Page 41 of Protected by the Biker (Grim Reaper MC)
“Look, I was just—” Gavin stammered. Austin marched up him and swiftly punched him in the face, knocking him down.
“Leave. NOW,” Austin said.
Gavin grabbed his face and looked back at Ella. Austin stared him down in warning.
Gavin turned and quickly ran off towards the resort. Austin let out a huff of anger and turned back to Ella, who was standing there in shock.
Fuck, Austin thought. He never wanted to Ellae Ella.
“Ella—”
Ella’s face had gone completely white. Austin slowly walked up to her and lightly touched her arms.
“Ella, baby? Are you OK?”
Ella’s eyes shifted towards Austin’s face. She slowly nodded her head. He was such an idiot. He should have been more careful around her.
Austin gently wrapped his arm around Ella and walked her inside her room. He led her over to the couch and sat her down.
“Ella, I’m sorry for that. I never meant to scare you.”
Ella slowly nodded and leaned into Austin’s chest. He held her tightly, never wanting to let her go.
Chapter 16
Ella
Seeing Austin’s anger had shocked Ella. Somehow, though, deep down she understood it. It was his protective nature and a part of who he was. Ella knew that the anger wasn’t directed towards her and she knew that Austin would never hurt her.
Ella leaned more into Austin’s chest and sighed at the comfort she felt in his arms.
Ella still couldn’t believe that Gavin was here at the resort. A slow smile spread across her face when she remembered how quickly Gavin ran away. Gavin had always been a bit of jerk. He was used to getting his way, and the fact that Ella wasn’t giving into him was probably what made him grab her wrist.
Austin wrapped his arm tighter around her, pulling her from her thoughts.
“Since I met you, Ella, there has been an undeniable attraction. I can’t explain it but I haven’t felt this way about anyone before. And I think that is why I reacted the way I did when Gavin grabbed you.”
Blood rushed to Ella’s face, and she felt her whole body shake with happiness. She couldn’t deny that his words were true. Ella felt the same undeniable attraction that Austin explained. She never felt the way she did with Austin with anyone else. It surprised and Ellaed her all at once, but she knew she couldn’t be happier. She leaned up and looked into his face.
“I love you, Ella.”
“I love you, too.”
Austin leaned down and gently kissed Ella on her forehead. Ella closed her eyes at the sweet gesture and let the happiness she felt being with Austin warm the rest of her body.
Epilogue
Ella
Six Months Later
“You ready?” Austin asked one afternoon as he stepped inside their apartment. After Ella and Austin got back from the resort, Austin decided to move into together. They both knew that things with them have moved quickly, but they both couldn’t imagine being without one another.
Austin had wanted to take Ella out for a picnic, but they hadn’t found the time. Finally, they had a free afternoon and Austin was taking advantage of it.
“I am,” Ella said with a smile. “Come on.”
Austin grabbed the picnic basket and led the way out of the cabin. As they walked, Ella reached out and took Austin’s hand in hers. Whenever she was near him, she needed to touch him. She couldn’t stand not feeling his skin against hers even in the most innocent of ways.
They walked in silence for what felt like hours. Ella’s feet were beginning to hurt..
“Where are we going?” Ella asked. “It’s taking forever to get there.”
“Just a little further,” Austin promised. “We’re almost there. Trust me; you’ll love it.”
When they finally stepped off the path, Austin led Ella through a thicket that led to an open clearing. It was almost a perfect circle, surrounded by trees on all sides. Ella looked around in wonder. It was beautiful. The trees were huge and small wildflowers were growing in the grass all around them. Ella’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open as she took in the sight.
“It’s amazing,” she said breathlessly.
“I thought you would like it,” Austin laughed. “I’ve wanted to show you this place forever.”
“I’m glad you did,” Ella said. “It’s so beautiful.”
“You are beautiful,” Austin corrected. He kissed her lips softly before he moved to the center of the clearing. There, he laid out their blanket and motioned for her to sit down beside him. When she did, Austin pulled her against his chest. Ella laid back against him and together, they enjoyed the silence of each other’s company.
They didn’t need to speak. Just being together was enough for both of them. If it hadn’t been for Ella’s stomach, they could have laid there all day without moving.
“I’m hungry,” Ella admitted sadly. Her stomach grumbled to confirm her statement. “If I don’t eat soon, I may wither away to nothingness.”
Austin laughed and gestured toward the picnic basket. Ella slid across the blanket and opened the basket up quickly. She started to pull out Tupperware containers and sandwich bags, setting each one down on the blanket beside her. When the basket was almost empty, her eyes fell on a tiny black box sitting at the bottom.
Ella’s hands were trembling when she reached inside and pulled the box out. She held it in both hands while she turned around to face Austin. She moved slowly, barely able to breathe. When her eyes fell on Austin, he was kneeling in front of her with a broad smile on his face.
“Ella,” he began.
“Oh, my God,” Ella cried. Austin reached out and wrapped is hands around Ella’s.
“Ella,” he said again. “From the second I fi
rst saw you, I knew you were the only woman I could ever love. I spent so much time searching for someone who was right for me and it wasn’t until I met you that I realized I’d been looking in all the wrong places. Mystic Breeze Resort meant nothing to me when I first arrived. I didn’t want to be there. I hated the idea, but when I met you, I realized just what it truly meant. It brought me to you.”
Austin pause and pulled the box out of Ella’s trembling hands. He opened it and showed the ring inside to Ella. There in the box was a beautiful diamond with a halo of diamonds surrounding the center stone. Every inch of it sparkled as the light hit it. Ella’s eyes widened even more and tears fell down her cheeks.
“I love you more than anything,” Austin continued. “And I’ll never stop loving you. Even after I die, I’ll still love you. Ella, will you marry me?”
Ella didn’t need time to think about her answer. The second she saw the box, she knew what she would say. Ella fell forward and kissed Austin passionately. When she pulled away, she was crying with earnest.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes. Of course. Yes.”
Turn the page for Undercover Love by Ivy Blake!
Undercover Love
by Ivy Blake
Chapter 1
Carina
I stood in front of my third-grade classroom, tapping the ball of my foot against the tiled flooring. My students averted their eyes from my direction, silently pleading for me not to call on them for the answer. I could feel their nervousness clouding inside the four walls of my room as I smiled and walked back to the eraser board. “Alright guys, if you multiple five,” I pointed with my marker, “times four, what am I really saying? What are we doing?”
