Zorro (Reapers MC #16) - Elizabeth Knox Page 0,11

one of them! I know how I need to keep my rage bottled up because I don’t want to scare Ruby off, but I’d be lying if I said it was easy. I’ve kept my anger bottled up for a month, and I’ll be determined as fuck to keep it bottled up a bit longer. So, I wrap my arms around my sweet girl and pull her to my chest. And I hold her.

I hold her so tight her eyes might eventually pop out of her head, hoping she’ll know how much this brazen, experienced outlaw cares about her. I might be a shit man at putting things into words, but I’m a damn good one at showing people how I feel.

Taking the palm of my hand, I force her to look up into my eyes. I want her to see the seriousness crossing my face, as well as the sincerity in my voice. “If you’re telling me this because you think it changes things, it doesn’t. You aren’t broken. You aren’t damaged. What you are is a survivor, my sweet, precious girl. You are as resilient as they come.” Bringing my lips down to hers, I wait, not wanting to force the action. If I’m right, she wants me just as badly as I want her, but I’m not a foolish man.

I’ll wait for her to make the first move. I’ll give her the option to decide if this is where she wants to pause things tonight, but I won’t ever make her feel like those cowards did.

Ruby tilts her head up and her velvet lips collide with mine. Our kiss isn’t hungry or rabid, but slow and sensual. Her body falls against mine, showing me just how much the woman trusts me. She slides her hands up my chest, around my neck, and pulls herself onto my lap. As her hands become tangled in my hair my cock grows harder with every waking moment.

But as much as I want to sink myself inside her, to show her how a real man who cares about her can make her feel, I know this isn’t the time.

Ruby is a delicate woman.

She’s my sweet girl, and I won’t scare her off before I’ve even had the chance to claim her as mine.

Pulling my lips from hers, I stare into her blue eyes. “Let me hold you tonight, sweet girl.” My words come out raspy, filled with need and my heart beats heavily in my chest.

“I . . . I want more than to be held,” she murmurs sweetly, her eyes looking at me, trying to figure out where I’m going with this.

“All in time, Ruby. All in time.” I bring her lips down to mine and kiss her passionately, needing to show her what she does to me. As I do, I bring her down onto the bed with me, forcing her closer to my body, ensuring she’s nestled under my protective arms.

No one will fuck with my sweet girl ever again, and if they try, well, they won’t know what they’re going up against.

Chapter Four

The most beautiful part is, I wasn’t even looking when I found you

~ Autumn

Zorro

New Year’s Day

“What are we doing up here?” Ruby asks while wrapping her arms around herself. We’re on the top of the clubhouse. Well, not on top. We’re out on the second level porch, the one that leads down to the back area of the property where we have most of our parties. In the winter we barely use this deck since it’s so damn cold and it snows about every other day.

“You’ll see,” I mutter against the back of her hair, looking up to the dark night sky.

Since Christmas things have been going good. We haven’t consummated anything between us, but I have her wrapped in my arms every damn night and steal forbidden kisses from her behind closed doors. She’s too afraid to tell her brothers we’re making anything official, so I respect her need to be a bit private right now. She tells me everything will come out eventually, but I don’t want her keepin’ me waiting forever.

A loud whistling sound rings out and a second later there’s a popping that follows. Gold, silver, and pink fireworks explode in the sky. With every pop, Ruby jumps just a bit and her eyes light up with excitement. “This is beautiful!” She laughs, completely in awe.

Here at the club we haven’t gone big for holidays in a while. This Christmas was the