"Shut the hell up."

"If she loves you, she'll love the club."

"Really? You think liking me is the same as accepting a sicko like Deacon Hollingsworth? Or Ryder Sinclair?"

"It's your job to protect her from the bad parts. Let her hang on to the bike and party a little bit. Women love a guy who can protect them and show them a good time. It doesn't matter if she's a fancy doctor."

I know he's only trying to make me feel better, so I don't want to question Owen's experience with impressing fancy doctors. No offense to Vickie but... she and Owen are similar.

I'm completely different from Amanda and I don't know if she'll want to be with me, even if I ask nicely. Even if I promise her the world. My brother takes my mind off everything, including gambling, for the next couple hours and eventually, I miss Amanda so bad that I lie and tell him I'm tired and need rest.

Really, I need to see her. I need to make sure that I still have her and her heart -- and make a plan to keep her forever.

Amanda doesn't wake up when I return home. She's asleep on the couch, like she was trying to wait up, but the TV is off.

"Amanda, baby?" I whisper, hoping it's easy to wake her up. I'm disappointed that I missed her before she fell asleep.

Saying her name doesn't wake her, so I give up and scoop her off the couch to carry her to our bedroom. Her eyes flutter open when I take a few steps towards the bedroom.

"Ethan?" she murmurs sleepily, throwing her arms around my neck. I love supporting her weight on mine, feeling like I have some great purpose keeping her safe.

"I'm home."

"Oh..." she whispers, holding my neck more tightly and then nuzzling her head against my chest. My heart pumps faster. I kiss the top of her forehead, secretly hoping to wake her up.

Those fluttering lashes stay open and she looks up at me sleepily.

"What time is it?" she whispers.

"Very late."

"You must have had fun."

"No," I whisper. "I missed you the whole time."

The soft smile on her face makes my dick hard instantaneously.

"You're such a liar."

"No," I respond to her sincerely. "I missed you. I think... I care more about you than I ever cared about a woman, Amanda."

"You're just drunk," she answers as her voice gets more awake. I'm just happy that I'm waking her up. I kiss her on the lips, excited to taste her and feel her get more wide awake in my grasp.

A kiss works on her. Her fingers dig into the back of my neck eagerly.

"I'm not," I whisper. "Well... a little drunk. But... I'm also grateful. Very grateful."

She pulls my body against hers when we fall into bed together. She’s so warm from all that time nuzzling on the couch. I don’t wait for her to change her mind. I kiss her awake, purposefully scratching her neck with my beard to arouse her fully. When Amanda death grips my face, I know I have her attention.

“Clothes off,” I murmur, but I don’t know who the command is really for. We both fumble for each other’s clothing until we’re both skin on skin. This woman is everything to me. I take her lower lips between my teeth and provoke a gentle moan out of her before I slip her underwear off and bend my head slowly between her legs to get her ready for my dick.

I want to take Amanda nice and slow tonight, starting with my tongue between her soft, dark brown thighs.

* * *

Thirty-Four

Amanda