Diamond in the Dust (Lost Kings MC 18)

“What’s going on in your head, chickadee?” He gently grips my chin and turns me to face him.

“Nothing.” There’s no way I’m shining a spotlight on how compatible they might be. “I felt bad. That’s all. She was telling me how hard it is to date because—”

“Her dad is Chaser Adams?” He rumbles with laughter. “I can only imagine.”

“Right. She said—”

“Most guys will need to wear a diaper when she brings ‘em home to meet dear old dad?”

I squeeze my eyes shut and titter with laughter. “Sort of.”

“Chaser’s definitely the kind of man who knows where to bury a body if someone hurts his little girl.”

“She’s hardly a little girl.”

“Try telling him that.”

“Shoot.” I slap my hand over my mouth. “I wonder if she told him Dawson’s taking her to the awards?”

“She must have. Not like she can hide it.” His gaze shifts. “Did you drive the truck while I was gone?”

“Heck no. I told you it’s too big for me. I’d never be able to back it into the driveway the way you did.”

“No? Does that mean I should look for a place for us with a circular driveway or something?”

Whoa.

A place for us?

Oh, that twitterpated feeling in my chest starts thumping overtime.

“What are we looking for? A house or an apartment? Because I don’t think an apartment’s gonna let us install my stripper pole,” I joke to keep myself from asking a whole bunch of questions.

“Probably a house.”

Oh, that’s big time, setting-down-roots type of commitment. “Where do you want to look?” I whisper.

His serious eyes search my face. “You tell me.”

The weight of what he’s offering hovers in the air.

“Your club’s in New York. Don’t you need to be there at some point?”

“Yeah,” he answers slowly.

“So, we’ll look in New York.”

Tension eases out of his posture. Shoulders and jaw relaxing. That’s the answer he was hoping for and I’m happy to give it to him.

Truth is, I’d go to the ends of the Earth to be with Logan.

Chapter Fifty

Rooster

Fuck am I glad we’re finally on the same page.

“I don’t want to do long distance, Shelby. I can’t. I hated being away from you, even though I knew it wasn’t long. I know you need to be able to record or whatever—”

“I’ve been lookin’ up studios,” she says. “There’s a great one in New York. It’s maybe an hour north of your club. Plus, Woodstock isn’t far…”

My heart’s slamming at what she’s saying. She’s given this more than a few seconds of thought. “Everyone says to be a country artist, Nashville’s where it’s at.”

“It is. And for certain things, I’ll probably have to be here. But the rest of the time—when I’m not on the road—I want to be where you are. You shouldn’t have to give up everything.”

Thank fuck. “You’ll move to New York with me?”

She touches my cheek. “I thought you’d never ask.”

“You were waiting for me to ask?”

“Well,” she sits up, “I didn’t want you to think I was being clingy. It’d be rude if I invited myself to move two thousand miles into your home.”

I bust up laughing and pull her into my arms. “You nut. Instead of calling you chickadee, I oughta call you glue, so you understand how much I want you to stick with me.”

It’s a good thing Jiggy’s not around. He’d definitely bust my balls for staring at the ring Shelby gave me like a lovesick newlywed.

The thought she put into buying me something that represented not only us but my club rocked me down to my soul. Damn, I can’t wait to see her wearing my property patch.

Also, can’t help being amused at how much we’re on the same page. Her wandering universe ring is burning a hole in my pocket more than ever. But I’m still waiting for the right time.

My phone buzzes and I pick it up.

Jiggy: You pop the question yet?

Jesus, it really is like he can read my mind sometimes.

Me: No. I’d like it to be a surprise. Forget you know about it.

Jiggy: What about the awards show?

Me: Nah, it’s her night.

Yeah, she’ll be all dressed up and stuff, but proposing on the night of her awards show when she’ll be so stressed out and nervous feels like a douche move. Like I’m trying to steal her thunder and make the night about me when it’s supposed to be about her. No way. When the time’s right, it’ll come to me.

“What’s this?” Shelby yawns as she strolls into the kitchen.

I swipe out of my text screen and turn off my phone. “Breakfast. You need to eat before your session, right?”

Her lips curve into a sultry smile. “We did skip dinner last night.”

“Kiss me, then I’ll feed you.”

She hurries over and wraps her arms around me. I hug her back and we stay like that for a few heartbeats. “You feel so good in my arms, chickadee.”