Page 82 of Toxic

Iwoke up the next morning with Billie in my arms. Letting out a deep breath, I soaked in my satisfaction. All was right in my world now that she’d accepted my claim and was my old lady. It was worth the wait.

Most people might laugh at how fast this all went, but if I’d had my way I would have had her in my bed the day I met her and made her my old lady at the same time. This was a long wait for me.

I brushed my fingers over her hip. She had the covers kicked off and had slept restlessly. I put on my mental to do list to buy a new mini split AC unit and have it shipped here. Their swamp cooler didn’t do a damn thing to cool down the house once it got over one hundred degrees. And in Arizona there were a lot of days over one hundred.

It was around seven a.m. We’d both slept in because I’d woken her in the middle of the night to fuck her again. I’d kepther in bed for the rest of the day yesterday, texting Butcher to take care of the animals. I’d had to send him an explanation of what to do, and I knew he was going to bitch at me for making him do it, but these were extenuating circumstances.

I wanted to lay in bed with her all day, but animals needed to be fed, and so did Butcher. It took me a minute to tear myself away from her side since she was naked, but I forced myself to get up and get dressed.

By the time I made it out into the kitchen, Butcher was already there, waiting for me with a scowl on his face.

“You made me feed those damn horses,” he complained. “Made me get up at the ass crack of dawn for the last month. And now you don’t even have the decency to get up and have breakfast made.”

I chuckled, my good mood restored now that I had what I wanted. “I’m getting to it. Damn, what’s got you in such a pissy mood? Can’t just be the horses making you mad.”

“It’s the horses, it’s always the damn horses,” he muttered, taking a drink from his coffee cup. He eyed me over the rim. “Looks like you’re doing better.”

“Yeah.” I leaned back against the counter while I poured my own cup of coffee.

“Amazing what good pussy’ll do for you, right?”

I chuckled and shook my head. “Right. Even better, Billie’s my old lady.”

He stilled, then a grin formed on his face. “Well, shit. Finally. I was wondering if you were going to have to go with my methods to get her to accept you.”

“Kidnapping her, you mean?” I asked with an arched brow.

“Yup.”

I laughed at that and turned to get some breakfast started. I was starving and I knew Butcher’s good mood was only going to hold out for so long on an empty stomach.

I’d made it halfway through cooking breakfast when Billie made her appearance. She’d showered and looked damn good in a pair of tight jeans, a tank top, and her usual boots. Her cheeks were a dull red and I realized it was because she was remembering that Butcher had walked in on us yesterday. She’d get over it; all the old ladies did. With this bunch everyone became an amateur exhibitionist at some point.

Popping two pieces of bread into the toaster, I then cracked an egg into the skillet. Placing two pieces of bacon in the pan, I cooked it all. As soon as the bacon and egg were done, I put them on one of the pieces of toast, plopped a piece of cheese and some butter on the other side and put them together. Wrapping the sandwich in a paper towel, I walked over and handed it to Butcher.

He stared at the breakfast sandwich, then looked up at us in disbelief. “You’re fucking kidding me?”

“I’ll take care of the horses. You get the rest.”

He snatched the sandwich and took a bite. “This isn’t enough.”

“There’ll be more once you’re done.”

“Asshole,” he muttered, but he clomped out of the house to go do my morning chores for me.

I wanted him gone so Billie could relax while she ate her breakfast. She’d eventually get over her embarrassment, but I wanted to make it easier on her. Thankfully Butcher knew me well enough to know exactly why I was getting rid of him.

“Morning,” I said to her.

She watched me silently with those gorgeous brown eyes, though she gave me a small smile.

I wasn’t sure what she was thinking, but I had no problem giving her the time to figure out how to say whatever was bothering her. Moving around the kitchen with ease, I finished up breakfast and sat everything down on the table.

“Have you changed your mind?”

Raising my head from where I’d been shoveling scrambled eggs onto my plate, I looked at her in confusion. “Huh?”

She nibbled her bottom lip. It was a habit that drove me nuts for a month and now it made me want to drag her back into her bedroom. I didn’t because she needed to eat. “About wanting me to be your old lady,” she explained. She met my gaze.

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