Chapter 11
Winter
I woke up to the smell of coffee and bacon drifting up from downstairs.
Fuse’s arm was across my waist and there was a kitten sprawled out on half my pillow.
For the first time since my father sold me, I didn’t jolt awake in a panic.
This morning, I woke up safe in Fuse’s keeping.
I had the luxury of just lying here basking in the moment with him.
Yesterday, after what I fondly think of as the best devirginizing a woman could hope for, we eventually got up and went for a ride on Fuse’s bike.
It was the perfect way to spend the afternoon.
We even stopped at a pub on the way for food.
I haven’t been anywhere in so long, it felt really good to get taken out.
Fuse reluctantly agreed to it, so long as we stayed near the clubhouse. We came back late and crashed out.
It was too bad that Fuse was already stirring behind me because I would have liked to sleep in.
He pressed a kiss to my temple. “Morning, sleepyhead. How did you sleep?”
“Like the dead. It must have been the amazing workout, long ride, and late night.”
“Yeah, about that…”
I reached up and pressed my hand over his mouth. “Don’t say we can’t do that again because it’s too risky.”
“Alright, I won’t say it. We’re getting closer to putting the smack down on Viper. We can’t afford to take unnecessary risks now.”
I nodded, feeling like he just rubbed some of the shine off our morning.
Fuse untangled himself from the blankets and pulled on his pants. Glancing over his shoulder, he said, “I’m gonna grab us some coffee and a bite to eat. Do you want anything in particular?”
“I’m not picky. Get me a little of whatever you’re having.”
“You got it, sweetness.”
One of the kittens followed him out the door, clawing to climb up his pants. I saw him stop just outside the doorway and put her on his shoulder. The other stayed behind, making biscuits on the side of my pillow.
I moved around to face her and rested my cheek on my hands.
“I’m glad you’re a biscuit maker instead of an adventurer like your sister.”
She stopped kneading long enough to give me a loud purr and then went right back to it.
Fuse came back in record time with a whole tray of food, including eggs, bacon, toast, muffins, and coffee sweetened just the way I liked it. I was still trying to figure out what to say about that when I noticed something leather was folded underneath the tray.
I pulled it out and discovered it was a leather vest. There was the Dark Slayers patch on the back, above the logo it said, ‘Property of’, and underneath, ‘Fuse’.
A property cut.
My breath caught in my throat because I knew the significance. All the old ladies wore them around the clubhouse.
I looked up at Fuse. Before I had the chance to say anything he spoke.
“In our world,” he explained, “that cut means anybody who touches you will suffer for it. It means you’re under my protection and that of my whole club. It means club girls stay out of your face, nobody gets to question you about anything. It means you belong. We become your family.”
For someone who was all alone in the world, having people who want you and are willing to go the extra mile for you means the world. No one wants to wander the world alone.
He continued. “It also means you’re mine. I want to make sure you understand that none of the brothers or any other man with an ounce of common sense will hit on you because wearing my cut is a visual clue that we’re in an exclusive relationship.”
I looked up at him. “And what does ‘mine’ mean for you?”
He held my gaze. “It means I’ll be exclusive with you. I won’t be gettin’ with club girls behind your back or hookin’ up with one-night stands. You and I are good together. I want to be with you and only you for as long as you’ll have me.”
“That’s pretty clear,” I responded.
“This is a pretty big deal. Almost like being married, right?”
“Yeah,” he said.
I reached out and touched the patch. The leather was buttery soft. That meant it was high quality.
“Did you have this custom made for me?”
“Yes, of course. I’m not putting some rough piece of off-the-rack trash on the woman I love.”
Shock roiled through my mind. “You love me?”
“Yeah, I sure fuckin’ do. We haven’t known each other long, so if you don’t feel exactly the same way, that’s fine. Like I said, I want to give whatever this is a chance. If you end up feeling the same way about me someday, I would count that as a blessing.”
I felt myself tearing up. “I do feel the same way about you. Why do you think I wanted you to be my first?”
“Your only, if you decide to put my cut on.”
I picked up the cut and looked it over carefully.
I thought about the chair in the hallway and him watching over me all night, every night.
Then I thought about all the nice things he had done for me while I’d been here.
And that’s not to mention the money he bid, that he didn’t even have.
He’d done a lot for me, but what I felt for him was much more than just gratitude.
It was love. I knew all the way down to my bones that he was the right man for me.
I wasn’t quite naive enough to think this piece of leather was a magical solution to all my problems. Viper was out there doing evil deeds.
The Dark Slayers still had two favors hanging over their heads.
And depending upon how all that went, Viper might have grounds to reclaim me.
I still hadn’t figured my life out yet. We both knew a lot of things were still up in the air, but the one thing we could agree on was wanting to be with each other.
Fuse was the one bit of happiness I never wanted to do without.
“Alright, I want to be with you and see where this relationship goes too. You’re the one thing I’m sure about, so I don’t want to do anything to mess that up.”
“Do you want to try it on and see if it fits properly?”
I got up from the bed, realizing that I was wearing nothing but my panties and bra.
It didn’t matter because we were just checking that it fit.
Fuse helped me into it without making a production of it, smoothing the collar down in the back and checking to make sure the zipper worked smoothly.
I reached up and smoothed the front down.
“It’s really comfortable. More so than I would have thought.”
“I’m glad you think so,” he murmured.
He sat back down on the edge of the bed and watched me turn back and forth in front of the mirror and looked at me for a moment. His gaze became warm and admiring. He picked up his coffee cup and took a long sip.
The kittens climbed onto the bed and immediately launched themselves at our food tray. One stuck her nose in the fruit dish and sneezed dramatically. The other stuck her paw in our scrambled eggs.
Fuse leaned forward and gently redirected them, setting a handful of their kibble on the bedspread near the foot of the tray. “Eat your kitty food,” he told them sternly. “And leave our human food alone. It’s not good for you.”
They ignored him and went back to attacking our breakfast.
I shook my head. “I don’t think they realize it’s food.”
“They’re cats,” he replied. “They’re intelligent about animal things, not people things.”
I picked up a piece of bacon, broke off a small bite, and held it out to them. One of them sniffed it, then tried to bite my finger. I jerked my hand back, laughing.
“That could have ended badly for me.”
Fuse’s eyes turned warm and admiring. “You’re smiling.”
I hadn’t realized he was watching me that closely.
“I’m happier than I’ve been in a long while,” I admitted.
He leaned in slightly. “Good. I wanted you to wake up happy today, and every day really.”
I felt myself blush. “You know, you didn’t have to do all this.”
He didn’t look away when he responded. “I wanted to do something nice for you, sweetness. You deserve nice things. Please don’t ever forget that.”
I picked up a fork and took a bite of eggs. It felt strange to be considered, cared for, and being someone’s priority. When Fuse didn’t eat, I fed him until, between us, all the food was nearly gone.
I took another sip of coffee and let the warmth settle me. Up here, in this bed, with breakfast and kittens and Fuse watching me like I mattered, the world felt different. It felt possible. And I wasn’t used to that.