Chapter 4
Chapter Four
“ W e don’t have to go,” she protested when all the matched couples began to gather their things.
“You need sleep, Blue Eyes. We’ll come back here again soon.”
“But….”
“No buts,” he interrupted. “It’s time for Little girls to be in bed.”
“You know I usually am awake until midnight at least,” she answered, rolling her eyes.
“That stops now. Come on.”
Blade lifted her off his lap and stood to hold her hand. Falling in behind the couples leaving, he escorted her out the back door and to his bike.
Sapphire watched the other men fastening the helmets on their women. They really did take care of them. She blinked up at Blade when he fit her protective gear in place as well. She’d always handled everything herself. It was a treat to have someone making sure she was safe.
“I can’t wait to see the fuzzy ears on this,” he told her as he secured the chin strap.
“Am I going to be on your bike enough to be worth that cost?” she asked, probing for information.
“Yes, Sapphire. There will be many opportunities for you to ride with me. You enjoyed the trip here?”
“Yeah. It was fun. I like the air whizzing around me,” she told him, deliberately leaving out how much she’d loved hanging on to him.
“Perfect.”
In a few minutes, they were off. The trip back to the Guardians’ complex sizzled even more now. Holding onto his hard body was a complete turn-on. She’d had to struggle not to rub her breasts against his muscular back on the way. Was he as into her as she was to him?
When he stopped next to her car, she slid off the seat and moved back so he could throw his leg over after setting the kickstand. Capturing her gaze, he unfastened his helmet and set it on the seat. As he stalked forward, Sapphire felt a bit like prey. That reaction might have been threatening, but it wasn’t. The simmering arousal that had brewed inside her from being so close to Blade all night seemed to flare into a bonfire. She stepped forward and lifted her mouth.
Blade pressed a quick kiss to her lips before telling her, “Let’s get this helmet off so I can kiss you properly.”
He made quick work of the buckle and slid the protective gear away. Blade smoothed her hair back from her face. “You are so beautiful, Blue Eyes.”
“Show me this isn’t crazy, Blade.”
He didn’t need further encouragement. Blade drew her face to his and kissed her—slow, drugging exchanges that did funny things to her stomach. Sapphire stepped closer, pressing her body to his. She loved the feel of his steely muscles supporting her and the seductive heat that built between them. He cupped her bottom with one large hand and pulled her pelvis closer to him.
“Blade,” she moaned against his lips.
“Daddy, Blue Eyes.”
“Daddy,” she whispered, wanting to please him. It was funny what using that name did to her inside. She had fantasized for so long about having such a dominant, yet caring relationship.
The kiss that followed seared her mind with the intensity of the emotions it drew from her. When he stepped back, she clutched at his cut.
“I’m not going to make love to you for the first time in the parking lot, Sapphire. It’s time for Little girls to be in bed. I’ll follow you to your place.”
Her mind raced. Did he plan to make love to her in the parking lot later? Wait, he was coming home with her? “Will you stay?”
“Not tonight. I want you to decide to take this big step with your brain and your heart. I won’t walk away from you after you’re mine. You need to decide whether you can handle a motorcycle weaponist tomorrow and the next forty years.”
“You want to be with me for that long?” Her heart lurched in her chest at the thought that he wanted that type of commitment.
“Plus a few more decades if we’re lucky. Come on. Let’s get you in your car,” Blade told her as he wrapped an arm around her back to guide Sapphire to the driver’s door.
“I almost forgot. I brought you some knives to work on,” he jogged back to his bike and grabbed a wrapped bundle from his saddlebags. “Pop your trunk. They can stay in there until you get to the shop tomorrow. There’s no edge on them.”
Blade rewarded her for following his directions with another kiss before he pulled his helmet back on and straddled his bike. The roar of the motorcycle sent a shiver through her. Everything about this man was arousing.
Seeing his headlight in her rearview mirror on the way home made her indescribably happy. People spotted her blue hair and tattoos and assumed Sapphire was a lot tougher than she actually felt. Blade wasn’t fooled by her outward persona. He saw her.
A few minutes later, she flipped the lights on and off to let him know she was in her apartment, safe and sound. He sat there as she pulled the blinds, watching as if he wanted to capture the last glimpses of her. Sapphire heard the rumble of his motor as he headed out. She hugged Silver to her chest, missing the alluring biker already.
Opening her eyes the next morning, Sapphire automatically checked the time. Finding she had a few minutes to laze in bed, she grabbed Silver and hugged him to her chest. She’d gotten an amazing night of sleep. She’d expected to toss and turn, but after showering and treating her body to a few orgasms thanks to her trusty vibrator, she’d crashed hard.
Sapphire bit her lip. She had this feeling that Blade wouldn’t be pleased if he found out she’d pleasured herself last night. “He probably jerked off,” she whispered aloud. Silver stared at her with big, scandalized eyes.
“Don’t tell him, Silver. That’s a secret he never needs to know.”
Grinning at her silliness, Sapphire set Silver carefully aside and sat up. She headed for the bathroom and returned a few minutes later to see Silver staring at her. “What? He doesn’t need to know.”
The stuffed bear simply eyed her with a blank expression. Silver didn’t seem to be swayed by her words.
Quickly, she ducked into her closet and pulled on a pair of jeans and a top. She hesitated there for a minute and dug out some high-top sneakers that would be comfortable at work. The sound of her phone ringing sent her running back into the bedroom.
Grabbing her phone, she answered, “This is Sapphire.”
“Something told me to call this morning. Are you okay?” Blade’s deep voice sounded concerned.
Sapphire turned to glance at the teddy bear, who now wore a very innocent expression. She shook her head at the stuffie. They were going to have a long talk when she got off the phone. “I’m fine, thank you. Did you sleep well?”
“Lonely, but I slept. When do you close the shop tonight?”
“It’s a late night for me. I usually am out of there at 9:30-ish,” she told him.
“I’ll bring dinner when I’m done in the shop.”
“You don’t have to do that.” Sapphire rushed to assure him as she twirled a lock of hair around her fingers.
“I want to spend some time with you. If you’re busy, I will be glad to wait until you have a break,” he promised.
She really wanted to see him. Knowing he felt the same way made her day sparkle. “I’d like to see you.”
“Me, too, Little girl.”
When he hung up, she stared at her phone. Could it really be that easy to find someone who cared about her? There had to be something wrong with Blade. Sure, he was in a motorcycle club and had lots of weapons all over his body. But Blade was unique. Special.
Sapphire looked at the blue hair wrapped around her fidgeting finger. She liked uncommon things and people. There were so many layers to Blade. Heaven knew she’d never expected to meet a Daddy Dom like those in the books she read. His outward demeanor was lethal, but he was so gentle with her. And with Kinsley. Her niece had fallen in love with him immediately.
Kinsley! Oh, crap! Her niece would stay with her again today. She had to get to the shop early for the pass off or her sister would be late for work. Yanking on her shoes, she grabbed her keys and ran for the door. Her customers wouldn’t care if she had makeup on.
Blade’s coming. Double crap. She threw herself into the driver’s seat and started the car. He’d have to deal with her as a plain Jane. That could make this relationship short. Sapphire smoothed a hand over her hair as she drove out of the parking lot. Had she even brushed her hair? Sapphire grabbed the emergency scrunchie she kept wrapped around her gear shift and gathered the tumble of silken strands into a messy bun. That would solve that problem.
Her sister’s car was in front of the shop as she passed to go to the back parking lot where she kept her car. She was in for it now. Rushing through the shop, Sapphire opened the front door. “Hi, Kinsley. Sorry, Sis.”
“Bring him to the barbecue this weekend,” Ellen said, handing over the diaper bag and carrying her daughter inside.
Sapphire rolled her eyes. Her sister always picked up on clues. She obviously thought Sapphire had just rolled out of bed after an evening of sex. If only.
“I didn’t really plan to come to the gathering. And there’s no him. I forgot I was watching Kinsley and needed to be here early.”
“You’ll be there. I don’t want to handle the cousins without you. Now you owe me one.” Her sister’s slightly lighter blue eyes twinkled.
“Wait. I’m watching Kinsley. Doesn’t that mean we’re even?” Sapphire asked, amazed how her sister could always make herself come out on top of any debate. Two years separated them, but they’d been fast friends all their lives.
“Please. I really do want you there. And I have to meet the new guy in your life,” her sister told her before kissing her daughter’s cheek. “You be good for Aunt Sapphire.”
The toddler nodded with a serious look before turning to hold her hands out to Sapphire.
Who could resist that cute move?
Sapphire plucked Kinsley out of Ellen’s arms. After kissing her niece’s sweet-smelling hair, she relented, “Fine. I’ll be there. I’m not bringing Blade.” Instantly, she regretted telling her sister his name. Now, she knew he existed.
“Yes, you are. Now, I have to meet him. Blade? The cousins are going to love that name. Tell me he rides a huge motorcycle and wears leather.”
“Go to work. I’m not promising anyone will be there but me.” Sapphire shooed her sister out of the shop, laughing.
After setting Kinsley down to explore the shop while she got organized for the day, Sapphire couldn’t keep her mind on her everyday tasks. A certain biker kept ricocheting into her thoughts. “Enough already. Stop thinking about Blade.”
“Blade!” Kinsley repeated.
Sapphire stopped and looked at her. “He waved his magic wand around you too, huh?”
A babble of sounds and excited nods confirmed Kinsley’s agreement. “Blade!” she repeated. “Majik!”
A mental image of what the handsome man’s “magic wand” could look like popped into her mind, and she tried to control her expression in front of the child. There was no way all that raw masculinity came with a small cock. Just his natural swagger told you Blade knew a few things. And the way he’d moved on the dance floor last night. No drooling.
The bells at the door rang. Both Kinsley and Sapphire turned to see the object of their conversation standing framed in the doorway. The sun glistened off his brown hair, scattered over his broad shoulders. His dark eyes met hers in an intense gaze that sent a thrill through her. Blade held two cups of iced coffee and a pastry bag.
Kinsley ran toward him with her arms raised. A foot away, she tripped over her own shoes and tumbled toward the floor. Without missing a beat, Blade set one cup on the wooden floorboards as he scooped the toddler into his strong arms. “Whoa, rocket girl. You just about crashed.”
Unperturbed by the close call, Kinsley immediately returned to her favorite hobby of petting Blade’s leather cut. Blade let her play and held the cup and bag still in his hand to Sapphire. “Did you miss breakfast, Blue Eyes?”
“I don’t know how you got my mental ‘I’m starving and need caffeine’ message, but thank you.” Collecting the two items from him, she moved closer and kissed him lightly.
Kinsley protested and pressed a hand against Sapphire’s shoulder to push her away.
Sapphire laughed and winked at Blade. “I think someone thinks you’re her boyfriend.”
“What a shame. I’m already taken,” Blade told Kinsley sadly.
“Taken, huh?” Sapphire said, comically waggling her eyebrows to make the child laugh.
“Definitely,” he assured her with a steamy look that almost made her forget where they were.
Sapphire sipped the iced coffee in her hand. It was strong and sweet. Just like she enjoyed it. “I needed this.”
“Eat, too.”
The stern tone of his voice made her nod in agreement. “Wait. I thought you were bringing me dinner tonight.”
“I am. I stopped to have breakfast with you too.”
“Oh!” Feeling selfish for leaving his coffee on the floor while she sipped away, Sapphire set her items on the workbench and retrieved his coffee for him.
“Thanks, sweetheart.”
“You’re welcome. I’m never here this early. Ellen, my sister, needs to fight rush hour traffic into work.”
“Ah, yes. The rat race. I’ll have to get to the shop soon as well. The place is swarming with nine-to-fivers who need to drop off their bikes before work.”
“Don’t you have to be there?” Sapphire asked.
“To have me customize their rides, customers have to come in for a consult where we decide what they need and how to add to their bike. Once we have that ironed out, they can drop their bike off before their place on the schedule,” Blade shared.
“So, if I went out and bought a moped today, you could trick it out this week?”
“No, Blue Eyes. First, I don’t put weapons on mopeds,” he said with a shudder. “Second, I’m booked through the end of the year.”
“That’s months away!”
“Yes.”
She stared at him. He answered like it was completely normal that his work was so treasured that people lined up for months and would wait to have him weaponize their bikes. “That’s amazing, Blade. As an artist, I’ll have to admit I’m jealous to my core. I would love to have people who wanted me to create something unique for them.”
“You do that for people every day. My jobs are just bigger and take longer,” he stated with a serious look.
“I’m honestly so excited to have a chance to bling out a bike. That’s something I would never have thought of doing.”
“I’m glad to have a partner in crime. Eat your breakfast, Blue Eyes. And you,” he said, focusing on Kinsley, “You be a very good girl today, or I’ll spank your aunt for every mess you make.”
“What? That’s not fair,” Sapphire protested, setting her coffee down and scooping Kinsley into her arms.
When the toddler fussed at being separated from Blade, Sapphire bounced her on her hip. “You’re fine. It’s just us girls at the shop today. No boys allowed.”
Kinsley pushed her bottom lip out as she considered the obvious unattractiveness of that decision.
Blade stepped close to Sapphire and kissed Kinsley on her temple before pressing a passionate kiss to Sapphire’s lips. “Be good, Little girl.” He chuckled when both females nodded. “I’ll see you tonight, Blue Eyes.”
“See you soon… Daddy.” Sapphire loved the heat that blazed in his brown eyes. His reaction was unmistakable. Blade was a Daddy Dom through and through.
“You owe me for saying that now when I can’t celebrate with you as I wish to,” Blade told her as he walked to the door. His gaze meshed with hers before he closed the door behind him.
“Whoo, Kinsley. Is it hot in here or is it just me?” Sapphire asked, fanning herself. She laughed when the toddler mimicked her movement. “Thanks, Kinsley. We girls need to stick together. Let’s get you some juice, and we’ll split the goodie in the bag.”
Sapphire turned and caught an image of herself smiling in the mirrors behind the displays. What an amazing way to start the day. Blade made her feel special.