Page 73 of Biker's Collar: Property of Scrap

He pushes my braids out of my face, then kisses me again. Owen and his impossible fucking kisses. How I feel about this man is impossible for me to explain.

“I won’t let you screw up,” I whisper. “Okay?”

“Okay,” he says. Then he gets all serious. Which isn’t like Owen unless he’s scheming or gambling, or some deadly combination of both.

“What’s on your mind?” I ask him, my fingers sinking deeper into Owen’s chest hair as his thick ass chest muscle pulses beneath my grasp. I can already feel my body waking up inresponse to his. Nothing overtly sexual has to happen between us for me to want him.

The men around us drank way more than Owen did. I doubt our soft conversation or even our departure will wake the men in this room. Magnum can look after them once we leave. I keep searching Owen’s face for answers, but I don’t know what could make this man worry.

“Waverly.”

“What about her? Tylee’s watching her.”

“She’s not yours.”

“When have I ever made that a problem?”

Owen looks at me with wide, guilty eyes. “There’s nothing with me and her mom anymore.”

I laugh. “Is that really your choice?”

“Yes. Because you’re mine, Vickie. You’re what I’ve been looking for this whole time but… I come with my past.”

“I like Waverly. She’s a part of you. And I don’t like the idea of that girl being stuck up with her mom out there.”

Owen exhales slowly. I can feel his relief. Whatever we’re doing here might take time, but I can tell it will be worth it. I can feel it when we make moves together. Even when we lie wrapped up on this couch together.

“I don’t deserve you,” he says.

“Then you can earn me.”

He laughs. “Fuck, you get me so hard…”

“Hey. Your friends are right there.”

“Then I’d better get your thick ass home…”

Owen and I head home together. Later that day, he drives me in his truck to the spot where Deacon gathered all of the broken slot machines. I have my work cut out for me, but I can deliverwhat I promised. When I saw what Hakeem did with the women around here, I tried to get more and more useful to him.

Owen watches me fixing the slot machines, staring with his mouth hanging half open the entire time. I try not to let him bug me with his fixation.

I look over at him.

“You’re staring.”

“I know.”

I manage to get three of the slot machines up and running again. It hurts my eyes and my hands to fine tune the devices – and it does take time. Deacon tests out one of the machines with his debit card and… it works. Even if I haven’t done it in a while… I still got it.

Owen takes me out to dinner after the slot machines, which Ilove.I can’t remember the last time I’ve been to a restaurant – and I’ve never been to one with Owen. We’re too hungry to dress up, but I don’t even care. It’s the best date I’ve ever been on and I didn’t even realize it was a date until we were done.

It’s perfect. Owen holds my hand the entire drive home. I can tell he doesn’t want to let go. It’s hard to stop staring at his face as he drives and focuses all seriously on the road. I didn’t think I would fall in love with him when I chose him as my target that night. I thought he was a white boy I could wrap around my finger.

But there must have been another part of me drawn to him for some deeper reason. Our fingers fit so perfectly together. Everything about him just makes me warm. He’s my person.Now that I know how it feels to be deeply in love with the only man I willeverfeel this way about, I feel ashamed for mistaking anything else for love like this.

When Owen parks, I have to say it first. We both unclick our seatbelts, and before he has a chance to open his door, I say it first.

“I love you, Owen. I know I don’t like saying the words all the time but… I love you so much it scares me. And I don’t want to get hurt.”

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