It was his presence or the pussy-shaking orgasm that had relaxed her enough that she was out in minutes. Seb didn’t know how hard it wouldbe to unpeel himself from around Sunny, but he’d gotten her to sleep. He had no legitimate reason to stay, though he wanted to.
He got into his boots and jacket after washing his hands in her bathroom, looked at his silver watch, and realized an hour and a half had passed. Hawk was nowhere to be found downstairs, so he pulled open the door to leave and found the VP sitting on the top step, smoking a joint.
“Are you gonna share, VP?” he asked, striding down three steps. He leaned on the railing, facing Hawk, who sent him a skeptical stare as he blew out smoke.
“You into drugs now, as well as robbing my daughter’s cradle?”
Seb guffawed a laugh and took the joint Hawk handed over. It was powerful stuff, and it went straight to his lungs and up to his brain.
“Are we pot and kettle? Because you and your old lady have a decade age gap, that’s worked out fine. And you’re taking drugs.”
“It’s medicinal for my arthritis.”
“You have arthritis?”
“Nope. But I might one day. It’s preventative.”
Seb huffed a laugh, and there was silence between them for a beat. And because Seb didn’t have an order of things in his head, he fisted around the box in his hand and thrust it out toward Hawk.
It was apparent what it was, and the VP sent Seb a look. “If you’re proposing to me, my answer is fuck no. You’re not my type.”
If Hawk was making a joke, it meant he wasn’t in killer mode. That had to put Seb in good standing. After briefly opening the jewelry box lid with his thumb to examine the two-carat platinum princess diamond ring, he snapped it closed and shoved it back into his pocket. He’d been carrying it with him longer than he could admit. He’d bought it long before Sunny was even talking to him again.
He’d been that sure.
Or that delusional? It was still unclear which one.
“Get on with it then, son. I’m freezing my nuts off out here and want to join my old lady in bed,” Hawk told him brusquely.
“I want to be Sunny’s husband.” He stated in a sure voice, both hands deep in his jacket pockets, because Hawk had it right, it was freezing. “I’ve had it all backward for a while, Hawk, and I’m trying to go in the right order now. But I don’t know if I’m telling you it’ll happen or asking your permission. All I know is my guts are bleeding out by leaving her inside that house and not taking her home with me, where she belongs. I know all the shit you might be thinking. I’ve thought about it many times. Sunny is young. Younger than I am. I tried to keep away from her. A whole fucking year, I stalked her around Texas, making sure she was okay.” This part made Hawk’s brows hike up, but he remained silent, with his shrewd eyes on Seb.
“And you know what I saw? She was homesick for me, like I was homesick for her. It was pure torture watching her from afar and seeing that she wanted to be here. I had it in me about a million times to bundle her on the back of my bike and ride her home where she belonged.With me.” Seb stressed the last part. “You probably think I’m not good enough for her. But I’ll begood to her. She’s in the center of me, Hawk. And I’ll pre-empt any argument you have by saying if she wants me—if she wants me as her husband, it’s happening. I know that’ll fuck something up with the club and my position there if you go against me—especially if you do, but I had to put it in plain terms so you’d know where I am. This is me saying I love Sunshine more than anything on this earth. I’d eat fire for her, take a bullet to the brain, and walk into traffic for her. I’ll take care of her, make sure she’s as happy as a woman can be, be at her side when she wants to do madcap shit, and be the protection against everyone. Becoming a Souls was everything I worked hard for, but being Sunny’s husband is something I need. I wanna be her family and build somethingbeautiful with her, Hawk. You told me you regret wasting a decade of not being with Gia. Please don’t force me to waste time with Sunshine because you don’t wanna let her go. You can trust her with me.”
He stopped talking and drew in a breath.
And the longer he waited for the other man to speak, the more Seb decided he was just gonna kidnap Sunny and marry her in her sleep. He was sure Danny Murphy, the long-time local pastor, wouldn’t have too much to say about it. Kidnapping wasn’t technically a crime because his Sunny would get off on that shit. She’d probably think he was being romantic and not the half-lunatic he felt by not having her glued to his skin.
Kidnap was on the table. Got it.
He inhaled once more, and Hawk climbed slowly to his feet. He’d already stubbed out the smoke, and he pocketed the butt and brushed off his hands.
“My daughter isn’t twenty-one yet.”
“I know when her birthday is.” He interrupted, feeling frustration sluice through his veins. Hawk was always going to be his stumbling block. He’d known that for a long time.
“She gets her smart brain and maturity from Gia, and I’ve known for a long time that I wouldn’t have her for long. She was gonna be too impatient to wait for you.” Hawk went on, and Seb kept his trap shut, because he still didn’t know how this would go.
“Sunny was heartbroken when you went off to college. She wouldn’t eat and would lie in bed crying for days. Eventually, after coddling her, I told her if she didn’t pull it together, I was gonna ride to wherever you were and shoot you.”
Seb’s lips shook with a sudden laugh.
“That sure as shit worked, but she’d lost her sparkle, and I wanted to pull your fucking face off for a lot of those years. She’s been attached to you since birth. It’s like you helped raise her.”
“Fuck, don’t say that,” Seb winced, “makes me feel like a cradle robber.”
Hawk didn’t laugh, but his corner lip curled, and Seb took it for amusement.
“I even told Sunny to date boys from school to wean her off her attachment to you.”
