Page 28 of Blade (Spartan Watchmen MC #5)

S ix Months Later

Lily stood on the cabin porch, a warm mug of coffee cradled in her hands as she watched the sun rise over the mountains. October in Colorado painted the landscape in golds and crimsons, the aspen trees shimmering like flames against the backdrop of evergreens.

The air carried the first real bite of autumn; crisp, clean, with the promise of snow in the not-too-distant future. She breathed it in deeply, savoring the quiet and the stillness. The peace.

Six months ago, she couldn't have imagined this.

Six months ago, she'd been fighting for her life in a hospital bed, her body torn by bullets, her future uncertain.

Six months ago, The Rejects and their reign of terror had still carried weight, had still been a cloud shadowing every moment of happiness.

Now, Jose was gone. The threats were neutralized. And she was here, in this beautiful place, with the man who had somehow become the center of her world in the midst of chaos and violence.

The cabin door opened behind her, and strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her gently back against a solid chest. She leaned into the embrace without hesitation, a smile curving her lips as Blade's scent enveloped her; soap, leather, and something uniquely him.

"You're up early," he murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Couldn't sleep," she admitted. "Too excited about today."

She felt his chuckle as much as heard it, a rumble against her back. "Nervous?"

"A little," she confessed, turning in his arms to face him. "It's a big step."

His eyes, warm and indulgent, studied her face. "Having second thoughts?"

"Not for a second," she assured him firmly. "It's just... it makes it real, you know? Official."

"It's already real," he reminded her, one hand coming up to brush a strand of hair from her face. "Has been since that day at the quarry. Maybe even before."

She nodded, knowing he was right. Their commitment to each other had been forged in fire, tempered in blood and pain and sacrifice. The papers they would sign today were just a formality, just official recognition of what they already knew to be true.

Still. There was something significant about making it legal. About standing before witnesses and declaring their intent to build a life together.

"What time is everyone arriving?" she asked, glancing at her watch.

"Lucky said noon," Blade replied. "Trinity's handling all the legal paperwork, should have everything ready to go."

"And Doc?" she asked. "He's definitely coming?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Blade assured her. "None of them would."

The "them" in question was the club's inner circle; Lucky and Trinity, Savage and Savannah, Irish and Makenzie, Rampage, Arrow and Emilee, Kylie and Marcus (now fully recovered from his ordeal), and Doc, who had saved both their lives multiple times over.

Family, really, though not in any conventional sense of the word.

Not by blood, but chosen. And sometimes, the family you chose was better than the one you were given.

Although, she and Blade had wonderful families, and they would celebrate their marriage with all of them later this summer.

This ceremony was planned for a small, intimate group. She wouldn’t have it any other way.

"Good," she said, the last of her nervousness easing. "I want them all here for this."

Blade's arms tightened slightly around her, his expression softening. "They love you, you know. All of them. Not just because you're with me, but because of who you are. What you've done for the club."

The simple statement warmed her more than the coffee in her hands.

She'd found more than just Blade in the chaos of the past six months. She'd found acceptance. Belonging. People who saw all of her—the little and the warrior both—and valued her for exactly who she was. She’d spent six months playing and running through the clubhouse with the girls, getting her ass spanked too often by Blade, but also being included as an adult when big decisions needed to be made. Some of the girls lived as littles twenty-four seven, but she neither judged them for it nor did they judge her, for not being capable of doing so. She’d found the perfect balance not only in her relationship with Blade but also with the entire Club.

"I love them too," she said softly. "Never thought I'd end up part of an MC family, but..."

"But it fits," he finished for her. "Like you were always meant to be there."

She nodded, leaning up to press a gentle kiss to his lips. "Like I was always meant to be with you."

His eyes darkened at her words, desire and tenderness mingling in their depths. That look made her breath catch and sent heat spreading through her body.

"Come back to bed," he suggested, his voice dropping to the tone that never failed to make her shiver. "We've got hours before they arrive."

"And the breakfast dishes?" she asked, though she was already setting down her coffee mug, already leaning into him.

"Will still be there later," he replied with a small smirk. "Some things are more important."

She couldn't argue with that logic. Especially not when he bent to scoop her into his arms, carrying her as if she weighed nothing at all, back into the warmth of the cabin and toward their bedroom.

He laid her gently on the bed they shared, his eyes never leaving hers as he followed her down. Even now, with her completely healed, he was careful with her, not treating her as fragile, exactly, but as precious. Something to be cherished and protected even in passion.

"I love you," she whispered as his body covered hers. "My Daddy. My protector. My partner."

"And I love you, baby girl," he replied, his voice rough with emotion. "More than I have words for."

Words became unnecessary after that, their bodies speaking a language of commitment and need and love that transcended verbal expression.

The connection between them; physical, emotional, spiritual had only deepened with time and healing, growing stronger with each challenge faced, each obstacle overcome.

His lips found hers, tender at first, then increasingly urgent.

She sighed into his mouth as his hands traced reverent paths along her sides, each touch igniting her skin.

She arched against him, savoring the friction of his bare chest against her breasts.

His heartbeat pounded against her own, a rhythm as ancient as time itself.

When his mouth traveled down her neck, she gasped, fingers clutching at his shoulders, nails leaving crescent moons in their wake.

"Please," she breathed, not even sure what she was asking for. Everything. All of him.

He understood without words. He always did. His hand slid between them, finding her slick and ready. She whimpered as his fingers worked their magic, building her pleasure with practiced ease. The coil of tension wound tighter in her belly, her thighs trembling against his hips.

"That's it, baby," he murmured against her collarbone. "Let me feel you."

She cried out as he pushed her to the edge, then eased back, denying her release. The sweet torture continued until tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. She was floating, drowning, burning—all at once.

When he finally positioned himself at her entrance, their eyes locked again.

In that moment, she saw everything clearly, all of his devotion, his desire, his absolute certainty that she was his world.

He pushed inside with agonizing slowness, filling her completely, the stretch and burn exquisite in its intensity.

"God, you feel fucking amazing," he groaned, his voice strained with the effort of holding back.

They moved together, finding their rhythm instantly.

Her legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him deeper with each thrust. The headboard knocked against the wall, keeping time with their increasingly desperate pace.

Sweat slicked their bodies, the scent of their lovemaking filling the air around them.

His forehead pressed against hers as he drove into her, his breathing ragged. She felt herself climbing higher, her body tightening around him. The universe narrowed to just this. To their connection, this moment, this man who had saved her in every way a person could be saved.

"I'm close," she panted, her fingers digging into his back. "So close..."

"Come for me," he commanded softly, reaching between them to circle her clit. "Come right now little girl."

The pleasure crested, white-hot and overwhelming. She shattered around him with a broken cry of his name, her body convulsing in waves of ecstasy. He followed instantly, his release pulsing deep inside her as he buried his face in her neck, groaning her name like a prayer.

They clung to each other through the aftershocks, neither willing to let go. Her limbs felt heavy, sated, as he carefully rolled to the side, keeping her tucked against him. Their breathing gradually slowed, heartbeats returning to normal, though the connection between them remained unbroken.

She traced lazy patterns on his chest, watching goosebumps rise in the wake of her fingertips.

The vulnerability in these moments after always took her breath away, how completely they belonged to each other, how safe she felt in his arms. They’d been laying there for a few minutes when he propped up on an elbow and looked down at her.

“Want to go again?”

“Hmmm. I don’t know. Think you can handle it?”