Page 38 of Reaper & the Lioness (Lone Star Mavericks MC #1)
Chapter Twenty-Nine
R eaper hovered for a week, treating me like I couldn’t do anything myself.
Even though there was no longer a threat to my life, he barely left my side.
He spent most of the day poring over blueprints on the counter and barking orders over the phone to his employees and subcontractors.
The handful of times he needed to leave for a few hours, Rhetta mysteriously showed up with a new movie to watch or a bottle of wine.
“You need to chill the fuck out,” I said after the thousandth time he insisted he do something for me I could manage myself. “I’m not made of glass. You know better than anyone that I am tough as hell.”
He also had utterly refused to have sex with me, worried about how to maneuver around my bruised ribs and battered face. At this point, my injuries appeared more painful than they felt.
“I’m going crazy. Let’s go somewhere,” I begged. “Any-fucking-where.”
Reaper finished sending a text before wrapping his arms around me and kissing my head. “Fine. I’ve been wanting to show you something anyway. Grab your jacket. We’ll take the bike.”
The air whipped through my hair as I wrapped my arms around his waist, the memories of our first ride flashing through my mind. I reached down, stroking his thigh like I had that first night, and giggled as he tensed.
For a while, we rode nowhere in particular—just enjoying the freedom of the road and the roar of his bike.
He slowed as we pulled onto a dead-end gravel road, turning down a long, winding driveway. At the end sat a beautiful mid-century home with a work trailer beside it, the Grimm Construction logo emblazoned across the side.
“Whoever owns this house is lucky,” I commented, admiring the wraparound cedar porch and blooming crocuses.
He grinned at me. “I own it. I buy a house or two every year to flip. I’ve been working on this one for the past few months, and it’s almost done. Just needs a fresh coat of paint, a refinish on the wood floors, and some new carpeting.”
He ushered me inside, and I twirled in a slow circle as I took it all in.
A spiral staircase stood to the right. In the middle of the open-concept living room sat a double-sided stone fireplace.
The kitchen, bright with gleaming stainless-steel appliances, featured an island slab longer than the entire kitchen in the house I owned.
Reaper swept me over with a nervous gaze. “Even though you’re safe now, I don’t want you to move out. I want you to move in with me, but the cabin is small. We could make this our home. Or we could sell it, and I could build you the home of your dreams. Whatever you want.”
I smiled, wrapping my arms around him. “My home is anywhere with you. I would love to build our life together here.”
Reaper pressed a kiss to my lips. “Good. This is the perfect place for a family. Five bedrooms, three full baths, and a home theater.”
I tilted my head. “Five bedrooms is a bit presumptuous.”
He grinned, unrepentant. “Not if you want a guest room, a home office, and a couple of rooms for the little ones.”
I swatted his arm. “You’re getting ahead of yourself. I’m not decorating a nursery just yet.”
“In that case, let me show you the dining room, where I have a surprise.”
He guided me, his hand low on my back, to a sunny room surrounded on three sides by floor-to-ceiling windows. A bottle of champagne cooled on ice in the center of an oak table. Beside it floated three balloons with two red velvet cupcakes and a wrapped gift on the gleaming surface.
I glanced at him in surprise and laughed. “What if I’d said no?”
He shrugged as he reached for the champagne. “Then I wouldn’t have shown you the dining room.” He popped the cork, pouring the bubbly liquid into the glasses. “And I’d have had to call Rhetta to ask her to pick this stuff up so I’d never have to come back to this house again.”
Reaper picked up the gift, pausing to collect his thoughts. His eyes met mine, filled with an intensity that caught my breath in my throat.
“I can’t imagine my life without you. These past few weeks, I’ve fallen for you. Hard. You’re it for me, my Lioness. I hope this gift shows you how serious I am about our future together.”
The vulnerability on his face struck me, and I leaned up to kiss him and took the gift from his hands. It felt light, and the box thunked as I shook it. I tore the paper and opened it to reveal a folded leather cut.
On the back, the Mavericks Motorcycle Club logo appeared cradled by a bottom rocker with “Property of Reaper” embroidered in white thread.
He held his breath, uncertain and hopeful, as I smiled at him. I slipped it over my shoulders and then wrapped my arms around him.
“So, I’m officially an old lady?” I asked, running my hands over the smooth black leather. “I love it. I love you.”
He pulled me close, and his lips brushed my ear. “I love you, too. More than I ever thought possible.”
Reaper stepped away and pulled a swatch pad from the countertop. He flipped through the samples before handing them to me. “Now, how about you pick out the paint colors and carpeting for our new house? We should be able to move in within a few weeks.”
I grinned, already imagining our life together in this beautiful home. But, at that moment, I didn’t care about the details. I set the swatches aside and kissed him.
“First, I think it’s time you stop treating me like I’m made of crystal. I’ve got a new cut to christen, after all.”
I watched his gaze as I slipped the cut off my shoulders and pulled my shirt over my head. I unclasped my bra and threw it behind me before putting the cut back on. The cool leather was a delicious contrast to the heat building within me.
Reaper stood watching me in quiet fascination. I could see the hunger and lust in his eyes.
“Are you going to undress, or are you just going to stare at me?” I taunted.
I kicked off my boots and shimmied out of my pants, standing before him in just my cut and black lace boy shorts.
Reaper stepped forward, his calloused hands gripping my hips. In one fluid motion, he lifted me onto the table, nearly spilling the bottle of champagne.
His lips traced my jawline, each kiss sending shivers down my spine. “You are mine.” He tugged on the leather. “And now everyone will know it. And that makes me so fucking happy.”
He crushed his lips to mine in a searing kiss as his hands moved up my thighs. His fingers swept across the lace of my panties, and I moaned into his mouth.
I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled him closer. His hardened cock pressed against me. The rough denim of his jeans brushing against my bare skin only heightened my arousal.
I pushed my body against the hard planes of his chest. My fingers fumbled with the buttons, desperate to feel his skin against mine. “Too many fucking clothes,” I murmured against his lips. “Take them off.”
Reaper smirked at my order. “Patience, Lioness.”
“We both know I’m not a patient person.”
He let out a low chuckle as his hands roamed my body. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured against my skin. His large, calloused hands cupped my breasts. “So perfect.”
“Please, stop teasing me.”
With a groan, he positioned himself between my thighs. And then, in one swift motion, he drove into me. We both gasped at the sensation.
As we moved, the world and every bit of the terrifying past month faded away. With every thrust, every touch, every whispered word, we fell deeper into each other.
After we reached our peak together, we stayed there in comfortable silence. The future would bring new challenges and new dangers. But for now, at this moment, wrapped in Reaper’s arms, I was safe, cherished, and at home.