T-Bone - L. Wilder Page 0,29

swallowed back the knot that was growing in my throat, and then told him about seeing Lucas in the parking lot as I was leaving work. I tried not to cry, but the tears came just the same. Even so, I was able to tell him everything, and when I finally stopped talking, he leaned over to me and took me in his arms once again. He quietly held me until I stopped crying, and then he softly kissed me on the temple. “I’m sorry that happened to you, Alyssa, but it doesn’t make me think any less of you. If anything, it makes me admire you even more.”

“How can you say that?”

“Because you’re a survivor. You didn’t give up. You didn’t let what happened to you stop you from living your life.” He looked down at me with emotion in his eyes as he said, “You’re a fighter, Alyssa.”

“Look at me, Beckett. I’m a wreck.” I don’t know what came over me. Maybe it was the fact that I knew I could trust him. He’d been there for me in so many ways, and I hoped that he’d be there for me when it counted the most. I reached out, placed my hands on his face, and as his eyes met mine, I whispered, “I’m so tired. I just want to have a normal life. I want to stop being so afraid. Please help me. Help me stop being so afraid.”

“What do you need me to do?”

I inched forward as I whispered, “This.”

I pressed my lips against his and kissed him. When his muscles grew tense, I feared he might pull away, but he didn’t. Instead, he kissed me back.

7

T-Bone

Night after night, I found myself standing on Alyssa’s front porch, having no clue what the fuck I was doing there. I felt this unexplainable pull to her that I simply couldn’t understand. I tried to tell myself that I was just looking after a friend in need. It was easy to do, too. I’d seen how distraught she was the night she’d come to the clubhouse to talk to Clay, and the days that followed were more of the same. Hell, she’d struggled to just get through the day. It gutted me that I didn’t know why. I thought I might be able to help if Alyssa would just talk to me, but anytime I brought it up, she always refused to discuss it.

I figured she just needed time, and I was doing my best to give it to her. It wasn’t easy. Seeing her hurting got to me, so much so, I’d even considered going to talk to Hyde. I’d seen the way he’d lost it the night she came to the clubhouse, so I had no doubt that he knew why. But I just couldn’t do it. I wanted Alyssa to be the one to come to me, and now that she had—that scared look in her eyes, the crying herself to sleep, and even her lack of relationships with other men—it all made sense. I finally understood why she was so broken, and even though I knew I was going down a rabbit hole, I couldn’t walk away—especially after that kiss.

Damn. It was the last thing I’d expected her to do, but holy hell, having her mouth on mine felt better than I could’ve imagined, and yes—I’d imagined it many times since the day I first laid eyes on her. Alyssa’s gaze never left mine as she reached for the hem of my shirt, eased it over my head, and tossed it onto the floor. Sensing my apprehension, she placed the palm of her hand on my bare chest and said, “I know you’re worried about the fact that I’m Hyde’s sister and all that it entails, but this has nothing to do with him or the club. Here ... in this house, it’s just you and me.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“If you’re going to say that you’re too old for me, you’re wrong. You being older is one of the reasons I want to do this with you.” Her brows furrowed. “Don’t you get it? I know I can trust you to do this right. I know I’m asking a lot, but I need this. I need you, Beckett.”

She slowly lifted her t-shirt over her head, exposing her flawless skin and perfectly round breasts. It was then that I realized her scars weren’t in plain sight. They were hidden deep within where they took longer to