Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
DREW
Iwasn’t even cold. With Ayda sitting between my legs in the driving seat of the van, I was warm, content…
settled. The two of us were watching the dark sky fade away as the sun began to rise on the horizon.
Before Ayda came into my life, the only time I’d have seen the start of a new day was because I’d drunk too much whiskey and hadn’t slept the night before.
The sunrises I had seen were barely noticed or registered.
There was always some other dark cloud blocking the beauty of it.
Now, there I was, watching a new day come to life with a weird excitement in my chest. It meant something more now she was with me.
Everything meant more. It was as though the frosted glasses I’d been staring at life through had been removed, and all of a sudden everything was crystal clear in high definition.
With my arms curled around her waist, I continued to trail soft kisses up and down the curve of her neck.
Ayda was sitting perfectly still, her head tilted to one side, allowing me access to the exposed skin I was currently worshipping tenderly as she stared out of the window in awe.
Every breath she released passed through a smile.
I could feel it. Her happiness radiated off her in waves.
I loved that about her—the way she felt freely, without any worries or cares for what anyone else would think.
I loved the way she’d opened herself up to me. For me. I just fucking loved her.
I continued to kiss her, my lips pressing down and lingering before they’d move on to the next spot they wanted to taste.
We’d made love last night, as corny as that sounded.
When the temperatures had dropped too low, and she began trembling for reasons that weren’t simply orgasm induced, I carried her to the van and we stayed awake through the night, talking about everything and nothing in quiet whispers and hushed voices.
“Beautiful,” I muttered, closing my eyes as I pressed another kiss to her skin and breathed her in.
“It is. It’s the only thing I used to love about getting up early.” Her voice was quiet and lazy as she leaned into my kiss.
“I was...” I kissed her again. “Talking about…” I kissed her again. “You.”
“Have I told you that I love you today, Tucker?” I could hear her smile as her fingers ran up and down my arm.
“Several times.” I smirked against her skin.
“I think you got my name confused, though. Oh God, I love you.” I panted heavily.
“Oh God, I fucking love you,” I mimicked, my smile growing as I became more breathless and high pitched.
“Jesus Christ, I love you, I love you, I…” I gasped, going silent and holding my breath in my chest before I chuckled, pulled her closer and kissed the sensitive spot beneath her ear.
“Asshole.” I could hear her smile as she spoke and lazily shoved her angular elbow in my gut. “It’s nice to express myself knowing that I won’t come out of our room to a standing ovation from the guys. I swear it’s like I gain a dozen or so big brothers overnight.”
“Didn’t you hear Pete cheering us on? Those trees started to rustle pretty hard, Ayda. I’m sure he’ll have been giving you, and himself, a hand.” I sank my teeth into her lightly before pressing my lips there to sweeten the pain.
Ayda mumbled, the words giving way to a hum as she absorbed the bite and shuddered against the kiss. Her fingers continued their exploration on my skin as she looked out at the dawn.
“I love my life with you, Drew. With all of you. There are days when I can’t believe how much everything has changed, but that’s never a bad thought.
” She rolled to her side and grinned up at me.
“How you all didn’t starve to death or get staph infections from those toilets before I came along is a wonder to me, though.
How did you all survive? I can’t see any of the girls taking control and pitching in. ”
I huffed out a half-hearted laugh and rested my chin on her shoulder, staring out at the sunrise.
“There hasn’t been a significant woman in The Hut since my mother.
I guess no one else got the respect you or she got, so whether the other girls had pitched in or not, we’d have ignored the shit out of them.
The whores start nagging and the men start pushing them out the door.
We took our chances with the infections or death by alcohol poisoning.
When you don’t know any different, dirty seems normal. ” I smirked.
“Did your mom leave with your dad?”
“No.” I sighed and closed my eyes as I realized there was yet another thing I hadn’t told Ayda. “Unlike Eric, she is dead.”
Her forehead landed on my collarbone almost brutally. “Shit. I’m sorry.”
“Again with the apologies, Ayda,” I whispered, opening my eyes and pressing a soft kiss to her cheek.
“You can’t be sorry for things you don’t know about.
Sometimes I forget how long you’ve been in my life.
It feels like forever… in a good way. But it’s not.
It’s new. I don’t talk about this shit with anyone.
Not even Harry. Mom died when I was young.
Dad left. I was told to step up and keep quiet, so I did.
There were no attachments for me to cling to. I let it all go because I had to.”
“Seems pretty harsh, but I’m guessing Pete—” she nodded at the tree visible from the windshield “—and the rest of the guys helped you figure it all out. They all love you, you know. Even if they can be too masculine to say it out loud.”
“They’ve stuck around after years of me being a complete fucker. I know they love me. I love them, too. They’re my family. I’d die for every one of them tomorrow.”
Ayda traced the tattoo over my chest, a small smile playing on her lips as she did. “That’s what I love about the Hounds. Family is family. It doesn’t matter if they’re blood or not, this patch makes you blood brothers, or more I guess. Kinda makes me want to get one.”
I pulled my chin back, unable to hide my smirk of amusement as I stared at her. “Getting to fuck Drew Tucker isn’t enough for you? Now you think you’re good enough to have his club’s tattoo on your skin? Jesus. Someone’s getting comfortable.”
I was joking, of course. The thought of her getting my brothers’ patch on her skin did things to me I’d never have expected it to.
There were a million new thoughts running through my mind in that very second, but I was focused on her eyes, which were shining bright with what the future held for her as part of our MC family.
“I need to keep you on your toes more,” I added quietly, digging my fingers into her hips and pushing against her.
“If I were on my toes any more than I am now, I’d be a ballerina.” She smirked at me, her teeth capturing the tip of her tongue.
I leaned down and made a play for that tongue. Her yip of surprise had me squeezing her even tighter as I dragged her lip away with my teeth before offering her a soothing kiss. “Ballerinas can get their legs behind their heads while standing up, right? That could be kinda fun.”
“They can. They’re all bendy and supple.” In one twist of her body, Ayda was straddling me as best she could in the small cramped space. “Before we go any further, is there anything else I should know before I go all contortionist and stick my foot in my mouth yet again?”
I grabbed her ass cheeks and pulled her closer, looking up at her and squinting. “I’ve covered the parents. I guess I should probably tell you about my twin brother, too…”
“What?” She blinked at me.
I kept a straight face for all of three seconds before I let my grin burst free. “Kidding. There’s only one of me, darlin’.”
Ayda covered her face with both hands and started to laugh. Dropping them to rest on my chest, she shook her head, a look of pure relief on her face. “The world couldn’t handle two of you.”
“Bet you’d like to give that a try, though.”
“Only if it was a clone. A twin would be someone different completely. You’re an original, Mr. Tucker. One of a kind and you’re mine.”
I dragged in a slow breath, blowing it all out as I said the only word either one of us needed to hear.
“Yours.”
Eventually, after much yawning from Ayda, I began to drive the two of us back to The Hut.
The night had been pretty perfect. I didn’t want it to end as much as she didn’t.
Her quiet protests and pouting were adorable as I started up the engine and gave her a sideways glance.
She had no need to worry. I planned on making more memories like this with her for a very long time if she’d let me.
A very long time.
I held her hand the whole way home, never letting go as I navigated us through the empty streets of Babylon.
Even though I should have been concentrating on the roads, my eyes kept seeking hers, and the subtle smiles and the things we said in the silence made me feel even closer to her than I had before.
That was when the idea struck me.
When we pulled into the yard, I jumped out of the van and ran around to open the door for her.
The old me—the one who fucked and ran—wouldn’t recognize this chivalrous fucker who wanted to sweep his leading lady off her feet.
I guess the old me wouldn’t understand how the feeling of pure panic could change a man.
The moment I thought I was going to lose her in that warehouse, I became someone else—someone who vowed to always treat her right should the two of us survive.
We did survive.
Now it was up to me to make sure we lived. Living meant not waiting. Not waiting meant making things happen for her the moment she said she wanted them.
The bar was empty when we walked through the door of The Hut, apart from a few sleeping bodies draped over the sofas, and Harry who was slowly dragging his feet across to the bar to pour himself a breakfast whiskey.