Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 61929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
“Babies need their mothers. But we’ll be there to raise them as one of us,” I told her, needing her to know what to expect. “We’ll teach them our values. Show them our love for bikes and riding. Help them grow into their own person.”
“Do things ever get dangerous? With the business you guys do?” Aisling asked.
“Rarely ever. We have members who strictly deal with security and making sure things don’t go wrong or get out of control,” I replied. “I can promise you that we’re very discreet and careful.”
Aisling exhaled slowly, her shoulders not seeming so tense.
“This is crazy. I didn’t think heirs were even a thing anymore,” she muttered.
I cracked a small grin and shrugged.
“We do things very specifically around here. That’s why we’re so close and organized,” I told her. “We keep each other in line.”
“So, if you were me, you’d take this deal?” Aisling asked as she turned to face me, looking me deep in the eyes like she was making sure that I wasn’t lying.
I didn’t think that I could lie to that face.
“Given what you’ve told me about your circumstances, I would take it,” I said. “But it’s still your choice. No one is going to force you to agree.”
Aisling dragged her fingers through her hair as she turned away from me, her breathing sounding a bit more uneven than normal.
I could tell that she was stressing again. She was being faced with probably one of the most daunting situations she had ever come across in her life, and she had only so much time to decide on her answer. I reached out and gently brushed my fingers along a strand of her dark hair.
“Hey, it’s okay,” I told her.
Aisling’s glistening eyes shifted back over to me.
“Is it, though?” she asked.
I took her hand and pulled her toward me, giving her a warm embrace and feeling her sink into me. I could feel the tension gripping her body, the tightness in her shoulders. This was probably hell for her, but I wanted it to be one of the happiest times in her life. She was bringing a baby into this world. One who might look like her. Act like her.
“It will be,” I said as I rubbed her back. “I know things are crazy, but you’ll have a full year to relax and get prepared for the future.”
Not many people got that opportunity.
Aisling tilted her head back so that she could peer up at me.
“Thank you,” she told me, looking as sincere as could be.
There was that magnetic pull again. I wanted to keep her in my arms, to shield her from her stress. It was going to be a long road ahead of us, but if she agreed, we had the chance to get really close. I leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss on her forehead.
“I’ll be there for you every step of the way,” I assured her. No matter what, she wasn’t alone in this.
Aisling stared at me in silence like she was trying to read my eyes. She wanted to be sure that I wasn’t lying right to her face like I was sure other people had done to her. I could see the fear glisten in her eyes. The crease in her forehead as she thought long and hard about one of the biggest decisions that she would ever have to make.
“Every step of the way?” she asked in a quiet voice.
I held her gaze and nodded, seeing her jaw tense as she prepared her answer.
“I accept the deal.”
I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face. It was great we had an heir on the way, but the thought of having her around to tend to made my chest feel full of light. It was something different. Something new and exciting.
“You won’t regret it,” I told her. It was the right choice for her to make, and we kept our promises.
Aisling smiled a little, but I could still tell that she was a bit wary. I expected that to stick around for a while until we all got into the groove of things.
“I guess I should tell the others,” she replied. “I’m sure it feels like they’ve been waiting for an eternity.”
“When you’re ready,” I said, not wanting her to rush anything. She could take a few more minutes to process things if she needed. The guys weren’t going anywhere.
Aisling rested her hands on my upper arms, her eyes seeming to briefly trail over my chest and shoulders, which intrigued me. Did she like what she saw? What she felt under her fingertips?
“I’m ready,” she assured me.
With that, I stepped back and opened the front door for her, letting her go inside first as the others waited for an answer. We really had no idea what was coming next for us.