Page 14 of Saint (Soulless Outlaws Motorcycle Club #1)

Ophelia

I glared at the men who had shown up at Saint’s house.

Apparently, I wasn’t allowed to put Soraya’s bedroom furniture together.

I wasn’t allowed to paint her room.

I wasn’t allowed to lift anything too heavy.

Tempie, Merlin’s wife, had just laughed and winked at me when Kettle moved to take a box of toys out of my hand.

He simply lifted a brow at my grunted exclamation and carried on about his day.

Like a woman getting frustrated didn’t faze him in the least.

This all took place after we cleaned up the kitchen and headed into town for pancakes.

Pancakes that I had tried to pay for and was growled at.

Saint winked at me as he kept coloring a picture with Soraya after he slid cash to the waitress.

His response after we were loaded up in his truck... “I’m a different breed of man, baby. I get it. You’ve been doing this alone for a long fucking time. Not trying to step on your toes here. But when you're with me, I pay. I also open doors and carry all the heavy stuff.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and huffed.

He smiled.

But inside, I was rejoicing that maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t a fool.

***

To thank everyone, I asked Saint to stop by the grocery store on the way home.

The sight of him pushing the cart with Soraya prattling on had me smiling the entire time.

I was also laughing when Saint glared at any man who looked at me longer than was necessary.

I may have returned the favor to a few women who did it as well.

His response... well... that as to wrap his hand around the back of my neck and kiss me stupid.

Did it bother me that everyone was probably watching?

No.

Did it bother me that I was throwing caution to the wind when it came to this man?

Again, no.

Because the sight of Soraya smiling as she watched us... that was worth it.

I ended up making smothered pork chops with homemade gravy and homemade mashed potatoes, and even homemade rolls, with a peach cobbler.

Next time... I needed to double the recipe.

I didn’t know how much grown men could eat.

Agatha met me in the kitchen and said, “Thank goodness you can cook too. They wear me out.”

Together, we planned out a few meals.

And to further prove that I wasn’t a fool, that night after Saint read Soraya a bedtime story, he tagged my hand and led me to his bedroom.

Neither one of us had commented on the fact that I had yet to pick out a room for myself.

Once he led me inside his bedroom, he closed the door, then turned and faced me.

“I’m going to say a few things. So, we are both clear. Okay?” he asked.

I nodded.

“First, I mean what I said, I’m yours and you're mine. I know that with you comes Soraya, and I am all here for that. Therefore, that makes her mine as well. I protect what’s mine.

And I know you’ve got your reservations and your doubts.

I get that too. I just ask that you let me do the work.

You let me prove the man I am. We’re going to go at your pace. Okay?”

I nodded.

Because all of that sounded perfect to me.

If he was being honest about it all.

He winked, “I can see the thoughts spinning in your head, baby. Feel it. Going to take time. Good thing I ain’t afraid of hard work.”

I took in his features, then I looked deep into his eyes.

They say when you know, you just know.

Fucking hell.

I nodded.

And the smile that lit his face, the joy that was clearly written in every line of that smile.

I would give this man anything to see that look on his face.

Saint

I let her nod flow through me.

Fuck. Yes.

Beauty as far as the eye could see was standing there in front of me, giving me her trust.

Only a fucking dumbass would break it.

And I wasn’t a fucking dumbass.

To ensure I kept this beauty, I needed to put in the work, as I said, I wasn’t afraid of that.

Some of that work was going to take place tomorrow, as a matter of fact.

However, for tonight, there was one thing I wanted.

“While we do this, you're in my bed with me. Okay?” I asked.

She bit her lip, and then she nodded.

Once we were both in bed, I gathered her in my arms and pressed a kiss on the top of her head.

Then she surprised me by saying, “Can we start a tradition of sorts?”

I nodded, “Name it.”

“We never go to bed angry at each other. We talk it out or we fight it out.”

I nodded, then I smiled and said, “Or we fuck it out.”

She giggled, “That too, once we fully trust each other.”

I grinned, “Any other traditions?”

“We always kiss each other goodnight.” She said.

I liked that. Really fucking liked that.

So I moved my hand to cup the underside of her jaw, tilted her head back as her blonde hair moved along my arm, and kissed her deeply.

My tongue tangled with hers, and when she moaned, and a certain body part of mine started to take full notice, I pulled away, pressed a kiss on the tip of her nose, and whispered, “Good night, baby.”

She smiled, and then breathily she whispered back, “Night, Saint.”

“Benjamin,” I said.

I felt her smile as she lay her head back down on my chest, “Benjamin.”

Hearing my name on her lips... fuck me.

“Go to sleep,” I growled.

Her tinkling laughter filled the room as we both drifted off to sleep.

***

Thankfully, the next day, to cover for a co-worker, Ophelia was working a double.

Lilly was picking Soraya up after school and baking treats for Christmas.

Luckily, I could make it to where that rat bastard lives with help from Jacob, a buddy of Knox’s in Wrath MC, Mountain of Clearwater chapter, before she got off work.

Jacob, who had a romantic soul, was ready for us.

I had so much anger for this man, which was why when I kicked the door open, it slammed into the wall.

I was in the rat bastard’s face when I growled, “Where’s their stuff?”

The fucker gasped, not even bothering to ask who I was referring to; he fucking knew, “I... I threw it out.”

A woman came scurrying in then, and as I looked at the woman who was damn near about to pop, I knew.

She had been the reason for all this.

And he was nothing more than a spineless piece of shit.

My brothers and I went through his house, finding shit we knew could make a lot of money.

When he started to protest, I pulled up the card I had gotten from Jacob.

I had given him the PG version.

Then I handed the bastard the card and said, “He will be in touch if you go to the authorities with this shit. Statute of limitations might be over, but I can guaran-goddamn-tee you that he will pin your fuckin’ balls to the wall.”

And I knew it.

I knew when he read the name, he needed to be worried.

Because Lance Davidson was a pitbull.

And he was nothing more than a fuckin’ rat.

That night, I was there waiting for Ophelia to get off work.

I had picked Soraya up from the Robbins, and we had made dinner.

The brothers had worked fast on trading the shit we brought with us into cash.

Her mouth had fallen open when I laid seventy-eight hundred dollars in front of her.

After I told her why, she jumped up from her chair, placed her hands on either side of my cheeks, and then... she kissed me with the softest caress I have ever felt.

If I knew that handing her that cash and doing that for her would have gotten me her lips when we first met, I’d have done it.

That night after I kissed her goodnight, she whispered in the dark, “You won’t get into trouble for all you did for me. Right?”

I shook my head, “Nah. Should I get in trouble, they can bring it on. I was protecting mine.”

And had I not been listening to her even breathing, I would have missed it when she whispered, “His,” just before she fell asleep, curled up in my arms.