navy.” I introduce the two women. I imagine they’ll be spending a lot of time together in the future since Rigger and me are as close to being real brothers as we can get.

“It’s good to finally meet you,” Navy says.

“Same.” Tinleigh returns her smile.

“Come over and sit with us after you get a plate.”

Tinleigh looks up at me, not knowing how things work around here, and I give her a nod.

“Okay. See you in a minute.”

“You okay?” I ask when we’re left alone.

“Yeah, I just didn’t know what to expect. There are more people than I thought would be here. You only talk about a handful of guys.”

I scan the crowd, noticing that there are more here than usual. “There are over fifty patched-in members, but they don’t normally show up on a weekday night. I think news about us has traveled, and everyone’s itchin’ to meet you.”

“Why?”

“The same thing happened when Mustang got with his boyfriend, Jenson. Then again, when Rigger hooked up with Navy. It’s not every day a ranking member gets himself an ol’ lady.” Realizing she doesn’t know what that means, I clarify. “Claims someone.”

“Claims?” She pins me with a look. “Like I’m a contract you rubberstamped?”

“It’s not that deep.” I grip her hips and turn her toward the food. “Now, fill that sassy mouth up with a roll or something before I stuff it with my dick in front of all these people.”

She elbows me in the gut but takes a plate. Once we’re loaded up with food, we make our way over to the table Rigger, Navy, Mustang, and Jenson are at and sit down. I motion to the two men Tinleigh doesn’t know. “Mustang, Jenson, this is Tinleigh.”

“Hey,” Mustang says curtly before shoving a forkful of food in his mouth.

“Ignore him.” Jenson reaches a hand over the table that Tinleigh shakes. “I’ve seen you walking back and forth between the cabin and here.”

“That’s right. You’re always sitting on the porch, typing away.”

“He’s a workaholic,” Mustang mutters.

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