Rake's Redemption (Wind Dragons MC #4)(70)

“Where’s Irish?” I ask, looking around but not seeing him. “I feel like I haven’t seen him in ages.”

“Apparently he met someone,” Anna says, leaning closer to me. “No one knows anything about her but he’s been going to see her heaps.”

My eyes widen. “That’s some juicy gossip.”

“It really is.” Anna grins, leaning back in her chair. “Apparently Irish is always single, so I wonder how this woman managed to get his attention.”

Rake walks over to us, and even though I’m mad, I can’t help notice how sexy he looks in his dark jeans and white T-shirt. “How are two of my three favorite girls?” he asks, sitting down next to me.

“Who is the third?” Anna asks, as Rake takes my hand and brings it to his mouth, kissing my knuckles. I don’t look at him.

“Cara, of course.”

Anna lifts her hand to her heart. “Oh my god, that was so damn cute, Rake.”

“I try,” he says, kissing my hand again then looking around at the people. “Not as wild as they usually are.”

“Probably because you’re not participating this time,” I blurt out before I’m unable to help it.

Anna laughs, then stands up. “Yeah, I’m going to . . . Arrow needs me.”

“I’m concerned,” I admit, looking around at all the beautiful women. “Do you miss this at all? The public sex, the threesomes, the many stunning women at your disposal . . . ?”

“No, I don’t. I had my fun, Bailey. I played around, f*cked around. Now I just want you. I still get to have fun, just with only you, and I want that. I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he says sincerely, eyes pleading with me to understand. “You’re enough as you are. I don’t need anything else. I never did.”

“I hope that that’s true,” I say, looking down at our hands. “If you ever want something else, would you tell me? I mean, if you’re not happy.”

“Nothing makes me happier than you, Bailey. I don’t know what I can say to make you believe that; you’ll have to realize it yourself from my actions.”

He’s right about that. I know being insecure isn’t attractive, but this is more than that. He’s literally had these women before, so it’s not like I’m being paranoid. They all know him, his body, the sounds he makes . . . what he likes in bed. And it kills me that they do, but there’s nothing I can do to change it.

“Stop overthinking it,” he whispers, kissing my earlobe. “I only see you, Bailey. It’s always been that way, and it will never change.”

“When did you turn so romantic?” I ask, dragging my finger down his bicep through the thin material.

“Just now,” he replies simply. “When I saw the uncertainty in your eyes. I don’t want to see it there again.”

I look away and consider his words. “If you say I’m enough, then I believe you.”

“Good. Now come here and sit on my lap, you’re too f*ckin’ far away.”

I stand up and go to him, sitting down on his lap, my legs across his. “Better?”

“Much.”

“Is that Vinnie . . .” I trail off, squinting my eyes, trying to see what he was doing.

“Yup.”

“Is he . . .”

“Yup.”

“Oh.”

Rake laughs, nuzzling my neck. “Do you want to go to bed?”

“Do you want to?” I ask him, kissing along his jaw. “I know this is your . . . thing.”

“Have you ever had a threesome?” he asks, gripping my chin with his thumb and index finger, and searching my eyes.

“No,” I reply honestly. “I can’t say that I have.”

Although it was one of the things I had listed on a sexual bucket list I wrote a few years back.

“If there’s anything you want to do, any fantasies you have, you know I’ll make them reality, right? You don’t need to be shy. I doubt there’s anything I haven’t done.” He pauses. “Unless you want to f*ck another guy, because that’s not happening.”

“Have you played out all your fantasies?” I ask, already knowing the answer. I had no doubt in my mind that he’d done everything he’d want to, like he had just admitted.

His lip twitches before he kisses my mouth.

“Softening the blow?” I tease, shaking my head.

“You’re my fantasy, baby,” he says, grinning cheekily.

I smile back at him. “I better be.”





THIRTY




ON Monday morning, I’m walking to my classroom when I see a man standing at my door. I freeze, not knowing what to say, dread and panic filling me.

“What are you doing here?” I ask him, shuffling the books in my hands so I don’t drop them.

He’d changed. Gotten older. He didn’t look good—he’d lost a lot of weight, looking a little gaunt. “I want to see my daughter.”

“How did you know where I worked?” I ask, looking around. I don’t want any passing students to hear this conversation, but I’m also shocked and confused. What the hell was he doing here? How did he know where to find me, and why now? There’s no way he actually wants to see Cara, is there? Sure, a man can change, but I get the feeling that’s not the case here. He must have an ulterior motive, although I can’t really think of what it might be.