Rainbow (Ruthless Kings MC Baton Rouge #1) - K.L. Savage Page 0,28
eyes. I expect him to drop his hand, but he doesn’t. His knuckles brush over my abused cheek. The tender touch is so sweet and gentle—and it’s been so long since I’ve felt anything like it—that I lean into it. “I would never hurt you, Ryan.”
Thunder rolls outside and the coffee ripples in the mug from the vibrations. “Yeah, I’ve heard that before, and now look at me.” I pluck a strawberry off the plate and pop it in my mouth. It’s sweeter than usual, and as the juices roll over my tongue, I taste that he has topped them with sugar.
“Well, I guess I’ll just have to show you that I won’t hurt you, right? Trust is earned, not given.” He begins to cut one of my pancakes for me, and I reach over to stop him, but he lifts the silverware out of my reach.
“I can do it,” I pout, feeling taken care of, yet at the same time not as independent. I wasn’t expecting to feel this way, and I wasn’t expecting it to bother me.
It’s always been me. If there’s one person I can count on, it’s been myself. I’ve gotten myself this far, and I haven’t needed anyone. I don’t need anyone now.
I’m perfectly okay with being alone.
And maybe that’s really sad and depressing. Still, when every person has let you down in your life, you learn that being alone is much better than ever depending on someone again.
It’s tragic because I know people can be wonderful. But I always seem to experience whatever dark secrets are beneath that wonderful surface.
Every person has a horrible aspect about them hidden beneath the façade society expects them to keep. Then, when those people have a moment of darkness, a moment of a shadow in the daylight, their evil comes out, hurting whoever’s in their way.
It makes me wonder what lurks underneath Rainbow’s gorgeous eyes.
“I’m capable of taking care of myself,” I tell him, reaching for the fork and knife.
“I know you are. Don’t think I don’t know that for a second, Sassafras. I want to take care of you, though. Let me cut up your pancakes, and then you can eat to silence all that attitude.”
I scoff and cross my arms. “I do not have an attitude.”
“Says the guy who can’t even say that statement without an attitude.”
I pinch my lips together to stop myself from smiling as the fork and knife make that terrible clinking noise against the plate while he cuts again. “Maybe you’re right,” I admit.
“I know I am.”
“Cocky.”
“Just confident,” he corrects me.
I wrap my hands around the warm mug and bring the rim to my lips, inhaling the coffee to help wake me up. It tastes just as good. Silky and bitter down my raw throat. “This coffee is delicious,” I groan and tilt my head back, closing my eyes to enjoy the warmth pooling in my belly.
“Don’t make those noises,” he glowers. “I’ll tell Grudge you like the coffee, but I won’t tell him you moaned about it.”
“And why not? He deserves to know the impact he’s made.” I tilt my chin down and stare into those golden eyes that break every rule of mine.
Who am I kidding? Rainbow is the rule breaker. I bet he bends them to his will.
His finger slides under my chin, still gentle and careful like he’s afraid he’s going to break me. “Because those sounds are mine. Not that you know that yet.” He stabs the pancake and brings the fork to my mouth. “Open.”
I roll my eyes the best I can since the left is swollen. “I can feed myself.”
“Too bad.” He shoves the pancake in my mouth when I open it to protest. The fluffiness and the sugary sweetness of the maple syrup stop me from arguing.
Only because I’m hungry and this breakfast shouldn’t go to waste.
“Now hush and eat. You haven’t eaten a thing since I picked you up yesterday afternoon. After you’re done, you’re going to tell me what happened.” He pokes the piece of pancake harder than necessary.
I’ve been asleep since yesterday? “Wow. I’m sorry. I had no idea. I didn’t mean to put you out like that. I’ll go—”
His palm presses against my chest to stop me from getting up. “You aren’t going anywhere, especially in this weather. I was coming to get you yesterday, or at least going to see if you needed anything for the storm. You’re safer here than at that shitty motel. The place could flood.”