Page 25 of Falling for Her Protector

He shifts and stands from the couch, easily bringing me along with him. I let my head drop to his shoulder as his feet move down the hallway and into his bedroom. My eyes move around the room, really taking it in for the first time. It’s dark, a similar black and gray color scheme to his room at the clubhouse. But it’s smaller, which seems to make it feel cozier. He sets me down gently on the plush bedding before lifting my feet one at a time and slipping my shoes off. I watch as he removes his cut and drapes it over a small chair nestled in the corner of the room.

“If you aren’t tired, you don’t have to get in bed,” I offer and he steps back, lifting his hand to his chest as though I’ve just wounded him. A broad smile touches his lips and it's obvious that he's enjoying himself.

“Are you kicking me out of my own room?” he asks with an easy laugh.

“No...no, of course not. I just...never mind,” I start to giggle, unable to find the words I’m searching for. Instead, I pull back the blanket so we can both crawl underneath.

His warm body fills the bed and I curl into his side, letting the heat envelop me as his strong arms wrap around me. His lips touch my hair and I let my eyes close as I breathe in his scent. I’m still not completely sure where we stand, but I do know that he gives me a comfort that I can’t fully explain. Being here, in the cabin with X., truly feels like home.

18

Flame

Xavier

The room is dark around me, and my breathing is deep and even. I’ve tried closing my eyes, but sleep seems impossible. The feeling burning deep in my chest as Vanessa sleeps soundly in my arms is like nothing I’ve ever felt. Sure, when I first got together with Jess, I thought it was love. But what the fuck did I know? I was just a kid and it all high school bullshit.

I had thought my path was set. A life filled with one nighters. No strings, no commitments other than my club, and no added hassle that I didn’t want or need in my life. And I was fuckin’ fine with the plan.

But now...

Shit.

Now that Vanessa is in the picture, it feels like everything is changing. This beautiful, broken girl ran right into my arms, and she’s opened my eyes to the possibility of something more.

A gentle patter of rain starts to fall against the roof and a flash of light fills the window for a brief second. I hear thunder begin to rumble in the distance. My head lifts from the pillow seeing the flickering of the living room light as it filters down the hallway and into the bedroom. The rain turns heavy as the sound of steady drumming fills the room. Another flash floods the room followed almost immediately by a loud bang. The storm rolled in fast and fierce. The light from the hallway flickers again and goes out, leaving the entire house in darkness.

Shit.The power’s out.

I pull my arm carefully out from under Vanessa and slip from the bed. I know the layout of this cabin like the back of my hand and can easily maneuver through in the dark. This was originally my grandfather’s place, and I spent a lot of time here as a kid. I love it almost as much as I love motorcycles, which I think is why I got handed the keys when he passed away a few years ago. Now I use it as an escape whenever I feel the need.

The fire is low, the smoldering embers offer a soft glow as I step into the living room. I grab two logs from the small stack and toss them in, stirring the coals to get the flames going. I’m not sure how long it will take before the power comes back on, and I want to make sure it doesn’t get too cold in here. Hearing soft footsteps coming down the hall, I turn to find Vanessa stepping out of the dark hallway.

“X.,” she whispers, sounding lost.

“I’m here. The storm knocked the power out. I just wanted to check on the fire. You could’ve stayed...in bed,” I swallow my words as I take in her appearance.

She’s standing in front of me in her simple black leggings, her flannel button up shirt slipping from her shoulder as her bra strap peeks out from underneath. Her soft hair is freshly messed after crawling out of my bed. She is sexy as hell and she doesn’t even realize it. My cock begins to stir just looking at her.

“The thunder, it was so loud,” she offers as she moves forward. “The fire feels nice,” she smiles.

“Yeah, the storm hit fast,” I acknowledge. “But we can sit out here for a few minutes and enjoy the fire,” I suggest quickly dropping to the large couch and patting the seat cushion beside me.

Vanessa settles in beside me, curling her legs up under her body. Disappointment hits when I notice the obvious distance she’s kept between us. I want – no. I need her closer, but I can see the hesitation hiding behind her eyes. In an attempt to stay casual, I lift my arm to rest atop the back of the couch.

“You know you can come a little closer than that, if you want to,” I grin in her direction.

“I just...I wasn’t sure,” she mutters softly, almost to herself, before inching closer and finally melting into the side of my body.

“What are you thinking about, sweetheart?” I ask sinking further into the soft cushions.

“I really like this place. I wish we could just stay here, like this,” her dreamy response pulls at my heart.

“You like the cabin?” I question, feeling the smile tugging at my lips.

“It’s beautiful and it...” she pauses and her eyes drop to her lap. “It feels like home,” she finishes. I bring my hand to touch her cheek and she looks up again.

“It is your home,” I confirm without hesitation. “You ran right to it, like you were meant to be here all along.”

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