Page 16

Saylor

The smell of coffee was almost enough to make me forget how sore I was.

Almost.

I’d woken up tangled in Pirate’s sheets with the warmth of his body beside me and the fading memory of his hands on my skin. We’d ended the night wrapped around each other, and somewhere between midnight and sunrise, we’d ended up enjoying each other three times.

Worth it?

Absolutely.

But my body wasn’t too pleased about it this morning.

He was in the shower now, and I was left limping a little toward the kitchen like I’d just finished a triathlon. I’d debated joining him in the shower—I really had—but after last night? I needed to regroup. Hydrate. Maybe stretch.

And coffee. Lots of coffee.

I grabbed two mugs and was just pouring the second one when soft footsteps padded into the kitchen.

“Hey, girl,” Dani said through a yawn as she rubbed her eyes. Her long hair was pulled up into a messy bun, and she looked as exhausted as I felt. “You’re up early.”

I glanced at the clock. “It’s half past eight.”

She groaned. “I guess I’ve adapted to biker life sooner than I thought I would. Not going to Wine and Cheese Me every day has completely screwed up my sense of time.” She tipped her head to the side and squinted. “It’s Monday, right?”

I smiled. “Yes.”

“Good,” she said, already moving toward the coffee pot. “Only three more days until our saviors roll into town. As much as I love living at the clubhouse, I miss my house and the shop.”

I froze.

Three more days.

It hit me then—harder than I expected. Once Boone and Gibbs were dealt with, everything would go back to how it was before.

Before the attack.

Before the clubhouse.

Before Pirate.

“You good?” Dani asked and raised an eyebrow as she poured herself a cup.

I blinked out of it and grabbed the two mugs I’d filled. “Uh, just thinking about things going back to the way they were.”

“Sounds great to me,” she laughed.

I forced a smile and turned toward the hallway. It didn’t sound great to me at all. Because the way things were before didn’t include me and Pirate being together.

And now that I’d had him—really had him—I wasn’t sure I could go back to a life without him in it.

I didn’t get far before the door to Pirate’s room opened in front of me.

Pirate stood there—shirtless, barefoot, hair still wet and curling around his face. The top button of his jeans wasn’t even done, and for a moment, I just stared at him dumbly.

“What are you doing?” I laughed. “You haven’t even dried your hair.”

He stepped forward with a look in his eyes that stopped me cold. “I called for you, and you didn’t answer.”

I held up the mugs. “I was just getting us some caffeine.”

He didn’t look satisfied with that answer. His jaw was tight, and his brows were drawn low.

“Whoa, easy there,” I said with a nervous laugh as he reached for me, slid an arm around my waist, and tugged me into the room.

The door shut behind us with a soft click.

“Is there something wr—?”

He took the mugs from my hands, set them down on the dresser with more control than I expected, and then pulled me against him.

Tight.

His arms wrapped around me like he thought I might disappear. His body was still warm from the shower, bare chest against my cheek, and strong arms caged me in like I was something fragile.

“Are you okay?” I asked, slightly muffled by his skin.

“I thought you left.”

I blinked. “I mean, I did leave… but I came back. I can’t live without my morning coffee, Pirate. You know this.”

“No,” he said, his voice low and rough. “I mean gone, Saylor. I thought something happened to you. Again.”

Oh.

That hit different.

The knot of emotion in my chest twisted tighter. I was still dealing with what had happened to me, but Pirate—he was dealing with it in his own way, too. This wasn’t just about fear. It was about us. About him not wanting to lose something he finally had. I didn’t want that either.

“I’m okay,” I whispered and wrapped my arms around him. “I’m right here.”

He pulled back just enough to look down at me, his blue eyes stormy with something deeper than fear. “You can’t leave me, Saylor.”

I opened my mouth, but the words tangled in my throat.

This—this—was what I’d been thinking about in the kitchen. What I’d been worrying over when Dani reminded me that everything was about to go back to normal. I had a job. A life before all this. And as much as I didn’t want that life anymore, I wasn’t sure what Pirate wanted when the threat was gone.

I searched his face, and my heart thudded in my chest. “But what happens after Boone and Gibbs are gone?”

He brushed a piece of hair behind my ear. His touch was softer than I expected.

“Once they’re gone,” he said, “we can leave the clubhouse. Not worry about being hunted. Not worry about being killed. We’re free then, baby.”

“And you want to be free with me?”

His lips curved into the gentlest smile. “You and I… stay you and I.”

The words sank into me slowly. I felt their weight settle deep and anchor something I hadn’t let myself hope for yet.

I let out a shaky breath. “My job…”

“What about your job?”

“I have to travel for it. I have to go where they need me. It’s not always glamorous. Sometimes it’s months away.”

Pirate’s hands slid down my back and settled at my waist.

“We’ll figure it out, baby. I’m not gonna make you quit something you love just to be with me. Yarder and the club—they’re flexible. I can come and go if I need to. You tell me where you’re at, and I’ll meet you there. Simple.”

It wasn’t actually simple. But the way he said it, like it was already decided, made me want to believe it.

“Really?” I asked.

His grin turned wicked. “You’re not getting rid of me that easy, baby.”

I smiled, still stunned by how easy he made it sound.

“So… you and I…”

His arms tightened around me as he leaned in and kissed me—slow and sure.

“Baby,” he said against my lips, “it’s gonna be you and me for forever.”

And I believed him.