Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23015 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23015 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
Brick continued to stare at her as he made his advancement, and she didn’t know what to expect. Was this rejection? Was it something else?
She was terrified of putting a label on anything, and that fear kept mounting as he cupped her cheek with one hand. He moved swiftly, cupping her other cheek, and then he kissed her. He didn’t say anything else.
This felt like a different kind of kiss. This had heat, warmth, fire. There was passion and she sensed it bubbling beneath the surface.
Brick took his time, and then, when he was done, he pulled back slightly.
“I love you.”
That was the last thing she ever thought he would say.
“What?” she asked.
He smiled. “You heard me, and trust me, I don’t fucking get it. Until I met you, you made me realize that I didn’t even know what love was. The moment you walked into that bar, I knew I wanted you, and then I spoke to you, and then I fucked you, kissed you, made love to you.” He stopped, staring at her face. His gaze moved up, then down, and his thumb ran across her bottom lip. “You’re absolutely beautiful. I know we were risking it every time I put my dick inside you, but I didn’t care. You can call me a heartless bastard, again, I really don’t fucking care. I knew there was a risk of getting you pregnant. I hadn’t seen you take any pill, or warn me.”
“You’re not mad?”
“Fuck, no, I’m glad. I was hoping you’d get pregnant.”
“Why?”
“So that I had a reason to keep you, and you couldn’t make excuses to get rid of me. That’s why. I love you, Cathy Newman, and I’m not going to fuck it up like Eric or any other ex. I’m not here for your sister. Trust me, she is the last thing I want, and I’m not going to allow anyone else to hurt you or use you.” He let her go, but only long enough to grab her hand and place it over his heart. “I’ve only ever been loyal to one thing in my life, and that is the club. Now, it’s you.”
Cathy couldn’t believe what she was hearing, it seemed so surreal to her, so out of place. She stared at him, a little shocked, but then she didn’t know why she was, because … this was Brick. He hadn’t ever lied to her. In the short time she’d known him, he had proven himself again and again. There was no going back.
“I love you,” she said, reaching out to cup his face.
Brick smiled, a true smile this time, one that lit up his whole face.
“Marry me,” he said.
“Brick? What?”
“You heard me and I want you to marry me. I want you to be my wife, and if there is a baby here.” He let her go long enough to put a hand directly onto her stomach. “Then I want us to make this right. I want us to work. I want us to be a family.”
Cathy felt tears spring to her eyes. “We’ve only known each other a little over a week.”
“So? Do you think I’m hiding shit from you? I’m a biker. I’ve done bad things, but as God is my witness, I will cherish you. You are everything to me. I will treat you like the queen you are.”
She believed him. Brick had never lied to her. He always told her the truth and was always there for her. She couldn’t believe this was happening, but she stared at him and knew deep in her heart this was exactly what she wanted.
“Yes,” she said. She already knew there was a risk she was pregnant, but she didn’t care.
“Yeah?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yes, I want to marry you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” And with that, she threw her arms around him, and Brick picked her up and spun her around.
“None of this was recorded, was it?” Brick asked.
Cathy frowned and then went over to her camera to check. “No, it wasn’t.”
“Fuck, I’d have loved to share this with our kids.”
She didn’t get the chance to respond as he moved toward her, picked her up, and began to carry her out of her workspace. Cathy expected him to take her up to their bedroom, but again, she should have known better, this was Brick. There was no time to make it to the bedroom. They only had now. And there was no turning back.
****
Christmas Day
The snow had melted three days ago, but he’d told Rebel and Willow he was engaged to be married.
He wasn’t a patient, waiting-around kind of guy, so he asked his club president for the impossible—to organize a wedding in less than a week’s time, get the marriage license, the priest, and everything together so he could surprise his woman with a Christmas day wedding.