* * *
He felt her lips on his, just a quick kiss and then they were gone, only to come back a moment later.
Not a bad way to wake up. Not bad at all.
“Hey, beautiful.” Tank stretched.
“Hey,” Sapphire smiled. “I’m hungry. With everything that happened this morning, I never got to eat. Wanna run downstairs with me and grab some food?”
“Definitely,” Tank yawned.
After throwing on some clothes, Tank and Sapphire headed down to the hotel restaurant. Grabbing a table, they ordered their meals.
“I’m starving,” Sapphire commented. “I feel like I could eat a horse.”
“Let’s hope they don’t serve that here, please,” Tank replied.
“For real!” Sapphire giggled.
The conversation between them was easy. Diesel was right. Tank would never tell him that, but the man was definitely right. Sometimes, in life, you find that one person that you just click with. When you’re with them, everything seems easier, brighter. For Tank, that person was Sapphire. Now, he just had to figure out a way to keep it going.
“Listen,” Tank said as their food arrived. “I’ve been thinking...”
“Oh boy,” Sapphire smiled. “This could be dangerous.”
“Seriously,” Tank grinned. “Just hear me out.”
“Okay,” Sapphire replied. “What’s on your mind?”
“I would like to continue this relationship,” Tank blurted out. “I mean, after we leave here. I would like to see where it goes.”
For a moment Sapphire didn’t speak. She just looked at him.
Did he make a mistake?
“I would actually like that, too,” she finally said. “But it’s kinda hard to make a relationship work with us living in separate areas. I mean, you’re in Dallas and I’m in Houston. Not even remotely in the same vicinity.”
“I have already thought about that,” Tank smiled. He hoped he wouldn’t freak her out with what he was about to say. “I am going to buy a place in Houston.”
“What?” Tank could see the genuine shock on her face.
“Yeah,” he continued to smile. “I had been looking at it for a while. About a year ago, I thought about building another Brickyard over there and had spoken with a real estate agent about a house.”
“Wow,” Sapphire said.
“Is that a good wow?”
“It’s...” Sapphire paused, thoughtful for a minute. “Yeah, it is.” An honest smile took over her face. “It really is. If you’re sure that’s what you want?”
“It is,” Tank smiled back. “I have been thinking a lot the last couple of days. Seeing you again... I don’t know. Something just hit me. I know you will think I’m crazy...but, I’d like to build a life with you.”
There. He said it. Now, he only prayed that Sapphire wouldn’t pick it up and just hand it back to him.
“I...” She stammered. “Um...”
Tank felt like he was going to puke. He should have waited. He spoke too soon.
“I think,” Sapphire paused again.
“It’s okay,” Tank sighed. “If you don’t feel the same way, it’s okay. Really.”
He literally felt like his heart was breaking. His chest hurt and what little he had eaten, felt like it was about to come up.
“Can I finish what I was going to say?” Sapphire asked.
“Babe, it’s okay,” Tank repeated. “I know it’s sudden and I spoke too soon. I shouldn’t have even...”
“Michael Williams!” Sapphire said. “Will you shut up for two seconds and let me finish a sentence?”
“Sorry,” Tank replied. “Go ahead.” He really did not want to hear this. Silent rejection was one thing, to verbalize it was completely different.
“As I was going to say,” Sapphire pinned him with a look daring him to interrupt her again. “I would love to have you move to Houston and for us to explore our relationship. But only if that is something that will make you happy. I know Dallas has been your home and the Henchmen have been your family for a very long time. I don’t want you to do anything you may regret later.”
“I won’t,” Tank said honestly. He wanted Sapphire. A life with her. He would miss Dallas. He would miss not seeing his family every day, but Sapphire was worth it. And it’s not like he couldn’t go back to Dallas and visit. So, there would definitely be no regrets.
“Okay then.” Sapphire smiled. Leaning over, she placed a soft kiss on his lips.
Sappy or not, Tank thought he would melt. If the guys only knew...
* * *
Tank and Sapphire spent the rest of the day sightseeing — walking the streets of downtown Austin, visiting the state capital, the natural springs that ran through the city, and eventually stopping at a small Asian restaurant for dinner. They told stories of the past, shared their dreams for the future, and so much more. And the entire time, with every new piece of herself that Sapphire revealed, Tank fell even more in love with her.
He didn’t want the night to end. Come morning, they would each have to head back to their own cities. Tank had some things he needed to get done before he could move to Houston. He had to get stuff in order so he could move forward.
After making a quick stop by Tank’s hotel room to get his bag, they went back to Sapphire’s room. It was getting late, but neither wanted to go to sleep. Deciding on a Netflix movie, Tank and Sapphire snuggled in close and before the third scene ever began, they were once again naked and intertwined.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Sapphire
Nine days. It had been nine days since she last saw Tank in person. They had spent every night either on the phone talking until one of them fell asleep or on Skype. The fun, laughter, and feelings had grown even more. The distance sucked, but they were trying to make the best of it. They had both been so bummed about the delay.
When they had left Austin, Tank had said that by the end of the week, he would be in Houston, but there had been complications. First, he couldn’t find a reliable person to take over the bar. Or at least one who had experience and didn’t have a theft conviction on their record. Then, the real estate agent was having a hard time getting the owners of the house to sign the final paperwork. It was ridiculous. Sapphire had offered to pay the couple a visit, but Tank had smartly declined her services.
But, finally everything had been settled. Now, Sapphire was very impatiently waiting for Tank to arrive. Every time she heard a bike, she would rush to the window. Like an idiot. A love-sick idiot. And what made it even worse, Sapphire knew he wouldn’t be showing up on his bike. To get both vehicles here, Tank said he would be driving his truck with his bike in the back. There was no way he could leave either behind.
With a sigh, Sapphire decided to try to get some work done. Maybe that would take her mind off the wait. Doubtful. But one could only hope.
“Are you going to keep your face in that spreadsheet all day?”
Sapphire jumped at the sound of his voice. Springing from the chair, she was throwing herself at him before she was even halfway across the room.
“Holy shit!” Sapphire hugged him tight. “I never heard you pull in.”
“I can tell,” Tank laughed.
“Oh my God! I’ve missed you,” Sapphire said, placing a long, tender kiss on his lips.
“I’ve missed you too, baby,” Tank said, kissing her back.
Sapphire felt Tank move and heard the door close behind him. Before she knew what was happening, Tank had her lying on her back along the leather couch. She needed this. She needed him.
Lifting her hips, she allowed him to pull her pants down and off her long legs. Tank didn’t worry about her panties. Quickly undoing his belt, he released the beast he kept imprisoned. Wasting no time, Tank moved her panties to the side and in one quick motion, buried himself inside of her.
They both moaned.
The feel of him stretching her was better than she remembered.
Together they m
oved as one. Each trying to get closer to the other. Faster and harder, until they were both panting. Until the need they each had for one another was so great that it couldn’t be contained. At the rate they were going, this wouldn’t last long. Within minutes, they both exploded. Together, they moaned their release and laid there still intertwined for some time. Neither wanted the connection to end.
“Damn,” Tank mumbled, his face buried in her shoulder. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“I can tell,” Sapphire giggled. “I missed you too.”
“Those were like nine day of hell,” Tank replied. “Never again.”
“Never again,” Sapphire agreed.
She knew she was falling for him. Head over heels, down the tunnel — falling. And she had no control over it. Not that she would change it, even if she could. The more she found out about the man, the more she loved him. But she wasn’t ready to say the words out loud. When the time was right, she would; but not yet.
* * *
Three months later...
“The renovations are finally done?” Sapphire asked.
“Yeah,” Tank replied. “The foreman called me yesterday. So I went by the house last night after I closed the bar. It looks great.”
“Can I see it now?” Sapphire asked, hopefully.
She had asked several times to go see the place he had bought, but Tank always refused; saying that once it was perfect, he’d show her. Sapphire didn’t even know where the house was located. All she knew was that it was close. One day, she had gotten bored and decided to drive around. Up and down the neighboring streets, looking for any house that might be under construction, but she found none. The curiosity was killing her.
“Yes,” Tank answered, pulling her into his arms. “Tonight. Me. You. Dinner. At the new place. What do you say?”
“Hell yeah!” Sapphire couldn’t wait.
“Good,” Tank laughed.
Sapphire couldn’t wait. Excitement coursed through her. She would miss having him here with her, but she knew it wouldn’t change anything between them. The last three months had brought even more changes to their relationship. They still continued the tradition of Netflix every night, but instead of falling asleep in separate towns, they fell asleep in each other’s arms. They had grown even closer and more confident with each other. But most importantly, their love had blossomed. Sapphire knew Tank was the guy for her. She knew, without a doubt, that she loved him. She knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. But she didn’t know if she was brave enough to admit it out loud.
“What’s wrong?” Tank asked, apparently sensing the change in her mood.
“Nothing actually,” Sapphire smiled. “I was just thinking how incredibly blessed and luck I am.”
“Oh really,” Tank smiled, kissing her. “And how is that?”
“It’s incredible,” Sapphire admitted.
“I’m glad you think so, baby,” Tank kissed her again. “I think so, too.”
“Okay,” Sapphire said pulling away. “I have to get to the office and get some budgeting done.”
If she didn’t get out of the bedroom, she would strip him down and ride him for the next hour. And as much as she would enjoy the fuck out of that, they both had things they needed to get done today.
“And I need to get to the bar,” Tank sighed. “I have three waitress interviews today.”
“Okay. I’ll see you tonight?”
“Be ready by six. I will leave the bar early and swing by to pick you up.”
“Sounds good, babe.”
Giving each other a final kiss, Sapphire headed for her office and Tank walked out the front door. Today would be a long day. Sapphire already knew that the excitement of seeing the house would distract her.
* * *
“You ready?” Tank asked, pushing open the office door.
And she had been right. Sapphire had spent most of the morning in la-la land wondering what the place looked like, the colors, the style — everything. And then her mind drifted to living arrangements. A part of her was sad. She hated the thought of not having him next to her every night. And then another thought struck her. What if she moved in with him? But Tank had never mentioned wanting that. So after running millions of questions around in her head, she finally focused on work. And now she was late.
Go figure!
“Yes,” Sapphire said, still pressing buttons and entering in numbers. “Just one second.”
“Okay.” Tank took a seat in the chair across from her desk.
Entering a few more figures, Sapphire saved the document, and shut down her computer.
“Ready!” she announced.
“Let’s go,” Tank smiled holding out his hand to her.
* * *
The trip to his new house literally took only minutes, but Sapphire quickly figured out how she’d missed the place when she was searching, because the drive was connected to another and the house was completely surrounded by trees. You couldn’t see it from the road.
Pulling up outside of the two-story home, Sapphire’s mouth hung open. The place was beautiful. The wrap-around porch held a swing on one end and a sitting area on the other. Bright planters filled with flowers in full bloom stood out on either side of the door. But it was the second floor that really drew her. The wide balcony was amazing. From its height, Sapphire knew the view would be spectacular.
“Oh wow,” Sapphire sighed. “Baby, this place is amazing!”
“I’m glad you like it,” Tank replied.
There was a different tone to his voice that Sapphire couldn’t quite put her finger on. Maybe he was nervous about showing her the place, she didn’t know. So she decided to just let it go.
Climbing out of the truck, Tank led her up to porch. Running her hand along the wood, she noticed the beautiful grain. So much time went into making the rails perfect. A true labor of love.
When Tank open the door, Sapphire’s heart stopped and immediately started pumping again, only faster.
Oh my Goodness!
The living room was breathtaking. Actually, the entire place was. The living room, dining room, and kitchen were all open to each other. Decorated in a rustic, but comfortable style. The only way Sapphire could describe it was homey. It felt like home.
“There are two bedrooms and an office down the hallway,” Tank pointed out. “And the master bedroom is upstairs.”
“Wait.” Sapphire was astonished. “Only the master suite is upstairs?”
“Yeah,” Tank grinned. “I’m a big guy. I need space.”
Laughing, Sapphire headed for the stairs. She had to see this.
Thinking she would have to open a door, she never dreamed that the stairs would literally lead into the bedroom.
“Okay, that is cool as hell.”
A huge four-poster king size bed was against the wall, and Sapphire noticed several doors, but it was the wall of windows that drew her. Walking over, she looked outside. She was right, the view was spectacular. A larger lake was in the backyard. Trees engulfed the property so the place seemed secluded from the world and in Houston, that was virtually unheard of. Everything was... beautiful. That was the only word that adequately fit.
“Honey,” Sapphire turned to from Tank staring out her. “This place is beautiful.”
“Not as beautiful as you, though,” Tank replied. “Come on, dinner is already finished.”
Following him downstairs, Sapphire sat at the small kitchen table while Tank served dinner. Roast beef, mashed potatoes, and southern green beans. Sapphire’s favorite.
“This is perfect,” She groaned, taking the first bite.
The smiled that spread across Tank’s face had butterflies taking flight in Sapphire’s stomach. The man always did that to her.
Dinner continued with laughs and conversation, each talking about their day and plans for tomorrow.
After dinner, Sapphire and Tank curled up on the couch for their normal Netflix nightly ritual. Playing the newest D
ave Chappelle comedy show, they laughed until their stomachs hurt. It was late by the time the show ended and Sapphire really didn’t want the night to end. She didn’t want to have to sleep without him.
“Do you want to stay here tonight?” Tank asked.
“Absolutely,” Sapphire admitted.
“You know,” Tank said. “If you want...I mean...I...”
“Baby, what is it?”
“I...” Tank took a deep breath.
“Honey, spill it,” Sapphire smiled. It had been a long time she had had seen him so tongue-tied.
“I would like for you to move in,” Tank blurted.
“What?”
“I want you to live here,” Tank replied. “With me.”
Oh!” Sapphire wanted to scream yes, but, “I don’t know,” came out of her mouth instead.
“Think about it,” Tank said, standing. “I’m going to go run you a hot bath. I’ll be right back.”
Sapphire watched as he disappeared up the stairs. The moment he was out of view, she did a giddy dance in her seat. She really didn’t think he would ask, at least not yet. She hadn’t thought he was ready. They had been living together for the last few months, but that was more out of necessity. This was different. Tank wanted her to live with him and that made Sapphire extremely happy.
Taking a calming breath, she relaxed.
“Hey baby,” Tank called. “Water is ready.”
“Okay,” Sapphire called back.
Heading up the stairs, she couldn’t keep the smile off her face.
“What’s that look for?” he asked.
“Just because.”
“Do you have an answer, yet?”
“I’m still thinking about it,” Sapphire replied. She’d let him wait a little longer.
Tank led her into the bathroom and again, Sapphire was in awe. The room was exquisite. Black and chrome. Elegant, yet modern.
“Strip,” Tank ordered.
“Yes, sir,” Sapphire grinned.
Slowly removing her clothes, she thought Tank would join her, but he took her hand and held it while she stepped into the tub. It was huge. Sapphire had never seen a bathtub so big. It could easily fit four people.
Sapphire: Iron Angels, MC (Book One) Page 16
