Page 25 of Ringo's Silence

Ringo’s smile sends a thrill through me. He leans in closer, his lips a breath away from my own. “You won’t regret it,” he promises, his voice low and full of heat that shoots straight to my center.

Closing my eyes, feeling the warmth of his breath on my skin, and before I can second-guess herself, I close the distance between us, pressing my lips to his in a kiss that feels like coming home.

It’s the kind of kiss that can unravel me, make me forget about everything else or where we are. His hands slide slowly around my waist as if afraid to spook me. He pulls me closer, deepening the kiss until I feel lost in him, in the way he’s making me feel so alive and wanted.

When he finally breaks the kiss, we’re both breathing heavily in the silence of the office. Ringo rests his forehead against hers, his eyes squeezed closed, as if trying to hold himself back. “We’ll take this slow, Kimmie. But I need you to know one thing; I’m not letting you go.”

My heart flutters as a smile tugs my lips. “I think I’m okay with that,” I whisper, my voice trembling with the realization that I’m taking a huge step into something new, something that could change everything.

I know that things are about to get a lot more complicated with my life but for now, I’m willing to see how this goes. I’ve considered the last few days that maybe we can try to settle down here.

It’s been a long time since Hugo almost caught us. Maybe he’s finally given up and we no longer need to worry so much about it.

Ringo

Driving back to the shop, the familiar streets pass by in a blur as my thoughts are invaded by Kimmie.

I’ve been spending a lot of time around her lately, making sure she has a ride to and from work, fixing up the car that I secretly bought for her, and just being there.

But it wasn’t just about helping out a woman in need. There was something more, something that made my chest tighten every time I saw her smile or heard her laugh.

By the time I pull into the shop’s lot, my mind is a whirl of thoughts, all centered around the woman that sleeps under my roof every single night, in my bed.

That’s a whole new turn on I never dreamed about even though I’m not in it with her.

Parking the truck, I slide out of the driver’s seat, and head straight into the garage. The familiar scent of motor oil and grease greeting me as I walk over to Bella’s old car that I’d been working on earlier.

Changing the oil was a simple routine task, something I could do without thinking, which left my mind free to wander.

As I drained the old oil from the car, my thoughts are filled with how she moved with such grace behind the counter, how she could handle anything the cafe customers threw at her with a calm confidence that I found incredibly sexy.

Chuckling to myself as I wipe my hands on a rag, I think about how Kimmie probably has no idea how much I want her.

She is so focused on taking care of Remmy and getting her life on track that she rarely seemed to notice the way people looked at her, the way they were drawn to her warmth and strength.

Removing the old oil filter and replacing it with a new one, my hands move on autopilot.

It wasn’t just Kimmie’s looks that has me hooked, though I can’t deny she is very beautiful, with those expressive eyes and the way her hair frames her face.

It was more than that. It was the way she carried herself, the way she cared for Remmy with a fierce and protective love.

The woman had so much love to give, so much more life to live and I hope that I can show her that she belongs right here. With me and the club.

I wasn’t yet sure if I was in love with her but I damn well knew that I was somewhere along the lines of falling. The only thing still holding me back was not knowing all of her, in every way.

I needed her to open up and tell me the truth about her whole life. Maybe if I finally tell her about mine, she’ll let me in even further.

Kimmie

Wiping down the last table, the clinking of dishes in the kitchen and soft hum of the cafe’s background music now replaced by the quiet stillness that settles in at the end of the night.

It was a normal day with customers packing in for dinner. The usual chatter and orders keep us all busy.

Now, with the day nearly finished, Bella and I are trying to get everything cleaned up so that we can go home.

"All that's left is the trash," Bella says with a yawn as she closes the register, rubbing her eyes. "Then we can get out of here."

I nod in response, grabbing the last bag of trash from the can near the door. Just as Bella tied up the one from behind the register, her phone rings. The sound echoing in the now mostly quiet space. Bella glances at the screen with a frown.

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