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“Little sisters,” he grunted. “I do not recommend.”
“Liar,” I said, walking up to him.
He loved his family; it was one of the most appealing things about him.
Virgil wrapped his arms around me and pulled my body flush to him. My lips pressed right against his. “Good morning, my beautiful Maze.”
The feel of his lips on mine was just what I needed to settle my pulse and my mind. “Better morning now.”
He flashed a satisfied smile. “Good to know I’m the secret ingredient to your happy days.”
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t deny it. “How are you?”
“Worried about you. Are you sure you’re okay?”
There was so much concern swimming in his eyes my heart skipped a beat, and I found it difficult to swallow.
Had any man outside my family ever shown so much care for me? Hell no. Never.
“I’m okay, Virgil. I swear.”
He flashed a skeptical look, and I sighed.
“Okay, fine. I will be all right.” I put both of my hands to his face, feeling the gentle scrape of his stubble against my palm as I stared into his eyes. “I will be.”
My insistence provided some relief for him. I was grateful because I didn’t want this, or me, to be another burden he carried.
“Talk to me, Maze. Tell me the truth. Is anything that’s happened so far a dealbreaker for you?”
His expression was serious, like the answer was important to him.
Was any of it a dealbreaker? No. It was no different than all the trouble that had shown up at Hardtail Ranch over the years, guys with guns. Girls with guns. Government agents. Attempted kidnappings. Suicide. All types of criminals. I could handle most of it.
“Nope, not a deal-breaker.”
“Thank fuck,” he growled. “Because I want you, Maisie. Not just for tonight and not just in my bed. I want you at my side and in my bed.”
He smiled down at me and pulled me closer as if he was worried I might get up and walk away. Vanish from his grasp.
“I just want you, Maze.”
It all sounded good but to my ears it sounded…incomplete.
“What does that mean?”
Virgil didn’t say that he loved me, but did I need him to? He went out and killed the man who ordered my kidnapping, the same fucker who pumped drugs into my body and cut my clothes off. He did that because he felt something for me. Something big and unexplainable. Maybe not love, but whatever version of love he was capable of. That was what this was.
The only question was, would it be enough for me? With my track record, I had to consider this was just macho posturing and male ego, not anything resembling love. The men of the MC had a hard time admitting they loved someone, was Virgil the same? Would the Reckless Bastards even let me date a guy like Virgil?
Gunny said I was a grown woman and to make my own decisions. He also said he’d always be there if and when I needed him, so I came to the conclusion that this was all on me.
He sighed. “It means what I said, I want you. I want you in my life. Around all the time. With me. All the time.”
He wasn’t gonna say it, and I felt all right about that, but there was still that pang of disappointment I couldn’t get rid of.
“I want you too, Virgil.”
“But?” He wasn’t angry, not yet. So far it just seemed like worried confusion.
“But until all of this happened, I wasn’t even sure you wanted to see me again. And now you want me all the time? It’s all a bit…much.”
I was the queen of rash decisions, and I didn’t want Virgil to be another one.
“Breakfast is ready.” Thomas’ deep cultured voice with just a hint of brogue, sounded behind us.
Virgil nodded and clasped our hands together. “We’ll pick this conversation up later, but Maisie, I need you to know I’m not scared off easily.”
Not yet. “We’ll see.” I smiled. A little.
Breakfast got underway, a chaotic affair that included all four Ashby children, Sadie, me, and Bonnie, along with Jasper’s associate Terry and a few others I didn’t recognize. They all talked over each other, several different conversations happening at once. I couldn’t help but smile. It was like so many breakfasts on the ranch with Miss Martha back in Texas.
“Excellent bacon waffles, Sadie. Best ever.” Terry flashed a flirtatious wink that tugged a smile across Sadie’s face.
“Thank you, Terry. Full of compliments, as usual.”
“Full of something,” Kat mumbled, flashing a playful smile across the table that sent the rest of the guys into fits of laughter.
“I spoke to Ronan last night.” Sadie’s words had the desired effect of shutting everyone the hell up and quickly.
“As you can imagine, he’s eager to have his daughter back.”
“Fat fucking chance.” Virgil growled and squeezed my leg under the table.
