Page 19 of Kneeling to Candy

“Why do you call me ‘goddess?’”

I can’t help the smirk tugging on my lips. “Because you’re one and deserve to be worshiped as such.”

Candy looks away, her hand falling from my face. “I’m not worthy of such praise.”

“You’re wrong,” I growl back, harsher than I intended. “You’re the only one who is worthy of my adoration. The only one I want.”

Her brown doe eyes fly back to mine, wide with surprise. “You want me?”

My goddess’s stunned face is priceless. I nearly laugh out loud. How can this be a shock to her? “Do I get on my knees for anyone other than you?”

Candy’s mouth falls open. “Why me, Butch? I have nothing—I am nothing.”

“Don’t talk down on yourself,” I say in as soft a voice as I can muster with my ragged vocal cords. It’s sad she can’t see the good she offers a partner.

“You’re not your mistakes,” I continue, referencing her betrayal to the club.

“I’ve hurt people,” Candy whispers, her bottom lip trembling. She swiftly bites down on it like she’s trying to hide her guilt from surfacing. “I bullied Opal, stirred drama between Jo and Atlas, and I put our entire crew in danger?—”

“And you’re making amends for it,” I interrupt her from spiraling down a dark hole of regret. “You’ve shown remorse and asked for forgiveness from Opal—and she has given it. You were put into an unfair position to start shit with Prez and his woman. Plus, you’re seeking counseling to deal with past trauma, to better yourself and not act out against others when you feel cornered. Give yourself a little credit, Candy. You’re human. You fucked up. We all fuck up in life. It’s how we handle the aftermath that matters.

“You wanna know why you’re it for me? Because you know what it’s like to be thrown aside and still look for the good in this shit world. You still fight for what’s right and wish for more. You came clean with your faults—all of them—when it was never asked of you. You think you’re hard on this club, but you rain down harder on those who fuck with our family. It’s your will to endure, through hellfire and back, I find the most appealing. It shows me you care about more than yourself, and that’s a hell of a lot more than most people give. And I know damn well that would translate to the person who wins your affections.”

My voice is winded by the time I’m done with my little pep talk. My throat will hurt like a sonofabitch tomorrow, but it’s worth it if she takes a word of what I said to heart.

“You have more soul than most, Candy. All you need to do is accept it.”

Big doe eyes stare back at me, shining with fresh tears waiting to spill down her creamy skin. It takes every ounce of my control not to kiss her. I can’t—not yet. Candy is the most exposed I’ve seen her, understandably so. I don’t want to take advantage of her vulnerability or do anything without her full consent.

Instead, I lean in, resting my forehead against hers. It’s enough, sharing the same air as her and absorbing the heat radiating from her satin skin. The little sigh slipping past her lips tells me it’s the right amount of intimacy for her, too.

“Whatever you need, don’t hesitate to ask,” I encourage her. “What is it you want?”

“Right now, or for the future?”

“Both.”

Candy blushes.

Oooh, this should be good.

“Safe space,” I remind her, admiring the red filling her apple cheeks.

As much as I want to know the reason behind her blush, prying won’t do me any favors other than turning Candy off. For Christ’s sake, the woman hid in a closet to have a moment of privacy, and I totally intruded on her—I won’t do it again unless pushed.

If she needs space and time, so be it. If she doesn’t want to share her thoughts with me, I’ll have to respect that, too. Patience is my best friend with winning Candy’s heart. I’ve waited damn near a year to work up the nerve to get this close to her. Waiting a little longer to have her all to myself is time worth sacrificing.

I don’t know how much time passes with us taking in one another, our eyes trailing over every inch of the other’s face.

Finally, Candy breaks the silence with a startling request.

“Hold me, please. I need nothing else right now, other than feeling you next to me.”

CHAPTER SIX

BUTCH

Stunned, all I can do is stare at her. For years, I’ve longed to be the one she’d choose. I can barely believe she’s picked me.

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