Page 41 of Operation Annulment (Silent Phoenix MC)

thirty-five

O n the way to the gym, I try to come up with a list of reasons Dakota needs to marry Zane. Most lead back to the fact that he looks like Thor. One is because I don’t want him to kill me.

Dakota stands near a leg press machine in full wedding attire.

“It took you long enough to get here,” she says when she sees me, her lips curving into a wide grin.

I ignore the sinking feeling in my gut at seeing her so happy, knowing there’s a good chance she won’t be coming back with me.

“Why aren’t you at the event center?” I ask tentatively. “You know, getting married?”

“I’ve got plenty of time to kill,” she says with a careless shrug. “Thought I’d round up all the guests who hadn’t RSVP-ed yet. You know how rude that is.”

It’s a Friday night and New Year’s Eve, so the gym is deserted. Most people are probably out partying.

I open my mouth and then immediately close it, unsure if it’s even worth asking .

Her satin skirt swishes as she walks over. “Remember when I told you Nate was your Bucky?”

I nod, more than a little thrown off by the change in topic. “Yeah, and you said I was Black Widow. But then Grey said I was Spider-Man, which just confused everything. You might have to reiterate your point.”

“Spider-Man?” she blurts, her nose crinkling in disgust. You aren’t even a good climber! No, you’re definitely Black Widow. So, Bucky and Natasha trained as assassins but were then brainwashed and used as weapons for years.”

She pauses to acknowledge my raised hand. “Uh, I’ve never been used to kill people, so…”

“Maybe not,” she agrees with a grin. “But you’re pretty dang uptight. I think it’s because you’re afraid—afraid to fall in love and lose control. I get it. I do. But what is it you always say? Fear is just a blanket?—”

“Don’t you dare psychoanalyze me, Dakota Mae,” I bite out, ignoring the tears pooling in my eyes. “It was never going to work out between me and Nate. We’re just too different.”

“Why won’t you let yourself be happy?” she sobs. “What’s wrong with someone wanting to take care of you?”

“Because when you love someone, they leave,” I blurt, the words like poison on my tongue. I’m not thinking of Nate but of my parents. It seems everyone I love leaves me eventually. And even though they reappeared years later, it doesn’t make it hurt any less.

“I’m not Black Widow, and Nate’s not Bucky. We’re two messed-up individuals who will never make it work. He left the first time because he trusted his ex-wife’s word over mine. And maybe it makes me a coward, but I know I won’t survive losing him a second time.”

Dakota takes my hands in hers. “You’ve both been used by people, Kate.

Nate’s ex-wife was a psycho-crazy person, and he still tried to stay loyal to the vows he made—even when she used him and left his heart broken.

You—you’ve had to take care of everybody since we were kids, and I’m sorry for that. I’m sorry for the ways I used you?— ”

“Don’t,” I warn, the tears now flowing freely down my face. “Don’t apologize—not to me.”

“You want to know why I love comics so much? It’s because of all the broken heroes—the ones who redeem themselves in the end. Bucky and Natasha are at the top of the list because, despite all the bad they lived through, they continued to fight for the good.”

I blink to clear my vision. “That—That’s a lot to process?—”

“He still loves you,” she interjects. “Despite everything you two have gone through, he loves you. That’s why he is, and will always be, your Bucky.”

I glance around as if the gym might magically alleviate my confusion. “How could you possibly know that?”

Dakota steps back with a triumphant smile. “Who do you think I’ve been talking to this whole time?”

“But you left your own wedding… no one knew where you were. You came here? For him?”

“I left a note,” she insists before her eyes suddenly widen in horror. “Biscuits and gravy, I didn’t leave a note! Zane must think I?—”

“Pulled a runaway bride,” I helpfully finish for her. She gathers up her skirt and hurries toward the exit. “Wait—where’s Nate?”

“Locker room,” she mutters distractedly. “Said he needed to shower.”

After urging her to get to the event center, I rush toward the locker room, my heart beating double time. I don’t know where to begin and wish I’d written something down. Dakota’s speech was eloquent and moving. I have nothing.

A man with gray hair steps out of the sauna, and I bypass him, searching for the showers.

He tightens his grip on the towel slung around his waist. “Miss, you’re in the?—”

“Men’s locker room. I know. I’m trying to find my husband.”

Nate is right where Dakota promised he would be. He shuts off the water and steps out of the shower to grab a towel .

Speech time. I’m going to say something great— just as soon as I finish shamelessly ogling his naked body.

“You know this is the men’s locker room, yeah?” he asks when he catches my stare.

I shrug. “Turns out I don’t even need alcohol to make poor decisions anymore.”

He wraps the towel around his waist and raises a brow. “Did you come all the way down here to tell me that?”

I sigh and try again. “Is it true?”

“Is what true, Katy?” Instead of coming closer, he turns away.

A strand of hair slips from my updo, and I nervously tuck it behind my ear before asking, “Do you still love me?”

He gives me his profile, his jaw tight with tension. “Does it matter at this point?”

“Answer the damn question,” I demand, refusing to give in to the sob in my throat.

“Yes!” he bellows. “You fucking happy now? You run so deep in my veins that there’s not a chance in hell I could ever get rid of you!”

I close the gap between us, wrapping my arms around his warm body. “Then don’t. Don’t get rid of me. Stay.”

He pulls back with a frown. “I got the divorce papers, babe. What’s changed in the last two weeks? What—I’m supposed to just believe you want to stay now? You seemed pretty cozy with Jeremy last I checked.”

I resist the urge to walk out and hold my head high as I tell him, “Jeremy’s nothing more than a friend—well, minus the one time before I met you. Look, maybe nothing’s changed, and we’re still too damaged to make it work. Maybe this whole idea?—”

“Let’s do it right, then.”

“What—what do you mean?” I ask, my head swimming in confusion.

His mouth splits into a wide grin. “Let’s get married, Katy girl. A real wedding—one we’ll hopefully remember this time around. What do you say? ”

I say I need this man. Badly .

I kick off my heels and launch myself into his arms. His hands come up to grip my ass, holding me steady as I wrap my legs around his waist.

“I say yes,” I breathe against his lips. “And also, what is the gym’s policy on sex?”

He laughs and his mouth slides over with mine before he whispers, “Anything for you, babe.”

Keeping his arms locked around me, he backs me against the wall. I shiver against the cold tiles on my back and the feel of his fingers brushing against my core. He tugs my panties to the side with a barely repressed growl.

“Tonight, when you’re back in our bed, I’ll go slow. I’m going to take my fucking time worshiping every inch of this body.” His lips move down the column of my throat. “But right now, I need to feel you around me.”

“Please,” I beg.

I missed everything about him. His voice, his smell, the way he touches me, just like?—

I bite down on his shoulder with a moan, the edges of my vision already blurring. His hand moves between us, stimulating me—encouraging my body to open up for him.

“I’m close,” I hiss, feeling my inner muscles flutter around his length.

Taking it as a challenge, he rolls his hips forward, forcing me to take more—to take all of him. I gasp as his thumb and forefinger squeeze my clit before coming apart with a loud cry.

Nate’s mouth finds mine, silencing my cries while he continues to push my body to the brink of another orgasm. I suck his lip into my mouth to keep from screaming, and he groans, his thrusts becoming shallow.

The room fades away, and I see stars. Well, and the old man from the sauna. But I’m beyond caring at this point. Nate holds himself deep, releasing a low growl as he chases his own release .

“I—I love you, babe,” he pants, crushing me against the wall with his body.

I drop my head onto his shoulder with a content sigh. “I love you too, Nate. I don’t want to navigate this life with anyone but you.”

The older man clears his throat. “And I’m happy for the two of you, but I’d really like a shower before the new year. Do you mind?”

“Guy, do you mind?” Nate barks. “We’re trying to have a moment here.”

He threatens to call gym security before stalking toward the exit, grumbling about public fornication.

I dissolve into giggles. “We may have to find a new gym.”

Nate curses when he sees the time. “Let’s go, Katy girl. We missed the wedding, but if we hurry, we might still make the reception.”