it depends. Do you want me to?”
She nodded. “I liked it. I’ve never felt that way before.”
I tightened my hold on her and wished I could erase the past few years for her. I wondered what she’d been like before the Sadistic Saints had gotten their hands on her. Did she smile more? Had she been outgoing? I’d noticed she wasn’t only quiet, but she had a tendency to try and blend into the background. It was like she wanted to be invisible.
I’d give anything to see her stop hiding from the world. I’d taken out most of the men from the hospital, and the club had already erased the Sadistic Saints from existence. Still, there were a few out there I hadn’t been able to pin down yet. Not to mention the men they’d allowed to hurt my Little Bit, the ones who had paid for the use of her body. Wizard had tracked down anyone who’d been caught on camera, or left a paper trail. There was no way of knowing if there were others.
“I’ll kiss you anytime you want. All you have to do is ask.”
She lifted her face, her eyes wide. “Even now?”
I leaned in closer, my nose brushing hers. “You want a kiss right now?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
I pressed my lips to hers, trying to keep things somewhat chaste. I wanted to devour her, to touch every inch of her body, but I held back. She wasn’t ready for that yet. Might never be ready. I drew back and she gave a soft sigh.
“Such a sweet little angel,” I murmured. “I think kissing you is my new favorite thing to do.” Even in the darkness, I saw her cheeks flush.
“Maybe you should kiss me whenever you want?”
“Little Bit, don’t even offer me that. I’d be kissing you all the time.”
She was quiet a moment, then sighed again. “I think I might like that.”
Well, fuck me. She wasn’t supposed to agree with me. Now what the hell was I going to do? She didn’t know what she was asking. If I kissed her any time I wanted, we’d never come up for air. Never tasted anything so sweet as MaryAnne.
Instead of responding, I kissed her again. Longer. Hotter. Wetter.
Yeah, I was fucked.
Chapter Three
MaryAnne
I heard a giggle outside and cautiously approached the living room window. Patriot had insisted on finishing his work on the Bronco today. I’d left him to it, but as I peered outside, I saw one of the club whores leaning against the car. Despite the fact her breath was frosting the air, she had a skirt so short if she bent over Patriot wouldn’t have to wonder about what color her panties were. Assuming she wore any. She looked like the type who might go commando.
She flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder and giggled again at something he said. My hands curled into fists, my nails biting into my palms. He’s not yours. He can date or flirt with whomever he wants. Or was he mine? He’d kissed me several times last night. Even said he hadn’t been with anyone since I’d come to live with him. That had to mean something, didn’t it?
The kettle whistled in the kitchen and I rushed to shut off the burner. I had two mugs on the counter with some cocoa mix. It wasn’t as good as making it with milk and melted chocolate, but it was better than nothing. I filled the mugs and stirred them before topping each with a handful of marshmallows. I set them on the kitchen table.
I looked around the room as I took a deep breath. The dog and kitten dozed on a bed in the corner, and the bird eyed me. Probably wondered if I was going to give him a treat. He seemed to have Patriot wrapped around his feathers. You’re stalling.
Gathering my courage, I went out to the front porch, folding my arms across my stomach to keep from shivering. My green fuzzy sweater was soft, but it wasn’t doing much to keep out the frigid air.
“Patriot, the hot cocoa is ready,” I called out.
He flashed me a smile. I went down the steps, thankful the ground was dry since I was only wearing socks. Green ones with little elves on them. Christmas had once been my favorite time of year. Last year, I’d tried to wear cheerful things in hopes they would make me smile. It only half worked. As I healed, I was finding joy in