Page 34 of Blade's Return
I still don’t want to go.
Yet, I love him and loving him means trying. That doesn’t mean I’m not dreading it. I like the guys that I know. Ranger still makes my skin crawl, however. I can’t even explain why—maybe it’s the way he stares, like he’s looking through me instead of at me. The others? They’re fine. Loud and rough, but loyal in a way that’s almost sweet. Ranger? Yeah, he’s the one that gives me that ‘run’ instinct every time he walks into a room.
I take a deep breath as I move toward the mirror. My jeans are simple, dark and fitted. The navy T-shirt is plain, but it’s Blade’s favorite color, so I guess I’m sentimental now. My hair’s loose and curled at the ends, falling halfway down my back. I tell myself it looks casual, and not like I’ve spent twenty minutes fighting with the curling iron.
The door opens behind me, getting my attention. I turn and see him standing there, filling the space like he always does. Blade’s eyes flick over me, slow, assessing, full of something that makes my knees weak.
“You look nervous,” he says.
“Most men tell their women they look great when they haven’t seen them all day,” I tease.
He grins, then pauses mid-look. “Is your dad here?”
“No. He’s at his buddy’s watching the Tennessee–Florida game.”
“Is there a way both teams can lose?” he mutters.
I laugh. “You realize you’re in Tennessee, right?”
“Yeah, but I’ve always held allegiance to Kentucky in basketball. You can’t hold that against me.” I roll my eyes and elbow him, and he grins, leaning down to kiss me. “You look good enough to fucking eat,” he murmurs against my lips. “And if I had time, that’s exactly what I’d do.”
My cheeks heat, and I whisper, “Maybe we shouldn’t go tonight. We could stay in?—”
He kisses me again, cutting me off, his smile pressed to my mouth. “We’re going to the party, Usdi. We’ll have a good time. Then, we’ll come home, and I’ll reward you by fucking you all night long. I’ll give you so many orgasms you won’t walk right for a week.”
“Promise you’ll bring me home if it’s too much?” I ask quietly.
“I promise. Between me, Bear, and Ayita, you’ll never be alone.”
“Okay,” I whisper.
“It’s an outdoor party,” he adds, brushing his thumb along my jaw. “No small rooms, no corners. I’ve got you.”
“I’m going under duress,” I say, pretending to pout.
“Duly noted.” He moves to the chair where a white box waits. “I actually have something for you.”
“You do?”
He nods and hands it over. “A gift.”
“Blade, you didn’t have to?—”
“It’s not exactly from me,” he says, and there’s a flicker of something in his eyes, gone before I can name it.
I open the box. Leather gleams inside—a cut like the one all of them wear. My name is stitched across the front, and underneath: Protected by Bear and the Saints Outlaws.
My throat tightens. “Blade…”
“I wanted you to feel safe,” he says simply. “Bear agreed. Hangman gave it to me when I left the clubhouse earlier.”
He lifts the cut and slides it over my shoulders, carefully, reverently. I pull my hair free from the collar and turn to face him.
“How do I look?”
He looks at me like I’m the only thing that exists. “Like every dream I’ve ever had.”
I smile through the rush of warmth in my chest.
