Road Tripped (Satan's Devils MC Utah #1) - Manda Mellett Page 0,148
anything here now. The rest are huddled around Pip, deep in conversation about how the club can survive, I expect. But until the meeting tomorrow, who knows? Anything decided tonight will only be hypothetical and dependent on too many variables to know if they are viable options.
“Come,” I say, once I’ve decided no one will miss us.
Road follows me out. He lets me use my key card to summon the elevator, then follows me along the hall until we reach my room. I open the door, he enters after me, shuts it, then leans back against it.
With my back turned toward him, I hug my arms around my waist. “I don’t need a man.”
“I don’t need a woman,” he retorts. “But I think I’d like being able to call one particular woman mine. I think she’d complete me.”
“Are you still looking, or have you found her?” I ask, just to make sure. Because if he’s decided on something permanent involving him and me, he’ll be sleeping on that couch. Especially not now, I’m not ready, nor in a position to make a long-term commitment.
“I’ve found her. And she’s you.” His voice sounds closer now. “I know you don’t think this will work. It’s probably the worst possible time to think about our future, but whatever happens, wherever we go and whoever we are, I want us to be together. Maybe today has focused my mind, but I’m asking you to give us a chance, Swift.”
“Of course it won’t work,” I scoff. “I’m not going to be anyone’s ol’ lady. You’ll be calling me property next—”
“Property works both ways, doesn’t it? I’ll be yours, same as you’ll be mine.”
“I think you’ve got me wrong,” I object, haughtily. “I’m not going to be subservient to anyone.”
“That’s not how partnerships work. Fuck, Swift. I don’t want a submissive woman. You walk out of my life, then I don’t think I’ll ever find anyone else. I never have so far. Never found a woman I want to commit to, but hell, I do to you. If you’ll have me that is.”
“I don’t want anyone to dominate me. Not even in bed.” Part of me is lying, I might want him to do that, but I’m not going to admit it.
“Babe.” His voice is right by my ear, so close I can feel the heat of his breath. “You can dominate me, I don’t mind. You can tie me up, hell, flog me, gag me, take all my senses and choices away.”
“You’re submissive?”
“Not a fuckin’ chance, but maybe there’ll be times I want to let go, leave you in total charge.”
There’s an image in my head, but it’s not of him tied to my bed, it’s of me, restrained and under his control. Heaven help me, but fuck, the thought gets me wet. Surrendering control to someone you trust, someone you know would do the same for you, could be freeing.
Oh fuck. Road’s everything I would go looking for if I was in the market for a man. I may not have been looking for a relationship, it might not have come to me on my terms, nor in the timeframe I thought was still to come, but he’s here now, and why am I fighting it? Is it because, with me, everything’s a battle and one more thing I have to overcome? Perhaps it’s time to admit I have feelings for him. I’m lying to myself if I believe I could watch him walk out of my life without giving a relationship between us a try. Men like Road are few and far between. I’ve never yet found a man his equal and am not sure I ever would.
So, rather than concentrating on reasons why it wouldn’t, I ask the opposite. “How could it work?”
“Babe, I know you best me in almost everything you can do.”
“In everything,” I correct him with a smirk.
“Nah.” He chuckles. “My bike riding skills are the best, and, I apparently have common sense. Oh, and while I don’t cook much, I haven’t poisoned anyone as yet.”
“I don’t have common sense?” I turn and find that puts me within reach of his held-up arms. Against my better judgement, I walk into them.
He grins. “No, you don’t. You’re too damn prickly trying to justify yourself that you can’t see what a good fit we are. Relax, let’s take this one step at a time. We have tonight. Tomorrow can look after itself.”