I placed my beer on the ground and ran my hand up her leg and over her ass where I let it rest. “I read all the sheets of paper you bring home from her, sweetheart.” Hell, I devoured those sheets looking for an answer.
She held my gaze for a few moments before saying anything, and then pressed a kiss to my lips. Just a quick one, but I could feel the love it held. “Thank you,” she whispered as if she was thanking me for the world.
I frowned. “For reading that stuff?”
Shaking her head, she corrected me. “No, for loving me enough to get me help, and for coming to the appointments I needed you at, and for reading all those sheets of paper…for giving me the time and space to work myself out. People might think you’re a hard ass, but they don’t know the real you.” She paused and curled her hand around my neck before adding, “I’m the luckiest woman in the world to know the real you.” Her lips came to mine again and her kiss was long and deep.
I groaned and gripped her ass while she kissed me. When she finally let my lips go, I said, “Harlow, any man would have done that for you. Any man would want you to be happy again. I’m just doing what they would do.”
“No, they wouldn’t have. You know about the assholes I’ve dated before – not one of them would have stood next to me like you did.”
Just the thought of those men caused my chest to tighten. “You’re right,” I said. “Every man but those assholes would have done what I did.”
She smiled and then her smile morphed into seriousness as she cocked her head to the side. “So are you going to tell me about your day?”
I drew a long breath and then slowly let it out. “We lost some men today. They didn’t agree with a club decision and I gave them the option to leave the club, which they chose to do. And on top of that we’ve got a new drug dealer in town causing trouble so I’ve gotta deal with him.”
“How many members left?”
“Seven.”
Her eyes widened. “Goodness - ” she started, but I cut her off.
“I don’t want you to worry about this. Griff and I have it covered. I just want you to focus on doing the stuff Jane tells you to do so you can get better.”
Annoyance flared in her eyes. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?” I stared at her waiting for her answer, not sure where she was coming from.
“That thing men sometimes do where they think they’re helping their woman by telling her not to worry about what they are going through. Of course I’m going to worry about you and the club so there’s no point telling me not to worry. The thing that will make me worry less is if you keep me up-to-date with where you’re at with it.” She moved off my lap and stared down at me. Usually I’d allow my gaze to travel the length of her body, but the passion she spoke with kept my attention firmly on her face. “I’m going to keep focusing on doing the things Jane spoke to me about, but at the same time I’m going to be thinking about you, so you may as well keep me updated. Otherwise, my imagination will take over and I’ll probably picture the worst.” Her eyes flashed with passion and her tone was forceful.
She’s found some of her pieces.
I moved off the chair, slid my arm around her waist and pulled her close, pressing her body to mine. “You want me to keep you updated, I’m gonna need something from you, too,” I growled.
Her breathing picked up and she stared up at me through heated eyes. This was the Harlow I needed – the woman who could go from annoyed, to passionate, to turned on in one conversation. “What?” she demanded.
My eyes searched hers for a moment, appreciating the emotion radiating from them. Savouring everything I saw because it had been too long since I’d had it from her, and hoping like fuck to see it every day from here on out. “I’m gonna need you to keep talking to me about where you’re at.” I held her tight while I waited for her response.
She nodded. “I will.” Her promise fell easily from her lips and all I could do was hope she kept it, because this woman standing in front of me was the woman I’d decided to spend the rest of my life with, and I needed her whole again.
I was done marking time and waiting for her to come back to me.
I was done with a lot of things in my life.
It was time to take command and make shit happen.
* * *
The next morning, I sat at the head of the table at Church and surveyed the room. My brothers watched me through eyes that betrayed their true feelings. They knew as well as I did that seven men down meant shit could happen that we might not be able to deal with. The thing about Storm, though, was that we would fight till our dying breath to protect what was ours.