Gage (Heartlands Motorcycle Club Book 6)

by Hope Ford

  With my head resting on his chest, I fall asleep just like that.

  15

  Gage

  Roxy is now four and a half months along and I’m loving the way her breasts are tender and she says they ache for my touch. She’s horny and no matter how many times I’ve had her, she wants another round. Every day I’m feeling more and more like Roxy is mine, but there’s one thing that keeps eating at me. Why won’t she tell me who the father is? Is it because it’s someone from the club?

  I’ve kept my eye out, but there’s no one that even comes near her now. Maybe it’s because I’m always in the shadows, watching and protecting her. I’ve often thought what would I do if someone did come forward, but I’m beginning not to care. I’ve felt the baby kick. I’ve taken her to all her doctor’s appointments. I’ve moved her into my house and already I’m making plans to turn one of the spare bedrooms into the nursery. I’ve helped her prepare for her arrival. That’s right, she’s having a little girl.

  Just the thought of a Roxy having a little girl makes my pulse race. I’ve already got plans on how to handle her first boyfriend and how I’m going to show her how to defend herself. Roxy and this baby are mine. I need to take care of all this so whoever the dumb fuck is doesn’t think he’s going to show up and take what’s mine.

  There’s another rally in town and I convinced Roxy to take the weekend off. I made sure Ranger hired some temporary bartenders and waitresses because there’s no way I was going through all that again. We’re in the middle of the rally, and there are people everywhere. It’s probably the worst possible spot to talk to her, but I don’t care. I can’t wait any longer.

  I pull her to the side, behind one of the tents. With a hand on each side of her face, I kiss her first, wanting her to feel what she means to me. When I break away from the kiss, I tell her honestly, “I’m not going to make any man step forward to be responsible for the baby or to you. I want to be your man.” I cup her rounded belly. “I want to be her dad.”

  She has tears in her eyes, which usually tears me apart. However, the closer we get to the due date, the more she’s cried lately. She promises me it’s just hormones and swears to me that she’s happy, but I still hate to see her cry. She puts her arms around my neck, pulling me down to meet her lips. When we pull apart, we’re both breathless.

  “You really want to be with me?”

  “More than anything.” I can’t believe she has to ask.

  She pulls my hand then. We walk through the crowd and she doesn’t stop until we’re standing next to my bike. I didn’t want to bring her here on the bike, but she begged me. I finally gave in, but only after she promised me she wouldn’t ride the motorcycle anymore after today until after the baby was born.

  “Will you take me somewhere? I need to tell you something.” Her words seem serious, but there’s a happiness about her so I don’t worry.

  I sit down on the bike and take her hand to help her on behind me. “Where do you want to go?”

  “Hollow Oak Hill,” she says, naming a place we’ve been to many times the last few months. We’ve spent a lot of time there, usually sitting on the sandy beach and looking out at the crystal blue water of Hollow Lake.

  I nod my head at her as she holds on to me. The feel of the swell of her belly against my back calms me. I wasn’t lying to her. I already think of this baby as mine and no matter what she says to me or who the father is, I’m not giving up her or the baby.

  Roxy

  Gage parks the bike once we’re in the backwoods secluded spot with soft lush moss growing along the floor of the clearing. He takes my hand, helping me off the bike. I’ve promised him today is my last ride for a while and I’m glad of it. The bigger I get, the harder it is to maneuver and I don’t want to fall and hurt the baby.

  We walk hand in hand down to the sandy part of the lake. When we get to our spot, he helps me down and then starts to sit behind me to support my back. He’s done it like this so many times and each time, it comforts me. But this time I stop him. “I need to look at you when I tell you, Gage.”

  He lets out a deep sigh and sits next to me, gripping my hand almost painfully. I can tell he’s nervous, so I begin, “There was a night, about eighteen weeks ago, when I went home with this man that I’d had feelings for for a long time. I’ve loved him since I met him three years ago, but he never thought of me that way. He thought of himself as more my protector than anything else.”

  I watch as his nostrils flare and his face fills with jealousy. His jaw hardens, but he nods his head for me to continue. “The man had been drinking, but he had also taken a pain pill for his back. He never takes pain pills and I didn’t realize how out of it he was until after the fact. Anyway, we made love. Well, it was love for me, but well, I was nervous that he didn’t feel the same. I left before he woke up.”

  Gage is pretty irritated by this point. I pull at my hand, because his has tightened on mine so much. He loosens his hold but doesn’t let me go. “Anyway, the man didn’t remember it. Even so, it was one of the best nights of my life.” I pull his hand to rest his palm on my belly. “Our baby, your baby, Gage, was conceived that night. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I didn’t want you to be with me just because of the baby. I would have eventually told you, but I was scared.”

  He shakes his head side to side, astonished. “You’re telling me that man was me? I’m the father? The baby is mine, is ours!”

  With tears rolling down my eyes, I’m so choked up all I can do is nod my head at him.

  He pulls me on to his lap and holds on to me. “I thought, fuck, I thought there was someone else. I thought that another man would one day try and take you and our little girl from me. Oh my God, how could I have not remembered?”

  He’s crying now and it hits me hard in the chest what he’s going through. I should have told him sooner. Knowing now everything he’s been feeling and worried about, I should have told him sooner. I had no idea. I hoped he loved me and wanted both of us, but I wasn’t sure. “I’m so sorry, Gage. I should have told you. I shouldn’t have kept it from you.”

  He takes a deep breath and lets it out. “None of that matters now. You’re mine. You’re both mine. No one, I mean fuckin’ no one will ever take you away from me. That’s all that matters now. Fuck, I love you, baby girl. I love you so damn much.”

  I’m crying now, sobbing like a baby. “I love you too.”

  “I already called Wrath,” he tells me between kisses.

  I pull away. “Wrath?” I ask him, referring to the club chaplain. Cat had mentioned he has his eye on the preacher’s daughter at the Baptist church across the street, but she keeps shutting him down. Lately, every Sunday morning after his service he sits outside the Ride or Die and watches for her. “Why did you call Wrath?”

  “Because you’re marrying me, Roxy. You’re already my ol’ lady, but now we’re making it official. I’m going to be your husband and I’m going to be her father,” he says, leaning down to kiss my belly.

  I don’t even argue with him, because I want that. I want all that.

  Epilogue

  Roxy

  Six weeks to the dot after Baby Grace is born

  Leaning over, I watch our six-week-old daughter lying in the crib. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?” I ask Cat.

  She has her baby boy on her chest and shrugs her shoulders. “You know it’s all right.” She gestures to the baby in her arms. “You know Max loves having her over. He doesn’t take his eyes off her the whole time she’s here.”

  I gasp. “Wouldn’t it be something if they were boyfriend and girlfriend one day?”

  The words barely leave my mouth and Gage is barreling into the room. “I know you’re not talking about my daughter having a boyfriend. That’s not happening. No way, no how.”

  Cat and I both laugh. Gage is a big ol’ tattoed teddy bear when it comes to our daughter. He won’t have the heart to tell her no, except maybe when it comes to boyfriends. I can
definitely say he’s going to say no to that.

  He walks up behind me and circles his arms around me. I lose my train of thought when I feel his bulge pressing into my back. I lift my butt, pushing back into him. Two can play at this game. “No, really, Cat. Are you sure you don’t mind watching her for a few hours? We are just going to dinner and then we’ll be back.”

  Cat just smirks. There’s no pulling one over on her. She knows I had my six-week check-up today. She knows what’s up. She assures me it’s fine and after I kiss Baby Grace at least twenty times, Gage and I finally walk outside hand in hand.

  He opens the truck door and helps me in before walking around to the driver’s seat. He bought this big monstrosity after Grace was born. He said he knows he needs a family car, but he shut it down on a minivan. “Okay, little momma, what are you in the mood for? Italian, Chinese, a steak. You name it.”

  He puts the truck into reverse and backs out of the driveway. I reach over and grip his leg. I lean over the console of his truck and run my hand up his inner thigh. I nibble on his ear before kissing his neck. “I don’t need food, Gage. I need you. It’s been six weeks, ya know.”

  “Fuck.” He swears. I jerk my head up and he’s gripping on to the steering wheel until his knuckles are white. “I promised myself I was going to do this right. Take you out on a date, feed you, then take you home.”

  I cup him in his jeans, massaging him softly. “What if I don’t want all that? I like my idea better.” When he doesn’t answer me, I pull away from him. “Unless you don’t want to. I mean, if you want to go out, that’s fine.”

  I know I’ve put on quite a bit of weight with Grace, but he’s assured me all this time that he loves my curves. Maybe he was just blowing smoke. Lost in thought, I barely realize what’s happening until I hear the car horns as Gage presses on the gas and runs through a red light. “Gage!” I scream.

  “It’s your fault. You can’t talk to me like that and not expect me to speed. Fuck, baby girl, I need to be inside you so bad I can barely stand it. Hold on, we’ll be home in two minutes.”

  We get home in record time and I don’t wait for him to open my door. I hop out of the truck and almost beat him up the steps and into the house. We trip over each other, pulling off our clothes, and we finally land in our big king-size bed with a laugh. He grabs me by the arms and pulls me up his body. Brushing the hair off my face, he looks into my eyes. “I love you, you know that, right?”

  Softly, I answer him. “I know.” He always amazes me. He always knows what I need to hear.

  His thumb strums across my chin. “I love our life together. You and Grace both, you make me the happiest man on earth.”

  I lick my lips, just waiting for his kiss. “You know, for a big, badass biker, you sure are a softie.”

  He laughs out loud, rolling me over until I’m underneath him. “Softie, huh? I’ll show you softie.”

  But before he does, I stop him. “You know I love you too. And this, our family, I never let myself dream I could ever have something like this. It’s all you, Gage. You did this. You’ve given me all I could ever want.”

  He takes his thumb and wipes away the lone tear off my cheek before he kisses me. His kiss is everything, showing me the promise of his love and our future together.

  THE END

  Coming up next is Wrath’s story by Dani Wyatt. Be sure to check out all the Heartlands here!

  Heartlands

  The alpha males of Heartlands Motorcycle Club are the most possessive, devoted, and territorial men in the country when it comes to the ones they love.

  Heartlands is a rough and rugged new series of standalone stories. Written by four of the most trusted names in short and steamy romance, each book will get your motors revved and your hearts racing. Guaranteed.

  XO, Frankie, Dani, Olivia, and Hope

  CLICK HERE for the other books in the Heartlands MC Series:

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  About the Author

  Bestselling short romance author Hope Ford writes short, steamy, sweet romances. She loves tattooed, alpha men, instant love stories, and ALWAYS happily ever afters. She has over 70 books and they are all available on Amazon.

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