by Romi Hart
He frowned. “What did I ask?”
“You asked me why I came and bailed you out, when you’re constantly pissing me off. Remember?”
He grunted. “I was kind of trying to forget how many times I’ve pissed you off. I wanted to see if I could make up for it in bed.”
She laughed and then grew serious. He was insanely adorable right now. “I appreciate the sentiment, and maybe you can. But for now, I need to tell you all of this.”
He grunted, looking resigned. “Alright.”
19
It wasn’t that Harrison didn’t want answers. In fact, he was fairly anxious for them. At the same time, he had a bad feeling about this. He’d considered the possibility that this might be his last chance to satisfy his physical need for Skye, and he’d given it everything he had to give, hoping it would leave a lasting impression. Yes, it was low and desperate, but it was the only thing he had that might sway her against saying goodbye for good.
Leveraging himself to his feet, he plodded over to where he’d thrown Skye’d panties and the shirt she’d borrowed, tossing them to her. He couldn’t be serious and listen to what she had to say if she was naked. There was too much beauty to distract him. He dragged on his boxer briefs and nodded toward the door. “I think we’ll probably need more coffee for this,” he said, trying to sound upbeat but not sure he succeeded with the lump in his chest.
She stopped and stared as they walked into the kitchen. “You cleaned up in here.” Her eyes roamed over the clean surfaces, and Harrison almost laughed.
“I wasn’t going to leave it for you. And I needed the distraction. You locked the door.” She turned and blushed under his assessing gaze before walking over to the counter to pour each of them more coffee. Harrison slid into a chair at the kitchen table as she set the mugs down and took her own seat across from him. He watched as she wrapped her hands around her mug and started to thrum her fingers on it nervously. When she didn’t say anything at first, he prompted, “You have my full attention.”
She stared at him, biting her lower lip. Then, she opened her mouth, and Harrison wasn’t sure he’d made the right choice in urging her to communicate. “Harrison, you are an ass. You’re pompous sometimes, you have the shortest fuse of anyone I’ve ever known, and you have this way of turning into a complete misogynist jerk. You talk like you’re just the muscle around the club, but then you try to take over and control my life, just to keep me safe. That’s what pisses me off. The minute things look good, or like you’ve taken the hint, you turn into this jealous, raging son of a bitch who tries to tell me how to live my life or buy me out.”
Damn, he wanted to respond, but he wasn’t about to interrupt her. If he knew anything about Skye, it was that she could be angry all day long, but if she got frustrated, things would get worse. He didn’t need this to go any further south, so he just kept his mouth shut and let her continue.
“Last night, I was terrified when Donny attacked me, partly because of the attack but also because I wanted to tell you something, and I didn’t get a chance beforehand. He interrupted me, and I made a decision that could have cost me everything, especially when you went to jail before we had a conversation like we are now.”
He held up his hand there, no longer able to wait. “Can I insert two points here?” She shrugged, looking less than pleased about it but giving him the floor. “First of all, it’s probably better this way. I wasn’t particularly sober last night. Although, I don’t think I’m going to be drinking ever again after last night. But secondly, this isn’t exactly a conversation so far. Just so we’re clear.” Her eyes sparked, but he made a grand gesture with his arm. “Please, proceed with your verbal flaying.”
Skye pursed her lips and rolled her eyes but went on, “I had this sinking feeling that you’d be in prison for years, and I realized I needed to be honest with you. I could have done that with bars between us, but that didn’t seem like the right setting.”
Harrison scowled at her. What was there to tell him that he didn’t already know? She’d already told him he was a horse’s ass and thick skulled, and she’d clearly mentioned his misogynistic attitude, which he didn’t agree with at all. So, what more brutal honesty was there? He wasn’t sure he could handle anything else. They’d had such great chemistry in bed, both of them needing the release, and he had felt like she needed him, not just anyone. But maybe he’d misread the situation. And now, he was terrified she was going to walk out his front door and disappear from his life forever.
That sort of truth was not what he wanted. At the same time, he owed her this. He owed her the opportunity to say what she needed to say, and he cared enough for her that he wasn’t going to deny her the things she needed. If she wanted to move on with her life, he was going to show her the respect of allowing her to do it without groveling or showing any reaction that might make her rethink her decision.
He’d never intended to get involved with her in the first place. Skye was out of his league, and he damn well knew it. Why he’d had such a hard on for her in spite of that fact he couldn’t fathom, but it had gotten the best of him, and he’d taken it all way too far. Of course, she’d never mentioned wanting to be with him, only hinted at the possibility recently. And that had been in a fit of anger at how he couldn’t get his head together.
And yet, she was under his skin, and there was a part of him ready to beg. He could see himself down on his knees, pleading with her not to leave him, to give him another chance, to tell him what the fuck he was supposed to do to make her happy. The sentiment was more than he could handle, and he nearly found himself prostrate in that moment. But he held it together and scrubbed a hand down his face instead, waiting for the ball to drop.
“You asked me why I bailed you out, and I gave you all that background to let you know that you haven’t exactly made this easy for me, Harrison. In fact, it’s been a bit of a shit show. But despite everything that’s happened, every time you’ve pissed me off, every time I thought we reached a point of no return, I needed to get you out of there. I needed to see you, face to face, to know you were okay, and to thank you. But more than that, I had to finally tell you how I feel about you.”
Unable to meet her eyes, Harrison gazed down at the coffee he wasn’t drinking. “If you don’t want to see me anymore—”
“I’m in love with you, you stupid bastard!” she cut him off, slapping her hand on the table. Harrison’s head shot up, his eyes meeting hers with utter surprise and finding frustration in her imploring expression. “I don’t know when or how, but I fell for you, and there’s no going back. I’m head over heels for you and your stubbornness and your violent tendencies and even your binge drinking episodes. It’s why I came to the hospital for you and why I bailed you out.”
Harrison’s heart thudded so hard in his chest he thought it just might spring through his ribs and burst out of his skin. Somewhere along the way, a little guy on a cot who slept next to that heart had tattooed Skye’s name all over it, and there was no space left. The whole damn thing belonged to her, and there was nothing he could do to change that. Anything she wanted, she was going to get.
“Why didn’t you say something sooner?” he asked, his voice gravelly with emotion.
She threw her head back and laughed. “I’ve been trying to for a while now. But something always went wrong.” She looked at him, her eyes twinkling but her face somber. “And before that, I was scared. I was in denial about it. You’re a ladies’ man, not the one woman type, and I didn’t want to be that girl who got hung up on the player.”
He shook his head. “I never meant to be that guy. I just never thought I’d meet someone worth settling down with. Or who thought I was worth it. Look, Skye, I don’t know how to make you happy. I don’t even know the first thing about being with a woman or having an old lady. I never imagined myself in that position. But all it takes to change your stripes to spots is the right woman, and even though I know I don’t deserve you, I can’t stop thinking ab
out you and how much I want you.”
The corners of her mouth turned down, and he knew instantly he’d said or done something wrong. “Is this just about sex to you? Is that all you see in me?”
He gaped at her. “No! Jesus, there I go again, already screwing up.” He shook his head. “I want you, Skye. I want all of you. You fascinate me with your intelligence and determination and independence. You’re sexy and smart and funny, and you’re everything I didn’t know I wanted. And if I’m completely honest, I need you in my life.” She continued to stare at him, and he realized he had to say the words. And for the first time in his life, it wasn’t laughable, because they were true. “I’m in love with you.”
She didn’t say anything, still staring at him, but he thought he saw the corners of her mouth twitch, as if she was hiding a smile. He stood and walked around to her, crouching beside her and waitin for her to turn and face him. “Did you hear me, Skye? Let’s be clear that I have never used those words with anyone, not to seduce a woman or anything. I’ve never been in love, and maybe that’s part of my problem. I can’t stand the thought of you with anyone but me. It breaks my soul and makes me want to level a building because I’m so fucking in love with you it hurts.”
Skye took his hands and drew them into her lap. “It’s okay to be vulnerable, Harrison. I’ve seen it in you all along. Don’t try to hide it anymore. I love that part of you as much as I love the rough and tumble. And the sex god.” She laughed, and he had to smile. “You know there’s going to be a lot of compromise and learning if we’re going to make this work.”
He nodded. He knew that. He had a lot to learn about treating a woman right and especially about Skye and what exactly it was she needed and wanted from him. “You’re going to have to guide me like I’m blind. And you’ll have to be patient with me because I’m going to fuck up. A lot. But I’m going to try my best to make you happy, and I’m loyal to a fault.”
She rolled her eyes. “Well, that’s true. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.” She squeezed his hands. “I’m a bit controlling myself, but it’s because of the way things have been in the past. I don’t want a man lording over me and telling me how to live my life. I appreciate that you want to protect me, but I can take care of myself in so many ways, and we have to figure out where to draw the line.”
He digressed. She had a point. “You’re right. But you’ll have to help me draw that line.” He had something he wanted to talk to her about more than ever, now that everything else was out in the open. He’d never thought he would get the chance, never thought he’d be looking at a future with anyone, let alone someone of Skye’d caliber. But to do that, he had to address his own concerns. She hadn’t been shy about listing off hers.
“Uh oh,” Skye said with a bit of mirth. “I see that serious expression coming on. There’s a line down the middle of your forehead. Stop thinking so hard before the gears in your head burn out. Just tell me what’s on your mind. If we’ve made it through all of this, I’m sure we can work it out.”
Taking a deep breath, he settled himself in the nearest chair. He wasn’t about to say this squatting in front of her. He could just imaging her outrage as she leveled a very on point kick to his balls, hurting him in the worst possible place and knocking him on his ass at the same time. He only hoped she understood and didn’t take it the wrong way. “Skye, I have a lot of respect for you, and I hope you realize that by now. So, know that I have nothing against you or what you do. You’re a star up there, and you shine so bright it’s hard to even notice you’re taking your clothes off. I mean that. Your talent exceeds your profession.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Thank you, I think.”
He laughed nervously. “I’m so afraid I’m going to screw up again. But that is a compliment. And like I said, I respect you and everything about you. But I want you to stop stripping.” She opened her mouth to protest, but he held up a hand to stop her. Thankfully, she seemed to bite her tongue, but she was tense, on the edge of her seat and ready to give him hell.
He shook his head. “I have nothing against you stripping. It’s a career that has earned you a lot of money and that keeps you going. You’ve done a fabulous job of taking care of yourself doing it, and you’ve mentored the other girls and helped them along the way. You are that establishment.”
“Then why should I quit, Harrison? What else am I going to do to support myself?” There were tears in her voice, and he didn’t like that. He never wanted to upset Skye, never wanted to make her cry. He’d already caused her a lot of pain. But he knew that, this time, he could find a way to give her something, a way out that wouldn’t offend her.
“Hear me out, okay? And don’t interrupt because I don’t want you to misunderstand.” He waited, and she gave a curt nod, so he went for broke. “I want you to quit and start your business. I will support you fully in that venture. I know you won’t take the money from me,” he added quickly, seeing her prickle at the suggestion. “But there’s another way. You tell me how much you need. I will hand over every penny, and you will pay it back, just like any other loan. But with no interest.”
“Harrison, I can’t—”
He cut her off. “Yes, you can. It’s still an independent venture. Think of me as a venture capitalist, except I’m not making a dime off it. Instead, my repayment is that you’re happy and safe.” She looked skeptical, but he pressed on. “I love you, Skye, and that jackass could have done a lot more to you, had I not gotten there in time. And I can’t be there every night as a personal bodyguard. There are things going on with the club that I have to resolve. I need to know you’re safe at all times. And on top of that, you’ve worked hard enough to fulfill your dream. You’d probably get there in a year anyway, if I hadn’t pulverized the faces of your best clients.”
She shrugged, averting her gaze. “They deserved it, I suppose.”
He tilted his head, not quite believing his ears. “What did you just say?”
Seeming almost embarrassed, she repeated, “They deserved it. Especially Donny. And even if I don’t approve of your bear paws constantly clobbering people, it’s insanely arousing to watch you in the throes of it, protecting me.” She gave him a sheepish grin, and both his ego and his cock grew in that moment.
“That’s music to my ears.” Clearing his throat and adjusting his crotch, he returned to the subject. “I know you’ve got a great mind, and I’m sure you have a business plan that makes perfect sense and that will be prosperous fast. And the MC will lend a hand where we can to get it going. I won’t ask you to take the money. I’m not trying to buy your affection. But I will ask you to take the loan and say goodbye to that shit hole we’re still trying to turn around.”
Skye nibbled at her lip, debating, and Harrison watched, wanting to suck on that lip and several other parts of her body as he waited impatiently for her to accept the offer. He hoped he’d done it right this time, but there was no telling. He’d failed so many times as far as she was concerned, it seemed like the odds were against him. Although, he had to do something right at some point, and he wanted this to be it.
“I don’t know if you have the kind of money I need,” she finally said quietly. “I’ve saved a hundred thousand, but I need another five hundred grand, just to get started. That’s a lot of money. Half a million. It’s not chump change, which is why I can’t take out a loan from a bank. There’s no way they’d give someone like me a small business loan of that size.”
This was where he got to surprise her. “Is that all? Just half a million?” She narrowed her eyes, and he shrugged. “That’s not a problem. I told you, the Devil’s Flames do alright, and I’m great at saving money. I don’t have a lot of needs that aren’t already covered by the MC. I’ve put away a lot of money, Skye. I can back you for this without a problem.”
Now, she gaped at him, and it gave Harrison perverse pleasure to realize she would never have imagined he could have that kind of money. Sure, he didn’t wear Gucci and Armani, bu
t that didn’t mean he couldn’t. He just preferred the easygoing style of a biker. What was in his bank account was his personal business he never shared with anyone.
Until now.
And that’s when it really hit him how much he loved this woman and needed her in his life. He’d never shared that information with anyone, not even his aunt. Not even his club brothers knew what he did with his take on the club payouts. He just didn’t talk about finances. And yet, he’d quickly and easily given Skye a very good idea of just what kind of nest egg he had under him.
That also told him something else. He trusted her, implicitly. The reason he’d always kept that information to himself was an innate fear that it would be used against him, or that someone would steal it from him. And revealing it to Skye meant that he had no inclination to believe she would ever hurt him financially. In fact, he didn’t think she’d ever do anything to hurt him, if she could help it.
It revealed as much about her as it did about him that he found her so trustworthy. She inspired faith, and maybe that was part of what had been lacking in every woman he’d ever met, the reason he hadn’t lost his wits and fallen for anyone. Of course, he couldn’t remember a woman he’d ever met that matched her beauty. Or her wits.
Hell, she was one of a kind and above average in every way.
And he was whipped.
“Okay,” she said finally. “I’ll do it.”
“Really?” That had gone far more smoothly than Harrison had expected, and he was overjoyed. He reached out quickly, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her into his lap with such speed she squealed, gasping and giggling as he yanked her against him and kissed her. “That makes me ridiculously happy.”
“I can tell,” she chuckled, running her hands through his hair. He’d never liked it when women messed with his hair, but Skye’s hands were heavenly as she combed those manicured nails through it and scratched his scalp.