Page 43 of Rock

“Ah. I’d like to see some of your work someday.”

“Maybe. I don’t sell it or anything, but I do have some of my own artwork on the walls of my condo.”

“Oh, that’s nice. Maybe you could paint something for my house.”

“Mmm,” she responded noncommittally.

“Does your head hurt? Do you want some more Tylenol?”

“I’m okay for now.”

Talking to her was so easy. They’d rarely had the opportunity to just sit and chat back then. Occasionally, they’d have a few minutes together when her brother left the house to run out and pick up pizza, or when Rock came by early and her brother wasn’t home. He’d made that happen as often as he could without it seeming weird to anyone, but not often enough.

After a bit of silence, Lyla spoke again. “I can’t believe someone attacked me.”

“I can’t either. Crime is pretty low around here. I’m going to make some calls tomorrow and try to track that guy down. I don’t like the idea of you having to look over your shoulder.”

“Can you drop me off at the house in the morning? And maybe wait with me until Ink and Breaker get there?”

Rock scooted back a few inches and rolled Lyla onto her back so he could look into her eyes. “Baby girl, I’m not leaving youanywhere. If you want to go to the house, I’ll take you to the house. If you want to go to the store, I’ll take you to the store. If you want to get your nails done, I’ll drive you and wait.”

Her eyes went wide. “I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You didn’t ask me. That’s just how it is.” He obviously hadn’t made it clear that he had no intention of ever letting her out of his sight again. In truth, he realized he hadn’t said that at all.He’d simply thought it. He might freak her the fuck out if he laid down the law like that.

“Surely you have stuff to do? A job? Club business? Family obligations?”

“Lyla, the moment I stepped into your house, you shot to number one on my priority list and knocked everything else down in importance. I don’t have a traditional job. I worked for the city for many years, but I medically retired after my heart attack. I used to have a greater role in the club, but they no longer need me every hour of every day. My kids are grown adults. God bless Kade for chasing Remi around. She’s a handful as a Little. And Atlas has his own handful, Carlee. Any stuff I had to do isn’t important. I’ll be stuck to you like glue.”

She held his gaze and swallowed hard. “You can’t mean that,” she finally whispered.

“Every. Word.”

She blinked. It was obvious she was stunned. Good. He didn’t mind her being stunned. He wanted to be perfectly clear how he felt. In fact, fuck it, he would flat-out tell her.

He dropped a hand on the other side of her body, effectively pinning her on her back without touching her. “Lyla, I’ve wracked my brain a million times, trying to figure out what happened between us all those years ago. At the time, I spent months wondering and worrying. I couldn’t understand why you disappeared and never came back. I beat myself up, trying to remember if I’d said something or done something to chase you away. I came up blank every time.

“I waited. I waited for over a year, pacing my apartment. When my lease was up, I renewed it for another year so you could easily find me. I checked in with the clubhouse every few days, asking if you’d called there, if you’d come by. Nothing. Always nothing. At the end of the following summer, a few of my associates dragged me to a bar, got me shitfaced, and told me itwas time to move the fuck on. So, I did. It took a while, but I finally did. I had no way to find you. You were gone. You weren’t coming back. I had to let you go and live my life. And I did.

“I lived. I stuffed the memory of you to the back of my brain and dated. I eventually met and married Kathy. We had a great life. And then she was gone. I’d lost two loves. I couldn’t take something like that happening to me again, so I shut down and closed my heart off to other women.

“Now, my first love has suddenly shown up and flipped me on my ass. I know we have a million things to say to each other, but I’ll be damned if I’ll let you slip out of my hands again. I won’t. Seeing you… It’s like no time has passed at all. It’s like the light has come back on in my world, and I don’t want it to go out again.

“I don’t care that you’ve been in my arms for less than twelve hours. I don’t care what you have going for you in Florida. I’m not letting you go again. If you don’t want to stay in Shadowridge, we’ll go to Florida. Or Africa. Or fucking Thailand. I don’t give a fuck where.

“So, no. I won’t be dropping you off at your house and leaving you there with Ink or Breaker or any other of my brothers. I’d have heart palpitations if I left your side, worrying about you and freaking the fuck out. I don’t know why you left without a word. I don’t even care anymore. I only care that you’re back, and I know you feel the same connection. I see it in your eyes. You sleep with the fucking stuffie I gave you when you were eighteen, for Christ’s sake. You’re mine, Lyla. For the rest of our lives, you’re mine.”

His heart was racing faster than ever, but nothing hurt. His ticker was fine. He hadn’t felt this alive in years. The emotional exertion made him pant. He stared at her with the most serious, fierce expression he could paste on his face.

If she argued, he would counter everything she shot at him until he got her to see reason. She was his woman. His first love. His Little girl. His life partner. His last love.

After long seconds, she lifted her arms, snaked them around his neck, and pulled him toward her. Her gaze shifted to his lips.Thank fuck.

Rock cupped her head and brought his lips to hers, kissing her with all the passion he’d felt both then and now, kissing her like she was the last sip of water he would ever get, kissing her with his entire heart on his sleeve. Because his heart was hers.

The kiss lasted forever. When he finally pulled back, they were both breathing as though they’d run a marathon. He stared down into her eyes.

“Is it my turn to speak?” she asked, giving him a sweet smile.

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