13. Chopper
Chopper
Pushing open the door to my apartment, I motion for Roxy to go in ahead of me. Even though she lives in the apartment next to mine, I don’t think she’s ever been in here.
Her gaze scans the area and her eyes widen in surprise. I'm sure she expected a mess since this is a bachelor’s pad, but I don’t like clutter one bit. I want my flat surfaces to be clear and I don’t want to trip over things.
“You expected a mess, didn’t you?” I smirk as I step past her and further into my small apartment.
I don’t spend much time in here so I don’t mind it being on the smaller side.
I have a living room big enough for a couch and a table.
The kitchen is tiny, but I don’t cook much.
Unless I'm sick, my meals are eaten in the clubhouse and when I am sick, Dixie’s always willing to drop off soup to me.
I mostly just sleep here or relax until I'm ready for bed.
“I did. I thought all boys were messy.” She shakes her head. “I had to drop off something at Jasper’s place and it was awful. I don’t think I’ve ever smelled such boy stench.” She wrinkles up her nose in disgust.
“Well, in Jasper’s defense, he only has a bedroom and bathroom with no windows.” I lift my shoulder in a shrug.
The prospects and single patched members typically get a bedroom and sometimes a bathroom.
They don’t get a full apartment. Storm and I snagged full apartments because Storm is the vice president and I’ve taken on a decent number of responsibilities.
One of them is being close to the girls so I can keep an eye on them.
Porter made sure when Dixie, Oakley, and Roxy moved out of his place, the only available apartment was between mine and Storm’s apartments. It was so we could protect them without them realizing it.
“I think he’s just stinky and doesn’t care. You know the bike bunnies don’t care who they spend time with. They just want a property patch.” She wrinkles her nose again and rolls her eyes.
“They’re not called bike bunnies,” I chuckle.
The Reeves triplets started calling the girls who hung around the clubhouse bike bunnies when they were younger and never stopped.
I think they secretly love how much it irritates the women and annoys the men.
The three of them love to get under peoples’ skin and won't stop once they know something annoys them.
“It doesn’t matter what they’re called. He’ll never get someone who actually wants to be with him if he smells like that.”
“What about my place? What does it smell like?” I tilt my head to the side and watch her carefully.
“It smells like you,” she whispers. “Like leather and sandalwood. Like home.” She fidgets with her hands and refuses to meet my gaze.
Instead of pushing for more or making her more uncomfortable, I intertwine our fingers and lead her into my room to find something she can wear to bed.
She takes in my space and I want to ask her if she likes it, but I don’t bother.
We’re not dating. This is a one-time thing.
An effort to get her to drop the walls between us.
To see if something could ever happen between us.
I shake my head and try to erase the thoughts. As much as I want her to be mine I'm not sure it’s going to happen. I’ll settle for being her friend and gaining her trust. I want her to be real with me and keep the walls down between us.
“They’re going to be big on you,” I murmur as I hand over my t-shirt and sweatpants. “I can leave you alone to get changed.”
I head towards the door and strip out of my shirt, tossing it in the hamper.
I grab a towel on my way out so I can jump in the shower.
I smell like smoke and I don’t want my sheets to pick up that scent.
I love hanging around the outdoor fire at the clubhouse and the bar with the guys, but hate the lingering scent.
“Umm… Chopper?”
“Yeah?” I glance over my shoulder at her.
“I can't get out of this corset by myself.” She presses her lips into a thin line and waits for me to respond.
Placing my towel on the dresser next to the door, I close the distance between us. I gently push her thin jacket off her shoulders and toss it on the bottom of my bed. Her eyes are dark, almost an emerald color, as she stares up at me.
I slowly spin her around so I can see her back and begin untying the corset. My fingers brush over her soft skin and I have to bite back a groan.
“How do you get out of this thing normally?” I grumble, barely able to control myself.
I want to cut it off of her. I want to drop to my knees and beg her to wear my property patch. To marry me. Anything to make her officially mine.
“I wake up Oakley or Dixie.” She shrugs like it’s normal.
“Don’t they get annoyed?”
“They used to. Now, I don’t think they care.
I wear stuff like this all the time. They help me lace up the back before work and unlace it when I get home.
I help them with weird things all the time.
Like Oakley’s woken me up so I could braid her hair before she goes to work. We don’t complain, we just do it.”
“You girls are so weird.” I shake my head and keep working.
A few moments later, she’s free from the corset. She spins around to face me, carefully keeping the fabric in place to cover herself. She gazes up at me with so much curiosity in her eyes. I nibble on my bottom lip and shove my hands in my pockets. Anything to keep myself from touching her.
She spins around so she’s facing away from me and quickly slips my shirt over her head. As soon as she’s covered, I wrap an arm around her waist and tug her back against my chest.
“You have no clue what you do to me, baby. It’s taking every ounce of restraint I have to not kiss you,” I growl, letting my warm breath fan over her bare neck.
Roxy shivers in my arms. I'm not sure if it’s from my words or because she’s cold. I hold her a little closer and press a soft kiss to her neck.
“Why would you want to do that?” She asks barely above a whisper.
“Because I’ve wanted you for over a decade, baby. I’ve followed you around because I wanted to, not because I was asked to. You’re all I’ve ever wanted.”
“Then why didn’t you do anything about it?” She challenges me. I'm not sure if she feels the same way or if she’s pushing me to see how far I’ll go.
It’s not smart for her to push me though. I'm a man hanging on by a thread. It won't take much to push me over the edge. To beg her to give me a shot. We both know she’s safe with me and I’d never do anything she didn’t want.
“Because you’re a Reeves. That’s like signing my own death warrant.”
“Everyone’s always afraid of Daddy,” she sighs.
“Let me make something painfully clear to you, Roxy.
I respect your father, but I'm not scared of him. If I thought you wanted me as much as I want you, I’d risk everything to be with you.
But I'm not starting drama for you to push me away. I’d put you above everything else, but I need to know I'm not the only one interested here.”
She spins in my arms so she can meet my gaze. She stares up at me for several long moments. She’s driving me crazy, but I'm not about to push her to do something she doesn’t want.
“You’re not the only one,” she whispers so quietly I almost don’t hear her.
“I need the words, Rox. Tell me what you want.”
“I want you, Chopper.” She snakes her arms around my neck and stands on her tippy toes.
She presses her lips against mine and I instantly know I'm a goner. There’s no way I’ll survive Roxy Reeves.