Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
“Fine.” She settled her hands over my chest and rubbed the soap over my skin until she finally started to relax a little. And yeah, I noticed the tears slowly leaking from her beautiful eyes, even though one was still swollen most of the way shut. Wasn’t stupid enough to mention it. I would question her about them later. Now wasn’t the time, though.
“Been thinkin’.” I thought she might need a distraction for a bit. Take her mind off things.
“Here it comes,” she muttered. Before I could question her, she plowed on. “What exactly have you been thinking, oh great leader?”
I raised an eyebrow. “You mean besides that I need to take you over my knee?
She snorted. “Yeah. Besides that.”
“Uh-huh.” I waited to see if she’d look up at me. She didn’t. “Been thinkin’ me and you need some alone time. Away from the clubhouse. Just the two of us. Anywhere in the world you want to go.”
To my complete and utter horror and mortification and all kinds of other terrifying shit, Lemon -- my brave, beautiful Lemon -- burst into tears.
“Christ.” I pulled her against me, wrapping my arms around her as tightly as I could. I knew she was close to shattering, but I never thought she was this far gone. “I’ve got you Lemon. I won’t let go. Not ever.”
“Why?” she cried. “Why would you even want to be around me?”
That… didn’t compute. I thought about her question for long moments, trying my best to figure out what she meant and simply came up blank. “You’re gonna have to explain, baby. I don’t understand the question.”
“I’m too much. I’ve always been too much.” She clung to me like a child not wanting a parent to drop her off at daycare. Which was as funny as it was sad. This beautiful, wonderful, caring woman should never feel like that. “Why would you throw over all those beautiful, normal women down there for someone who can’t keep her fucking mouth shut!” She practically yelled that last part.
“Who said you should keep your mouth shut? Keeping our mouths shut is what got Grim into the shape it was in before you got here. That’s on me. You keep on speakin’ your mind, honey.”
“It got me beat up again.” Her voice was so soft I almost didn’t hear her over the water. “I’m sorry.”
“Honey…” I tried to push her back a little so I could look at her face, but she refused to lift her head, even when I tried to force her. “Lemon, honey. Look at me. Right now. Look at me.”
She took a deep breath and slowly, reluctantly, raised her head. Even through the shower spray, I could tell she was still crying. She sniffed once, and wiped her nose on the back of her wrist before meeting my gaze.
“Yeah. You got beat up, and it makes me fuckin’ furious.” Her face crumbled before I could plow on. “But not at you, honey. Never at you. Never for that. I’m angry that I wasn’t with you when it happened, so I could kill those motherfuckers.” I brushed my thumbs under her eyes as I continued. “I’m angry that any man would hit a woman because she got the best of him in a verbal confrontation. Because I know that’s what happened. You’re wicked smart with a sharp tongue. I wouldn’t have you any other way.”
“You’re gonna tell me the vice president thing isn’t working. Aren’t you? Because, I mean, you’re right. Who wants a vice president who keeps getting beat up and in trouble?”
I sighed, shaking my head. “Lemon…”
“Because I’ll resign. In fact, I really think Bear or Piston would be better in that position. Piston has some season on him. He’s smart, quiet, and very thoughtful in his decision-making. He’s not going to say or do anything that would embarrass you or set someone off and cause some kind of turf war.”
“Lemon.”
“And if he’s serious about claiming Venus, you’ll have her too. If it hadn’t been for Venus, they’d probably have killed me before the third guy got back from scouting out Bane. She’s the real deal, Rocket. She’s a member of Salvation’s Bane, but maybe you could convince her to move here?”
“Lemon. Stop.”
“But --”
I cut her off the only way I knew how. I kissed her. Hard. Our mouths crashed together with a fervor that matched the intensity of our conversation, and for a moment, the world outside the shower dissolved away. I could feel her fighting back her tears as she responded to my kiss, her body trembling with emotion.
Finally, we broke apart, gasping. My cock was hard as fucking diamond, needing to be inside her, but I had to ease her fears first. I needed her to realize she was my woman and always would be.