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I hadn’t planned for this to happen between us, but after seeing her in the pool, hearing my brothers’ remarks, and her attitude, I knew we had to have a serious conversation. I wanted answers about the whole story about her cousin and that man of hers.

“If you let go of my arm, I’ll tell you,” Haven said.

“I will, but if you run, I’ll chase and bring you back,” I warned.

She nodded to indicate she understood. I slowly let go. She rubbed the spot. Instantly, I was concerned. Frowning, I pushed her hand away so I could examine her arm. “Did I hurt you? I didn’t mean to,” I told her. It was a bit red, but I didn’t see any bruises.

“No, you didn’t hurt me. See, barely red. It’s fine.”

I gently rubbed the spot while she began to talk. “Let me set the stage for you. I told you that Jubilee is a year older than me. According to everyone, she was the perfect baby and so beautiful that everyone fell in love with her the instant they saw her. She was pampered and spoiled from day one. A year later, I was born. I wasn’t a gorgeous child or as perfect as her, but I did get attention. I guess a year was enough to set up a rivalry in a baby’s mind.

“As we grew, we were rivals rather than best friends even though my parents were super close to Uncle Judd and Aunt Ursula, Jubilee’s parents. I never consciously chose to be enemies with Jubilee. I went off her attitude. Every attempt to play with her or get to know Jubilee was rebuffed. She’d cry and tell lies that I hit her. She wouldn’t share her toys. She hid my stuff. After a while—I think I was about five—I stopped trying and stayed away from her. Jubilee, on the other hand, couldn’t stay away from me. It became her favorite thing to make me miserable.”

She paused to take a breath. “As we got older, she’d find new ways to make me miserable. I tried to stay away from her, but because of our parents, that didn’t work. I was so happy when I got old enough to stay home alone.”

“Did you have to put up with her at school? Or did they live in another town or district?” I asked.

“I didn’t have her in my school, but it wasn’t due to them living in a different town or school district. Judd insisted she be educated in a private school. He said she was going to be a lawyer and needed the best education.”

“Your parents didn’t send you there, too?”

She bitterly laughed. “No. They knew I was never interested in being someone like them, so they said public education was enough. After all, I’d end up working in a fast-food place or retail at best. Why waste the money?” The hurt was still there. I heard it.

I paused the hand rubbing her arm as I swore. “Those fuckers said that?” I knew she had to hear the outrage in my voice.

“They did. It’s rough when you’re a kid, and you know your parents wish your cousin were their daughter, not you. I eventually got to the point where I accepted it and did my best to make myself happy. I was thrilled when I moved in with Grandma to watch over and help her. I didn’t see it as a chore or burden. We had the best times. She hated how the others treated me. She always apologized, even though I assured her it wasn’t her fault. Those years with her gave me freedom.” She stopped, but I knew there had to be more.

“Okay, this makes me understand your bitch of a cousin and the rest a lot better. What it doesn’t tell me is how Warrick is involved. Yeah, he’s her fiancé, but it’s more than that. I can tell. What did he do? Did he hurt you in some way?” I stiffened at the thought and was back to gripping her arm, but I made sure I did it gently.

I noted her reluctance. “Tinker, can we just drop this? Anything else that went down only added to my cousin’s hate for me. I left Blacksburg to get away from their toxicity.”

I edged closer. “No, I can’t. I think you need to purge it. If you don’t, it’ll fester and grow. Are you afraid I’ll judge you?”

“You’ll see I was stupid and an utter fool.”

“We all do things we regret. What others think is their problem. You can’t live your life worrying about that. However, I don’t see myself ever thinking of you as a fool or stupid.”

Giving up, she continued, “Being away from my parents allowed me to have a personal life. Over the years that I cared for Grandma, I dated, and even had a few boyfriends. Nothing too serious. I kept hoping I’d meet someone who would love me for who I was, as a whole, and I’d be able to have a family. I met someone I thought fit the bill a year and a half ago. He was kind and considerate, and he was great with my grandma. He wouldn’t get upset if I had to cancel our plans because she needed me. He assured me that he wanted us to one day get married. I was lapping it up and so happy. That is until I learned the truth.

“He was a liar. He was pretending the whole time. He didn’t have feelings for me. It was all a setup to find out what I was up to with my grandma. I learned the truth when she died. On the day of the funeral, I asked him to come with me. He said he had something he couldn’t get out of. I was upset, but I understood. When I walked into the room at the funeral home where everyone was gathering to say final goodbyes before taking her to the cemetery, I discovered what else he had to do. Rick was there with Jubilee on his arm.”

She paused her story when I roared, “Why the fuck would he be with that bitch!?”

“Because the two of them were involved with each other. She’d put him up to asking me out and then carrying on like he wanted me. It was all a sick way to discover how close I was to Grandma and if there was a way to cut me out of her affections. Unfortunately for them, he never learned anything before she died. Jubilee was putting on a show with her tears that day. She played the grieving great-granddaughter to the hilt for the others there.”

“What did you do?” I asked gruffly. My rage grew.

“I sucked it up and pretended not to know them. I don’t know how I did it or got through the day. If it hadn’t been for Annie and Gareth, I wouldn’t have. Of course, it helped that I had to hold back Annie from beating them both.” She chuckled.

I grinned. “That’s Annie. What happened after the funeral?”

“Jubilee tried to rub the fact she was with Rick in my face at the wake. I ignored her, which pissed her off. A couple of days later, she came to the house and demanded that I move out. She said it would soon belong to the family and that I was trespassing. I told her once the will was read, then I’d move. We were set for the following day to hear the reading of it at the lawyer’s office. As you know, it didn’t go in their favor. The looks on their faces and the yelling and threats they hurled the day they found out how her wealth was divided were crazy.”

“I bet the harassment increased, and their ugliness worsened,” I muttered.

“Oh yeah, it did. That’s when Jubilee and Rick came to see me together. They told me in detail the conversations they had about me and how they would meet in secret and laugh at my stupidity. They called me a gullible fool for thinking a man like him would want someone like me. He said it made him sick to have to touch me.” She stopped because she was choking back tears.

Unable to stand it any longer, I lifted her and brought her to rest on my lap. My arms enclosed her, and I held her to my chest. “Babe, they were lying fucking idiots. You’re too good for a bastard like this Warrick, Rick, whatever his fucking name is. And he might’ve said it made him sick to touch you, but it was to keep her from going off on him. I can’t believe she let him sleep with you while they were together. I would’ve thought she was too jealous to stand for the competition.” I was trying not to let my hatred of the fact he’d slept with her surface.

“Tinker, Rick and I never slept together. He kept saying he wanted to wait. I should’ve known then something wasn’t right. We’d kissed, but that was it. You’re right. There’s no way she’d allow him to sleep with me and her. Where you’re wrong is the competition part. I have never been competition for her.”

I reached up, gripped her jaw, and lifted her bent head so Haven had to make eye contact. Her cheeks were red. “You’re right. There’s no competition between you. She can never hope to be as beautiful, desirable, compassionate, creative, or smart as you. She’s jealous of you, Haven. She always has been. And even if all you did was kiss that prick, it eats at her. I can promise you. She thinks about it all the time. She wonders if he wanted you. And I know he did.”

Her mouth had fallen open, and she gave me a skeptical look. No words came out of her mouth, so I went on. “I hate that you went through that, but I’m glad you came here.”

She snorted. My eyebrow hiked up as I gave her a what look.

“What has gotten into you? You couldn’t stand me when I first came here. You did everything possible to avoid me. I tried talking to you, and you’d give me one-word answers, avoid me, or glare. Then, just as I accept that you dislike me, you talk to me at the club’s last party. I thought you’d finally warmed up to me. I know now that you didn’t, but you’ve been making a good show of pretending to. I hate that you were forced by your friendship with Annie to renovate my building and be near me. I don’t want you or anyone who dislikes me to be forced into proximity. I try to stay away as much as I can. But then you do something like yesterday with Rick and Jubilee, then text Annie to ensure we come here. I don’t get you, Tinker. And what was up with all that at the pool and bringing me here?”

Her voice was filled with confusion and ire. I didn’t blame her. I’d been putting out mixed signals since meeting her, but there would be no more of those. I knew what I had to do, what I wanted to do.

She pressed on my chest as she slid to the side. I tightened my hold to prevent it and pressed her to me. Her tempting mouth was opening, no doubt, to order me to let go. So I stopped her the best way I knew how. I kissed her.

My tongue entered her mouth and sought hers while my lips were pressed to her lips. She gasped, and I gladly swallowed it. After a few moments of nothing, she responded and kissed me back. Joy surged through me. Our lips, teeth, and tongues were fully engaged, and it became a race to see who did what—biting each other’s lips and sucking on tongues and molding lips together over and over at varying pressures. She whimpered when my hand gripped the back of her hair so I could turn her head. I wanted a better angle. Hearing that whimper, I tightened my hold reflexively and tugged. It wasn’t too rough, just enough to add a tiny bite of pain. She moaned in pleasure. I’d discovered when I was spanking her not long ago that she seemed to like a bite of pain. This confirmed it. My cock surged to life even more, which I didn’t think was possible. I ached to remove our clothes and sink into her, but now wasn’t the time.

I maneuvered her, so she straddled my legs. We were face-to-face. Haven made a protesting sound when I pushed her away, breaking contact. She gazed into my eyes. Hers was dazed and full of desire. I knew mine were filled with fire, lust, and something I was barely coming to acknowledge to myself. If she doubted I wanted her, my erection pushing into her pussy was a huge giveaway.

“If that kiss doesn’t tell you that I don’t dislike you, then I don’t know what will. I don’t deny I did avoid you and tried to turn you off me,” I told her.

She leaned further back. “Then why this? I don’t understand.”

“Because I was determined to keep living my life as I have been. My brothers might be settling down and raising families, but I wouldn’t be one of them. I’d considered doing it for a bit, but I have a good life. Why change it?” I said, wanting to explain fully so she’d understand how mixed up my head had been and why I did what I did.

She’d been honest about Warrick and her cousin. I could do no less. Her desire and dazed look switched to an angry one within seconds. I’d relaxed my hold on her, which allowed her to jump to her feet. Without another word, Haven was headed for the door.

“Where are you going? We’re not done,” I stated as I stood. She swung around to face me. Her hands were on her hips. She appeared ready to battle.

“As far as I’m concerned, we’re done. I hope this has been diverting for you because it’s the last time you’ll do it with me. Rick may have wounded my pride and made me feel stupid, but I’m not so lacking in self-worth that I’ll allow a man to use me. I’m not one of those bunnies or hang arounds. I’m not going to my knees and sucking your cock, then watching you go to someone else five minutes later. You’re right. Stick to the life you have. It suits you.” The contempt was apparent in her tone and her facial expression.

Turning her back to me again, Haven hurried to the door. She had her hand on the lock when I let out my snarl of denial. She whirled around to look at me. A small scream escaped her because I was charging her. I was furious that I’d left her thinking such a thing. My stupidity, bumbling explanation, and denial had made this beautiful woman think she was nothing more than a piece of ass to me. Before I reached her, she let go of the lock and dodged to the left.

I might be big, but I was fast. Within no time, she was captured, and I put her over my shoulder again. We were back to her hitting me and yelling at me to let her go. I wasn’t doing that. I responded with more smacks to her ass and growls. I couldn’t seem to resist becoming like a caveman with her. I swiftly walked through the house and down a hallway to my bedroom. I didn’t think we’d have sex, but it was more comfortable, and we might be at this for a long-ass time the way it was going. I lowered her to the mattress and then positioned myself over the top of her. I watched her gulp. She was scared.

“Get that look off your face. I’d never hurt you or take anything you’re unwilling to give. But you’re gonna stay and listen to me. We’re not leaving this house until you and I come to an understanding.”

“What kind of understanding?”

“One I’ll explain in a minute. First, I want to address those accusations you threw at me. Let’s start with that kiss being the last one between us and how you hoped it was diverting. Baby, that kiss was the best one of my life. It was amazing, and I pray we have a billion more of them. It was beyond diverting. It rocked my world.” I smiled at her so she’d know I was telling the truth.

“As for that dumb fuck Rick the Dick. I’m so goddamn sorry for what he and your cousin did. It was dirty and underhanded. But it sounds like they’re accomplished liars. You weren’t stupid. We should be able to take people at face value. However, it undoubtedly hurt, especially if you loved him. I’m not discounting that.”

I had to pause again. The thought of her loving Rick made me want to go out and hunt him down right this minute and kill him. He made her have feelings for him.

“I never said I loved him. I liked him, and there was a physical attraction there, so I was hopeful it would turn into more,” she denied immediately. Upon hearing this, my anger eased just a tad.

“And I have never, not even for a nanosecond, thought you lack in self-worth and, most certainly, that you’d ever let a man use you. You’re so far removed from a bunny or a hang around that it’s laughable for you to say that.”

I took a deep breath before diving into the elephant in the room. I had to explain what had happened that night at the party when she returned. It didn’t show me in a good light, but we had to be honest with each other. “I need to explain what happened the night you saw me in the common room with that woman.”

“No, you don’t. It’s self-explanatory. You’re a man. You have needs, and any woman will do. You’re single and can do whatever you want,” she interjected.

She was still trying to get away from me by wiggling underneath me. I flexed my hips, driving them into the V between hers. My lower half was planted there. Her eyes widened when she felt my hard cock.

“Keep doing that, and I’ll postpone this conversation, and we’ll do something much more pleasurable. I only have so much control, Witch.”

“Don’t call me a witch!” she snarled.

“Why not? You are one. You’ve cast a fucking spell over me that I can’t break, and I don’t want to. That makes you a witch.”

“Oh, so if I have a spell on you, why did you let another woman suck your cock, and then you fucked her? And all the countless others since we met? Are you trying to tell me I imagined her?” she accused. Contempt was apparent in her tone.

“You didn’t imagine her. She was a bunny, and she was offering to give me a blowjob. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I was trying to forget. When I looked up and saw you, it cleared it all up instantly. You left before I could talk to you. And since then, you’ve avoided me and held these brief, stilted conversations. I’ve wanted to explain.”

“I’m not an idiot, Tinker. There’s no way you didn’t have sex that night with someone, even if it wasn’t her. And you have been no monk since I met you two months ago. If you have a sudden attraction to me, it’ll pass. Go fuck someone else. It’ll take care of that erection you’re sporting,” she stated acidly.

She tried to shove me off her. I captured her wrists and shoved them above her head, where I anchored them with one hand. This situation was becoming volatile. I had to get her to hear me. I didn’t know what I’d do if this blew any chance I had with her. I may have fought and denied it for two months, but I knew what I wanted. It was time she did, too.

“I didn’t go through with it. Not with her or anyone else. And do you want to know why I contemplated it in the first place? What I was trying to forget? It was because a certain redheaded witch had me so stirred up that I didn’t know up from down. I couldn’t think straight. I wanted to prove that you didn’t have a hold over me. That what happened over a month before that night was a fluke, and so were all the others in between.”

“Oh, yeah, so what happened to make the big, bad biker want sex? Oh, I know, a stiff wind,” she snapped.

God, her mouth was making me want to discipline her. She had no idea the beast she was tempting with her attitude, body, and wit. I fought those tendencies down. That would be a later explanation.

“How about the fact that once I saw you, I haven’t been able to have sex? I tried and ended up puking when it came time to fuck a chick because it didn’t feel right. She wasn’t who I wanted. She wasn’t you. How about going weeks without touching anyone until I grew desperate and tried to prove I could do it with anyone? That it didn’t need to be you. When I saw you that night when I was with Pepper, it became crystal clear, Haven. You’re the only woman I want. You’re the one who I need naked and screaming my name as I kiss you, eat your pussy, and make love to you. They don’t matter or exist for me. You do. I was trying to show you slowly that I wasn’t ignoring you anymore, but not after seeing you at the pool.

“I had to watch my brothers panting for you. They had their eyes on your delectable body and were picturing what you’d look like naked. They wanted you naked and under them. I couldn’t take the chance that one of them would win you. I knew I had to stake my claim.”

Her anger had leaked away to leave astonishment behind. I knew more than words would be needed to convince her. All I wanted was for her to give me a chance. I held my breath, waiting to see what she’d say or do. I was praying to a god I hadn’t spoken to in a long time. Please, Lord, I know I’m not on your favorite list, but don’t let my past cost me the opportunity to have her and a family.

“Tinker, I, uhm, God, this is crazy. You can’t mean this,” she said hesitantly.

“I do. Let me ask you. Have you learned what it means in an MC when a guy asks someone to use his real name, not his road name?” I knew Annie and the old ladies had been educating her on MC culture and rules.

“I have. I’ve been told it’s reserved for very close family and your old lady.”

“True. So, what do you think it means when I ask you right now to call me Vance? Or at least when we’re alone or others can’t hear it. When I tell you that I want you to be the woman on the back of my bike, a place no one has ever been. I want to share our lives and this house if it goes how I hope. Or if you hate it, we’ll build another. I’m laying it out. No fucking around. There’s been enough delaying by me. I was a blind, stupid, pig-headed fool, but not anymore.”

I watched her closely. So many emotions raced across her face. She was silent, which made my heart pound and me sweat. I didn’t know how long it lasted with me in agony until she replied.

“If this is some game to get me to sleep with you, and then when you get tired of me, you dump me, I’ll remove your balls with a hacksaw. I’m warning you. And if you touch another woman while we’re involved, we’re done. I don’t share. I won’t be used or made a fool of by a man again. Think hard before we go any further.” Her warning and threat were crystal clear.

My balls drew up in fright at the hacksaw remark, but I latched onto the fact she was saying for me to be sure. She wasn’t saying no. “Baby, I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. I want you and only you. Say yes. Say you’ll be mine,” I whispered huskily. She studied me for the longest time before she answered.

“Then it looks like you and I are going to do this, Vance,” she whispered back.

I gave a loud yell of happiness, then dove back into kissing her to seal the deal. She’d said yes. There would be no escaping me. I’d do whatever I had to to ensure she was happy and would stay with me forever. I knew I was already partly in love with her, but I’d wait to tell her. There was no need to spook her.