Page 14 of Reclaiming Venom

I stepped into the dimly lit room, the floorboards creaking softly under my heavy boots. The air hung thick with tension, scented with a hint of leather and lavender. Ridley stood by the window, her back to me, her petite silhouette outlined in the fading light of sunset. My breath caught in my throat at the sight of her.

As I approached, my gaze fell on her cut draped over a nearby chair. The worn leather called to me, and I found myself drawn to it. My fingers traced the words etched across the back: “Property of Venom.” An unexpected surge of possessive pride coursed through me, primal and fierce.

“Ridley…”

She turned, gaze meeting mine. A small smile played at the corners of her mouth. “I was wondering when you’d show up.”

She moved closer. The fading light caught the shimmering strands of her hair. “I still remember the day you gave me that.”

My brow furrowed as I struggled to recall the memory. “Wish I could remember.”

Ridley’s hand came to rest on my arm, her touch electric even through the fabric of my shirt. “Everything all right? You seem… distracted.”

I swallowed hard, fighting the urge to pull her against me. “Just thinking about how right it looks. You, wearing my mark.”

Mischief danced in her eyes. “Oh? And here I thought you should be the one wearing my mark.”

A chuckle rumbled in my chest, surprising me with its ease. “That so? You planning on staking your claim, little girl?”

Ridley’s fingers trailed up my arm, leaving goose bumps in their wake. “Maybe I already have.”

I reached out, my fingers grazing the worn leather of the cut. The texture was familiar, yet foreign. Each groove and imperfection told a story I couldn’t quite remember. A war raged within me -- the urge to claim, to possess, battling against the uncertainty of my fractured memories.

“It feels… right,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “But I can’t shake this feeling that I don’t deserve it. Don’t deserve you.”

Ridley turned to face me fully, her eyes meeting mine with a mixture of vulnerability and unwavering strength. The charged silence between us was palpable, heavy with unspoken emotions and the weight of our shared history.

“You’ve always deserved me. Even when you didn’t think so.”

I searched her face, drinking in every detail. The slight crinkle at the corners of her eyes, the determined set of her jaw. This woman knew me, inside and out. And despite everything, she was still here.

“How can you be so sure?” I asked, my fingers still lingering on the cut.

Ridley took a step closer, eliminating the space between us. The warmth of her body called to me.

“Because I know you,” she whispered, her breath hot against my skin. “The good, the bad, and everything in between. And I chose you, just as you chose me.”

The air crackled with tension, years of shared history and desire threatening to ignite. I cupped her face in my hands, torn between the urge to claim her lips and the need to unravel the mystery of our past.

“Tell me,” I growled, my thumb tracing the curve of her cheek. “Tell me everything.”

I searched Ridley’s face for answers. The warmth of her presence enveloped me. It was familiar, comforting, grounding me in the reality of our connection.

Ridley broke the charged silence with a soft, teasing smile. “You know,” she said, her voice lilting with amusement, “I still think you should have gotten one that said ‘Property of Ridley’ instead.”

I raised an eyebrow, feeling a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth despite myself. “Oh yeah? And why’s that?”

She reached out, her small hand resting on my chest. The touch sent a jolt through me. “Because like I told you, I was the one who claimed you, tough guy. Not the other way around.”

I chuckled, the sound rumbling deep in my chest. “Is that so?” I wondered what I’d thought of her sass when she’d first done that. The idea of this vibrant, outgoing woman staking her claim on me -- a hardened biker -- was both amusing and oddly appealing.

“You bet your ass it is,” Ridley shot back, her eyes dancing with challenge and affection. “Of all things for you not to remember. Forgetting how I swept you off your feet? You’re missing out on some great memories.”

I leaned in closer, drawn by her magnetic presence. “Why don’t you remind me, darlin’?” I growled, my voice low and husky.

I wrapped my arms around Ridley, my calloused hands encircling her waist as I pulled her into a tight embrace. Her petite frame fit perfectly against my muscular body, like two pieces of a long-lost puzzle finally reuniting. The heat of her skin seeped through the thin fabric of her shirt, igniting a spark, one I wasn’t sure I could ignore this time. I’d managed to hold back, but now…

“Jesus,” I muttered, my breath catching as Ridley pressed closer. Her curves molded to me, soft where I was hard, yielding where I was unyielding.

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