Page 39 of Archer (Dirty Misfits MC 3)
“You’re afraid. I know. Trust me, I am, too. But whenever you’re ready—if you’re ever ready—I’ll be here. Okay?”
“You… you aren’t mad at me?”
I furrowed my brow. “Why would I be? My love isn’t conditional, Josie. It doesn't come with strings. You have it, whether you give it back or not is up for you to decide, but you have my love either way.”
Tears dripped down her face. “How the hell did you find me, you perfect man?”
I cupped her cheek and kissed her softly. “I’m not perfect, but I might just be perfect for you. Is that enough?”
She sniffled. “It’s more than enough.”
I pivoted and settled her body back against the shower floor before we made love one last time. And after our bodies unraveled with one another, I let her lay there and recuperate while I turned off the mist and turned on the waterfall shower head. I laid down beside her, holding her close as the hot water fell softly against our bodies.
Then, we stood up to clean ourselves up before we left our little bubble of paradise.
“You know, the guys were right,” I said.
Josie slipped into one of my larger t-shirts. “About?”
I stared at her a bit too long before I slipped into some pajama pants. “About you running your own club one day. I think you’d be very good at it.”
She grinned. “Trying to get me out of stripping still?”
I shook my head. “Not one bit.”
“Admit it, though. You’re still not okay with me dancing for money.”
I shrugged. “It’ll take some time getting used to. But I’ll still support you.”
“Even if you don’t agree with me?”
I paused. “It’s not that I don’t agree with it. I just…”
How the hell was I supposed to explain this to her? But then again, the second she opened her mouth, she proved to me why my heart and soul had fallen for her so quickly.
“You just don’t want to bury me like you did your sister.”
I swallowed down a knot forming in my throat. “Yeah. That.”
She came over and wrapped her beautiful little arms around my waist. “It’ll never happen. This gun you’ve let me borrow? It’s staying with me.”
I chuckled. “I’ll make sure the guys know it’s permanently your gun.”
She giggled. “Thank you, handsome.”
I smiled and kissed the top of her head. “You’re very welcome, beautiful.”
She kissed my chest. “But just to let you know, if I ever had the money to open my own place? I totally would.”
When those words came out of her mouth, I knew what I could provide for her. I knew what I could give this strong woman that she couldn't give herself. And honestly, it wasn’t because I didn’t trust her. Or her clientele. I simply didn’t trust other men who took advantage of that kind of system. I heard horror stories growing up of men trying to grope and rape dancers. Women going missing. I mean, even before the shit that happened with my sister, the strip joints I knew about were places to stay away from.
They were secret massage parlors.
Or fronts for trafficking women.
Or secret whore houses.
But I knew Josie would run a clean-cut establishment if she ever had the chance.
And damn it, I was determined to give her that chance.
“I won’t let anyone touch me except you,” she whispered, “I promise.”
I crooked my finger beneath her chin and lifted her gaze to mine. “That goes for this mission, too. You hear me?”
She gawked. “So, you’re okay with tomorrow night?”
I grinned. “Not like I really have a choice, right?”
She took a step back and stared me down. “If it really won’t sit with you that much, I won’t do it.”
I paused. “Wait, what?”
Then, she took my hand in hers. “I care for you, Archer. A lot. I care about how you feel and what you’re going through. I care about what made you the man you are standing in front of me today. And yes, that means I care about how tomorrow night affects you. And you seriously, beyond a shadow of a doubt, don’t want me doing this at all? Then, what we have is more important to me than what I might be able to obtain for your guys.”
Her words shocked me to my core, and I no longer questioned how she felt about me. I knew how much it took for her to say that. For her to even attempt to sympathize with me in that way.
And I knew there was no way in hell I could hold her back.
“No, I’m okay. I’ll be in the van, I’ll be able to help if necessary, and that makes me feel a hell of a lot better.”
She smirked. “Struggling a bit this evening?”
I groaned. “You have no idea.”
She pulled me closer to her. “Well, what do you say we get some Tylenol in me since I’m a bit sore, we lay down in your bed, and we enjoy this lovely mounted flatscreen you have that I don’t?”
