Chapter 39
Vienna
I missed my girl.
It was as simple as that.
Coming back from a ride always left me on a high, and usually I lost myself in the celebrations afterwards—getting drunk with my brothers, finding one of the club bunnies, and not remembering anything until I woke up the next morning.
Usually outside Gabriella’s house with no recollection of how I got there, but somehow always ending up wherever she was.
But now, knowing she was here, safe behind my walls, in my house, with my club, wearing mostly my clothes and my smell… I couldn’t resist it.
I’d kept my distance from her this week. I’d given her space, only stopping by her room to keep her updated before leaving. I couldn’t stay away entirely, and kept busy with the club where I could, but I’d not once touched her. I was waiting for her to come to me.
I respected that our emotions had got the better of us the other day when we’d had sex, and I didn’t want her to think I was assuming anything. Especially with the club already calling her my old lady. I wanted to let her know that her options were still open.
But today, on a riding-high, I was long past that stage.
I missed my girl, and I was going to show her just how much.
I took the steps two at a time before common sense had the chance to catch up with me.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I muttered to myself, spinning around on the landing and going back down the stairs.
If I went to her now, in the mood I was in, feeling everything I was feeling, I would be forcing her into something she wasn’t ready for.
I made it two steps down before I spun around again. “Fuck it.”
I had to go to her. I had to have her. I had to make her see that this was what I wanted. I had to push her through this last block before the distance between us became too big and too awkward.
I’d waited long enough.
Seven days of pretending I wasn’t thinking about her every waking second. Seven days of telling myself she needed time, that I wasn’t going to be another man who made decisions for her.
Over a decade of missing her and loving her and wishing desperately that she’d come back to me.
I raised one hand to knock on her door before dropping it and turning back to the stairs.
I’d wanted her for ten years, but she’d spent the past ten years suffering. She had been through hell and back and didn’t need me bulldozing my way through her boundaries.
Halfway down the stairs, I stopped.
“For fuck’s sake, Vienna.”
I hit the bannister and turned back around.
Miscommunication got people nowhere. I had to at least talk to her.
At the top of the stairs, I grabbed either side of the bannister and practically growled with frustration.
I couldn’t barge in on her. I should go to my room, calm down, take a shower, and then go to her, just like I did every night.
“Good,” I said to myself. “Good, good, good. That’s a good plan. A solid plan.”
So why hadn’t my feet moved? Why was I still staring at her door like a lost puppy?
Shaking my head, I thundered past her door, making my way to my own room before groaning again and spinning on my feet.
“No. I’m not hiding from her.”
I spun back around.
“Fucking hell, but she doesn’t even know what she wants.”
I had my hand on the door handle.
“But she doesn’t know what I want.”
I spun back around to go to her and then punched the wall in frustration.
“If that’s your attempt at Morse code again, it’s worse than ever.”
And there she was. Standing in her open door, her hair freshly washed.
Wearing one of my hoodies.
Dear fucking god…
It hung to her mid-thighs, revealing her long, smooth legs to my already hungry eyes.
Her eyes widened ever so slightly as she took in my frazzled state, before that soft smile I’d become hopelessly addicted to spread across her face.
I walked over to her, slow and steady, watching as her head tipped back to keep my gaze. But she didn’t move away. She stood firm, allowing me to move so close that our bodies were practically touching.
“Hi,” she said softly.
“Hi.”
A silence fell over us as we both stood there staring at the other.
I took in everything—the way her lashes clumped together from the shower.
The smell of her body wash. The small patches of damp on the shoulders of my hoodie from her wet hair.
The way her hands twisted, tugging nervously at the sleeves.
My god how I wanted her.
I wanted her with a need that almost burned me up from the inside.
I needed her with a hunger that almost scared me.
She swallowed nervously, her tongue darting out to wet her lips.
I almost groaned and dropped to my knees there and then.
“How, err… how was your ride?”
I laughed, almost in disbelief. “My ride?” I repeated.
“Yeah. How… I mean… you love riding.”
“I do?” I asked with a smirk.
A blush crept over her cheeks. “I meant—”
“Princess?”
“Yes?”
“Shut up.”
I grabbed her ass and lifted her into my arms, ignoring her squeals, walking us both into the room and kicking the door shut behind me.
“Vienna, I—”
“Shh. I fucking missed you.”
And then I kissed her with everything I had.