Page 10 of Kaz
Kaz
HE’D WANTED to rip Emmett’s arm right out of the socket when he wrapped it around Miles’s shoulders. Keeping his expression neutral had been the fight of his fucking life. The possessiveness rushing through him was dangerous. He knew he had to be careful. Real fucking careful, or he’d do something stupid.
Miles’s blond hair had gotten a little darker over the years, his jaw covered in dark stubble that gave him the urge to touch it, to run his fingertips over it, following the sharp lines of Miles’s jaw.
Miles reached the front door and hesitated, looking over his shoulder. Amber eyes met his, and he felt a jolt of awareness shoot through him. There were so many unsaid words in that gaze, and it left him with a feeling of both loss and despair. Seeing Miles after so long was like a punch to the gut. At least Emma had the decency to warn him that Miles was coming. Keeping that bored, uncaring façade would’ve been impossible had he not known. Especially because the man only got hotter with time.
His muscles were from hard work, not the gym, and it suited him so damn well. He wasn’t that much bigger than he’d been at nineteen, which made him think that Miles might still fit into his old jacket. He wasn’t sure if Miles still had it, or if he’d thrown it out or burned it. He couldn’t exactly blame him if he had.
He remembered how it felt to see Miles in his jacket, to have claimed Miles in such a way, and he knew, without theshadow of a doubt, that he still wanted that. He wanted it more than he wanted his next breath. More than he wanted this club to succeed. He wasn’t sure how he’d even survived the past fourteen years. Seeing Miles now had him feeling so damned alive for the first time since the day he let the man walk away, that he wasn’t sure he’d truly lived all these years. He’d saved countless lives, risked his own again and again, but nothing and no one had ever made him feel alive the way Miles did, and they had only shared a look so far.
Keeping his hands to himself was going to be the hardest fucking thing he’d ever done. Even harder than staying away all these years. Even harder than letting Miles go. But as much as he wanted to claim Miles ashis, he knew he’d only receive a broken nose for the effort. Though he’d always appreciated any way he could get Miles’s hands on him, he could do without any broken bones.
“When the hell did you have time to learn more ASL with everything else going on?”
He shrugged, keeping his eyes on Miles until the door closed behind him. “I figured I might as well learn enough to hold a conversation, considering that man of yours is likely going to find a way to stick around.”
Emma bristled. “He’s not my man.”
“Isn’t he? How long are you two gonna circle around each other before you give in?”
“We’re just friends.”
“Right.”He’d been privy to enough conversations between Emma and Jane to know she was lying. Emma opened, then closed her mouth and made a disgruntled noise that had him grinning at her.
The sound of the door opening drew his gaze away from Emma, and the disappointment filling him at not seeing Miles step out had him curling his hands into fists. He watched asRemy and Kian walked down the front steps, talking amicably as they headed toward their bikes, a few of the others trailing behind them.
“My brother’s staying,” Emma said.
He snapped his head toward her so fast his vision blurred.
“What?”
Emma shrugged, an innocent look on her face, he knew damned well was anything but.
“He’s gonna help with the renovation.”
“Like hell he is,” he growled. “Repairs and rebuilds are members and partners only.”
Emma arched a brow at him. “Are you saying you don’twanthim here?”
He clamped his mouth shut. He wasn’t answering that. Fuck.
Miles wasn’t supposed to be here yet. He wasn’t supposed to see the mess and chaos. He wanted to have everything perfect before he saw Miles again. Before he tried?
“Well, if the rules stand, then someone just has to make him their old man.” Emma ran her gaze across the members of their club who were standing outside. “Shouldn’t be difficult at all. I’m sure one of them would love to give Miles a ride.”
Choking the life out of Emma was bad.Bad. He couldn’t do it.
He really wanted to, especially when she fucking winked at him before taking off toward Kian of all people.
He snatched hold of her wrist and jerked her to a halt.
“Fine. He can stay,” he said through gritted teeth.
Emma’s smile was not the least bit reassuring. He felt like he might as well have just given up his soul to the devil. This was not how he wanted to have Miles back in his life. The plan had been to get the New Freedom Chapter established and running smoothly before reaching out to Miles. He’d wanted?no,needed?to prove himself before he took that particular chance with his heart. He’d barely survived last time.
CHAPTER SIX
