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Arabella searches my face intently for any signs of deception. I want to reach out and comfort her, but I’m not sure if she wants my touch. She bites her lip, clearly torn between her feelings for me and her fear.
“I want to trust you, Thunder, but I need to know the truth. Did you have any involvement in Mac’s death?”
I meet her gaze. “I swear, Arabella,” I say solemnly. “I had nothing to do with it.”
She releases a sigh of relief, apologizing and saying she should have known better. But before she can say anything more, I stop her, my hand gently cupping her cheek.
“No, Arabella. You don’t have to apologize. Iwould havedone anything to protect you, including taking matters into my own hands. But someone else beat me to it.”
Arabella’s mouth drops, and her eyes widen. But I don’t stop, because I need her to know that I would go to any lengths to keep her safe, no matter the cost.
“You don’t get it. I would do anything for you, Arabella. I would move mountains, cross oceans, and face any danger to keep you safe. You mean that much to me. Nothing is off-limits.Nothing.”
Arabella’s eyes widen, and she seems to be at a loss for words. Conflicting emotions shadow her eyes as she processes the depth of my feelings for her.
“I’m sorry…”
“You have nothing to apologize for,” I shrug, “Unless that kind of devotion turns you away. I’m glad you suspected me. It means you get how much I care. You see me as I really am. I told you I had a dark past. I never asked you if you could live with it. I was too afraid of the answer. Hoping, no praying, that you could. Today you saw it up close.” She can’t see me trembling, but I’m damn near quaking inside. Everything boils down to this moment. To this one question. I take a deep breath and shoot my best shot. “Now that you have. Can you live with it?”
Arabella places her hand over mine. Her eyes fill, but her voice is steady when she answers. “How could you doubt it? Thunder, I am just as far gone as you are. Do I like this dark, ugly side? No. But only because you’ve let me see a soul so beautiful and pure that it hurts me to know that anything dirty ever touched it. That’s the real crime. Your crime is not letting every person you meet see the Thunder I know. But I’m selfish enough to appreciate that it’s all for me.”
“All yours. Forever.” For the first time since I met her, I’m glad she can’t hear the raw emotion in my voice. The way it cracks and breaks with love for her.
We stand there in each other’s embrace, our bodies close, hearts entwined. Beating to a melody we both hear. A song of love and hope. A song full of promises of forever.
About the Author
My name is Jailaa West and I am an indie author of sweet and steamy romance novels. I grew up In Chicago, Il. And I have loved romance books since junior high school when I snuck my first one from my mom’s bookshelf. I used to dream about the fantasy worlds I read about. Now I enjoy writing them for others to dream about. As a mom of three, I frequently write after bedtime or behind a locked bedroom door. And I thank God that all of my hot steamy books, (that I still read and write) are safely stored on my e-reader, where no one can sneak them off of my bookshelf!
I love hearing from my readers. The best way to reach me is through my facebook group or through my newsletter.
https://jailaawest.com
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Reaper
Dead Demons
Elizabeth Kozloff
ChapterOne
Reaper
“Hey Gypsy, pass me a cold one and a shot.”
The blonde bartender gives me a smirk as she turns around and stands on her toes to grab the Tequila, giving me a show with my drink order. Gypsy knows what she was doing with those short shorts she wears. The denim rides up her ass showing off two tan, round plumb checks that have all the guys at the bar watching. After pouring the shot, she slides it across the bar and leans down on her forearms, giving me a glimpse of her tits that are about to fall out of her top, leaving little to one’s imagination. Not that every man in this club hasn’t already seen what she offers.
While she’s adamant about being an old lady, none of my brothers or I plan to be tied down for a while. So while Gypsy may get on our nerves with her blatant display of her assets, she’s the best bartender the clubhouse has at the bar. She knows every brother’s drink and has it ready for them immediately, so we have no plans to see her go. Plus, some brothers would hate to see her go, since she takes care of them in other ways.
“Here Reaper, I’ll be back with your beer. If you need anything, just let me know,” Gypsy answers as she slides the bottle in front of me, next to the shot.
I down the shot and grab the bottle of beer before shifting in my chair and facing my President, Chains. We’ve been friends since high school when my parents moved me and my three sisters to town. There is nothing that the two of us haven’t gotten into.
We were side by side stirring up shit in high school, then side by side sweating our asses off in boot camp. And later down the line, side by side, as we fought overseas.
