Page 35

HARLEY

“ H ow’s that feel?” Stephan asked. The low rumble of his voice sent delicious heat rolling down my spine.

“Really good,” I hummed. “Ugh, right there.”

He pressed his thumbs harder into my neck, right where my shoulders met my back.

We were standing beneath his big rainstorm showerhead again, enjoying the quiet of the morning before Dylan woke up.

I’d slept in his bed last night, not wanting to be alone after the car accident.

But we’d only slept. Barely even kissed.

Somehow, that felt just as intimate as sex.

Now, I was beyond grateful for his seemingly infinite hot water tank. I’d woken up sore all over from the car accident, like my whole body had been tossed around. Which it sort of had been. My neck especially hurt from the whiplash. The paramedics had said it would.

He slid his thumbs up and down the tense muscle, and the scent of his woodsy body filled the air around us. I let my eyes flicker shut with a hum as a deep pleasure replaced the ache.

“Don’t fall asleep on me,” he said with a chuckle.

“M’not,” I mumbled, even though I definitely could’ve.

I felt so safe with him. If I passed out while leaning against him, I knew he’d bundle me up and carry me back to bed.

Too bad I couldn’t do that. I was sure there was a pile of paperwork waiting for me, since the rental car was definitely screwed. “Did the SUV make it to the shop?”

“Mm-hmm,” he said. “The guys got in touch with the rental place. It’s all taken care of.”

I blinked, suddenly more awake. “What do you mean?”

His hands moved down to my shoulders and kept massaging me. “You had a good policy on the rental, and as you know, the shop’s in the repair network, so it’s taken care of. We’ll fix it up and return it when it’s done.”

“Seriously? I don’t even need to get on the phone and fight with customer service reps for a few hours?”

He laughed. “Not unless you really want to. There will be a few things for you to sign, I’m sure, but my guys at the garage are on it. They’re tuning up one of our automatic sedans, too, so you’ll have a new ride by the end of the day. Even asked them to fill up the tank.”

Relief washed over me, and the tension in my muscles eased even further. My sigh must’ve sounded a little dramatic, because Stephan squeezed my shoulders in gentle questioning. “What is it?”

“I’ve been a single mom for nearly a decade.

I’m so used to handling problems like this myself.

Even when it’s frustrating. It’s just like…

Problems stack up, and there’s no one else to handle them.

It all falls on me. And I mean, I get it done, and everything’s fine, but I never really get a break.

” I laughed, but it sounded a little sad, even to my own ears. “It’s nice to have a break.”

Stephan turned me around, and I wound my arms around his neck like it was second nature.

The water slicked his hair back and ran in rivulets over his shoulders and chest, like it was following the pathways of his tattoos.

His hazel eyes bored into mine. “You’re not alone anymore, Harley.

You and Dylan are my first priority. I want you to be safe here. In every way.”

My heart thundered, and heat prickled behind my eyes. If I started crying, I definitely couldn’t blame it on the shower. I blinked hard, willing the tears away. The force of my own emotion surprised me. I’d been alone since my father died. I’d thought I’d be alone for the rest of my life.

Stephan made it sound so easy. He made me want to rely on him.

I cleared my throat. “You’re overprotective.”

His concerned expression split into a smile. “Must be a fated mates thing.”

I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him before he could say anything else devastating. Fated. He kept throwing around that word like it was a regular fact of life. And I supposed, for him, it was.

It filled me with equal parts desire and anxiety. How could I be mated to a dragon who I might lose all over again?

He tugged me against him. His skin was hotter than the water pouring over us. A similar heat rolled through me as he kissed me slowly, surely, like he had all the time in the world.

He pulled away, smiling. Then he tucked my wet hair behind my ear. He liked doing that. I liked it, too—I liked feeling like he was always looking at me.

“Come on,” Stephan said. “Let’s get breakfast going before that little dragon wakes up.”

It took a few more kisses, but we disentangled from each other and left the shower. I heard a suspicious clacking downstairs, so I dressed in a hurry and wrapped a towel around my hair as I rushed downstairs.

“This thing is more complicated than a spaceship,” Dylan said. He was leaning over the counter, staring at the array of buttons on the coffee maker with a frown. “I was trying to start the coffee.”

I laughed. “The last thing you need in your system is caffeine, bud.”

“It was for you guys, not me.”

I pulled him into a side-hug, still laughing. “That’s sweet of you, Dyl. Here, I’ll show you how to set it up.”

I showed Dylan how to use it, and he pressed the button to start it triumphantly. Then, there was a sharp knock on the door. As I went to answer it, Stephan came downstairs and shook his head as he moved to the door.

I swallowed and tried not to let anxiety wind around my heart again. After the car accident, I was taking his protectiveness a lot more seriously.

“Hawk,” Stephan said. He stepped aside and let his brother into the house. “You’re up early.”

“More like our guys were up late,” Hawk said. “Ace, you should come to the clubhouse as soon as you can.”

“What happened?” I asked from the kitchen.

Hawk glanced at Dylan, then sighed. “We picked up Blakely last night.”

“Where? I figured she’d be hiding,” Stephan said.

“She was. She ditched the truck at the junkyard. That’s where the cops found it. So, while the cops were busy with that, Striker had our guys check her usual haunts. She was crashing with Tori—you know her?”

Stephan nodded, a deep frown creasing his brow. “So, she didn’t try very hard.”

“They’re both at the clubhouse. Figured you’d want to talk to her before we get the police involved.”

Stephan nodded. “Good call. Let’s head over there now.”

“Hawk, can you stay and hang out with Dylan?” I asked.

Hawk and Stephan turned to face me, their matching hazel eyes bright with confusion. “What?”

“I want to go,” I said.

Stephan tilted his head to the side. “Harley, that’s not?—”

“I get that you want to protect us, but I’m not a damsel in distress, okay? I want Blakely to know she doesn’t scare me.”

Hawk and Stephan shared a look. They must’ve been communicating telepathically or something. Dylan bumped his shoulder against me. “Is there someone out there we should be scared of?”

“No, honey.” I ruffled his hair. “Just a silly bully. You know your mom’s good at handling those.”

The tension in Dylan’s posture eased, then he puffed out his chest a little. “Okay. Call me if you need me to help.”

I chuckled. “Of course.”

When I looked up, Stephan was watching us with a small smile. Hawk marched into the kitchen. “Dylan, it’s coffee time. And then perhaps we’ll go outside and play a little catch? Perhaps with your claws out?”

“It’s so hard with my claws out,” Dylan whined.

“But it’s great practice.”

“Thanks, Hawk,” I said. I took the towel off my head and hung it to dry in the downstairs bathroom, then quickly pulled my hair up into a bun. It was mostly dry. Good enough. Lakeview didn’t demand the same beauty rituals that life in Atlanta did.

Stephan held the front door open for me. “You’re sure about this?”

“Absolutely,” I said. “I’ve had enough of her.”

His gaze hardened slightly. “As have I.”

We climbed into his Cadillac and drove the short distance to the clubhouse. My heart pounded with anxiety as we approached, and I took a few deep, steadying breaths. Stephan’s hand dropped to my knee and squeezed. “You don’t have to do this.”

“I want to,” I said again. “It’s just a little intense.”

He hummed. “Yeah. I get that. But after this, we’ll never have to deal with her again.”

“Promise?” I asked with a teasing half-smile.

“Promise.”

We walked inside. Yesterday, it had been bustling and joyous with everyone meeting Dylan. Now, the mood was a lot more severe. Only Striker and two other enforcers were present—Tank, and one I didn’t recognize.

Blakely sat on a bar stool between them. She looked like she hadn’t slept all night. Her face was pale, with dark circles under her eyes, and her red hair was a greasy mess. There was still a slightly crazed look in her eye, though, like she was a cornered animal.

“So, it’s true,” Stephan said. He crossed his arms over his chest as he spoke in a low, dangerous voice. “Explain yourself, Blakely.”

“What’s there to explain?” she snapped. “I lost control of my truck.”

“You could’ve killed my mate,” Stephan snarled. His eyes flashed gold and I thought I saw his teeth briefly sharpen into fangs. Stephan wouldn’t really hurt her—he wasn’t violent like that—but for a moment I wondered.

“Mate,” Blakely scoffed. “That’s what you call whatever girl is currently in your bed.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I never once called you anything like that.”

“You didn’t have to say it!” She moved to stand up, and Striker shoved her back down with a hand on her shoulder.

“Everyone knew, Ace! Everyone in this whole clan knew you were going to take me as your mate. But no, I was just a stand- in for your little Georgia peach.” Blakely scowled.

“You used me, you lied to me, and you threw me out. For what? For her? She’s not even a part of this clan! ”

Blakely’s gaze flickered furiously between Stephan and me. Stephan kept his arms crossed, watching her, and the silence dragged on and on.

“Say something,” Blakely hissed.

“Are you done?” Stephan asked.

“Are you?”

“I asked you to explain yourself,” Stephan said. “You ran Harley off the road.”