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“What do you need to know?” I ask quickly.
“What is your real name?”
I throw my head back laughing because that was the last thing I expected Miri to ask me. “Liam, my name is Liam Brooks.”
“Well, Liam Brooks, let’s give this a chance. But any cheating of any kind, and I’m gone. It’s not something I’ll overlook or forgive.”
I wrap my arms around Miri and pull her into my chest. “I have been with probably more women than you would be happy about, but from this point onward you are the only woman that I’m interested in. I am not a cheater and would never cheat. If either of us thinks the relationship isn’t working, he or she tells the other person. We don’t hurt each other intentionally in that way, ever!”
“Agreed,” Miri nods solemnly.
“Okay. Let’s find somewhere for our house to be built. We’ll put our name down, then sit and work out how many rooms we want. Do you want a large kitchen? A laundry room? A basement? What about a nursery?”
I throw my head back again, laughing loudly when Miri’s eyes nearly pop out of her head at the word nursery. But she takes it well and slaps my chest with the back of her hand before she points at a plot that is two over from Finger's house.
It’s a nice-sized plot, and as Jeremy has placed markers on the plots, it’s easy to work out where the boundary would lie. But you can bet we will be in and out of each other's homes, so none of us will worry about fence lines. The only reason we’d put a fence up is to keep kids and dogs inside, and not roaming all over the compound.
“I can put our name on that one if you like that best?”
Miri shakes her head. “Let’s look at some more first. I quite like the idea of being further into the compound. It’s closer to the fencing and the road down here. I think I may feel more…I don’t know what to call it, but inside the community further in the compound.”
Now, I have a feeling this has to do with Geri and the MC she’s with. Miri is showing a little worry about being snuck up on, I think. “Nobody can get into the compound, Miri. Keys has every piece of the compound under surveillance. I don’t think anyone could sneak in undetected.”
Miri doesn’t respond, but she relaxes under my arm, which is again thrown around her shoulders. I like her tucked into my side. It feels good and something I’ve never done with any other woman.
We eventually pick our spot and went with my original one near Finger's house. I know Cilla, Rory, and Miri are becoming good friends, and that is how it should be. She’ll not be so far away from them they can’t pop into each other’s place if they want or need to. It’ll be handy when kids come along. I’ve no idea why I keep thinking about kids!
Pres isn’t around today. He’s working on the yard of his house. I know he likes manual labor and finds it relaxing after being locked in his office for hours at a time. He is building a cookout area and doing it from scratch, which means he hasn’t even planned it out on paper, he’s just going for it.
Before we reenter the clubhouse, I step toward Miri, close enough that I feel the warmth of her breath against my lips. For a few moments neither of us moves. Her eyes flick to my lips, and mine to hers before I look at her eyes silently asking permission.
My hand slowly lifts to her cheek, and I brush my fingers across her skin before I lean into her and let my lips meet hers.
At first the kiss is questioning, gentle, tentative, but after feeling her restraint for a moment I keep the kiss sweet. When Miri kisses me more firmly I place my hand on her waist and pull her gently into me. Our lips part for a moment before our foreheads meet. I smile and she answers with one of her own.
Then I kiss her again.
This time I take more control over the kiss, showing no sign of hesitation. I kiss her deeply, naturally, and linger with no sign that I want to hurry. I move the hand that was against her cheek and slip my fingers into her hair at the nape of her neck.
Miri grabs my t-shirt and curls her fingers, holding on as though I’m going to let her go or disappear in a moment. The kiss lasts longer than I intended, but it is claiming, and Miri is claiming me right back.
Breaking apart, we stay wrapped together, and I once again place my forehead against hers. “I’ve waited a while to do that, Miri.”
Surprising me as she keeps doing, Miri responds, “Well, you could have asked me sooner.” She then grabs the hair on each side of my skull and gently pulls me down to kiss me again. This time I let her take the lead in the kiss, and I have to tell you, it was well worth it.
Later that night I’m smelling the top of Miri’s head as she sleeps. She is tucked again into my side. This time she knows she’s done it, and we are taking it slow while we get to know each other. We spent a good hour talking about our childhoods and jobs.
We agreed that anything physical would happen when it felt right to both of us, but, you know I’m a man, and a biker, and I’m up for anything physical as soon as Miri is. What I won’t do is push her into anything.
As I’m falling asleep, I’m thinking about the conversation I had with Echo, and maybe I need to take my own advice and do some wooing of my own. I’ll take Miri out for a romantic date, yeah, that’s what I’ll do.
Chapter 18
MIRI
It’s a beautiful morning, and I’m wondering what Joker is up to because he asked me out on a date. I mean a date of all things. I already agreed to give us a chance, but he surprised me by wanting to take me out on a date. Not an unpleasant surprise, mind you. I think he is being thoughtful, and I appreciate that.
Joker has left for work, and I’m not sure what I’m going to do, but I need to find something because doing nothing is not who I am. I’m not sure I want to continue with what I was doing. The job became claustrophobic with being indoors all the time.
