“You’re fuckin’ beautiful, Em. You know that.”
She blinked real slow, her eyes stuck to him like the back side of a post-it note.
“You still think I’m beautiful? Even though I’ve gained a little weight?”
The breathy sound of her voice was enough to make his dick spasm beneath his jeans. He leaned closer, swiped the pad of his thumb along the side of her mouth.
“Of course, I do. It’s sexy as fuck to see you glowin’ like you are.”
He followed that up by tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers tracing the line of her jaw.
Fuck, I still love her.
Emily sucked in a breath as he cupped her cheek gently, giving her the option to pull away if she wanted to. She didn’t, which he considered progress, because up until then she hadn’t even allowed him to hold her hand.
When Emily reached up and curled her fingers around his, he took that as a fucking win, and squeezed her hand.
“I miss you, Em.”
For a second she didn’t say anything before she whispered, “I miss you too.”
Something flickered in her eyes, something dangerous and molten, but he didn’t comment on it. He didn’t know if she could go there just yet.
“You wanna sit by the fire with me? Drink some hot chocolate? Heard it’s gonna be chilly tonight.”
Her entire face brightened at the invitation.
“I would love to,” She said sweetly.
Immediately, Green was reminded of all the times Rider brought out skewers and marshmallows to the fire, and his gaze fell to her baby bump. Rider may not be around, but they would all have a piece of him around, and that had to be enough for them.
“You go meander over to that fire, ask Prettyboy to pull you up a chair. I’ll go inside and get your marshmallows and hot chocolate.”
Emily nodded, her blonde hair falling down around her waist. Before she could pull away completely, he tugged on her hand.
“Can I bring Rider’s blanket out here for you?”
Her smiled softened into something tender that he hadn’t ever expected to see directed at him again.
“Of course.”
Chapter 16
Emily’s eyes couldn’t stay open.
She’d stuffed her face with at least twelve marshmallows while Green occupied the chair next to her, his hands wrapped around her ankles. True to what he’d told her earlier, it was a chilly night up in the mountains. Riders blanket was tucked around her, keeping her nice and warm while the fire toasted the rest of her limbs.
Her head was resting against the back of the chair, and just as she started to drift off, she felt fingers tugging her slippers off. Calloused thumbs massaged the arches of her feet and she groaned in pure bliss.
“That feel good, baby?”
Emily shuddered at the gritty sound of Green’s voice.
“Yes,” She breathed.
And, it did.
She hadn’t had someone love on her body in any way since Rider died, and yeah that was for the best, but it still felt nice to have someone touching her again.
Even more so, she would admit to herself, that it was Killian touching her. She knew that he was trying the best he could to be there for her, and she appreciated it. Her eyes opened slightly when his other arm landed on the back of her chair.
“You want me to take you inside?”
She slowly shook her head, content to cuddle with him near the fire. She was allowed that much, right? She could do that?
He didn’t push her for anything more, just melted her stiff muscles as he worked her sore feet over. She tried to discreetly move so he could have better access to her, but he only smiled at her the way he always did, and turned her chair slightly so he could reach her better.
“What are you thinkin’ about?”
Emily glanced up at him before she swallowed audibly and lifted her hair out of her face.
“Is this okay? Should we be doing this?”
Green frowned, his fingers moving to her ankle.
“Doing what?”
She fingered the plastic arm of her chair and shrugged, confused.
“Getting so close.”
Green chuckled under his breath before he nudged her under the chin so she would look at him.
“You're probably the most stubborn fuckin’ woman I’ve ever met. And you haven’t met my mama. Does it feel wrong when we spend time together like this?”
Emily shook her head.
“No, it feels right. I feel better. But, are we getting too close too soon?”
Green grunted before he ducked his head and tickled the shell of her ear with his beard as he whispered, “If I had my way, you’d be naked on my sheets right now, my face tucked between your thighs. I’d be tastin’ your pussy, and you’d be screaming my name, just like you used to.”
Dear.
Fucking.
God…
That sounded amazing to her and she couldn’t even deny it.
“I see the way your chest is heavin’, baby. I can see the way your eyes are dilating at the idea. Your cheeks are flushed, you got that hazy look in your eyes. You want me to touch you, Em. Remember what I told you? No more hiding.”
She slowly nodded, because what else could she say?
Take me to your room.
Show me, help me remember…
Make love to me like you used to?
All of those things ran through her mind before she leaned forward the slightest bit and kissed the corner of his mouth.
“Thank you. For being patient. I’m still a little sore,” She paused to rub a hand over her chest, “In here. From what you did. But, I’m doing my best to let it go.”
Green glanced at the clubhouse, his green eyes scanning the lot before he sighed.
“You wanna head inside? Watch a movie?”
She could say no.
Or, she could say yes- and she didn’t have any valid reason to say no, so Emily agreed.
“I would really like to watch a horror movie.”
Green grinned down at her as he put her slippers back onto her feet and helped her up, his muscular arms wrapping around her for the barest of seconds.
It was enough to remind her traitorous body how much she liked his touch, his spicy scent, the way he looked at her when he wanted nothing more than to get her naked. Her body heated even more, but she knew that taking that last step- letting him touch her while she touched him, that would change their dynamic completely.
Even still, actions speak louder than words, and his spoke volumes.
“Come on, slow poke. Everyone on this lot will gossip if we don’t move fast,” He said with a wink in her direction. She thought about slowing down the slightest bit, but she didn’t. She kept pace with him as he led her into his room, something different than usual.
She had Rider’s blanket wrapped around her frame like a cloak, and it was nearly dragging on the floor by the time he closed the door behind her.
“Hold on a second, let me get some light in here.”
But, instead of turning on the lights, he lit a few candles placed randomly around his space and flipped the TV on.
“You need something? Water, popcorn?”
Emily sat down on the edge of his bed and nodded.
“Sure, that sounds great.”
Green saluted her before he left her alone, so she decided to peruse his DVD collection until she found something she liked. There was a lot of questionable porn that she planned on watching at a later date out of morbid curiosity, but she finally found something she could enjoy watching a second time and slid the movie into the DVD player. As she rose to stand, something caught her eye.
A sonogram picture was taped to the wall amongst a collage of other photos, most of which included her and Green, together.
He still has these?
They obviously hadn’t been moved since they broke up, and she reached up to touch a couple that she loved. One was of the both o
f them grinning like crazy, wet from the rain, hugging onto one another as they laughed. That had been a fun day, he’d taken her for a ride on the back of his bike and they’d gotten lost. After making love to one another against a tree (something Emily didn’t recommend, because she was sure she still had a splinter stuck in her ass cheek) they’d ridden back to the clubhouse still giggling.
The second photo that caught her eye was them at sunset, right outside. He had his hands cupped around her cheeks and they were both smiling as he leaned in for a kiss. Her eyes were closed and she leaned into him, obviously happy as hell.
They’d been so fucking happy.
A sting of pain thumped beneath her heart as she remembered how badly he’d hurt her. She wondered if that would ever go away, or if it would always be there between them.
The door opened and in he came with two bottles of water and a bucket of movie theatre popcorn.
“What are ya lookin’ at?”
She motioned towards the pictures on the wall.
“You hung up a picture of the baby.”
His lips upturned into a smile as he nodded.
“Of course, I did. It’s beautiful, just like you. Why wouldn’t I wanna show it off?”
Emily hesitated for a second before asked, “Even if we don’t get back together?”
Green set down the popcorn gently, tossing the water bottles onto his bed. When he turned to face her, his face was serious.
“You wouldn’t be here with me right now if you didn’t want to be with me. We both know that.”
Emily almost bit her own tongue as she fought the urge to argue with him, so instead she kicked off her slippers, climbed onto his bed, and reached for the remote. He handed it to her wordlessly.
As she adjusted the pillows to cradle around her, Green wrapped her blanket around her shoulders and set the popcorn between them.
Emily reached her hand in, grabbing a handful. When she took a bite, she moaned at the taste of the caramel-y sweetness.
“You got me sweet popcorn?”
Green rolled his eyes before he nodded, his head falling back against the pillows beside her. It was dark in his room apart from the light coming off the TV and the flickering flames of the candles.
“I know you well enough to know what kind of popcorn you like, Em.”
He does.
He knows me better than anyone apart from Scarlett.
“I thought we were going to get married,” She whispered.
Green froze, his green eyes pinned to her dark ones.
“We still are.”
“It hurts me to think about how much I gave you, before. I can’t get any of it back.”
Green swore before he shook his head and ran his fingers through his thick hair, his mouth twisted in a frown.
“I know you can’t. I wish I would have known about what happened with Ash. I would have…I don’t know. I don’t have an excuse for hurting you, because that’s not even what I wanted. I never want to hurt you, I’m fuckin’ crazy about you. Even sitting here with you now feels so damn right to me. I hate that you have that bad taste in your mouth still, it kills me.”
Emily hadn’t meant to make him upset, she just wanted to be honest. Peeling back the Band-Aid keeping her together, and she didn’t know what would come out- but she was getting a pretty good indication.
“Killian, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
His gaze flickered to her mouth, and she wanted him to kiss her. To take away that bad taste he’d mentioned, to heal her from the inside out, to give her something new to remember. To think about.
“If I touch you now, I won’t stop. I can barely contain myself now, baby. My dick has been hard for hours, so if you’re not ready for me to take you, all of you, then hit the play button on the remote again, and cuddle close to me.”
Emily almost gave in, but instead, she did as he asked.
She hit the play button on the remote and leaned into his hold, her fingers dipping into the popcorn bowl at the exact moment his did. They both paused before they intertwined their fingers beneath the popcorn and settled back against the pillow, neither one of them willing to the fact that they were still very much in love, and holding hands for the first time in months. As the movie played on, Emily’s head fell to rest on Killian’s shoulder. He glanced at her, seeing her drooping eyes and listening to her heavy breathing.
He should be a gentleman and take her back to her room, but he wouldn’t.
Emily knew he wouldn’t.
So, she fell asleep in the safety of his arms and pulled her hand out of the popcorn, only to wrap it around his waist.
Just as she was falling asleep, she muttered, “I forgive you, Killian.”
Chapter 17
I forgive you.
Emily told him she forgave him. She fucking forgave him, and that made Green feel like he was on top of the world as he headed for church. He fell into his seat and for the first time in a long time he didn’t feel like the odd man out, like the sack of shit everyone was tip-toeing around. He felt like he was back in the game, back for round two, ready to win.
“You look happy,” Fury commented.
Green smiled.
“I am happy, brother.”
Ox came into the room, his amber eyes on Green.
“You’re lookin’ chipper. You doing okay?”
Green nodded as he lit a cigarette, his mouth sucking on the filter for a second.
“What’s goin’ on today, boss?”
Ox took a seat while the rest of the club sidled in, all of them taking their seats.
“Gentleman, today is a very important day. Today is the day we give Torch his patch.”
Torch’s eyes widened and he looked at Ox, “Are you sure?”
Ox’s gaze narrowed.
“You questioning me, boy?”
Torch stiffened and shook his head vehemently.
“Not at all!”
The happy bastard couldn’t keep his smile off his face, and that’s when Ox surprised them all. He gestured towards Rider’s empty chair and cleared his throat.
“I think it’s time we fill his chair with someone worthy. Torch, after today, you’ll be sitting in that chair. Is that okay with you?”
Torch nodded, but everyone could see the happiness on his face.
“Why now?,” He suddenly asked.
Ox eyed him, as did the rest of them, before he answered.
“You were a tremendous help when Rider was killed. You took care of the funeral arrangements, called his sister. You sat with Emily when she refused to leave his body for hours. You helped all of us grieve the way we needed to. You’re a hard worker and a damn fine addition to our family.”
Ox pulled out a familiar patch and slammed it onto the table, sliding it towards Torch, “Welcome to the family, son.”
Torch’s face remained impassive as he lifted the patch into his own grip and shook it slightly.
“Thank you for giving me a chance, when Arrow could have ruined it for me. I’ll remain loyal to this patch, and to my family until the end of my days.”
The entire room erupted into cheers as Torch clutched the patch in his hands and pressed it against his cut, right over his heart.
“Take your seat, man.”
Ox pointed to Rider’s old chair, now Torch’s, and everyone was slapping the table and clapping as Torch officially joined the Seven Deadlies.
And, just like that, they were back to seven men again.
“Axel told me all has been well at Sexy Sinners, no more trouble since we eliminated Ash and his nomad crew. Profits we’re turning are enough to give everyone in this room a pay raise, too. Right, Green?”
Green smirked and nodded as he palmed the table, leaning forward in his chair.
“That’s right! I looked over the reports for this month alone, and we’re up thousands. Opening this club has drawn all kinds of men from Bryson City straight through to the other side of the mountain. This paired with what w
e’re already making in the garage…I’d say, we’re doin’ the best we can.”
Limit grinned and so did Slayer.
“Um, I hate to bring this up, but Emily kind of scared away all the eligible pussy. Can we get some new ladies on the lot?”
Green glared at him for two seconds before shook his head.
“Sure, go on over to Sexy Sinners and take your pick. This weekend we’re having a little celebration for Torch over here. He deserves it.”
Torch smiled at that.
“So, besides patching in our new brother here, what else is on the agenda for today?”
Ox smiled as he glanced at the rest of them, his expression calm.
“Emily came to me and asked if she could paint Rider’s bike. I want to let her do it. She thinks it will be something good for her, for his memory. Told me she called her daddy to tell him that she didn’t want to paint for studios anymore, but that she wanted to detail bikes. Like Rider.”
Green had no idea what to say- he hadn’t even realized that she had changed her mind about working in a studio.
Why didn’t she tell me?
She was so talented, and he didn’t want her to throw it all away if she wasn’t sure that’s what she wanted.
“So, you wanna give Em a job?,” Limit asked.
“I do,” Ox said.
“His bike has been parked in the garage for months. Still in the same spot. Are you gonna let her finish his first before she gets to detailing anymore? I won’t lie, we’re getting’ backed up out there,” Fury said.
“I know that. That’s why I gave her free reign to do what she needed to do. Prettyboy already gave her the low down on how to use the tools she’ll need. I think she’ll do well. I think she needs this.”
“She’s pregnant, is she allowed to be doin’ that kind of stuff?,” Slayer asked.
“Laura has provided her with the safety gear she’ll need. Emily didn’t take too kindly to the mask she’ll have to wear, but if she’s safe, that’s all the matters. Does anyone have a problem with this?”
No one said a word, so Ox slammed the gavel and gave Torch a tight hug.
“Proud of ya, kid.”
Greed (Seven Deadlies MC Book 4) Page 12
