Page 27 of Falling for Her Protector

Ilet my eyes close as the warmth from X.’s body and the heat of fire burning beside us begins to pull me back towards sleep. His strong scent fills my nose as I breathe deeply, trying to cling to this moment for as long as possible. When Xavier and I are alone together, it’s like I can feel something growing between us. I know it seems silly, but I feel so safe and loved when I'm wrapped in his arms.

I know tomorrow, in the light of day, when we leave the cabin, this all has the potential to disappear. The magic of another night together will fade and X. will return to his life with his club. He calls them my family too, but in reality, I’ve only known them a short time. And after X.’s outburst at the clubhouse, I’ve seen how he can change when he’s with his boys.

Suddenly, I’m weightless. I feel like I’m floating, but Xavier’s strong arms are still holding me. I wiggle against him and his softened voice fills my ear.

“It’s okay, baby. I’m just bringing you back to bed,” he whispers and I feel my body relax as I continue to cling to him. The soft mattress gives underneath my weight as he sets me down, before crawling in beside me and pulling me close to his chest again.

“Thank you,” I mumble, too sleepy to open my eyes.

“Goodnight, my beautiful girl,” I hear his hushed voice as his lips brush my forehead.

* * *

Standing in the kitchen, I let my hands smooth over the surface of my slightly crinkled papers as I spread them across the countertop. I’ve decided to go ahead and fill them out. I’m free and I’m choosing to start fresh with the new life I’ve been given. I refuse to let the memory of Grady and the Vipers control me. They no longer have that power over me.

When we woke at the cabin, Xavier and I found that the power had come back on while we slept. That's when the realization began to set in, that despite my dreams, we couldn’t simply stay hidden there forever. I was hesitant, but braved another ride on the back of X.’s bike. Sure, it’s definitely exciting clinging to his body as we ride, but the thrill mixes with fear, which creates an overwhelming sense of panic knowing that I have absolutely no control. I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to that feeling.

Finding the apartment empty, he lingered, clearly hesitant to leave me alone. But he eventually wrapped his thick arms around me, pulling me in close to his broad chest.

“I’ve gotta go deal with some club shit, but I’ll be back a little later,” his deep voice had promised against my ear before his lips touched mine again.

I’ve been alone for almost an hour and the apartment is offering a welcome quiet. It feels strange but also freeing, finally allowing me to listen to my own thoughts and decide what I really want. I took the time to shower and change, and when I reemerged, I found the folded papers waiting for me on the counter. I hadn’t seen him do it, but I’m sure X. left them sitting there when he left.

My head is clear and I’ve made my decision. I pull open a small drawer and start to fish for a pen, when the door pops open and Lacey comes bouncing through. A smile fills her face as she moves towards me, grocery bags hanging from her forearms.

“Do you need any help?” I offer, wondering if she has more bags in her car.

“Nah, I got ‘em all,” she tells me as she sets them down on the counter. She immediately starts pulling stuff out and restocking the fridge and cabinets.

“So, I heard you had a rough night. How’re you holding up?” she questions and I feel my stomach twist.

I know the club is his family, but does X. really tell them everything? Did he already tell them about last night? He seemed to appear at the convenience store so quickly after Brian texted him, there is no way he had time to explain anything to them before he left. And then we were together all night, and he seemed so focused on me and making sure I was okay. He must’ve filled them in when he got back to the clubhouse.

“Uh...” I hesitate.

Lacey has been amazing. She’s welcomed me, a complete stranger, into her home and treated me like a sister. And I am beyond thankful to have this new friendship with her, but reliving last night isn’t something I want to do right now.

“I’m good,” I manage a small smile.

“Well, good. Because Mikey told me that X. acted like a complete ass after his visit with ourfather,” her eyes roll as she drags out the last word. “You’d think that since they’re so much alike that they would get along like best friends, but most of the time they end up at each other’s throats,” she explains and I just nod along as she continues to talk while she fills the cabinets.

“Did you just come back here for the night?” she questions, finally stopping and focusing on me.

“No, I took a walk. X. came and found me. We actually ended up staying the night at the cabin. It was...nice,” I admit and her eyes widen at my answer.

“Interesting,” she replies and her eyebrows lift. I can’t help but wonder what she’s thinking. “Well, I’m glad my brother was man enough to realize his mistake and apologize. Unfortunately, he doesn’t always have that in him,” she says as she cracks open a can of diet Coke and takes a large gulp.

I slide the drawer closed, realizing that I’ve been standing here with a pen clutched in my hand as I listened to her talk. My eyes drop back to the papers and I uncap the pen and start filling in the blanks.

“You know I love the club and all those guys, but they can be a little...,” Lacey's words slow, and I can tell she's choosing her next words carefully. “I guess I would say, stubborn, at times. Combine that with the macho act that they all think they have to put on in front of each other. God, it’s such a fucking pissing contest, but that’s beside the point,” she starts to ramble as I nod my head.

Even though I haven’t been around the club for long, I know exactly what she’s talking about. It’s that male ego that seems to get in the way, especially when they know that their boys are watching. I’ve definitely had a little experience with it. I mean, most of it was teenage boys just being idiots, but it was enough for me to know how guys can act when they’re in a group. And as much as I want to trust and believe all the sweet words Xavier has whispered in my ear, I also know that he’s their leader, which could possibly make him the worst offender.

“Are you working tonight?” I ask, trying to change the subject as I stay focused on my paperwork.

“Nope. I actually have the next few days off,” she says stepping up behind me and looking over my shoulder.

“Wait! Your birthday is only a couple weeks away,” she notices and her hand reaches around me, tapping the paper where I had to fill in my date of birth.

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