Page 91 of Theirs to Rule

“I doubt it. He’s a motorcycle bad boy. Like Dante. But also, not.”

What did that mean? Dante’snot, when it came to being a motorcycle bad boy, was that he was smart, caring, kind… “What’s his name?”

“Jasper.”

She was right. I’d never heard of him. Now I was imagining all kinds of crazy things. Like her having troubles with a truly bad guy. I thought of Serpent, the asshole who’d grabbed me at Devil’s Engine weeks ago. But Simone was smart. And she had taste. She wouldn’t be attracted to someone like him.

“He’s not hurting you, is he?” I asked, unable to hide the worry in my voice. “Do you want me to ask Dante to talk to him?” And by talking I meant beat his ass if he was hurting Simone.

“No, nothing like that.” Simone said quickly. “Please don’t tell Dante, okay? Jasper is from out of town, in a different MC than the Devil’s Outcasts, and I don't want to start any drama. Besides, he might be a little rough around the edges, but he can be really sweet. At least to me.”

“So, the troubles you talked about?”

“He’s just a little protective. Possessive. Surely you can understand that.”

Boy, could I.

“He wants to know where I am all the time. Sometimes it feels like he doesn’t trust me but like I said, it’s because he’sbeing protective. Seriously, I don’t want anyone else to know we’re seeing each other.”

“Okay,” I said reluctantly. “I’ll keep it to myself. But don’t take shit from him. If you need me, just call. Any man who messes with my Simone will have a world of hurt coming to him. Dante doesn’t have to kick his ass. Heck, Bianca would be happy to do it. If push comes to shove, so can I.”

Simone laughed before giving me a big hug. “You’re the best, Cami. But I really do have to get going now. We’ll talk later, okay?”

I hopped on the back of Dante’s bike, secured my helmet, then wrapped my arms around him as we rode off. I expected him to take me to the lookout, but instead, he pulled up outside a gated house on a huge property fifteen minutes out of town.

“What is this place?” I asked him, watching as he put a code into the keypad. The gates slowly opened.

“It’s the vacation home of a friend of mine,” he explained, flashing me a grin. I felt a tingle rush down my spine at the thought of being alone with him out here—I couldn’t help but wonder what Kage would think of this, given what he’d admitted to me about wanting me all to himself this weekend.

“This is their vacation home?” I muttered, taking in the beautiful surroundings.

If this were my place, I’d never leave it. I didn’t even need to look at the house because I was in love with the lush sprawling lawns and perfectly manicured gardens. There was even a private lagoon with a small waterfall surrounded by trees.

“They have a lot of land and spent a lot of time and money making it into a little, private oasis. I helped them out a while back, so they let me come here to meditate.”

“Is that why we’re here, to meditate?” I eyed the lagoon, which looked very inviting. “Are we allowed in the water?”

He grinned at me. “We don’t have swimsuits.”

“You really think a little thing like that is going to stop me?”

He laughed and laid out a blanket near the water and began unpacking a picnic. “I was hoping you would say that. But let’s eat first.”

We gorged on the feast Dante had packed for us until we couldn’t fit anymore in—cheese, fresh bread, wine, pastries, everything. I groaned and laid back, feeling both full and satisfied. Dante chuckled and lay on his side, facing me.

“How about that swim?” I suggested, raising my eyebrows.

“We just ate. We need to wait at least half an hour, or we’ll get cramps,” Dante told me.

“Is that really true?” I wondered. “I always thought it was something adults said to kids to spoil their fun.”

“Maybe, but better safe than sorry. Besides, there are other things we can do to pass the time…”

He leaned closer and kissed me, his lips soft and warm against mine. I sighed, losing myself in his touch as his fingers caressed my waist. He raised his eyebrows when I shifted positions to try and stretch my neck.

“Sorry,” I said, making a face. “My neck and shoulders are sore.”

“Are you fishing for a massage?”

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