“No maybe.”
Lark held my gaze and we were both afraid to say the words. Even knowing the other one was thinking them, we avoided any declarations.
“I heard you have a bitch ex girlfriend,” Lark said, changing the subject in the least subtle way.
“I’ve dated mostly nice girls. I like nice girls,” I said, grinning down at her. “Kristen seemed nice, but she was a bitch. Still is a bitch, but she’s not my problem now.”
“Did you love her?” Lark asked, testing out that word.
“Not even a little.”
“But it hurt you when she cheated.”
Assuming Bailey was the one who blabbed about Kristen, I nodded. “I thought I understood her. I’m pretty good at reading people’s bullshit. I’m not a lie detector, but I can tell a person’s character. Or maybe I only can when I’m not that close. Maybe I can’t with girls, I mean.”
“Do you think I have good character?”
“The best.”
Smiling, she ran her fingers down my cheek and tapped the cobra’s face.
“I’m really loyal,” Lark said, focusing on the snake instead of me. “My mom said I get stuck in the mud a lot. If I like something, I just like it forever. I don’t change. I wasn’t just saying that the first night.”
Leaning down, I kissed her “And you like me?”
“I should play coy, right? I should make you work for it, but I can’t. I don’t want to lie, so I’ll just tell the truth. I like you more than I’ve liked any guy ever. I’m a little obsessed with you. Like if you dumped me, I would stalk you.”
My smile widened. “Your honesty is really hot.”
“Would you stalk me if I dumped you?”
“Of course not,” I said, pulling a blanket over us. “I wouldn’t need to because I’d kidnap you and keep you as my muse slave.”
“I’d escape. I’m wily like that.”
“I bet you would, but we’ll never have to find out.”
Lark and I stared at each other as if waiting for the other one to be brave enough to say it.
“You’re mine,” I whispered. “No one else.”
Lark gave a gentle smile like in the studio. “I love you too.”
Finally, it was out in the open. The words sounded perfect and natural.
“I loved you last weekend,” I admitted. “I should have said that, but I was a jackass.”
“I loved you on our first date. I would have mentioned it, but I’m a bigger jackass.”
Laughing, I leaned her back on the couch. “I want to celebrate the love between two jackasses.”
“No,” she said, squirming free. “I want to be on top. I like exploring.”
“And what you like, you’ll always like.”
Tugging off her tee, Lark grinned. “I’ll be an old woman and still enjoying my cobra. Oh, and the hot guy attached to it.”
Kissing her hard, I had more than my muse now. I had my love and we were going to create something beautiful together.
Chapter Twenty Seven - Lark
The sound of a rumbling Harley wasn’t anything out of the ordinary around Ellsberg. This bike roared its engine once, twice, again and again as if attempting to gain someone’s attention. Or challenge a person to a fight maybe.
A frowning Aaron looked outside and his expression darkened. “It’s your fuckwad stepbrother.”
My stomach flipped and I backed away from the door as if I might run. Returning to sanity, I sighed. “How would he know?”
“I don’t know. I’ll tell him to fuck off.”
Aaron walked onto the porch and Dylan turned of the Harley. I watched Dylan stop at the front fence where he glared at Aaron.
“I know Lark’s here. She needs to come home.”
“Fuck off,” Aaron said, keeping his promise to tell Dylan just that.
“She’s coming home.”
I heard the threat in Dylan’s voice and imagined Aaron bloodied. While I had no doubt my guy could win, the idea of him hurt because of my crappy family forced me onto the porch.
“I don’t want to go home.”
“Not your choice. Old man said I’m supposed to bring you home.”
“How did you know I was here?”
“As compared to where you were supposed to be?” Dylan growled.
“I’m not a child and I can do what I want.”
“Why lie then?”
Shrugging, I didn’t answer.
“He tracked your cell. Saw you weren’t at the Johanssons’ place and it wasn’t hard to figure out where you’d run off to.”
“This is bullshit,” Aaron muttered. “Just fuck off and tell your dad to stop acting like a damn dictator. Lark isn’t going with you.”
Dylan ignored Aaron and focused his angry gaze on me. “Lark, get your stuff. You’re coming home. If you think you’re a big girl and can do what you want, explain it to Larry.”
Shaking my head, I glanced at Aaron who crossed his arms and gave Dylan a look that startled me. I had never seen him look so intimidating, but I still feared he might get hurt over me.