Under Locke

by Mariana Zapata

Two arms slipped beneath me, one spanning the width of my shoulder blades and the other hooking under both knees.

Better be Dex

Dex!

Lets goooo

“You know damn well you don’t come into my shop demandin' shit, callin' my girl a bitch.”

MY GIRL

“I should've kicked his fuckin' ass for talkin' to you like that,”

"I hope they're worth it." “You wanna find out?”

BYE I LOVE HIM

“I’ll do it, Slim,”

Hes going to pierce her byeeee

"I like it when you're all cute and playful,"

Giggling and kicking my feet over here

Because Dex’s smile was the nicest I’d ever seen. It was wide and genuine and playful and so rare. And it made my insides flare.

"You walk out, and I'll go get you."

A man

"Babe, I've handpicked everythin' and everyone in here. I know what I want and I get what I want," he breathed. "And I keep what's mine."

OH

"You're staying with Dex. The house isn't safe and I don't trust you to stay with anybody else in the Club,"

YESSSSS

Long, warm fingers wrapped around the back of my neck as Dex dropped down to his haunches, eye level with me. “You all right, Ritz?”

Constantly making sure shes ok ugh i love him

"I don't remember askin' for your opinion, shit for brains, so shut the fuck up."

HA

"Baby, just 'cuz you're cute doesn't mean I wasn't bein' serious about spankin' your tight little ass for doin' dumb shit, Ritz. You do it again, and you're gonna get it."

Hot

"How about you just shut up and eat your hamburgers and watch your cholesterol go up, Pete? She can eat whatever she wants to eat without hearin' you babble off your stupid shit."

Yes king stand up for her

It was Dex’s fingertip running over the strap of my bathing suit top. ”Like your bathing suit.” He drew a line down my shoulder blade. And then he shuffled forward another inch, bringing his lower body even closer to mine. The fingers on my leg tightened, his thighs closing in on mine.

I can’t

“Eat, baby,”

I absolutely love that he keeps calling her baby and honey ughhhh

I was eating a black bean burger because his sisters had found out I was a vegetarian. And Dex's hand was still on my thigh.

🥹🥹

“Babe, you go to the library, you read romance books with a big ass smile on your face. You still say cool, and I just heard you recitin’ each line from the movie.”

Literally me lol

“Babe, you’re the cutest fuckin’ nerd I’ve ever met.”

🥰

“And nobody else gives me hugs like this but you.”

Two big hands cupped my jaw the instant before his mouth with its deep pink, full lips and day old scruff, descended on me in a hard kiss—all ownership and demand.

LETS GOOO

“Honey, you and me, we’re more than just friends.”

“Look at you. I never stood a fuckin’ chance.”

“Baby, there’s nothing wrong with my judgment. I know exactly what I’m doin’, and I know damn well that if I ever see you smile at somebody like you did at Trey today, I’ll kill the poor bastard.”

“I can’t ignore this shit between us anymore, and I’m not gonna. Not when it makes so much sense.”

“Nobody’s ever made me feel the way you do.”

"You go and I'm comin' after you, babe."

Hey god it’s me again

I told you when you tried to quit that I keep what's mine, and I meant that."

"I looked all over the city for you, Ritz. You think I'd do that for anybody else?"

“You gotta get it straight, babe. This ain’t just friendship to me.”

"But I'm not a good man, and I'm gonna take everythin' you want to give me and everythin' you don't."

“You’ve got the prettiest face I’ve ever seen.”

“I kinda think you’re a treasure.”

🫶🏼🫶🏼

"You are not a waste of time to me."

"Nobody smokes around you. You hear me, Dexter? No smokin' around Rissy."

Crying

"You’re perfect, honey. So goddamn perfect."

"You've gotta be the best thing I never knew I wanted."

"You're one of the best people I know."

🥰🥰

"But you," his nostrils flared, "my sweet, sweet baby, have gotta be my favorite by far. I think you win first through one-hundredth place."

“Babe, you got me as much as I got you, and that shit’s not changin’, you understand? Not today, tomorrow, not ever.”

"That's my girl."

"I love you, Ritz." The scruff of his jaw scraped my own before he bit it gently. "Love your fuckin' face, your that's what she said jokes, your dorky ass high-fives and your arm, but I really fuckin' love how much of a little shit you are. You got nuts bigger than your brother, baby."

"Fuckin' love you," he breathed against my ear, an arm slinking around my lower back to press us together. "More than anything."

Big sigh ughh 🥹