Page 74 of Thornhill Road

I kissed his neck in acknowledgment, then reluctantly dismounted, curling up beside him. It was when he sat up, and I found myself staring at his Stallions tattoo, that I remembered how he’d left me in my kitchen earlier. The day had gotten away from me, and I hadn’t asked how things had gone on his end.

“Babe?” I called gently, just as his feet hit the ground.

He looked back at me from over his shoulder in reply.

“Um, how did it go today?” I stammered, not sure the best way to bring up the topic.

There was a chance it wasn’t my place to bring it up at all—but I’d opened the door, and he’d pulled me through it.

“With club business, I mean,” I clarified. “Is everything okay?”

“For now. Nothin’ for you to worry about, baby.”

When he didn’t say more, but stood and disappeared into the bathroom, I understood. I needed to trust him. Moreover, I needed to learn to trust the Wild Stallions, as a whole, to protect each other. To protect my man. Whatever that looked like.

I wasn’t entirely sure how I was going to do that, but I wasn’t going anywhere, which meant I had time to figure it out.

For now, sated and content in a way I hadn’t anticipated feeling after the events of my night, I closed my eyes and waited for Mustang’s return. I was already drifting towards sleep when I heard him click off the lamp before climbing into bed. Without even looking, I reached for him, and I sensed him lifting his arm in invitation. Snuggled up against his warm, solid chest, I fell asleep in the safest place I’d ever known.

I woke the nextmorning on my belly, naked, Mustang’s knuckles grazing gently up and down my spine. The sun was peeking through the blinds at his bay window, and I turned my head on the pillow, in search of my man. My eyes caught his hazel-blue ones already staring at me.

“How’s this go?” he asked in lieu of good morning. “I need to treat you with kid gloves today or what?”

I smiled sleepily at my badass biker, reaching over to graze my fingers along his bearded cheek. “No, sweetheart. I’ll be okay. She was ready to go, and I was ready to help her.”

A slight frown tugged at my brow as memories of Lance flashed before my eyes.

“Yesterday was harder than normal because the family—well, one of her sons, he didn’t take it well. He was hurting and didn’t know what to do with his grief. But I handled it.”

“So, you’re good?”

My smile got bigger, and I fell a little harder before I replied, “Last night helped. And I think a day spent with my badass biker and his little princess will make me feel even better.”

“Think I can manage that. You starved, or do you mind if we go get MK before we eat?”

“Wouldn’t mind a coffee on our way out.”

“I can manage that, too.”

Thirty minutes later, we were in his truck, on our way to get Mary-Kate.

I couldn’t remember a better Sunday than the one I had with the two of them.

We played, we laughed, and we ate way too many banana pancakes.

I’d been invited into their world, and I loved every minute of it.

That night, I went to bed alone in my own bed—but I did it feeling happy.

Four Days Later

It was late Thursdayafternoon, and I was on my way home after my last patient of the day. I planned on staying only long enough to freshen up and pack an overnight bag. My car needed an oil change. Seeing as I was dating a Stallion, it only made sense I take it to the garage on the compound.

The garage would close for the day shortly after I arrived, but Mustang had arranged for me to drop it off before they locked up so it could be a priority first thing the next morning. My overnight bag was needed on account of I was going to spend the night at his place, which solved the issue of being carless until the following day.

We’d also planned to stay in for the night.

Well—mostly.

---