Page 43 of The Oath We Take

Likealready feels like too weak a word. “I think you’ve always stirred up bigger feelings thanlikewithin me, Em. And, yes, I liked you back then. You took my fucking heart with you that day. Yes, I promise I’ll be honest.” I stroke a hand over her head. “I’m sorry. You deserved better.”

Her knee slides up my leg a little. Any higher and it will nudge my cock, which has finally decided to chill the fuck out.

“Thank you, for the apology. It’s weird, demanding honesty from each other when we’re going to lie to everyone else. It feels hypocritical.”

“It’s more like lifesaving.”

Ember laughs. “Maybe. Good night, Atom.”

“Night, Ember.”

I close my eyes and focus on the rise and fall of her breath. She twitches as she finally drifts off against me, and that’s the last thing I remember as I fall fast asleep.

When morning comes around, I curse the decision to not close the blinds to keep the early-morning sun out. But once I’ve got my eyes adjusted, I realize it’s the best fucking thing.

Because it means I can look at Ember’s sleeping face for as long as I want to.

Some of her hair has escaped her braid, but she’s still wrapped around me. Neither of us has moved much in the night beyond her shifting a little down my bicep instead of my chest. My arm is tucked under her neck, but I wiggle my fingers to get some feeling back into them.

I’m usually a morning guy. The alarm goes off, and it’s a quick splash of water to my face and on with my jeans to start the day.

But it feels nice to simply lie here with Ember and rouse slowly.

Thankfully, I thought to message Dad about Butcher’s request that I stay here with Ember. As a biker, he understands the mission. As a rancher, he’s probably pissed I’m back home but not working, and he’ll have to continue to do his own work for a change.

A glance at the clock on Ember’s wall tells me it’s a little after eight in the morning, and my stomach rumbles, as I’ve usually had breakfast by now. I wonder what Ember has in the fridge that I could rustle up for the two of us.

I’m just sliding my arm gently from beneath Ember, taking care not to wake her, when there is a loud hammering at the door.

“Em.” I’d know Butcher’s voice anywhere. “Atom.”

“Fuck me,” I curse. “Em, sweetheart. Wake up. Your dad’s here.”

Ember opens her eyes slowly, then bolts upright when she makes sense of what I said. “Shit.” She glances around the bedroom. “From the window next to the door, he can see straight down the hallway. If he’s peering in, he’ll see me come out of the guest room.”

“Let me go first from here. I’ll take him over to the kitchen to make him coffee and make up some bullshit, okay? When you hear me banging around, you know it’s safe to come out.”

“Em!”

“Go,” she says.

I tug on some jeans and step out into the hallway. Acting was never my forte. I sucked at it when I was at school and played one of the three wise men at Christmas. Forgot my lines and I only had two of them.

But I do my best to look grumpy. A little pissed at being woken. I rub my hand over my face and yawn dramatically before opening the door.

“What the fuck are you doing banging so hard? You’re gonna break the glass,” I say.

Butcher steps inside and looks down the hallway. “It’s the only way to wake Ember. Where is she?”

I gesture toward the kitchen, and thankfully, Butcher follows. “She yelled she was just getting out of bed and to give her a minute. Coffee?”

Without thinking, I roll my shoulder back and forth, trying to stretch it out.

“You hurt?” Butcher asks.

“Nah. Just got a crick in my shoulder. Different bed. All that shit. Ember needs a better mattress for that spare bed, though. It’s like sleeping on a plank.”

I turn my back on him to grab the mugs out of the cupboard.

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