Page 70 of Bound By Threads
Oscar
Archer leans in close to Lottie, murmuring something. Whatever it is, it makes her eyes soften, shine in that way they do when she’s looking at him like he’s the one thing keeping her anchored to this world.
His thumb brushes along her jaw, gentle and reverent like he can’t believe he’s finally getting to hold her like this after two years of pining, and I watch her eyes flutter shut like the words he’s whispering to her are a soothing balm.
They stay there, close, taking comfort in each other’s arms.
I should look away, but I don’t. I stay still, letting the ache settle quietly in my chest.
Not jealousy… It’s awe because she deserves this. They both do.
Lottie deserves to be loved like that, like the world starts and ends with her, and I know with both of us, she’ll never remember what it felt like before.
I let them have their moment, because it’s hers. Loving Lottie means knowing when to step back and let her be exactly who she needs to be—soft, enchanting, electric.
It’s like watching her dance. She doesn’t move to impress or to please. When she dances, she disappears into the music, losing herself in every beat and curve.
Stripping was neverabout taking off her clothes, not for her.
It’s about thepowerit gave her.
On stage, she becomes Siren. The name alone enough to pull in the crowd. One of the best at the club, men come in already entranced by her. Stories of how she moves like water, like smoke, like something ethereal.
Even though I can’t hear the music, I feel it through the floor, through her body as I watch her. The way her movements sync with the vibrations is perfect. Almost otherworldly, and every time she steps into the light, I drift closer to the stage like I don’t have a choice but to follow her Siren’s call.
She’s art. A warning. A force.
Mine.
A smile tugs at my lips because just the thought of the other night, as it all became too much, and I confessed to her that I loved her, I never dreamt of a world that she would ever love me back… not when she had Archer.
The first time I found out about the stripping, I didn’t judge her. I knew she was trying to find herself again, but I knew I had to be there to protect her, especially with Archer deployed, and The Velvet Room attracting men who don’t see women as anything other than something to break.
I found her in the alley behind the club. She had been grabbed, and it took everything in me not to lose it when I saw her tear-stained face. She was trembling, her breath coming in shallow, broken pants like she was trapped in her mind, and I wanted nothing more than to protect her from her demons.
She didn’t see me at first, just stared at the brick wall like it might eat her whole.
So I got the job as security, with the bonus of her being my main focus. And when I saw her dancing for the first time…
That’s when I knew I wasn’t just in love with her.
I washers—in every way that counted.
And I’d burn down the whole goddamn world to make sure no one ever hurt her again.
She askedme to sit in that diner and watch her back like I do every time she strips, while she finally confronted the demons from her past.
The second I saw her sitting there, Roman, Elijah, and Crew all sitting in front of her, I couldn’t look away. They were a threat to my girl’s happiness, and I wouldn’t have hesitated to get rid of them if that’s what she needed.
I couldn’t hear what they were saying—obviously—but I could read her face and body. The tight line of her jaw, the way she clutched the coffee cup like it was her lifeline. Her eyes didn’t land on me once, too focused on the wall behind them, but I stayed, watching her back like I promised I always would.
The moment she ran out and jumped into Archer’s car, I didn’t hesitate to follow them.
I kept my distance for long enough, and I know we need to talk to see where Lottie’s head is at.
She spots me before I reach them, her head turning a little, like she’d been waiting for me all along. She pulls back from Archer, smiling at me.“Took you long enough,”she signs, then pats the spot on the sand next to her.
I lower myself close enough to feel the warmth radiating off her skin. She reaches for me without a word, threading her fingers through mine.
