Page 5

Four

Shutterbug

Emryn

I n my cute little cottage-like home, I revel in the wonderful feeling of knowing that I’ll be seeing Blade tomorrow night.

I’m not exactly a girly girl, but, like every other woman, I like to look good and work at taking care of myself.

My mother has drilled the importance of good skincare into my brain from the time I turned twelve.

It’s one of the few pieces of advice that’s served me well.

Since I’m new to town, I haven’t had the time to make my house into a home yet.

I still have boxes to unpack, and I’m still waiting for my stuff to arrive from the storage unit.

I’m hoping it all arrives this week, but in the meantime, I’m managing with a sleeping bag for my bed, and after a quick run to the local Walmart, I have the essentials for cooking.

I miss my cozy sofa, where I can sink into the cushions, nuzzle under a blanket, and watch an old movie on television.

Thanks to my laptop, I get to stream my favorite shows.

Tonight, I decide to pamper myself. I’ve got on a face mask, and I’m painting my nails.

I want to look nice for Blade tomorrow night.

I would be agonizing over what to wear, but I purged a lot of my stuff, getting rid of what I didn’t need when I left my last place, and only brought with me what I needed.

I saw a store in town that I’m going to explore.

I’m looking for something cute and sassy that matches my black leather ankle boots with silver buckles.

Blade’s probably having a great time with his friends.

I’m happy he’s become a member of his club.

I saw how proud and happy he was when he told me he had finally become a patched member.

I’ve heard that MC parties can get wild.

I’ve also heard there are a ton of biker bunnies wanting to hook up with the bikers.

I shake the negative thoughts out of my head. Blade has the right to do as he pleases. After all, we haven’t even gone out together yet. But I really hope he’s thinking about me as much as I’m thinking about him.

Blade

W hile the rest of the club is partying, I decide to slip away into the quiet of the night.

A celebratory barbecue turned into a Satan’s Pride party.

I love my brothers, and the celebration is phenomenal, but as I make my way to the side exit, I look around the room to see the crew laughing, dancing, and drinking.

Most of the brothers have a woman in their lives.

Many are married, and the others are living together, but most are happily hooked up with the woman of their dreams. I’m thrilled as hell for them.

I never thought about getting married, but then again, I’ve been more concerned about learning everything I can about being a mechanic and the business end of things from War so I can start my own shop.

It’s not that I don’t have my share of women.

Being in the Pride automatically has the bees flocking to honey.

Even when I was a prospect, there were plenty of women who just loved the biker boy vibes, the mystery, and the danger associated with the MC life.

I’ve enjoyed the company of plenty of women, but from the start, I knew it would be a wild sex-filled weekend or a casual fuck-buddy relationship, and they did too.

All the women I’ve been with knew from the beginning that I wasn’t into a serious relationship.

Some tried to change my mind, and that was when I ended things.

Others were in it for a good time, and after, if we met on the street or in a bar, we’re friendly and aware that our relationship fizzled out.

But all night long, my mind wanders to the adorable, brown-eyed beauty who came to bring me pie. Emryn has a sweetness about her, and from what I can tell, she has a plan for her life. She wants to be a professional photographer and is going for it.

I almost make it out the door when I hear my name and find Demon near me.

“Where are you going?” Demon throws open his arms, “This is all for you,” he exclaims with a grin.

“Yeah, and I love it. Just thought I’d take a walk. Get some air,” I reply in all sincerity. I don’t want the guys to think their efforts aren’t appreciated.

“Want company?”

“Sure.” I shrug. As we walk along the sidewalk, I look over to the side street where Emryn lives. Demon doesn’t even pretend he doesn’t know where I’m headed and turns onto her street.

He grins slyly, raising his brows. “What? Really? Like we don’t know you have it bad for a cute brunette.” He shoves his shoulder into mine.

“Don’t know her enough to say.”

“Pleeeaassssse!” he drawls. “You have a club full of pussy, well, not as many as we once had, but still plenty of single women who love bikers, and you leave to get a glimpse of the girl.” I open my mouth to deny it, but he cuts me off.

“Hey, brother, I’m happy for you. Sofia is the greatest gift, besides my boy and the club, that God’s ever given me.

I thought I had everything, then Sofia came into my world, and I learned what it feels like to be loved and to love her back. ”

“I’m happy for you. Truly.” We’re standing across from Emryn’s house, staring at the dimly lit porch. There’s a single light on in her living room. With the curtains drawn, I don’t see her, but I feel good being this close.

“Are we going to stand here all night?” Demon teases.

I’m about to tell him to fuck off when Emryn comes out onto the porch with a camera in hand, aims it at the huge tree in her front yard, and begins to snap photos.

It’s then that we hear the faint sound of an owl.

She takes more photos, the shutter clicking rapidly.

Emryn then lies down on the grass, and my little shutterbug takes pictures of the stars in the sky.

I look up and note that it’s a perfect night for watching the night sky. Clear and bright, the sky shows a majesty of infinite stars shining brightly. Demon and I remain silent until she goes back inside her home.

“Emryn’s a woman who sees possibilities,” Demon comments. “A sky so vast, and she wants to take it all in.”

“She’s unique, and funny, and shy…and everything,” I murmur. I want to see the world through her eyes, through her photos. Yes, I have to get to know this little shutterbug.