Page 96 of Havoc

No matter how soft or deep, it manages to skitter all the way through my skin. His kiss tethers me to him. And when he pulls back, I still feel the bind thrumming between us like a physical force we never quite cut, even with all the distance.

“So tomorrow—”

“I don’t want to talk about tomorrow,” I cut him off.

“We need to be ready.”

“You meanIneed to be ready, and I am. We’ve talked it to death already. I don’t want to think about it.”

Levi frowns. Stretching his arms behind him, staring at the horizon.

At least he doesn’t argue. I’m tired of talking about tomorrow. About what needs to happen and what we risk if anything goes wrong. I don’t want to spend this last afternoon with Levi thinking about Titan. All it does is make me uneasy, especially considering how quickly Titan responded to the Twisted Kings agreeing to hand me over.

I don’t know what that says about his arrogance. Or maybe Titan just thinks that little of love that he assumes Levi would be done with me.

“If you don’t want to talk about tomorrow”—Levi presses his lips tight—“how about we talk about the day after?”

“What about it?”

He plants his hand over mine on the blanket, lacing our fingers together. “Stay with me.”

“Here?” I glance at the clubhouse at a distance.

“Yes here. We can build a house in the neighborhood. Or I’ll get us one in the city if you’d prefer a little more distance. But I can’t say goodbye to you again, Aimee. I’m not going to survive if you leave.”

“And here I thought you were a big, bad biker who could survive anything.” I nudge his shoulder, trying to make light of the situation.

“Not when it comes to you, firecracker.” He leans over, kissing the tip of my shoulder.

I settle on his gaze. On those brown eyes that always saw me better than I saw myself. The plan was alwaysto leave when I was done. For my sake and Levi’s. But this man knows everything. All my secrets. My past. My present.

He knows my ugly side and what wakes me up in the middle of the night.

And here he sits beside me. Unwavering.

On top of that, his club has welcomed me and taken me in. They’re the big family I never had. They’re the excitement I didn’t know I needed. Being here is the closest I’ve ever felt to finally coming home.

“You want me to be your girlfriend,Havoc?” I bite my lip, glancing over at him.

He shakes his head, gripping my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “I want you to be my old lady.”

Those two words have my heart racing. I’ve feared them for years because they never held any weight other than existing as a means for a biker to tie a woman down. But when I look into Levi’s eyes, I don’t feel pressure in his offer.

It’s freedom.

It’s peace.

I’m suddenly finding it difficult to breathe.

Standing up, I shake my hands out, pacing as I wrap my head around what he’s offering.

Levi follows, and his face scrunches with worry. “You can think about it.”

“It’s not that.” I pause, and he takes my shaking hands in his. “I just need to make sure we’re clear about what you’re asking.”

“How so?”

“That if we do this, you’re mine and I’m yours.”