AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“She can tattoo me next week. I have a standing reservation until my back piece gets done,” the biker guy says.
“I don’t want you with my sister,” Leif argues and starts to move toward us again.
Just as Ley is about to get involved again, Erika stops him.
“He and I need to talk. Please, Leif. I’ll call you tomorrow and we can all talk then.”
He moves toward us, and I keep my hands around her hips, holding her against my body. He tries to wrap his arms around her and pull her from me, but I don’t give him that after he almost hurt her. He kisses her on the forehead.
“Rika, I’ll be here if you need me. I love you.” He moves away.
“We’ll close up. I’ll text Ryan and let him know. Call me later,” Jas says as she holds her hand out in the call me sign. Erika grabs her bag from by her station, and even though I’ve let her go, I haven’t let her go far.
When we get outside, I see Ley moving to an SUV down the block. I don’t see anyone else, not even Ilya. I walk with her in the well-lit parking lot to a small Mini Cooper Roadster in white with a racing stripe. It’s got a soft-top, so I know it’s a convertible. I know they are safe cars but not safe enough for my family if she is pregnant. I don’t say that out loud, but I stand at her door waiting for her to unlock it.
“You aren’t driving my car.” She pulls her hand back.
“Princess, I’m not even sure I can fit into this little thing. I have a rental over there.” I point to where I parked.
“Follow me then,” she says, and I hate to let her go, but I know I need to. I lean down and kiss her forehead like her brother did. She sighs and I want to do more, but I want to have her close to a bed when I do that. I wait until she is in the car and then I make my way to my rental. Once I’m in, I pull up and wait for her. She pulls out and takes off, surpassing the speed limit. She drives without care or caution, and I’m doing everything I can to stay with her. I have her address, but I wanted to follow her. Now I’m following her and praying she doesn’t kill herself with her driving. When she pulls up to an old warehouse around the block, I realize she was fooling around with me. She waits for the garage door to open and pulls in. I park and I’m running to help her out of the car before she can do it on her own, but she beats me to it and is standing waiting for me.
“I help you from the vehicle, remember?” I take her hand and lace our fingers.
She looks down at our hands and up to me as she hits the button to bring the door down.
ChapterEight
ERIKA
Idirect him into the indoor courtyard of the building and then into my main living space. I baked more bread last night after I got home from dinner with his sister, so my house still smells like fresh baked bread.
“What is that smell?” Grayson says as he takes a big whiff.
“I made bread.” I hang my purse on the hook and then set my keys in the bowl before I move past the kitchen to the media family room on this floor. I don’t have a formal living room. I turned it into an office. I also have a studio here for some art projects I’ve been working on. “Would you like a drink?” I ask him as I walk past the kitchen.
“No.” He moves close behind me.
Before we get to the sofa where I was going to sit, he spins me around. One hand holds my hip while the other tips my head up so I’m looking into his steel eyes. They are clouding with storms right now, showing he’s barely hanging on. It’s crazy that after only a couple of days together I know his moods so well.
“I’m sorry,” he says. “I should have told you. But under no circumstances did I control the judges in the competition. You won free and clear. I was afraid if you knew who my family was you’d leave me. I didn’t even think that it was because of the casino.” He starts and his voice cracks several times in his anguish.
“I…” I pause and wait for a moment before I try again. “I should have waited to let you explain. But your grandmother made me feel like filth. I don’t care about who your family is; I care about you. The casino was shocking, but after I thought about it, it shouldn’t have surprised me at all.”
“Fuck, princess, I love you,” he says as his forehead falls to mine. I can’t say the words back to him, they are trapped in my throat. I’m still afraid he’ll leave. He has a house, casino, and life back there.
To cover up the fact I don’t say the words back, I tell him what he seems to already know.
“I’m pregnant. It’s yours. I got to hear the heartbeat today.” Every sentence is said quickly and full of the fear I’m feeling. My palms are sweating, my breathing is rapid, and my head is starting to swim. I feel my body being lifted and realize he’s carrying me. He settles on the sofa with me on his lap.
“I know it’s my baby. I’d never doubt you, princess.”
I swallow down the bile that rose up when I was worried.
“I’m not good enough for you. You deserve a king and I’m only the joker in the deck.” His voice is a whisper, and I take his face between my palms and direct him to look at me this time.
“You deserve me. I’m broken and will take time to trust you, but I’m getting there.” I lean forward and kiss his lips softly. Lips I’ve missed so much.
He pulls me in and takes over the kiss. My arms wrap around his neck and my hands move to let his hair down. He pulls the tie from my own hair, and it falls down my back. The natural color of my hair is a dark deep auburn. Reddish highlights with chocolate brown. I had my hairdresser take me back to it when I came home. I’m glad I did it before I knew I was pregnant, and the doctor confirmed it was okay. I won’t be coloring my hair until after the baby comes though. I don’t want to take any risks.
