Page 30 of Savage Bond

They’re all waiting to see what will happen next. Honestly, they’re probably pretty confused. I don’t think anyone expects us to be together.

Oakley didn’t jump right to asking if we were dating, which means she doesn’t believe it’s an option. She didn’t even hesitate to assume Dixie and Storm were dating when they were sneaking around.

Chopper pulls back and rests his forehead against mine. He lets out a sigh and it has my heart squeezing uncomfortably in my chest.

“You just made everything infinitely harder, baby.”

Chapter 19

Chopper

If she’s going to kiss me in a crowded bar, I'll never push her away… but she just made everything so much more complicated.

Pushing her away would’ve sealed my fate. She would’ve built those walls taller and thicker than ever before. She’d never stop adding new bricks to make it impossible for me to get through. Gone would be the glimpses I’d get of the real her, she’d be locked in her self-made tower with no chances of her leaving ever again.

“What do you mean?” She whispers.

“Well, if Porter didn’t already suspect something was going on between us, he’ll definitely know for sure soon.”

I take a step back and scrub a hand down my face. I don’t know how to handle this. I planned to go to Porter and talk to him long before anyone knew things changed between us. I thought it would look better on my part if I wasn’t sneaking around behind his back. If I manned up and said I wanted to date Roxy and eventually marry her and give her my property patch.

I figured Porter would have to respect that at least to a certain extent. But Roxy just blew up my plan with a simple kiss. A mind-blowing kiss. One that silenced the entire bar.

“So… does Porter know?” Storm asks as he slides onto a stool on the other side of the bar. Dixie quickly takes the seat to the left of him and Oakley to the right. Morris and Jasper stand behind them, each with wide eyes.

“Shut up,” I growl, growing more and more anxious.

“What would Dad need to know?” Roxy plants a hand on her hip and arches a brow at Storm. I don’t know how she can stand there and act like nothing is going on between us.

Because she’s been acting her entire life. No one knows the real Roxy except you.

The thought races through my head and I frown as it really sinks in. Roxy keeps everyone at arm’s length. I'm sure she even keeps Dixie and Oakley at a distance to a certain extent.

But she let me see the real her over the past few days.

“Um… that you’re clearly dating Chopper,” Jasper says slowly.

“Am I though?” Roxy scrunches up her nose as she stares at Jasper like he’s crazy.

“But you just kissed him!” Morris motions to me like everyone doesn’t already know I'm the one she kissed.

“Man, I didn’t know you had to date someone to kiss them!” Roxy rolls her eyes. “Do you want me to kiss you to prove it meant nothing?”

“Yes!” Morris shouts, earning a glare from a few of the older customers in the bar.

Roxy tries to move around the bar to get to him, but I wrap my arm around her waist and tug her back against my chest.

“Not happening, babe,” I growl before lowering my voice so only she can hear me. “I'm not letting you kiss another man, especially in front of me. You’re mine. I told you that. I'm not sharing you with anyone.”

“Morris, you’re an idiot. I'm not dating anyone. I kissed him on a dare. Oakley said I wouldn’t do it and I did so now she owes me a drink at McHugh’s this weekend.”

I watch Oakley as her eyes widen. She glances from Roxy to me and back again. She’s trying to decide if she wants to go along with this and I see the exact second she makes her choice.

“Yeah, I know,” she grumbles like she’s actually upset about having to go out. “But I'm not letting you dress me up! Last time, it took me two hours to get all of that eyeliner off and to get the leather pants and corset off. Never again. I’d rather stick with jeans and a t-shirt.”

“And you wonder why you can’t find a boyfriend,” Morris snorts with laughter. Jasper elbows him hard in the stomach, making him yelp in pain. “What?” He stares at his best friend like he doesn’t know why Jasper’s mad at him.

“I'm pretty sure Oakley doesn’t want a boyfriend,” he murmurs.