Chapter 13
13
LINDSAY
T he drive back to the clubhouse was tense. Not that I could blame him for being pissed.
I’d defied him. Put myself in danger. Drawn attention. And even if I hadn’t totally screwed everything up, I knew I’d crossed a line.
But even with all that, if I had the chance to do it all over again, I would probably make the same decision.
The clubhouse loomed ahead, the parking lot mostly empty aside from a few bikes and a pair of trucks parked near the side. Beck pulled into his usual spot and killed the engine of his bike without looking at me.
My stomach flipped as he lifted me off the motorcycle and took my hand in a firm grip before stalking toward the front door. I followed him without a word.
The second we stepped inside, the energy shifted. Conversations stopped and heads turned.
No one said anything, but they all watched us.
Beck didn’t slow down. He walked me straight through the main room, his hand wrapped around mine in a grip I couldn’t have broken even if I tried.
My cheeks were burning, and not just from embarrassment. It was also anticipation.
I’d seen that look in Beck’s eyes when he realized I’d followed him. I wasn’t going to get yelled at.
I was going to get spanked. And judging by his silence and the tension still radiating off him as we climbed the stairs, I wasn’t getting off lightly.
When we stepped into his room, he shut the door behind us with a soft click. Then he turned and flipped the lock.
Beck didn’t say a word. He just stalked across the room to the chair and sat down like a man preparing for battle. His eyes found mine—and I froze at the dangerous look in his hazel orbs.
“Over here,” he said, voice low.
My feet moved before my brain caught up to his command. The quiet rasp of my shoes on the hardwood was the only sound as I crossed the room. When I reached him, he didn’t yank me into place. He just held my gaze.
“You scared the fuck out of me, baby.”
My breath caught. “I know.”
“You don’t get to do that again.”
“I’ll try my best,” I promised.
His eyes darkened. “Then I guess I better make sure you remember this.”
Before I could respond, he caught my wrist and gently but firmly tugged me over his lap and yanked down my jeans and panties. His palm smoothed over the curve of my butt once, then he smacked me before I had the chance to tense.
I gasped, more from the shock than the sting.
“One for sneaking out when I told you to stay put for your own safety,” he murmured, hand smoothing again. “Another for lying to the prospect at the gate and putting his future as an Iron Rogue at risk by making him believe your bullshit.”
Swat.
“A couple more for putting yourself in danger.”
He gave me a smack to each cheek this time.
His hand paused, resting there as though he needed to anchor himself. Then it lifted again. “And one for scaring the fuck outta me.”
The last swat made me squirm, and not just from the heat blooming on my skin.
“You’re such a caveman,” I mumbled into his lap.
He tsked as he pulled my pants back over my butt. “Didn’t hear a thank you, baby.”
“As if,” I huffed, even though my panties were already soaked from the spanking I’d more than earned.
A low growl rumbled in his chest. One second, I was across his lap, and the next, I was airborne—landing on the mattress with Beck looming over me, eyes lit with fire. “After what happened tonight, you’re sassing me already?”
I shrugged. “Someone’s gotta keep you on your toes.”
“You keep running that mouth”—he pressed his hips down against mine—“and I’ll remind you who it belongs to.”
I arched under him with a moan, heat surging low in my belly.
He kissed me hard and deep, his weight holding me down in the best way as his hands explored with the same kind of rough tenderness I was already addicted to.
When he finally pulled back, I was breathless, aching, and absolutely ready for more. Unfortunately, someone had the worst timing and knocked on the door.
“Fucking hell,” Beck groaned, dropping his forehead against mine.
“Hate to interrupt, but I figured you’d want that thing I sent out for as soon as it came back,” Fox explained through the door. “Leavin’ it in the hallway for you.”
I had no clue what he was talking about, but it spurred Beck to crawl off me and stride across the room.
He yanked the door open, bent down, and picked up a small bundle left just outside in the hallway. Then he kicked the door shut behind him, his movements still sharp—like he hadn’t fully come down from the adrenaline high yet. But something in his eyes had shifted when he turned back to me.
Satisfaction gleamed from the hazel depths.
I sat up on the mattress, tugging the hem of my shirt down, but I didn’t bother trying to look innocent. It was a little late for that.
He crossed the room and dropped onto the edge of the bed in front of me. “I should probably wait to do this somewhere nice, not right after spanking your perfect ass pink.”
I quirked a brow. “That doesn’t sound like us.”
His mouth twitched. “So fucking perfect for me.”
He dropped the bundle into my lap. My breath caught when I saw what it was—a leather cut, smaller than his, and with a patch across the back that said Property of Phoenix.
“You really…” I whispered, fingers shaking as I touched the patch.
“Yeah.” His voice was low. “You’re mine, baby. Now nobody can miss it.”
My throat tightened, tears prickling at the corners of my eyes before I could stop them. I looked up at him, trying to blink them back.
“I love you,” I breathed. “So much.”
He leaned in, slid his hand into my hair, and kissed me like the words undid something in him. When he pulled back, his hazel eyes burned into mine.
“Fuck, I love you. And I want you by my side every damn day. So I’m not just giving you a patch.” He reached into the top drawer of his bedside table and pulled out a small black box. “I’m also giving you this.”
My heart skipped as he opened it. There was a ring inside. He went classic—a solitaire diamond, gold band, all simple elegance. Like he somehow knew that underneath the sass, I wanted something that would still make me cry.
“Be my old lady. My wife. The mother of my kids. The reason I don’t burn the damn world down when it pisses me off.”
I let out a teary laugh and nodded so fast I probably looked ridiculous. “Yes. Yes to all of it.”
He slipped the ring on my finger, then leaned in for another kiss—this one softer, slower, but no less claiming.
When he lifted his head again, I looked down at my hand. I couldn’t stop staring at the ring. It felt a little surreal to have something so perfect on my finger.
Beck sat behind me, his arms wrapped around my waist as I leaned back against his chest on the bed. His chin rested on my shoulder, and we were both quiet, soaking the moment in. He kissed the side of my neck, his scruff dragging just enough to make me shiver. “I have one more thing for you.”
I tilted my head. “You do?”
“It’s not shiny.” His voice dropped, thoughtful. “But I figured you might want it anyway.”
I turned to look at him, one brow lifting. “Okay…”
“The community center’s not closing,” he said. “Fox and I talked, and we’ve got the additional funding covered to keep the place going. We’re gonna overhaul it—fix the shit that’s broken, bring in real support. But we need someone we can trust to run it.”
My heart skipped. “You want me to run the center?”
“I can’t imagine anyone else taking Paul’s place.” He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “You love those kids. That place made you. It deserves someone who gets that.”
I blinked quickly, trying not to cry again. “I already checked to see if I could switch to all online classes this fall. I was having a hard time picturing myself being away from Old Bridge for almost two whole years while I finished my degree. I might have to drive up there for exams every once in a while, but my adviser assured me it was possible to finish the rest of my classes from here.”
His eyes lit with happiness. “You were planning for us?”
“Of course I was.” I turned in his arms, pressing my hand against his chest. “So were you.”
He kissed me again, slower this time. Sweeter. And when he pulled back, his smile was soft but sure. “You walked into my life swinging, baby. And I knew right then you were gonna knock me on my ass.”
I grinned. “Good. Because I don’t plan on going easy on you anytime soon.”
“Wouldn’t want you to.”
I curled deeper into his arms, the ring on my finger catching the light as I finally let myself relax.
I’d walked into the clubhouse looking for answers. Instead, I found everything I didn’t know I needed.