“I know a few things.” My eyes slide down, and her skin flushes.
“I’m not talking aboutsexually.” Her cheeks turn bright red for a whole different reason, and it’s fucking adorable. “Obviously, we’re not strangers in the bedroom. Charlie is proof of that. But I’m talking about everything else. Wedidn’t exactly talk much that first night. We barely shared anything with each other.”
“Like last names.”
Her nose scrunches. “I wasn’t purposefully being deceptive. When people find out my last name is Zane, they look at me differently. That kind of thing happens when it’s on the biggest casino downtown. But I swear I didn’t keep it from you because I knew about your club’s issues with my uncle.”
“I know.” I really do. “And I understand what it’s like for people to assume shit. People see my patch, and they think a lot of things without really knowing anything about me.”
“I feel like I don’t know anything about you,” she says, biting her lip.
“What do you want to know?”
Emery turns toward me, her eyebrows pinching. “What’s your last name?”
“Roman.”
“Hayes Roman,” she repeats, and there’s something about hearing my legal name on her lips that is the hottest fucking thing I’ve ever heard.
Maybe I have quite a few kinks, but they all revolve around Emery.
It’s like New Year’s when she stripped by the pool, and I might as well have never seen anyone naked before her because she woke me up from a dream.
“Charlotte Roman,” she says, and my smile falls. “Maybe someday we can update her birth certificate and give her your name?”
The pride in her tone smacks me in the chest.
Charlotte Roman.
I love the sound of that name as much as I love the idea of Emery Roman. But it doesn’t stop the wave of terror that slams through me. My father gave me that name, and look what came from that.
12
Soul
Ghost’s surveillance room issomehow both dark and blindingly bright with every monitor lit up. The base of my skull throbs the second I step inside.
“How the fuck do you not get a headache when you spend all day in here?”
He continues to click away, not bothering to look up. “You get used to it.”
Fucking Ghost.
He’s the only one who could get used to this blue-screen-lit cave. Although, given he’s the opposite of me, preferring technology over human interaction, it’s fitting for him.
Luna pops into the room, balancing a plate in either hand, causing Ghost to break his stare on the computer screen.
“I thought you might be hungry, so I made us lunch.” Her smile widens when he tugs her onto his lap the moment she’s within reach.
It nearly knocks the sandwiches off their plates.
“You shouldn’t be serving me. I should be serving you.” He glares, but there’s no threat behind it as he plants his hand over her belly. “Why do you make it so damn difficult to take care of you?”
“Because I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.” She rolls her eyes, setting his plate down. “And you were busy.”
“I’m never too busy for you.”
“Aren’t you the sweetest—” Her smile falls, and her face drains of color. “I’m sorry, I’ll be right back.”
