Fighting Fate (Fighting #7)(105)
I press my thumb to her lips. “You haven’t even been up for five minutes and you’re already at it.” I run the pad of my finger along her lower lip. “Don’t waste your breath; you can’t push me away.”
“I’m not pushing you away. If you have plans, I’ll get out of your hair.”
“My plans include you, if you’re interested.”
Her brows drop low, but the unease in her eyes is gone. “They do? What are they?”
“Turns out I’m staying in Vegas and have no place to live so…”
“You want me to help you find a place?”
Nerves coil in my gut, but I promised her honesty and that’s what she’s going to get. “No, I want you to help find us a place.”
“You…” She blinks up at me. “You want me to move in with you?”
“I want you to marry me, but I figure living together is a good first step.”
“But—”
“I know what you’re thinking—this is me trying to take care of you—and your new empowered self can’t stomach that, but just hear me out okay?”
She presses her lips together and nods.
“You were right; we’ve both changed over the last year. I look at you and I love what I see. You’re making your own way, standing on your own two feet. I have no desire to get in the way of that.” I lean over her, bracing my weight on one arm. “But I will continue to do everything in my power to protect you. It’s in my nature. I can’t change that just as I can’t change my love for you.” I dip down and press a kiss to her lips. “I don’t want to smother you, Ax, but I can’t back off either. I hope you can understand that.”
“Hmm…” She chews her lip, and my skin prickles with worry. Shit, what if she tells me to go screw myself and leaves. Then you’ll chase her back down and make things right.
“Okay fine.” Her face breaks into a brilliant smile seconds before she throws herself into my chest, knocking the breath from my lungs. The sheet falls to her hips, and she pushes it away to crawl into my lap, and my arms wrap around her waist to hold her close. “Does this mean I get to be protective of you too?” Her hands cup my jaw, and she rests her forehead to mine. “Because I’m getting a little sick of watching women fall all over you, Kill.”
I laugh and blush simultaneously. “Depends, am I going to have to start a bank account for your future bail funds?”
She purses her lips. “Maybe.”
“Are you saying you’ll move in with me?”
“Only if we split all our expenses fifty-fifty.”
“I’ll pay the rent; we’ll split the expenses.”
“We’ll split the rent and the expenses.”
“Why don’t you just cut my dick off while you’re at it?”
Her nose wrinkles in the most adorable way. “Eww, no, I happen to really like your dick.”
“Then let me pay the rent so I can still call myself a man.”
“We’ll see.”
I groan and nuzzle her neck. “Stubborn. Sexy…but stubborn.” I breathe her in, allowing her scent to relax me. “We’re making a go of this. I’m serious. No more fighting the inevitable.”
She wraps herself around me. “I have everything I’ve ever wanted right here in my arms.”
“Great thing about having everything you ever wanted is having everything you ever wanted. Bad part is being afraid of—”
“Losing it.”
“Exactly.” I rub my palms all over her naked skin. “That won’t happen to us. I won’t allow it.”
“I won’t either.” She pulls back and makes a fist at her chest, using her thumb to cross an X at her heart. “Promise.”
When she brings her fist to her mouth to kiss it, I snag it and bring it to mine. “Me too.” The clock on the bedside table says if I don’t pull my ass away I’m going to be late. “Shit, I gotta go.” I pick her up off my lap and place her back on the bed, covering her up because walking away from the visual of her naked body is something I’m not strong enough to do. “I’ll be back in an hour or so.”
“Wait. Where are you going?”
I rub the back of my neck. “It’s nothing, just something I need to do.” I grab a keycard to the hotel room and head to the door. “I’ll explain when I get back.” Before I pass through the door, I turn around and grin because how the f*ck did my life become perfect overnight? “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
~~~
The cab driver drops me off at the address Ryder texted me last night. I make a note to get my damn Jeep out of storage ASAP because relying on a taxi to cart my ass around is getting old.
Standing out in front of a rundown apartment complex are enough UFL fighters to make any man piss himself. I jog toward them, and they all turn to me as I approach.
Jonah, Rex, Blake, Mason, Wade, Caleb, Ryder, and Cameron.
“Thanks for coming on short notice.”
“You send out a text at midnight, saying you want to rally the troops for my daughter. No f*cking way I’m gonna miss it.” Blake reaches out a hand to shake mine. “I appreciate you steppin’ up.”