Page 83 of Biker's Prisoner: Property of Bucky

“I love you, Zayna.”

“But you don’t trust me.”

“I don’t trust other men,” I tell her. “Not the ones I killed. Not your ex-boyfriend.”

“You definitely killed him too.”

“Fine,” I say to her, forcing myself to stuff all my frustration. I just want her to stay with me. That’s all I ever wanted the moment I laid eyes on her. But it’s hard for me to wear my heart on my sleeve with all the heartbreak I’ve been through. It’s hard to know if a woman means what she says. It’s hard to know if there’s another soul who would do the crazy shit that I would do for love.

“I killed him. Happy?”

“No. Very obviously I am not happy.”

“Because you don’t want to leave.”

“I don’t,” she says, her voice just gentle enough that I feel some of my nerves fading. Maybe this isn’t the end of us. Maybe I didn’t screw this shit up too badly…

“And that means something is deeply wrong with me,” Zayna continues.

“I don’t care what’s wrong with you. I love you. Isn’t that enough.”

She looks at me like I’m a ten-foot tall bear.

“I love you,” I tell her. “I will always love you. It’s just the way I am.”

The distancebetween us hurts suddenly. I don’t want to scare her off. For once, I don’t want to show her only the darkest and ugliest parts of me. I don’t want to hide. I missed her too damn badly while I was out there.

She remains seated on the bed unflinching as I move towards her. I take her hand. Just enough to show her that I want to touch her. Zayna’s eyes meet mine and I hold her gaze. That part has always been easy, no matter how much she outwardly denies her attraction to me. Her hands are soft. And they remind me of how pretty she looks when she’s standing there slicing up food in my kitchen. I love her hands. Pretty, soft, dark brown hands.

“Stay with me. We can get married and more importantly… I’ll build you the house of your dreams. I’ll be with you every day. You won’t ever have to worry about money, or bullshit, or other people. I can protect you, Zayna in a world that never did.”

I’ve never spoken like that to a woman before. It feels weird and embarrassing at first to say those words and to feel Zayna’s dark brown eyes piercing straight through me while I talk. But as I hold her and wait for her to consider everything I said, the rush of adrenaline twists that emotional pulse into a blissful high.I want this. I want this so badly.

“Do you think you can handle a home life that doesn’t include frequent murder?”

“The club will always be a part of my life. But I love you enough to protect you from that too. I already put you through too much. If that’s what you need to stay, I’ll do it.”

“So we start off with lies and secrets?”

I get it now. She pushes the same way I push for the same reasons that I push. She’s scared. And when you’re scared, you just need to know that there’s going to be someone to hold your hand. Someone to stabilize you when you’re about to fall.

“I will only keep the darkest shit away from you if you ask. But if you ask for the truth, I can give you that. Whatever you want, Zayna.”

I drop down to my knees in front of her, giving her what I imagine must be the most pathetic look.

“I’ll give you whatever you want if you marry me,” I repeat.

Her hand feels so small in mine. I want to let go and give her even more of a choice, but I just can’t let go. I don’t want to.

“Yes,” she says. “If it’s just the fucked up way today played out talking, I’ll worry about that later. Right now… I just feel so fucking good that you’re home.”

My heart pounds. Home. It’s the way she says it – like it’s a place we share as a unit.

“I’ll do whatever you want,” I whisper, bringing her hands to my lips. “Whatever you want.”

She doesn’t have to tell me what she wants because once we look at each other over a few moments, it’s clear. It’s written on both our faces. It’s something we both wanted once we saw how the other got alone with Eden. She swallows slowly and I feel like I’m fucking reading her mind. I drop my hand away and touch Zayna’s stomach. She shudders.

“You want me to put a baby in you?” I whisper, dropping my eyes to her thighs and taking in every sexy goddamn inch of her on the way down. My dick is already prepared before I have her agreement.

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