Page 94 of Taking What's Ours
“I’ve got something to admit. Something I never thought I’d admit,” he begins, and a shiver of fear moves through me.
“What kind of thing?”
“I’ve never wanted to try again—I’ve never wanted to put anyone in danger. My biggest fear is being the cause of that again. I’ve tried to convince myself that my MC family is enough. But you make me think maybe it’s not.”
“You went through something awful. Of course, it’s going to affect you. But you have your whole life ahead of you.”
“I see the way you look at kids, Elaina. I know how badly you want them. Maybe I could give that to you.”
“Give that to me?” I ask.
He shrugs.
“That’s not something to joke about.”
“Who said I’m joking?”
I fling the covers back and stalk to the chair, pulling on my clothes.
He’s out of the bed in an instant. “Babe, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Having kids is all I’ve ever wanted. We’ve known each other, what? A few weeks?”
“Okay, you’re right. Maybe I fucked up. I’m sorry. Come back to bed.”
I relent, and he cuddles me close, stroking my head. “Elaina, you will always be safe here.”
“You make me feel safe. You do. And I’m grateful you took me in when I had nowhere to go, when I needed time to think.”
“Gratitude isn’t what I’m after. You are my priority. I don’t know when exactly it happened, but it’s true. Hell, maybe it was the moment I saw you walking down that aisle, or maybe it was when I watched you running in tears from the reception. I wanted to rip my brother limb from limb.”
“I don’t want to talk about Elliott.”
He nods. “Okay. Then how about this? You said something about getting this out of our system. I can’t do casual sex with you, Elaina. I care about you too much. In fact…”
“In fact, what?”
He drags in a deep breath, looking everywhere but at me.
“Baja, what is it?” I cup his cheek and turn him to meet my eyes. “You can tell me anything.”
“I’m in love with you, Elaina.”
And just like that, the tension squeezing my chest eases. “I love you, too, Baja.”
For two days, we don’t leave the house.
Baja cooks us breakfast and orders us delivery for anything else we eat. We spend most of our time in bed or curled up on the couch, watching old movies and eating popcorn. We talk and laugh and cuddle. We have sex, and we sleep. Then wake and do it all over again.
He’s the best I’ve ever had, and I can’t get enough of him. I’m totally enthralled with him, and I know everything has happened so quickly, but it all feels so right. A part of my brain keeps telling me,be careful, be sure, be right, because I can’t afford to make another mistake. I can’t afford to pick the wrong man again.
But my heart doesn’t listen to any of those warnings.
I’m enthralled in new love and the glow and euphoria it brings. Nothing is penetrating my blissful world. Life is rainbows and sunshine and unicorns, and I don’t want anything to shatter my happiness.
Cuddled against Baja on the sofa, our self-imposed exile is intruded upon when he gets a text. It’s the first time the club has contacted him.
He looks at it and straightens. “I’ve got to run by the clubhouse and talk to Rock. You want to ride along?”