I laughed sharply, my fingers raking through my hair to toss out my curls. "You? Jesus Christ, are you trying to kill me?"
That had to be his intentions because otherwise, he wouldn't have come out wearing that fitted black button-down dress shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows, with the top few buttons open, or those fitted black jeans that I just knew hugged his glorious ass in all the best ways.
He had cleaned up his beard, his hair was pulled back in a bun, and his entire look was just pure sex. I must have been looking at him like I wanted to eat him because Ward just chuckled, shaking his head as he stepped over the threshold to close the distance between us.
"If you keep looking at me like that, I'm gonna take you back up to your room, strip that outfit off of you, and fuck you all damn night..." One large hand wrapped around my waist; with a quick movement, he tugged me flush against his body. "And I already want to do that with how fucking sexy you look. But I promised you a night out, and with you looking this good, I just have to show you off."
Grinning ear to ear, my one hand curled around to his ass, the other resting on his chest, my manicured fingers curling into the collar of his shirt. "And I'm gonna have to beat away any bitch that looks at you too long because, while I can't blame them, you're all mine and I'll cut a bitch over it."
Ward laughed, brushing his lips against mine. "Have I mentioned how hot it is when you get possessive?"
"Not yet, but good thing because I'm never gonna not be possessive over you." I brushed my lips closer to his, my voice a low whisper. "I know I've got a good thing here, and I'm not letting it go."
Groaning, Ward tilted his head and captured my lips in a deep, hungry kiss. I opened my mouth to him, letting him devour me right in the open doorway of my home.
Finally, reluctantly, Ward pulled away, grabbing my one hand in his. "Come on, beautiful, we've got reservations."
The ride to the restaurant wasn't too long, but long enough for me to enjoy the feel of Ward's body against mine. It was a cool, clear night, and my jacket did enough to keep me warm as the wind whipped around us, but it was also a good excuse to keep my chest pressed against his back.
Heading into Silverwater once we parked, Ward held my hand, our fingers linked together, leading me to the front door before opening it and stepping back so I could go ahead of him. I wasn't surprised that he was such a gentleman, because he had been in the military. But I also knew that Mary had instilled manners into him from a young age. That was important to her, so much so that she had taken on the difficult task of forcing them on my brother as well. A lesser woman would have given up, but that was one thing Mary Gibson never, ever did - give up on any of her kids, biologically or not.
Once we were both seated at our table, Ward and I looked over the drink menu. "Do you want to get a bottle of wine?" he offered as he browsed the wine list. "Whatever you'd like."
I looked up at him with a small smirk. "You're gonna drink wine with me?"
Ward shrugged. "If you want, yeah."
I laughed softly, shaking my head. "Baby, you don't drink wine. I'll just have a glass or two, and you can have your whiskey." There were two times that I drank wine - during dinner and relaxing at the end of the day. Otherwise, I would have something with liquor in it, and on the rare occasion a beer or two. I knew for a fact that Ward didn't drink wine; it was cute that he would for me.
Ward just smiled easily across the table at me. "Fine. Wine for you, whiskey for me."
Our waitress came to take our drink orders and was quickly back with them to take down what we wanted for dinner. Menus were taken, and the two of us were left with our alcohol and easy conversation.
"Tell me about what's new at the club. What have you ladies been working on?"
It was nice not to talk about all the crap that was going on around us and focus on the normal, happy aspects of our lives.
"We actually have a lot of great stuff in the works," I answered, an easy smile on my face as I leaned back against my chair. "Alani has been incredible with mixing and mashing together songs, and you know Lana. Once she hears something, she's got an idea and runs with it. I swoop in with costume and staging ideas, and then we've got five new numbers. We've been adding a lot because of the summer. Trying out Saturday matinee shows as well as Thursday shows, see how it runs and how well they do."
Ward had an interested smile on his face, but there was something else in his features. It met his eyes as he listened to me, glass posed in his hand but not lifting to his lips. "I like when you talk about the club. Your face lights up and you can see just how proud you are of what you all do there. It's incredible."
A light flush creeps along my cheeks, "I am proud. I know what we put into it, how long we've been working on it. Sometimes I still can't believe how well it's worked out, but I know it's not by dumb luck." Pausing, I took a sip of my wine. "Though, I'm also well aware that this never would have happened without Crow and the rest of you."
Ward was shaking his head before I even finished my sentence, almost as if he knew what I was going to say. "We did what any bank would have done if you would have gone in for a loan, it was just a hell of a lot easier and less bullshit. It was about time we invested in someone's passion project, something that someone truly believed in, instead of a place we could just make money off of."
All of this had been said to me before, but now, coming from Ward, it seemed to resonate more. I gazed across the table from him, taking in his features in the dim lighting, the way his eyes seemed to sparkle from the fixture hanging above our table. "I know," was all I said because I wasn't sure what else there was to say. He knew how grateful we all were, everyone did. "Guess all we have to do is keep kicking ass and making it all worth it."
Leaning forward, Ward rested his arm against the table, reaching his other to take my hand. "Everything you do is worth it. I'm damn fucking proud of you, Leah." He ran the pad of his thumb along the back of my hand, a soothing gesture that just further melted my heart. "You're incredible, and talented, and deserve absolutely everything good in life. And if I had even the slightest hand in helping give you that, it makes it all worth it."
This man. MY incredible fucking man. Ugh. He killed me! That had to be what was happening right now. I was dying, my body was shutting down, and I was envisioning the perfect night, with the perfect man, saying all of the most wonderful and perfect things to me.
But it was real. The way he squeezed my hand reminded me that I was very much alive, and this was very much my life. "Ward..." Leaning forward, I set my wine glass down and brought his hand up to my lips so I could kiss the tattoos on his knuckles. "You have had so much more than just a slight hand in helping give me what I want. This is all I've ever wanted. You and I, the family I had left, the family that had taken us in when we needed it the most. And whatever comes next, I know it'll be exactly what I need, and for all the bad shit that might happen? We’ll get through it because we have each other."
The look of pure happiness and adoration on Ward's face wasn't one I could miss, and it caused my heart to swell even further. As if I needed any more confirmation, I knew that I loved this man in front of me and that he was it for me.
Ward has always been the only consistent in my heart, and in my mind.
They say you never truly get over your first love. Well, I guess I'm living proof of that.
"You're gonna be such an incredible Old Lady." Ward said it so casually, it was as if he had asked me how my wine was. My eyes widened, and he must have caught on to my surprise because he raised a challenging eyebrow at me. "Really? Come on, Leah."
"What?! I'm just surprised! I figured you'd want to wait, and see..." I trailed off, not sure exactly how to word what I was thinking.
Ward just stared at me with an eyebrow still raised before shaking his head. "I know exactly who we are and what we’re doing. We're gonna figure this shit out with the bombing and Los Chingados, you're gonna be my old lady, you'll move in with me, and we'l
l go from there. Leah, there’s no question about us and our future together. I've wasted too much time. I'm not wasting any more."
My heart was pounding so loudly that if the restaurant had been any quieter, everyone may have heard it. Biting my lip trying to hid my grin, I lower my head and look at him through my lashes. I did try my best attempt at casual humor. "I'm moving in with you, hmm? Didn't think to ask?"
Ward's cocky smirk was back, and he sat back, grabbing his glass and lifting it to his lips. "Nope. I want you in my bed, every night, every morning." After a sip, he grew serious once more. "I'm not fucking messing around."
Our waitress came over with our entrees just in time to save me from making an ass out of myself after he was so eloquent and amazing and holy shit had he really said all of that?!
"I will have a proper response to all of that," I said seductively once we were left alone again, "but later, when I can show you rather than tell you."
Ward's expression darkened slightly, and I could see the approval and lust in his eyes. He just grinned. "Can't wait," he murmured.
Meals were tucked into and enjoyed. Explicit sounds may have come from my mouth here and there, causing Ward to be visibly affected, and to promise me that I'd be recreating them later. There may have been a few odd looks from the "normal townsfolk" that dined around us, due to the fact that we both had a more alternative appearance, but fuck them. Ward and I were just enjoying one another's company as if we didn’t have a care in the world.
Stuffed and happy, Ward led me out of the restaurant portion of the building towards the other half where they played old movies and documentaries. Just as we stepped into the lobby, Ward took his phone out to check it. I had noticed that he hadn't looked at it once during our entire meal, and I hadn't even thought about checking mine; seeing the expression on his face change, though, I realized it may have been a mistake on his part.
"Fuck," he muttered, shaking his head as he tapped out a response to whoever it was that had texted him.
"What's wrong?" I asked, worried that something bad had happened.
Ward shook his head again, reading whatever response he got and following it up with a quick text back. "Nothing." Lifting his head, he looked at me and smiled softly. "Just something didn't go as planned, but it's not a big deal. Tank's got it covered." Sliding his hand onto my lower back, he guided me towards the curtained-off doorway that led to the other room.
"Are you sure?" I asked, not wanting to push it exactly, but wanting to double check.
Ward smiled, stepping closer to me. "Yes, beautiful. Our night isn't over, and nothing is gonna get in the way of that, okay?"
Visibly sighing, I relaxed into his touch, taking advantage of our close proximity to lean in and press my lips gently to his. "Okay."
CHAPTER 27
WARD
I WAS DETERMINED NOT let a small piece of bad news ruin the amazing night out Leah and I were having. My phone was on silent, tucked away in the pocket of my jeans from the moment I left to pick her up, and I hadn't checked it once during dinner. Tank was aware of what I was doing, and I had put him in charge of things, namely the mission to grab the guy snooping around for information on the club, so I hadn't been as concerned to keep tabs on things. Maybe that had been overconfidence when it came to our plan, which clearly had been misplaced.
Checking my phone before heading towards the stairs, I realized the mistake I had made. Reading Tank's text had made my blood pressure rise. The guy hadn't shown up at all, even with them waiting well after we had decided they would. Either he was smart enough to figure out that Woodchuck had been trying to set him up, or he had found another way to get to us. I ruled out the idea that he had just given up immediately, because that just seemed foolish.
Through text, Tank assured me that everything else was handled and that I shouldn’t worry. Easier said than done, but I trusted my VP.
"Come on, we've got a movie to catch," I said to Leah, smiling easily as I guided her through the curtains and into the lounge.
Stopping at the bar I got Leah another glass of wine and myself two fingers of whiskey, which would be my last of the night. There was no question that I could hold my liquor, but not only did I want to keep Leah safe when I drove her home, but I didn't want either of us to be too drunk to carry on the evening once we were back home.
Home. I definitely was thinking more about the house I owned as our home, rather than just my own. Anyone else would think I was crazy for rushing into things after resisting so long, but we operated by a different code, and when we found the woman that we wanted by our side, we didn't waste any time. You never knew when it would run out.
And I wasn't going to let that happen. If my days were numbered, which they could be at any given moment, I was going to spend them with this incredible woman by my side.
I had one arm wrapped around Leah's shoulders, and one of her hands rested on my thigh. How could I not want this every day? It just felt right. She was perfect to me, perfect for me.
We remained this way, curled up in one another as we watched the movie. I didn't even pay attention to most of it because my mind kept wandering to my woman in my arms. No one could blame me for stealing kisses from her, teasing her a little with a hand on the thigh, my teeth on her ear, whispering promises for later tonight. It's actually a miracle she didn't drag me off to a bathroom, because I could feel the need radiating off of her. Good. I wanted her worked up by the time we got home.
All I wanted to do was take my woman home and spend all night inside of her, but apparently, that just wasn't in the cards for us yet. Upon getting into the lighted lobby, I took my phone out to see an alarming amount of missed phone calls and texts.
"Fucking hell." I stopped short, tugging Leah to the side to get out of people's way as they exited the theater.
"What's wrong?" she asked, a worried look on her face as she studied my own. I went to the last text from Joker and immediately was ready to tear out of there in a rage.
Joker: Need you at Velvet ASAP. Big problem here.
"Son of a fucking bitch, of all nights." I jammed my thumb on the screen to call Joker, lifting it to my ear. Joker didn't even bother with a greeting.
"Brother, we got a problem here at Velvet. Seems Woodchuck's guy decided to come here and force questions out of the strippers. Ended up roughing up one of the new sweeties."
"Fucking shit. Is she alright? Did you get him?"
"She's alright, little shaken up. He got away, barreled out the back entrance when she started screaming. Hyde is going through the security feeds now to get a good look at him, see if they can run facial recognition and get a hit."
He answered what would have been my next question, knowing full well that's what I would be asking, so there was no need to remain on the call. "Alright. I'll be there in fifteen."
"Ten-four, boss."
Shoving my phone in my pocket once we hung up, I wasted no time in grabbing Leah's hand. "Shit, I'm sorry baby, I gotta take you home. There's a problem at Velvet that I gotta take care of."
Leah was hurrying behind me, her long legs keeping her in stride with me as we headed down the stairs. "Why waste time taking me home? I can go with you."
Go with me to where there could possibly be another issue? "No, Leah, it's safer to have you at home."
"Is there an immediate threat?" She was so quick to respond, I knew that she was going to continue challenging me.
"No, but you never know-"
"You'll waste time going all the way back to our place and then back to Velvet. Just take me and I'll stay out of the way."
Casting a stern look over my shoulder as we headed towards the door, I was met with a defiant look on her beautiful, expressive face. It very much read, fucking try me.
Holding the door open for her, I placed my hand on the small of her back to guide her in front of me. "Fine. But I'm putting one of the guys on you as soon as we get there."
I could practically hear her roll
ing her eyes, but she didn't fight me. She made quick work of putting her leather jacket and then her helmet on, and then climbed on behind me. Once she was secure, holding onto my waist, I took off, not wanting to waste another minute.
CHAPTER 28
LEAH
THERE WAS NO WAY that Ward was dropping me off at our home while he went off to take care of a club problem. That was for random girls that didn't understand club business, that didn't understand what went on behind the scenes. While I wasn't allowed to know a lot, I still was present for a lot of things. I knew what occurred, and I wasn't about to turn and run away from it.
Ward talked about me becoming his Old Lady tonight. What kind of President's old lady would I be if I let him drop me off at home so I could wait for him like a good little woman? Made him go out of his way so I was protected like the delicate little flower I was?
Delicate flower I fucking was not. I'd step up to the plate and kick it straight in the balls because that's the type of woman I was.
When Ward pulled his bike into the back lot of The Velvet Room and parked, I wasted no time in removing my jacket and helmet, hooking them onto the back of the bike and straightening myself before taking his hand. I wasn't sure if he was quiet because he was getting focused on business or not, but he seemed determined. There was an edge to him that I didn't see normally, but I knew he was capable of. The stoic, serious nature that took over when he became all business - it was there, and fuck was it sexy.
The Velvet Room was the Aces strip club. It had been open for nearly as long as the Aces had been in Port Townsend. Back in Vegas, the club had owned a strip club, and as Crow had said before, it just seemed natural for the members to start with familiar territory. They had opened the club, along with Rita's bar, and it's been a mainstay in the town ever since.
Heart of a Rebel: Rebel Aces MC Part 1 Page 14