Page 92 of York

“Actually,” I said, putting my mug down, then taking his and setting it aside, “the last thing I want to do is talk.”

I moved over to straddle him, wrapping my arms around his neck as his went around my waist, holding me close.

“Sounds good to me,” he said before my lips claimed his.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

York

Something had changed between us with coming to Wyoming.

The guards that Runa had kept mostly in place between us had completely lowered. I suddenly found myself allowed in—to her thoughts, her feelings, her bed at night.

After hooking up in the living room, we’d eaten half our body weight in freeze dried candy before taking turns showering in her en suite bathroom.

I checked the house again. We both looked in on a sleeping Denali. Then we tumbled into her childhood bed, getting lost in each other for hours, until our bodies were as spent as our minds.

We slipped back into our clothes in case Denali came looking for us, then Runa fell back against the pillows, laughing.

“What?”

“My grandfather was always worried about boys in my room.”

“Bet he never imagined he’d have to worry about a bearded, tattooed biker.”

“Actually, that was pretty high on his list of worries,” she said, shooting me a big smile.

She curled into me afterward. All the stress of the past few days caught up with her, knocking her out in minutes.

As for me, I stayed up, listening to the unfamiliar sounds of the house as I finally let my own worries surface.

I’d kept them tamped down, wanting to be a calm voice of reason and a steady shoulder for Runa.

But I couldn’t help but wonder what it meant now that she was a wealthy woman. One who wouldn’t need to rely on me for anything. One who could buy Denali anything she wanted. Who could hire babysitters and nannies. One who wouldn’t have any use for me anymore.

I wanted to believe I had a place in their lives, in Runa’s future. But I didn’t know what that kind of money would do.

Would she want Denali to grow up on the ranch like she had? What would my visitation look like with my daughter then? My life was in Florida. Those men and women in and around the club—that was my family too.

Eventually, I had to force the thoughts and worries away, ignore the black hole in my chest, and let sleep claim me.

I wasn’t sure how long I got to sleep, but it wasn’t nearly enough before, out of nowhere, I felt the whole bed shaking.

For a split second before I could fully wake up, I wondered if Wyoming had earthquakes.

But as soon as my eyes opened, I realized what was making the world—no, bed—shake.

Denali.

In her princess-printed pajama set, her hair all crazy from sleep.

Jumping up and down on the bed.

“You are way too energetic for this hour,” Runa grumbled, folding up to grab our daughter, then pulling her down between the two of us. “How’d you sleep?”

“Good.”

“Have you been up for a while?”