Page 175 of Dagger

His head reared back slightly. “No,” he retorted. “I’m not the fuckin’ sleep police. I’m just a guy worried about his woman.” John’s eyes bored into mine. “What’s with you?”

“I’m just tired and bitchy,” I acquiesced. “Ignore me.” I took my daughter’s hand in mine. “I’m sorry for snapping. I promise I’ll call the doctor’s office on Monday morning.”

She smiled. “You’re forgiven.”

John’s hand slid across my shoulder, and he pulled me close. “Come on. Let’s get you restin’. Don’t want my woman keeling over in the middle of the bar.”

John patiently waited while I said goodnight to the girls. Then he pulled me down the corridor toward his room, tucking me under his arm.

I marveled at how my life had done a complete one-eighty in a matter of weeks. The one positive aspect of my dreams was that they reminded me of how shitty my life was with Robert. For thirty years, I’d walked on eggshells, constantly lying about what I was doing and where I’d been, and I often got a solid beating because Robert caught me out.

My life then was like a game of cat and mouse, and it was stressful. I’d lived on my nerves for so long that I found myself missing the buzz of it. I’d been on high alert throughout my marriage, and now the pressure was off, my mind struggled to adapt.

“You’re quiet, baby,” John pointed out.

My head turned and tipped back. “I was thinking about how different my life is now compared to just a few months ago.”

We approached John’s room, and he pulled his keys from his pocket and slotted them into the lock. “Are you struggling with the changes?” he asked, pushing the door open for me.

John turned the light on at the wall, and I winced as it hit my eyes. A concerned expression flickered over his face. “You gonna be okay?” he inquired, watching me head for the bathroom.

Craning my neck, I smiled brightly. “I’ll be fine once I brush my teeth, put my PJs on, and hit the sack.”

With a smirk, he went to his drawers, pulled one open, and grabbed something out of it. “Wear my tee, baby,” he ordered, throwing it at me.

I caught it with one hand, immediately noticing the softness of the washed-out black material. “Thanks. You’ll be lucky to get it back.” I held it up to my cheek and snuggled into it. “It feels good.”

“I’ve got no problem with you wearin’ my tees around town, Duchess,” he drawled. “I’d get a kick out of seein’ you wanderin’ around the stores, effectively claimed by wearin’ my clothes.”

“You’re such a caveman,” I teased, walking into the bathroom and picking up my washbag. “You bikers are incorrigible.”

John appeared at the door and leaned his shoulder against the frame, grinning. “Waited a long time to see you in one of my tees again, baby. If you think I’ll ever miss another opportunity to get my colors on your back, you can think again.”

“Colors?” I asked, my tone confused.

He nodded toward the tee. “Look.”

I unfolded it and held it up, my jaw dropping when my eyes fell on the Speed Demons patch on the back. I swiveled my head toward my man. “You’re giving me your club tee to wear?”

“One of ‘em,” he confirmed. “But they’re all yours if you want ‘em.”

My heart skipped a beat.

He walked closer, gathering me in his arms. “You wanna go on vacation with me in a few weeks?”

I tipped my chin up to look at him and whispered, “I’d love that.”

He bent his neck and nuzzled my nose. “We’ll grab a map of the States tomorrow and drop a pin on it. Wherever it lands,we’ll go.” He lifted his face and gave me a forehead kiss, and my heart felt as if it would burst.

John nodded toward the door. “Sooner I get my shit done, the sooner I can get back to you, baby. You gonna be okay?”

“I’ll be fine,” I assured him. “Go, see to your brothers. It’s Billy’s night; make it a memorable one for him.”

“You come first, Leesy,” he told me. “You know that, right? Soon, I’ll be all yours.”

I smiled. “I know you’ve still got a responsibility to the club, John. It’s fine, I understand.”

“Final stretch,” he reiterated. “Then it’s just you and me.”

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