Page 102 of The Oath We Take

“I’m not asking because we both know you already are.”

“A girl likes to be asked.”

Atom kisses me, this time allowing his tongue to lazily seek out mine. “What if I told you I’m scared you might say no?”

“If you don’t try, you’ll never know.”

Atom squeezes my neck. “That sounds like a fortune cookie.”

“Stop stalling.”

“It needs an official vote, and given the way your father thinks about me right now, I might not be an Outlaw for much longer.”

“You’re an Outlaw at heart. A biker to the bottom of your boots and back again. It doesn’t matter whether you’re affiliated to the club or not, you’re still going to think of me as your old lady and all that means, but hey, if I need to persuade you, maybe you shouldn’t bother.”

Atom stands, tosses a condom from his pocket onto the corner of the tub, then shucks his jeans.

There is never going to be a time when I get sick of looking at him. But it’s more than just his physical shape. It’s what it all means. Strong shoulders that carry the weight of the ranch and the club. Large hands to wield a weapon to protect me, as easily as they make me come apart and hold me when I need it.

We’re going to be alright.

The feeling sits deep in my bones. A knowing that as long as we’re together, we’re where we’re meant to be. And nothing can ruin that for us. I won’t let it.

I refuse to commit to anything other than our happily ever after.

“Atom,” I squeal when he climbs into the tub, sending water splashing over the edge to soak the old stone tiles.

He settles on his knees between my thighs before cupping water in his palms and splashing it over his face, his shoulders and his chest. “Always thought when I asked you to be my old lady, I’d be fucking you.”

“You thought about asking me?”

He places his palms on either side of my head, gripping the tub. Water drips from him, cool against my skin. “A million times. Tried not to. Dreams, mostly, when I couldn’t control it. No matter how much of an ass I was, it was always you.”

I cup my hand around his neck and tug him down to me, unable to wait for his lips to take mine. Tongues meet, flavors mingle. I bite his lower lip, and he growls.

“You’ve always been mine,” I say, bravely. “Always. Even when I thought you didn’t want to be. I couldn’t see anyone else but you.”

“Gonna get your name tattooed across my heart, Em. Proof to anyone who sees it that we’re each other’s.” He rolls the condom on, grumbling as he does so. “Never thought I’d be wearing one of these when I asked you, though.”

“We could get tested.”

“Not in the next five seconds, we can’t.” He looks up at me. “I intend to when this mess is over, but it’s gonna be tough to know all my swimmers are headed off in search of victory but this condom will block them, and the pill you take every morning is making sure there isn’t a target to aim for. Or however the fucking pill works.”

I burst into laughter. “You want a biology lesson right now?”

Atom laughs as he kneels back between my legs. “No. It’s the last fucking thing I want.” His hands stroke over my stomach as if imagining it. “What I want is you with a big belly with my kid in it. Want the whole fucking world to know I have the prettiest woman on the planet as my old lady. Smartest too. And that I couldn’t wait for her to carry my baby.”

My heart stops a little in my throat. “You really think of me that way?”

Atom leans over me and kisses me so intensely, it almost hurts. “Absolutely.”

His fingers dip between my legs, between my lips. A slow and gentle slide that warms and heats my body. The water splashes around us.

“I love every part of you, Ember. I love the color of your eyes. They’re like the sky on a stormy day. And your smile, always thought it was real fucking pretty. I love your curves. Give me something to hold on to, something to soften the hard edges of a rough life. I love your legs when you wear short dresses and cowboy boots. Like ‘em best when they’re wrapped around me or open for me.”

He reaches for his cock and eases it into me. His eyes roll shut as he inhales deeply.

“Mmmm. Love the way your pussy sucks me in,” he continues, opening his eyes. “Like it knows how to welcome me home.”

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