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Again, she shrugged. “Don’t seem to matter much. Double standard, but that’s the way the world works.”
“I guess some men are like that, but I couldn’t give two shits. We both have pasts. This is on me because I didn’t make things clear to you or anyone else. My only excuse is that I never thought anyone would question you were my woman.” I stood and sat on the couch next to her, pulling her onto my lap so I could wrap my arms tightly around her to prove I meant what I said. “I didn’t think you’d like having another man claim you as property. It’s only phrased that way to show you have my protection. Because I absolutely will protect you. I hope you know that.”
“I do. And I know what being property means here. It’s not like it was with Ettore. Lemon wears a vest with ‘Property of Rocket’ on it, but she’s also the vice president. Being property doesn’t mean a woman is less.”
I smiled down at her. “You do get it, don’t you?”
“I do. It just hurt to think you might not want me that way. I mean, you never said.”
“Puttin’ you in my room was enough for everyone to know. Especially the club whores. Well, everyone but the one person who mattered.” I leaned in to press my mouth against hers. It wasn’t a passionate kiss, just a brushing of my lips against hers. I let the contact linger for several seconds before raising my head to stare into her beautiful face.
The bruises had faded, but there were still a few lingering greenish-yellow splotches. Any cuts or scrapes over her delicate skin had healed, leaving only a slight scabbing that was in the last stages of healing. “Since I didn’t make it clear before, I want to now. You’re my woman, Cecilia. For as long as you’ll have me. I will protect you and treat you like the princess you are. When you’re ready, we’ll finish what we started the night before you disappeared on me.”
“Leaving you that morning was the biggest mistake of my life, Bullet. I wish I could say it was for a selfless reason like protecting you from Ettore if he found you with me, but it wasn’t.”
“Tell me why you left me, Cecilia.” I had to be careful. I wasn’t going to call her CeCe even though that was how I’d come to know her. Kicking the door in probably hadn’t been the smartest idea I’d ever had, but I had to protect her. Even if it was from herself and all the dark thoughts she had to have running around in her head. I never wanted to hurt her in any way. But I’d do whatever it took to protect her.
“Because I was afraid you’d…” Her voice caught and she cleared her throat before she continued. “That you’d realize how much I didn’t deserve you and leave me. I knew after that night I’d never be able to forget you. I wanted to remember it for the wonderful pleasure. Not for you paying me and sending me on my way.”
“Christ, Cecilia.” I pulled her even closer. I knew I needed to be careful. She might still be sore. But her heartfelt confession was more than I could take. “If anyone don’t deserve someone, it’s me. You’re every single thing I’ve ever wanted in a woman and more.”
She sucked in a breath, two more tears tracking down her lovely face. I brushed the moisture away with the pad of my thumb, wanting with everything in me to simply take her to bed and show her how I felt about her, but I didn’t think that was the right move. Not yet.
“Why won’t you go further than kissing me now, Bullet?” Her question was so soft I almost didn’t hear her. Probably wouldn’t have if I hadn’t been so close and able to read her lips.
“You want me to make love to you?”
She nodded, then frowned. “I want more than that, actually.”
I had to fight a grin. The last thing I wanted to do was give her the impression I was laughing at her or not taking her feelings seriously.
“Honey, all you have to do is tell me what you want and I’ll move heaven and earth to make it happen.” The corners of my lips lifted in a slight grin. “I’m completely gone on you. All I want is for you to be as happy and content as I can make you.”
Another couple of tears spilled from her eyes, but she smiled so I tried not to panic. A woman’s tears had never particularly bothered me. I’d witnessed too many times when tears were used as a tool to manipulate. This woman, though… I doubted she was even capable of manipulating me. It should have been a craft she’d perfected over the years as a self-defense mechanism. The fact that she’d left me our first night together instead of staying and trying to get me to protect her told me everything I needed to know about this woman.
“I want you to sleep with me. You know. At night. In the bed with me.”
I tilted my head, studying her. “Honey, all you had to do was tell me. I didn’t want to freak you out or I’d have been making you sleep in my arms every fuckin’ night.”
“I want to have sex with you too.” She plowed on, and I could actually feel her trembling. Sweat erupted over her skin and I settled her closer, a reflexive action on my part. “Very much.”
“All you gotta do is tell me you’re ready, honey. Wanted to make love to you that night but didn’t want to break my promise.” I gave her a cocky grin. “You got one over on me. The last thing I expected you to do was kiss me like that. But, sweet Jesus, that kiss was delicious.”
Thank God, that got a genuine smile from Cecilia. And mother fuck, it was glorious.
“God, you’re beautiful.” My voice came out a mere whisper and with a large helping of awe. “Anything in the fuckin’ world I can do to keep that smile on your face I’ll do. Don’t care what it is, how much it cost, or who I have to fuckin’ kill.”
“I don’t want you to kill anyone.” Her smile didn’t falter, and I could see how the idea pleased her. The longer she looked at me, though, her eyes widened. “I really mean that, Bullet. I don’t want you to kill anyone. Ohmigod! You’re actually serious?”
I did laugh then, pulling her even closer to kiss her forehead. “Don’t look so shocked, baby. I’m a badass biker.”
“You’re a doctor!”
“And a biker.”
“And a dork.” She shifted and I thought she wanted up. When I loosened my hold on her, she shifted to straddle my lap before settling back against me. She laid her head on my shoulder and put her face in my neck. I could feel her lips feathering over my skin.
“You acceptin’ my claim, baby girl?”
