Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 115186 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 576(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115186 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 576(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
“If that’s what she wants but need some guarantees first.”
But was that what she wanted? Or was she being forced into this? Or did she make up her mind in the time between their discussion in his motel room and sitting down to dinner?
“She tell you that?”
Shade turned to look at him. “You fucked up her life. You gotta fix that shit.”
“Becomin’ my ol’ lady’s gonna fix that?”
“It better,” Shade answered.
He had no fucking clue how that would work. He guessed he’d figure it out.
Or be stuck with a woman bitter about being stuck with him.
Like a goddamn arranged marriage.
Ice slithered down his spine.
He tried to swallow but it was close to impossible.
It was happening. His bachelor days were coming to an end. He’d no longer be able to smash and dash.
“Already can guess what those guarantees are,” Trip said impatiently, “so let me get to them so we can get the fuck outta here…” He met Romeo’s eyes. “Gonna keep your dick in your pants? No sweet butts, no hang-arounds, no randoms?”
“Hope to.”
Someone made a loud buzzing noise. “Wrong fuckin’ answer.”
Judge.
“What’s it to you?” he asked the club’s sergeant at arms.
“Musta missed the part where Maddie belongs to us. Not you. Unless we hear the answers we wanna hear and,” Judge circled his finger around the group, “we say she can.”
“Get that you wanna protect her…”
“From womanizers like you,” Shade said quietly.
Both Deacon and Ozzy snorted.
“Gonna tell you guys somethin’ I ain’t told anyone. Know I got a reputation. Know that reputation was true. But…” He pulled in a breath. “Ain’t been with any other woman since runnin’ into her.”
The silence was deafening until Shade asked, “Not even a sweet butt?”
“No.”
“She know that?”
“No.”
“You plannin’ on tellin’ her?”
That would probably be a good fucking idea.
Chapter Forty
Maddie fidgeted on a stool at the Fury’s private bar in The Barn.
Where she waited impatiently.
As soon as Shade and Romeo left the house, she hopped into her SUV and kept enough space between the two vehicles so they wouldn’t spot her tailing them.
Shade didn’t run any of this past her, but she knew exactly what he was doing.
Putting Romeo on the spot.
Making him put up or shut up.
Making him declare in front of the club officers whether he wanted to claim Maddie as his ol’ lady or not.
The only problem was, Shade never asked her if that was what she wanted and, truthfully, she was still torn.
If she was using her head and not her heart, she’d reject his ass. Especially after he butted into her business and screwed everything up.
Plus, he had never been a man to stick with one woman. She did not want to tie herself down with a cheater. Not now, not ever.
She wasn’t sure Romeo was even the type of man who could be loyal. Maybe he’d start out that way, but eventually?
Was it worth the risk of heartburn and heartbreak?
Another issue was the most obvious one… He was a damn biker. Not only a biker but a president of an entire club! Did she even want to deal with that shit? In the past, she purposely avoided hooking up with bikers. And here she was, about to get claimed by one?
She sighed and dropped her head in her hands, trying to sort through her ping-ponging thoughts.
She would eventually want children. She had no idea where he stood on that subject. She had no idea if he’d even be a good father.
The “what ifs” were endless when it came to the man.
Did she even love him?
Did he love her?
She wanted to spend the rest of her life with someone who loved and cherished her. Supported her decisions.
She didn’t want a man forced to be with her. She was damn sure if Romeo had to pick one woman to spend the rest of his life with, he’d want it to be one of his own choosing. Anyone else would be a recipe for disaster and not a good one for a solid relationship.
She worried she’d never be able to trust him one hundred percent. If he had to head out at an odd hour or if he came home late, would she always be wondering where he went, who he was with?
There was so much she needed to think about. So much for them to talk through.
When she moved out of her apartment and back home, she didn’t ever want to see or talk to him again. She had tried to push him out of her mind and her heart.
Was she successful? Hell no, but she knew with enough time and distance her feelings toward him would eventually fade away.
As long as she didn’t see him, hear him, touch him, kiss him…
Have sex with him.
She groaned when her gut began to burn, and her heart started to ache at the thought of never doing any of that with him again.