Page 74 of Stoker's Serenity

I set off in that direction and she laughed and said, “Put me down before you hurt yourself.”

“Not on your life, babe,” I said and I meant it.

I would never let her go.

23

Serenity…

I slept like the dead, safe and warm and loved in Stoker’s arms, and the next morning, at breakfast, the Sacred Heart nicknamed Reaver and his wife approached us, along with Cutter and Hope.

“Hey!” Reaver dropped down onto the bench beside me and I slightly leaned away from him into Stoker. There was something about him that bothered me, and something more that made me immediately feel guilty about it. I mean, he was a genuinely nice and funny guy. Just, something about a coldness in his gaze told me there wasn’t something quite right with him and I’d glimpsed scars on him when he’d been wandering around shirtless, in just his leather vest, the day before that told me he was absolutely no stranger to violence.

“What’s up?” Stoker asked him over my head.

“Heading on out for a ride to go check out some waterfalls,” Cutter said. “Wanted to know if you wanted to come along.”

“That sounds wonderful, actually,” I said looking forward to a slight break from all of the people.

“Excellent!” Reaver crowed and tousled my hair. I jerked back from under his hand with a slightly offended laugh and he bounded up. Stoker smiled at me and I smiled back, and he gave a nod.

“Just give us a bit to finish up our breakfast and change clothes and meet us out at the bikes,” Cutter said.

“You’ve got it, Captain.”

“I’ll have Contessa pack us up a picnic lunch,” Doll said.

“Ooo! Good idea, baby!” Reaver kissed his woman, Hope winked at me over her sunglasses, and the four of them melted off into the crowd while I finished my sausage, eggs, and fruit a bit more quickly than I should have.

“Slow down there! They’ll wait fer yah.” Dragon, the president of the Sacred Hearts mother chapter was kind in his admonishment, but I still blushed.

“Too late now,” I said, smiling. “I’m done.”

He chuckled and tapped the filter of a fresh cigarette against the rest of his pack. “Keep the shiny side up, my friend,” he told Stoker, and Stoker gave him a nod.

“Will do, thanks.”

I was kind of in awe. If only our leaders and politicians acted like the leaders of these clubs who clearly cared about every individual, the world would be a much better place.

We went in and changed, I braided my hair over my shoulder, and Stoker smiled over at me as he pulled on his scuffed motorcycle boots and adjusted the cuffs of his jeans over the top.

“You ready?” he asked.

“Just about.”

I sat down on the edge of the bed beside him and pulled on my own boots, a pair of laced boots I’d had in the back of my closet and not nearly as well-made as the riding-specific boots he owned, but serviceable. I laced them up and tied them tight so the laces wouldn’t come loose and stood up. He got up and held my jacket – again a much cheaper knock-off – with my new leather vest over it. I shrugged into it all and turned around, running into a surprise kiss.

“Mm, what was that for?” I asked.

“Because I love you,” he murmured.

I smiled. “I love you, too.”

“Glad to hear it, baby. You ready now?”

“I am.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

---