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Grace
As kind as Faith has been, I can’t help but want to escape. I’ve been careful to avoid crowds for the last eight years, so feeling safe in a packed bar is difficult.
“You forgot someone.”
“Oh my god, Harley.” I grab the puppy from his arms, meeting Ink’s amused gaze. “Poor baby. You must have been so scared.”
Faith’s eyes widen. “Did you rescue him? He’s a mess.”
“There’s nothing wrong with him,” I say, standing, clutching Harley to my chest. “He’s not worth less because he was abandoned.”
Faith’s gaze softens. “Grace, that’s not what I meant. If anything, he’s more special.” She stands and places a hand on my arm. “We have more in common than you know. Let me help you get him cleaned up. Harley, is it?”
I nod, my anxiety waning.
“Thanks, Faith. But I’ve got this.” Ink presses his hand to the small of my back. “Let’s go back to my place and get you settled. We can bathe Harley there.”
Instantly, my anxiety is back in full force.
“What about Brian? Doesn’t he want me to stay with him?”
Faith laughs. “He has one room above the bar. The state of which I can’t vouch for.” She glances at Ink. “I called Piper, Ink’s sister, and had her pack some things for you. They’ll be at Ink’s when you get there.”
Ink nods. “Bear needs some space. You’ll see him tomorrow. Promise.”
I let him take my hand and lead me back to his bike. Everything has happened so quickly that it feels like I’m in a dream.
We ride across the stark New Mexico landscape until we hit a narrow road that swells across the desert. It spits us out in an open field where we turn down a long winding road that leads between an elaborate red rock formation. The dirt road dead ends at an adobe home.
It's breathtaking.
Ink parks us beside the house and dismounts. I grab his arm to stop him. There are so many things I want to say to him, things I never thought I’d have the chance to.
He must sense my mood because he pulls me off the bike and into his arms. “It’s going to be all right now. I promise.”
I bury my face in his shirt, and his scent takes me back almost a decade to when he was mine. I want to stay here forever, forget all the years in between, and pretend he still belongs to me.
“I missed you so much.” I hate that my tears dampen his cotton T-shirt as I hold onto him like a lifeline, needing him to understand that despite everything I did, I never stopped loving him. He was my everything. I just hadn’t understood what that meant.
“Grace,” he murmurs against my hair. “You’re safe. It’s okay.”
Shaking my head, I push away from him. “No. It’s not that.” I wipe my eyes with the back of my hand. “What happened between us was a long time ago. You probably don’t remember, but I do.” I take a deep breath in an attempt to pull myself together. “I need you to know I’m sorry and loved you so much…I didn’t understand that things could be different, that it wasn’t the Corp that made my dad—mean.”
“Grace.”
He reaches for me, but I dart from his grasp. If he touches me, I’ll fall apart. I hold up my hand to keep him away. “Let me say it, then we can be done.” I swallow hard. “I need you to know that I’m sorry. You were my everything, and I hurt you.”
This time, he doesn’t let me push him away. Grabbing me by the waist, he pulls me against him, slamming his mouth against mine. He tastes like peppermint, beer, and…home.
Ink
When her tongue touches my lips, my control shatters. I should be gentle, but years of pain mixed with the relief at being able to touch her again make that impossible.
For the last eight years, I’ve lived a mere shell of a life without her. Now, with my mouth on her, I can finally breathe. Still, a part of me needs to bury my cock deep inside her body to prove to myself that she’s real, not some figment of my cruel imagination.
Cupping her ass, I pull her to me, letting her feel how much I need her as I deepen our kiss. I slip my tongue inside her mouth and she matches me stroke for stroke.
After a few moments, she breaks away, putting some distance between us. “You don’t have to save me, Ink. I never asked for that. I just want you to forgive me.”
