Page 16 of Burly and Possessive

We work together to finish boxing things up, and this all feels like the most natural way to spend an evening with Leesa.

I break the quiet. “What made you decide to help out tonight?”

She shrugs, her smile sheepish. “Andrea talked me into it. Said it’d be fun. And it was. I haven’t done anything like this in a long time. I didn’t expect you to show up tonight.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know. You don’t seem like the outdoor movie type.”

I chuckle. “I’m not. But I’m the ‘support people I care about’ type.”

She looks at the ground, her cheeks turning pink in the moonlight. I stop, waiting for her to say something, but she just smiles.

“You can head out if you want, Leesa,” Andrea says, coming up behind us. “I can take the last of this to the car.”

“Are you sure?” Leesa asks.

“Absolutely. Go enjoy the movie. I’ll call you tomorrow.” Andrea gives Leesa a hug and shoos us away.

“Do you want to stay for the rest of the movie? I have a blanket in the truck I can get.” I ask.

“Actually, I wouldn’t mind going home,” she says. “This has been fun, but it’s a little overwhelming.”

I nod and put my hand on her lower back and guide my woman through the crowd. After opening the door of the truck for herand making sure she is in fully, I make my way to the driver’s side. It didn’t escape my notice that she called The Lodge ‘home.’ A flicker of hope lights up in me, that my woman is going to stay.

Tension twists in my gut as I remember the news I have for her. I can’t keep this from her, no matter how much I’d like to. “My buddy Mack called. Your car will be ready to pick up tomorrow.”

“Oh,” she says. Her posture deflates a little.

Am I reading into her reaction by hoping that she’s disappointed?

Leesa leans against and stares out the window as we drive back to The Lodge in silence. I want to gather her in my arms and make love to her, but I can’t. I’m pretty sure she’s already shown me what her answer will be, but I still need to wait.

It’s up to my woman to let me know when she’s ready to stay and be with me. Until then, I will wait, no matter how much my heart and cock feel like they’re going to explode.

Will Leesa choose me? Or will she be gone by this time next week?

CHAPTER 9

LEESA

You are good to go,” Mack tells me, smiling as he hands me the keys to my car. I hold the keys, surprised at the disappointment welling up in me. I haven’t been eager to get home, but now that Ican? I’m not sure I want to.

After Mack goes back into the garage, I turn to Jax. “I swear I’m going to repay you for this.”

“Leesa,” Jax says, reaching out and putting his hands on my upper arms. “It’s okay. You don’t owe me anything. Mack owed me a favor and I collected.”

I look up at Mack and smile. This is too generous of a gift, but I sense there’s no arguing with him over this. I’ll repay him another way. “Thank you, Mack. Thank you for everything. You’ve been so—”

“Leesa.”

Tension spikes through my body and I freeze at the sound of Derek’s familiar voice.How the hell did he find me?Hisvoice cuts through my happiness, and the heavy weight of what happened pushes down on me until it’s hard to breathe.

I turn toward his voice, bracing myself. Derek stands a few yards away, hands in his pockets, looking completely out of place in his pressed khakis and polo shirt.How did I ever want to spend my life with this man?He looks like completely out of place, standing in the sun outside Rebel Autos.

“We need to talk,” he says, his voice pitched low and steady, as though we’re still engaged and I owe him my obedience.

I step back, but Jax moves closer, his presence steady. “Derek,” I say, keeping my voice calm, “you shouldn’t be here.”

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