Page 11 of Dylan’s Dad (Horsemen Of The Apocalypse MC #1)

Reaper

This was either the worst idea I’ve ever had or the best. Stallion hands me my helmet and I fit it onto her head making sure its tightly secured, onyx curls cascading out the bottom.

She is the most precious cargo I’ve ever had on my bike.

Climbing onto my Harley, nothing has ever felt more like being home.

Stallion brought my Harley Street Bob versus my chopper which is much lighter weight and I can have a bit more fun on it with Lola.

I extend my arm out so she can grab on for balance and help give her a little boost. This girl is fun-sized.

She is so short I wonder if she will even be able to get on the back without being picked up.

Surprisingly, she actually figures it out but slides all the way to the back of my bike.

That’s not going to work. Reaching back with both hands I grip just under her knees pulling her tightly against me.

“Little Flower, have you never been on the back of a bike? Give me your hands.” Her small hands appear at both my sides. Grabbing both hands, I wrap them firmly around my waist. “You’re gonna wanna hold on tight.” I bring the engine to life and she squeezes me tighter than I thought possible.

“Sure thing, Prez. We did have a little hiccup in the parking lot before you got out.”

I shoot him a look and growl, “What kind of hiccup?”

“Dylan was parked across the street. He saw Lola with us. We chased him off to ensure he didn’t follow us back here. You’re sure he doesn’t know about this place, right?”

“Positive. We were still living at the old place when I got locked up. The plan was to move us out here after I got the place finished. Plus, this house isn’t in my name so he can’t even find it by running a property record on me.”

“Good. That girl doesn’t deserve that shit he put her through but we will get more into that tomorrow. The bunnies want to throw a welcome home party for you tomorrow night. You cool with that?”

Giving a sharp nod I pull my best friend in for a tight hug. “It’s good to be home. Thank you so much for holding down the fort for me and for taking care of Lola.”

“Of course, brother. You need anything before we head out?”

“Nah, I’m good. I’ll see you guys in the morning.” With that Stallion turns and heads back to the rest of our brothers.

Walking in I’m amazed at the work the guys put in.

Closing the door, I see my Little Flower perched on the edge of the couch looking a little uneasy.

I head for the kitchen to try to make this a little less uncomfortable for her.

We got to know each other through letters and now she is basically living with a stranger.

The fridge looks fully stocked, thankfully.

I grab a coke and call out over my shoulder, “What do you feel like having for dinner, Little Flower?” No response but I know she hasn’t gone anywhere.

I turn to face her and see her anxiously wringing her hands in her lap and chewing on her full bottom lip.

“Little Flower?” I try a little softer. Those big beautiful green eyes meet mine but quickly drop back down to the floor.

Crossing the distance between us I drop to my knees at her feet and lift her chin up to bring her eyes back to mine.

"I know this is probably weird for you. You’ve had this whole place to yourself, and now you have to share it with me.

That’s gotta feel a little awkward, but you’ll have to get past it.

Best way I can think of? We start getting more comfortable around each other—starting with dinner.

So, what do you say, Little Flower? Think you can try to get past it with me? "

A soft little smile appears and she nods. “Can we have spaghetti? It’s the thing I’m best at making.”

“Babygirl, you are not cooking, I am. You can pick anything you want.”

Now she’s looking at me like I’m a puzzle she can’t quite figure out. “Anything?”

“Whatever your heart desires. If I can’t cook it, I’ll order it.”

She smiles at me mischievously. “Mushroom Swiss burgers?”

“Perfect. What are you thinking for the side? French fries?”

Shaking her head at me, I can see her smile has turned into a full grin lighting up her entire face. “Mac and cheese.”

Her grin is contagious and I feel lighter just being around her when she’s smiling like this. “Done.” I get to my feet and head into the kitchen noticing she’s become my shadow following behind me.

As I begin to gather the ingredients for the Mushroom Swiss burgers, my Little Flower takes a seat on one of the barstools near the kitchen counter.

I can't help but steal glances at her. She's so delicate, yet there's a strength within her that has captured my attention from the moment we first started exchanging letters.

I start cooking, moving around the kitchen with ease as if I've done this a million times before.

The sizzling sound of the burgers fills the air, accompanied by the mouthwatering aroma of sautéed mushrooms and melted Swiss cheese.

I catch Lola watching me intently, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Is this your first time having someone cook for you?" I ask, breaking the silence.

She blushes, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "Yeah," she admits softly. "I mean obviously my parents cooked for me until they passed but when I was with. . ."

A surge of protectiveness swells within me, and I can't help but feel the anger rising in me, knowing she was talking about when she was with Dylan. I still can't fathom where I went wrong with him. How could I raise such a monster and be completely unaware of it.

Unable to push the anger down, I turn the burners down. “I’ll be right back, Little Flower.” Stepping through the sliding door to the patio, I reach into my pocket pulling out my pack of cigarettes. By the second drag, I start to feel better.

Coming back inside I go back to the stove but she is no longer hoovering.

She has lifted herself up onto the counter next to the stove.

So far we’ve been in silence while I’ve been working but it’s no longer an awkward silence it’s a comfortable silence.

Pouring the cream into the pot I look up at her and notice a curl has fallen forward and God she looks so perfect and I just wanna kiss the shit outta her big full lips.

Nope. No. Not going there. Focusing back on the food in front of me I get back to it.

I can feel her gaze on me, her presence beside me igniting a fire within that I've been trying to suppress. But there's no denying the attraction that crackles in the air between us. It's been building ever since we first laid eyes on each other.

As I stir the macaroni and cheese, my hand brushes against hers accidentally, sending an electric shock through my entire body. Her soft gasp doesn't go unnoticed, and I see her cheeks flush with a deep shade of pink.

Pushing my depraved thoughts even further down, I plate our dinner. “You wanna grab the drinks? I got the food.” Taking the plates into the living room and setting them on the coffee table. “So, what are you thinking? Movie? TV? Music?”

Her gaze flickers from the plates to me, a hint of uncertainty in her eyes. "Um, maybe some music?" she suggests hesitantly.

I smile at her, wanting to make her feel comfortable and at ease. "Sure thing, Little Flower. Any preferences?"

She shrugs, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her dress. "Anything is fine. I trust your taste."

My heart swells with fondness at her words, and I quickly decide on a playlist. As the sound of my chaotic playlist fills the room, I take a seat beside her on the couch, leaving a comfortable distance between us.

We eat in companionable silence, stealing glances at each other every now and then.

There's something intimate about sharing a meal together, even if it's just burgers and macaroni and cheese.

It's a small moment of domesticity, something I hadn't realized I was missing all those years raising Dylan on my own.

After we finish eating, I lean back against the couch and let out a contented sigh. The food was delicious, but what made it even better was the fact that I shared it with Lola. We sit there for a while, immersed in the music playing softly in the background.

“Reaper?” her voice was quiet and trembling. She climbs into my lap straddling me and my hands instinctively grasp her hips and damn she feels so good.

“Little Flower? What are you doing?”

“Kiss me, please.”

Dropping my forehead to hers, “I can’t. We can’t.”

“Please.” She whimpers and I can actually feel my control slipping.

“I’m not asking to be your girlfriend or even a tomorrow.

Just please for tonight. The last time I was kissed or touched was him and I don’t want to think about that.

I don’t wanna go back there, like I do each time I sleep and then wake from the nightmares.

I just need something good. I know I can’t erase that but I just need my next time to be good and to have a choice in it. ”

My blood runs cold as it sinks in. Did he rape her? I’m gonna fucking kill him.

“Please, Reaper.”

Bringing one hand up to her cheek, “Babygirl, this isn’t the answer. I’m not a gentle lover and that’s not gonna help you.”

“Please. . .” She begs.

My goddamn restraint finally snapped. My hand slides from her cheek to tangle in her hair. “If you want me to stop at any time, tell me and I’ll stop. Promise me!”