Chapter 2
Chapter Two
S he almost felt bad about hiding Silver from Kinsley. Almost. When her sister dropped in to pick up her daughter, Sapphire breathed a sigh of relief. The little girl was an absolute angel when she was around, but it took a lot of energy to anticipate what she would do next in the shop full of precious items.
When The Blue Door was quiet once again, Sapphire picked up the card that she’d found on Silver’s tummy. Blade. No last name. It had a motorcycle garage listed along with the logo of the Shadowridge Guardians MC. Tonight was her short day. It was almost closing time. Should she drive over with some of the designs she’d created between customers to show him? Butterflies barrel raced in her stomach.
Before she could wimp out, Sapphire texted the number.
Blade. Check these out. If you’ll be at the address on the card you left at five, I’ll stop by, and we can talk.
Her phone buzzed back almost immediately. What’s his name?
She hesitated before answering. Silver.
I like it. I’ll be here. You did good, Little girl.
Sapphire stared at the phone. Little with a capital. That couldn’t be a mistake. A shiver of excitement ran down her spine. Without thinking, she picked up the stuffie and hugged it close to her chest. “Silver. I’m so scared.” Did she imagine the teddy bear squeezed her back?
The last hour of the day was crazy busy. That kept Sapphire from second-guessing her decision to stop by the Guardians’ shop. It helped keep her from worrying. There were still a few times she waffled back and forth.
Picking Silver up along with a file of the sketches, Sapphire double-checked that she’d locked the front door and fastened the security bars in place for the windows. She set the alarm and listened for it to beep before letting herself out the back door. Once in her car, she placed Silver on the passenger seat. Exhaling a long breath, she started toward the motorcycle repair shop.
Everyone knew the Shadowridge Guardians. Sapphire had seen them from a distance as she’d driven around town and from the windows of her shop. She’d noticed they gathered out at The Hangout some evenings, but she had never checked out the bar and grill. Going to a bar alone didn’t sound like fun, and her besties from high school were married with babies. They didn’t have the energy to dance the night away anymore.
Most evenings when the shop was closed and even when it was a slow night, Sapphire dreamed up designs for her jewelry. She loved matching clever settings with gems to make the final piece both a work of art and something people would treasure. Her shop was thriving and gaining a reputation for unique jewelry. That satisfied her creative side, but Sapphire often felt alone. She’d had boyfriends in the past but nothing serious.
As she negotiated the streets filled with rush hour traffic, Sapphire wondered what the inside of the motorcycle shop would look like. Would it be gritty and grimy from the oil and grease? Or would it be shiny chrome and windows?
The parking lot was partially filled with a number of cars. She wondered if this was the time when customers dropped off bikes or picked them up. Sapphire knew jewelry but absolutely nothing about motorcycles. She pulled into a space and gathered up the designs she’d worked on.
“Silver. You stay here. I don’t want you to get dirty in the shop,” Sapphire told her new best friend and then rolled her eyes at herself. She’d caught herself talking to the teddy bear repeatedly today.
She opened her door, stepped out, and turned to the building. She hesitated for a breath to gather her courage. It was safe in there, wasn’t it? Scanning the area, she noted everyone was male without a woman in sight.
“I need someone with big biceps to pull the brake pad box down from the top shelf,” a female voice called.
Instantly, Sapphire felt more at ease to walk in. Of course, it was silly, but knowing there was another woman inside made the shop less threatening. Squaring her shoulders, she headed for the door.
“Hey. Hold on a minute for me, please,” the woman called.
Sapphire traced the sound to see a woman supporting a box precariously perched on the edge of an upper shelf. Without thinking, she slammed her purse and the folder on the counter before rushing to the woman’s side. “Here, let me help.”
Steadying one corner of the box, she looked at the employee and guessed. “I think this weighs more than both of us.”
“Probably. Would you mind going into the shop to shout for one of the guys to help me?”
“I can’t let go of this. It will crush you. Do you think if we yell together, someone will hear?” Sapphire asked.
“Let’s try it.” Under her breath, the woman mumbled, “My butt is going to be so red.”
“What?” Sapphire asked.
“Sorry. Just thinking out loud. On the count of three, call help. One, two, three.”
“HELP!”
Pounding footsteps sounded behind them. Sapphire glanced over her shoulders to see three large men entering.
“Fuck, Addie. Your ass is going to be on fire,” a bald man with a scowl told her as he ran forward to push the box back on the shelf.
“Really, Faust? I was trying to get it down.”
“Addie’s going to take a short break,” a stern-looking bearded biker said calmly and held out his hand. “And then she’s going to practice asking for assistance ahead of time.”
“Are you a new employee here?” The man Sapphire now knew as Faust asked her, distracting Sapphire from trying to figure out what was going on.
“No. I own a jewelry store downtown.”
When the man’s expression didn’t change and he stood staring at her, Sapphire quickly added, “I just came to talk to Blade and heard her cry out.” Faust just stared at her. Refusing to be intimidated by the large man, Sapphire squared her shoulders. “I’d do it again too. Girl code. We support each other.”
“It’s okay, Faust. That’s Sapphire. She’s mine.”
Sapphire turned to see Blade standing in the doorway. Oh, thank God. She pivoted back to look at Faust and couldn’t believe the change in his expression. He no longer regarded her as an interloper. His slight smile was almost gentle.
“Sorry, Sapphire.” Without another word, he left.
Staring at his broad back as he disappeared, Sapphire didn’t even have time to respond. Her gaze flew to meet Blade’s. “Yours?” She squelched the thrill she felt at that idea. Surely, she should be offended.
“Yes. Do you mind if I finish cleaning up my area before we look at your designs? I’ve almost gotten everything put away. You might enjoy seeing the inside of the shop.”
Distracted by that idea, she nodded. “I’d like that.” Sapphire had grabbed her things from the counter before her brain computed that he’d said yes. By the time she’d whirled back around, he disappeared through the doorway. Walking quickly, she followed him.
“Blade, I don’t think….” Sapphire’s mouth snapped closed as she entered the work area. All the bikers turned to look at her.
“Blade’s in the last work bay. Stay between the painted lines,” Faust told her softly before addressing the others in a louder tone, “She’s his.” The bikers all nodded and called polite greetings.
What is going on here? Shaking her head, Sapphire walked down the aisle he’d pointed out.
The space was divided into different sections. Even to her untrained eye, she could see that each area had a particular focus. Spotting Blade, she hurried to his side. Unable to resist, she scanned his hard body. Blade had a physical job, but he obviously worked out as well. His powerful ass and thighs alone screamed he’d done a million squats.
“Everyone thinks we’re together,” she hissed, forcing herself to focus.
Blade looked around and answered, “We are.”
“Not like in the same space. They think we’re together-together.”
“I can live with that. Here. I’ve cleaned off my bench. Set the sketches here,” Blade said as he turned on a light on the surface.
She stared at the devastatingly handsome man and didn’t budge. “Why did you say I was yours?”
“Have you ever had that knowledge deep in your gut that something was right? Like an interview for a position you were confident you’d enjoy, or an apartment that feels happy?”
“Of course. What does that have to do with anything?” Why was he talking about places to live or jobs?
“I’ve looked for my Little girl for a long time. I’m sure I’ve found her,” Blade said, holding her gaze with his. His voice was quiet. In the noisy environment, she knew only she could hear him.
Sapphire took a step forward. “I’m not even positive I’m a Little girl,” she whispered. Her heart pounded so loudly, she wondered if he could hear it. Her emotions flip-flopped between excitement and fright.
“Then we figure it out together,” he suggested, moving closer. He reached a hand out to smooth over her hair before tangling his fingers in the locks at the base of her skull. Blade tightened his grip, and Sapphire tilted her head back to ease the tug on her hair.
Blade slowly lowered his mouth to hers. She had what felt like a lifetime to stop him and didn’t even consider shifting away. When his lips met hers in a soft kiss, she rose on her tiptoes to press her mouth against his. Something drew her to him.
He wrapped his free arm around her waist, guiding her forward. The design sheets crinkled, crumpled between them.
Damn, this man can kiss. Sapphire abandoned herself to the pleasure he cultivated. The long slow kisses wiped every thought from her mind. When he deepened the kiss, she moaned into his mouth. He tasted like peppermint-flavored masculinity. Suddenly, her favorite flavor shifted from chocolate to sweet mint.
When he lifted his head, a small sound slipped through her lips. Without consciously meaning to, Sapphire lifted her fingers to her lips as she stared at him in wonder.
“I know, Little girl. I feel it too. You’re mine until you decide our relationship doesn’t work for you. I’m hoping that never happens.”
“I’m not sure how to be Little.”
“Can you be brave for Daddy?” he asked.
“Daddy?”
“Being Little takes being true to yourself and trying different things to find what makes you happy. I’ll be with you every step of the way,” Blade promised.
“We just met each other,” she protested. She should move away from him, but she didn’t want to.
“I think we’ve already figured out the most important details, right?” he asked and brushed her hair away from her face.
Sapphire nodded.
“Door going down,” a loud voice announced. The open bay doors crept toward the floor with a metallic rattle.
Realizing where they were, Sapphire stepped back. Blade tightened his arm around her and then released her as if he were reluctant to let her go. “I forgot they were here,” she whispered. “What are they going to think of me?”
“You’re mine. That’s all that matters. The Shadowridge Guardians take care of their own,” he told her in a very definite tone before changing the subject. “Show me your designs.”
“Oh.” She raised the sheets and walked to the workspace he’d indicated before to set them out. Sapphire held her breath as Blade scanned all the images closely.
“I like how you colored these in instead of just noting the stones. That makes it easier to imagine. These are incredible. You skirted the line between attractive and too girly perfectly.”
“Could you show me where these are going?” Sapphire asked.
“I can put blades in several places on a bike. How much do you know about motorcycles?”
“Pretend I’m a total novice,” Sapphire answered. She wanted to hear what he would tell her. Besides, she wasn’t an expert. She’d just ridden on the back of a bike, holding onto her art school boyfriend. Like her previous love interests, he hadn’t lasted too long. Heavens knew he wasn’t a Daddy. Was that what made Blade so exciting?
A smile spread Blade’s lips, and he brushed away a wavy lock of deep brown hair that always seemed to be in his face. “Let me show you.”
He linked his fingers with hers like it was something they always did and led Sapphire over to the cycle sitting a short distance away. Blade rubbed a hand over the large, rounded part in front of the seat. “This is the tank. It holds gasoline to fuel the bike.”
“I knew that,” Sapphire assured him.
“I can add throwing stars to snap into place on the tank.” He twisted his wrist and removed a metal star with sharpened edges.
“I thought that was part of the design. Those come off?” She stared at the metal piece before examining the spot where he’d disguised it. “Isn’t that sharp?” Sapphire asked, reaching a finger out to touch the gleaming edge.
“This isn’t a toy. It will slice you,” Blade warned, pulling it away and snapping it back into place. “See how it locks onto the tank, so the metal covers the sharpened sections?”
“That’s a perfect disguise. I’d never think it was a weapon.”
“Adding gems would throw the balance off on the star or I’d have you design something to embellish it,” Blade said, running his fingers over the device.
“Why would you need that?” she asked.
“There are people that don’t like bikers. Road rage is crazy. Some motorcycle clubs protect their turf physically. And there are bad people out in the world. Do you have something in your car in case of a problem?”
“No. I know I couldn’t throw that. I’d end up dropping that star on my foot or flipping it back to get me in the shoulder.” Sapphire laughed.
“A star is not the weapon I’d give you. I’m sure we can find something for protection that matches your abilities and style,” Blade told her.
“I’m not weaving knives into my T-shirt, Blade. It’s a look that works for you and that leather vest,” she said, waving a hand toward his cut, which had been hung carefully on a hook.
“How heavy is that thing?” Sapphire turned to consider his powerful shoulders and knew it didn’t matter. He’d never notice five or ten pounds of weapons.
When her gaze rose to his face, she discovered him smiling broadly. “Do I amuse you?”
“Yes. In a good way, of course. What are you doing tonight?” Blade asked.
“Bringing you the designs.”
“I approve them all. I’ll load your trunk with some unsharpened knives for you to embellish,” Blade told her. “Keep track of your time and supplies so I can pay you. Don’t work cheap. I’ll pass along the cost to the customer.”
“I’ll be honest,” she assured him.
“Of course you will. If not, I’ll spank your bottom crimson.”
All the rest he said after that went right over her head. The arousal already shimmering inside her at simply being close to Blade exploded into a fire at the thought of him paddling her. A visual image of being stretched over his hard thighs popped into her brain, pushing any coherent thoughts from her mind. He might as well have been speaking in Greek. She just watched his handsome face and let the words float over her head. When he stopped, she grabbed frantically at the last thing she heard. Pizza? Chinese?
“I’m starving.”
“Then, let’s go. Have you ridden on a motorcycle before?”
“When I was in college,” she admitted.
“Perfect. Let’s go.”
Sapphire nodded automatically and took his hand when he extended it. Inside, she marveled at how easy everything felt with Blade—like they’d known each other for weeks. Had she ever felt this excited about any man? Not a chance.