I shuddered. “I’ll take the job, Lynn.”
He grinned then, his eyes going from me to Sin and back. “You should probably also tell your grandfather what’s going on. I have a meeting with him next week, and you damn well know that he’s going to ask about you since he knows you’re close to me. He’ll know that I know you’re here. And I’m not going to lie.”
His eyes were full of mischief then.
I groaned. “I’ll talk to them all tomorrow. I planned to go over for my dad’s birthday anyway.” I looked at Beckham, then at Zach. “Are y’all going?”
“Negative.” Beckham shook her head. “The last time I went down there, everyone gave Trouper the cold shoulder for half the day. I’m going to give it a few months for things to level out and them to get over whatever has their panties in a wad right now.”
That was a story for another time. Suffice it to say, Beckham and Trouper had never really gotten ‘approval’ for their relationship.
At least, they hadn’t had approval until lately.
“Next time, I want to see Hiro,” I ordered.
She grinned then. “Zach is bringing him back for me tomorrow. My parents have him.” Her eyes gleamed then. “Y’all could always bring him home. See what it’s like to have to deal with a baby on a long-ass road trip.”
Sin snorted. “As much as I’d like to say that’s a great idea, I have a feeling I’m not getting out of there easily. If you want to see your kid in a timely manner, you might want Zach to continue bringing him home. Let’s go.”
After a round of goodbyes from everyone, Sin once again led me to his bike.
A thrill went through me at getting on the back of it again.
Picking up the helmet that he used, he turned and placed it on my head, being sure to strap it down as best he could before stepping back to stare at me.
The day was just giving way to night, and we were in that in-between stage where the light was disappearing very fast, but you could still see fairly well.
And what I saw in Sin’s eyes made my breath hitch.
“Sin…”
“You scared the absolute piss out of me today,” he said.
I swallowed, not saying anything because really, there was nothing to say.
I’d scared the shit out of myself.
But, God.
The look in that little girl’s eyes?
I’d been a goner.
“I don’t want to ever experience that again,” he admitted. “On one hand, I want to run far and fast. I want to leave you behind and never look back.”
My heart started to pound at his words because I could hear the sincerity in them.
“Because maybe if I ran, maybe if I didn’t give in to what I know is going to happen between us, maybe I could save myself the constant bone-rattling fear that I feel at the thought of anything ever happening to you,” he rasped.
He then moved forward and placed both of his big hands on the helmet on either side of my head.
When he was close enough that all I could see were his eyes, he said, “But then, the thought of leaving you? It scares the absolute piss out of me, too. The thought of not being here in case you need me literally makes my fucking heart race. And I think, in the end, the anxiety of not knowing if you’re happy and well would end up killing me. So for now, forever, I’m here to stay. You’re mine, and I’ll do anything, absolutely anything, to make that happen. Make you realize that. So if you need time, I’ll give it. If you need distance, I’ll allow it. But just know that I’m always going to be right here. With you. Anytime you ever need me.”
I swallowed hard, then took the leap.
“I don’t need time or distance,” I whispered. “After today. After sitting in that car… I don’t need it. I know what I want. And that’s you.”
I didn’t have flowery words right then. Not after the bombshell he’d just dropped on me.
But he didn’t seem to need them.
“You’re moving in,” he declared. “And tomorrow, I go with you to meet your family. As your man.”
I gave him a small smile.
“And I’m sorry not to do this the right way, but you’ll marry me. On the way to your parents’ place tomorrow, we’ll stop and get you a ring. That way this baby, when he or she is born, is both of ours. And you’ll have that knowledge that you’re mine as well.” Then he stepped back and got onto the bike. “Let’s go home.”
CHAPTER 13
Why don’t we have Heinz Big Saucy Bangers in the United States like the UK has?
-Text from Blaise to Johnny
BLAISE
“Yeah, what did the kid say?” I looked up at Sin who was standing beside his truck with me at his side.