Page 106 of Chasing Paradise

“Just saying, if he saw all that, and he still wants in, you’re gonna be married in under a year.”

“Okay. Well. On that note,” I said, checking the time on my phone. “I’m going to go pick up Wick.”

“We’ll let you have a long weekend of peace,” Layna said. “But we all want to meet him.”

“Maybe we can all go do the aerial obstacle course together,” I suggested.

My cousins shared equal looks of shock.

“Wait,” Gracie said. “Youare suggesting a workout hangout? You?”

That was fair. I was always the one dragging my feet and grumbling when it came to exercise.

“What can I say? Almost losing your life dangling on a rope bridge, then realizing the only reason you were able to pull yourself up is because of some stupid obstacle course your friends made you do really kind of makes you rethink your hatred of it.”

With that, I headed out of the biker clubhouse that had been a second home to me growing up, climbed in my car, and drove like hell to the jail, not wanting Wick to think I’d forgotten him or changed my mind or something like that. When nothing could be further from the truth.

Luckily, I got there before he even finished getting processed out, leaving me sitting in the car, belly twisting, heart pounding, praying he hadn’t changed his mind either.

As soon as I saw him walking out—wearing the same outfit I’d turned him over in, minus the cuffs—I flew out of the car and ran toward him.

Wick froze, waiting for me, smile wide, arms outstretched.

He caught me as I leapt into his arms, wrapped me up tight, then sealed my lips to his.

His hands gripped my ass as he kissed me back—hard, hungry, eager to get back to a room and finish what we were starting.

“How’s life been treating you, duchess?” he asked, still holding me as he walked toward my car.

“Well, I’m sad to report that my caffeine tolerance has lowered. I was feeling racy after two cups yesterday.”

“Oh, you’ll fix that up real quick.”

“I ate a whole pizza by myself with my cousins earlier.”

“You needed to put some weight back on.”

“Oh, and they are demanding you meet them. On an aerial obstacle course.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” He genuinely sounded excited, too.

It hadn’t occurred to me before right then just how alone he was in the world. No family, no close friends. Just him and his travels.

Well, that was something I could give him.

Not just me, but my people. My parents, my aunts, uncles, and cousins. The family he hadn’t known since his grandfather passed away. Birthday parties and tons of presents under the tree at Christmas, people he could rely on, turn to, and build relationships with.

Getting to my car, but still not ready to let go, he turned and sat on the hood, me still clinging to him.

“I really missed you,” I told him, surprised how true it was.

I was never a clinging girl. If anything, I was the one who was detached and disinterested, ignoring calls and forgetting to return texts.

Out of sight, out of mind was my dating philosophy in the past.

Until Wick.

Who’d literally been on my mind twenty-four seven since I’d first dropped him off. And not just because my days were full of recounting our adventures.

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