Chapter 7

Ophelia

“Saint?” I asked hesitantly.

He looked over at me and winked, “Don’t ever hesitate with me, baby. Okay?”

I tried not to say what I wanted to, but I failed, “I’m sorry, but it’s ingrained in me. I can’t help it.”

He winked again, “Don’t you worry about it. We’ll get you there. And don’t ever apologize to me. You don’t have a thing to be sorry for. That’ll take time. I know. But again, we’ll get you there. Now, take in what I said, and tell me what you want.”

I listened to him. Took in his words.

And decided to mentally say, fuck it.

The way this man was.

The way I’ve never been treated.

So, I asked... “Can I rearrange the kitchen?”

He threw his head back and laughed, then he nodded, “Baby, you can change anythin’ your little heart fuckin’ desires.”

I lifted a brow at him.

He winked, “Tellin’ you right now. You want to change the whole house layout, you just say the word. You want to paint all the rooms, tell me what you need, and I’ll get it. You want to paint the house pink on the outside, you tell me, and I’ll see that it’s done. Don’t ever hesitate to make this house your home. Because that’s what it is. Okay?”

Those were the words Saint had said to me the morning after we moved in with him.

Four days later, standing at the paint counter, I took Saint’s words to heart.

Then I bought the paint.

Three hours later, with paint in our hair and on our clothes, Soraya and I stepped back from the wall.

The wall at the mouth of the hallway that was caddy cornered in a way and surveyed our work.

It didn’t look bad.

Not bad at all.

Seeing as it was almost Thanksgiving, I had this idea a long time ago when I still allowed myself to daydream about what life could be like.

And every season, I had wanted to paint a wall to match it. That was why the wall was now a deep burnt orange in color.

Yes, it would probably seem weird to other people, but to me, it made complete sense.

Taking in Saint’s words, if something made sense to me, then it didn’t matter what anyone else thought.

And now, because of this amazing man I had the pleasure of meeting on a chance encounter, I was living that dream.

***

I was at the bathroom counter curling my hair.

Saint had called me earlier in the day and asked if it would be okay for Soraya to go over to Harold and Lilly’s house to help Lilly make cookies for a bake sale her school was having.

He also told me that he wanted to do something special with me.

Therefore, I was curling my hair.

Saint had left to take Soraya to Harold and Lilly’s.

I had just finished my hair and applied a light coat of eyeliner and mascara when I felt strong arms wrap around my waist.

His face nuzzled in the side of my neck, his lips skimming side to side, “Mmm, you smell good.”

I giggled, and then I inhaled an amazing scent that was all Saint.

Turning my face slightly, I said, “So do you.”

He placed a kiss on the side of my neck, then lifted his head and locked his eyes with mine through the mirror, “How much longer until you’re ready?”

I grinned, “Just have to get my boots on.”

He nodded, then said, “Meet you at the door.”

Within minutes, we were walking hand in hand down the front porch steps as I smiled up at him, then looked down the driveway and saw all the brothers of the MC.

Agatha was riding behind Jasper.

Tempie was behind Merlin.

Saint winked down at me when I looked up at him with a lifted brow.

“Thing I want to take you to. City of lights. It’s killer on the back of a bike.”

And for the next three hours, that was what we did.

Every house, store, lamppost, you name it, was decorated to the nines with lights.

He was totally right, of course.

It really was killer on the back of a bike.

We even stopped and had hot chocolate topped with whipped cream.

When the temperature dropped, Saint made a motion with his hands, signaling to the others that we were headed home.

As he parked the bike in the garage and helped me climb off, I took off my helmet as he stood and then removed his.

Then he looked down at me as he bent his neck, placing a soft kiss on my lips, and then when he pulled his face away, there in front of me was a black piece of material.

“Need you to wear this for me, okay?” he asked.

I grinned, then nodded and turned.

As soon as he had it in place, he placed his hands on my hips and guided me up the walkway, up the steps, and through the front door.

I tried to think about where we were headed, but something made me pause mentally.

Why in the world would he have Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers playing?

When we stopped, I heard him move to my side and then take in a deep breath.

“Remove the blindfold, baby.”

I did as he said and allowed my eyes to adjust.

The lighting in the living room had been turned down.

A fire was going in the fireplace.

Candles were burning.

The tree was a light.

And there, in between the fireplace and the Christmas tree, was a pile of blankets.

An ice bucket of what looked to be champagne.

Two glasses.

A box of chocolates.

Once I took this all in with a wide smile on my face, he said, “Any man who is a man at all is okay with allowing himself to be bare in front of the person he loves. And that’s the one thing in this world that I want to be known for. Lovin’ you and Soraya.”

“I’m yours. Completely.” Then he held out a hand to me and said, “Will you be mine?”

Placing my hand in his, I grinned, “For the second time in my life, my head and my heart are in complete agreement. Yes.”

He lifted a brow as he pulled me closer to him, “The second time?”

I placed my free hand on his chest and smiled, “When I met Soraya for the first time.”

If I hadn’t been looking close enough, I would have missed it.

But I watched as tears filled the corners of this big man’s eyes.

His head moved just as I’ve hungered for your touch a long, lonely time played over the speakers.

Then I couldn’t tell you where he started and I ended.

Fingers moved.

Lips skimmed.

Toes curled.

Backs arched.

Moans.

Groans.

Heat.

Passion.

Wickedness.

And as he moved in and out of me in a delicious rhythm, I happened to glance at one of the glass ornaments.

Damn.

But we looked good together.

Damn good.

Never has it been this good.

Just as I thought that, I felt his lips skimming along my spine as he said huskily, “Never had it this fuckin’ good.”

The blankets were in a disarray, tangled around our legs. His sweat mingled with mine.

And never have I hungered for another person’s touch like I do with Saint.

And there, as the fire danced in the candlelight, my head pillowed on his chest, I whispered, “I love you too.”

And I did.

It didn’t make any sense. I knew that.

But with us... it just did.

His lips skimmed the top of my head, placing a kiss there.

But not before he whispered into the top of my head, “Mon coeur means my heart.”

Which caused my breath to stall in my lungs.

His arms tightened.

“Never lettin’ you go,” I heard him whisper as I fell into a dream-filled sleep.

That consisted of images of Saint and Soraya.

And maybe a little boy that looked just like Saint.

Thanks to the man I called mine, anything was possible.

Magic was in the air all around us this holiday season.

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