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Leo was temptation personified, rugged sex appeal entangled with the thrill of the forbidden. He was the flame I’d known would burn but I’d touched it anyway.
We didn’t need him. “But we’ll have you,” I whispered. “If you want this, we will have you.”
“Whether you’re ready to be a father or not, this baby is yours. You belong to her like she belongs to you. The loyalty you had to your brothers, to your club, is in your blood. And it’s searching for a new connection. It’s screaming at you to find a new place to channel it. That place is here. With her.”
Cass reached for my hand, taking it in hers. Fire flickered up my skin, the same fire that always spread when we touched. It was part of the reason I hadn’t looked at another woman since her. I burned for her. Only her.
“I haven’t been with a woman since you.” Cass’s mouth fell open. I hooked my index finger under her chin and pushed it closed. It was that or kiss her. “Don’t look so surprised.” “Are you serious?” “Have I ever lied to you?” “No.” “I’m not going to start today, Firecracker.”
“Cass,” he whispered against my lips. “Kiss me back.” “No.” “Why?” “Because what if you regret me in the morning?” I voiced the biggest insecurity I had when it came to this man.
“I want you. But I don’t want to hurt you.” “You won’t.” He met my gaze. “What do you want?” What I’d always wanted. “You.”
The past two weeks with her, the hole in my life where the club had once been hadn’t felt so vast. She’d filled it with that pretty smile. With her eyes. Her laugh. Her body. Her heart.
Emmett stared at me, unspeaking. “What?” He shook his head. “I didn’t realize . . .” “Realize what?” “That you were in love with her.”
“She deserves better than me.” Emmett’s gaze narrowed. “You really think that?” “It’s the truth. I’ve got nothing to offer her but baggage.” He scoffed. “It’s a good thing Draven is in the ground. He’d kick your ass for a comment like that. And you’d deserve it.”
“You’ve got a choice,” Isaiah said, tossing me a towel to dry my hands. “Let that past ruin your future. Or learn from it and vow never to let it happen again.” “Easy as that?” “No, man.” He shook his head. “It’s never easy. You fight every day. You work your ass off to be better than you were. And you show up, especially on the bad days, because they make you want to keep fighting.”
“Everything okay?” Luke asked. Okay? She was so little. How did you take care of someone that small? How did I change her diaper or teach her to ride a bike or help her with math homework? I wasn’t equipped to do any of those things. But I would. Because she was . . . mine. Forever, she was mine. “I have a daughter.” I blinked and raked a hand through my hair. “Holy fuck, I have a daughter.”
“What?” I whispered. “What are we?” “Beats the hell out of me. I’ve never done this before.” “Had a baby?” “Had a Cassandra.”
“I miss seeing you at the dining room table with that crease between your eyebrows as you type,” he said. “I miss watching you stand in front of the open fridge, letting all the cold air out because you can’t decide what you want to eat. I miss knowing you’ll be there when I get home. I miss you, Firecracker.”
“Seraphina. It means fire, because I hope she gets your hair.”
“You’re making it worse.” “How?” “By being . . . this guy. Who are you?” A wash of guilt clouded his handsome features. “Just a guy trying to deserve you.”
“Want the rest of my list of names?” he asked. “Why? Her name’s Seraphina.” The smile that spread across his face, so full of pride, stole my breath. “Seraphina Winter,” he whispered. “I like it. Does she need a middle name?” “Betsy.” The name blurted past my lips before I could stop it. Leo laughed. “That’s the sleep deprivation talking.” “I have no idea where that came from. But . . . it fits. That’s where she started.” “Seraphina Betsy Winter.”
“It’s fitting, don’t you think? You and me, coming out of that basement together at the Warrior clubhouse. Now we’ve got these girls. It’s like our reward.”
“You’re beautiful.” I caught a droplet of water at her chin. “I don’t feel like it.” “Then believe me when I say you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life.”
