Page 4 of From the Ashes

She pouts. “Promise?”

I lightly press my lips to hers, then slide her off the counter. “I promise, little dove.”

CHAPTER TWO

MAKAYLIE

The Next Day

We head down to the Anna T. JordanCommunity Park to spend the day under our tree like we do every Saturday. I’m relieved that Cain has started to open up to me, but I won’t pry for more information in case he pushes me away again.

Cain lays out the waterproof picnic blanket on the damp grass. The weather is freezing in mid-January, with a forecast of snow today, which is almost unheard of in Baton Rouge. The air feels like it’s frozen, and the grass glistens with dew as the morning breeze wafts over the blades. But this is our thing. Unless it buckets down with rain, we don’t miss our tradition.

I’m bundled up in my biggest jacket, sweater, jeans, beanie, and scarf as he sits down wearing his jeans, a hoodie with the hood pulled over his head, and boots that make me think of bikers. He opens his legs for me to sit between them, which I do, leaning against his chest as he makes a meal of my ear. As usual, I pull out my laptop, setting it on my crossed legs, ready to start a day of writing with my muse behind me, where he belongs.

“I regret everything that happened yesterday,” Cain whispers in my ear, and I love how he apologizes to me without actually saying the word ‘sorry.’

He tugs on the lobe of my ear with his teeth, sending a shiver down my side, which is definitely from the heat of his affection, not from the chill of the air.

Smiling, I sigh. “It’s not your fault. I pushed you for information you weren’t ready to give. I won’t do that again. I should be the one who’s sorry.”

“No, little dove, that’s all on me. I should have been able to tell you about my parents, and I want to tell you about my job, but if I do, you’ll probably run. Not only that, it would put you in danger. Like I said, my job can be… unsafe. My clients can be dangerous. I do not, under any circumstances, want you brought into it.”

Turning my head to look at him, I raise my brow. “Cain, seriously? It’s not like you are Jax Teller, and you’re in an outlaw biker gang or anything. How dangerous can it really be?”

He exhales. “Look, we are not going to get anywhere with this conversation. Can you believe me when I tell you I don’t want you anywhere near my line of work? You’re a good woman, Makaylie. I would never want you tainted or involved.”

Rolling my eyes, I nod. “Honestly, right now, you’re making your job out to be some underground crime ring or something. I know you… you’re better than that life. So I know it’s not anything like that,” I say, and he tenses behind me.

I’m a little confused by his reaction, but his cell rings, making me jerk.

Cain pulls it from his pocket as I turn to look at him, and he screws up his face. “Babe, I have to take this,” he murmurs while swiping the screen.

“Trap?” His eyes bulge out of his head, and he grunts. “Seriously? Fuck! The shipment was meant to go out…” he checks his watch, “…fuckingthree hours ago. What’s the damn holdup?”

I look down at my laptop, starting to type, being used to these types of phone calls now.

Cain wraps his arm around my waist and squeezes for emphasis. “Fine! But if this comes back to bite us on the ass, you know who I’m going to blame.” He abruptly ends the call, and I turn to look at him again as he rubs his temple.

“Everything okay?”

Cain opens his eyes, a plastered-on smile on his face as he leans in, kissing my nose, which I scrunch up, making him chuckle.

“Everything’s perfect, little dove, especially when you do that. It makes me want to do bad, bad, naughty, sexy, slutty things to you right here in the park.”

I let out a loud laugh. “The kids playing with their frisbee over there wouldn’t like the sight of that.”

“I don’t care. You belong to me. I will take you wherever and whenever I like. Don’t ever deny me access to your body, Makaylie.” He growls out the words in complete seriousness, which, as usual, makes my blood boil, partly from the arrogance of that last statement but also the undeniable ache in my core that awakens when he turns into a controlling bastard. Even though he infuriates me, my body disregards my brain for some reason, leaving me completely turned on.

He leans in, kissing me hard, then before I even get to taste him, his lips are off mine, and he smirks at me. “Go on. Get some writing done before I do what I threatened.”

Scrunching my nose up, I turn back toward my laptop as Cain gently kisses my hair, then leans back against the tree, his arms firmly around my waist, never letting me go.

The bitter chill makes it hard to type as the sky fills with ominous dark clouds. The sun hides from sight, and the wind picks up. The days are becoming frostier and frostier.I have no idea why he likes coming here, to be honest. All he does is sit there, playing play with my hair for hours while I ignore him, focusing on my writing. What little visibility is left of the sun starts to set, and the clouds open, sending tiny sprinkles of delicate dancing snowflakes floating through the sky.I look up as one lands on the tip of my nose, making my lips turn up in a small smile as I grin that winter has finally hit Baton Rouge.

“Okay, little dove, you’re cold. Let’s get you home,” he suggests, dusting the snowflake from my nose, then rubbing up and down my arms as I shiver.

Nodding, I close my laptop, ending another day of effortless writing.

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