Page 30 of Riding Free

I don’t ask her why her parents aren’t helping her out financially. They probably could, but it’s not their responsibility.

But it is mine.

Because she and Thea are mine.

“What if I paid for it?” I ask.

“Brock,” she hisses.

She buttons her jeans, then takes one step toward me, lifting her hand. She places her palm on the center of my chest. I watch as she tilts her head back, her eyes finding mine.

“I can’t do that,” she whispers. “I can’t take your money like that.”

I curl my fingers around her wrist, squeezing gently before I lift her hand. Turning my head, I touch my lips to the center of her palm before I face her again. There is a moment of silence while we stare at one another.

“Brock, I can’t take your money.”

I shake my head once, then twice. “Babe,” I warn.

She opens her mouth again, but my gaze sharpens as I focus on hers. I shake my head once more to shut her up. It works. I tug her arm near me, and she stumbles forward, her body pressing against mine. I wrap my other arm around her waist, holding her close to me.

Dipping my chin, I brush my mouth across hers. “You can,” I mutter. “You’re my woman, and you’ll be my wife soon enough. You can take my money. I haven’t helped you at all in the past year. I think I can help you out now.”

She starts to speak again, but I press my lips against hers in a hard kiss, slipping my tongue inside her warm mouth. I taste her, completely and fully taste her. It’s a long, hard, deep, wet kiss, and it’s fucking perfect.

Nibbling on her bottom lip, I shift my head back slightly, pressing my forehead against hers. Closing my eyes, I take a cleansing breath, talking myself out of throwing her on the back of my bike and riding straight to the clubhouse.

“I’m fixing up the house this week. You can work or not, but I’m paying for your classes,” I state.

She opens her mouth, but I touch my lips to hers again in a hard yet chaste kiss before I move back slightly, my gaze focused on hers, never leaving. Hell, I could stare into her eyes for the rest of eternity and be happy—content.

“I can’t ask you for that, Brock.”

I shake my head once. “You’re not asking a goddamn thing. I’m offering it, and I’m doing it. Whatever you need, babe. It’s yours. I’m yours, and it’s time I do whatever I need to do to support you.”

CHAPTER

TWENTY-THREE

KEELY

I didn’t think I’d ever get to sleep last night. After I came home from my date, my body completely satiated, my belly too, I had to deal with my parents. It wasn’t pretty. They were already sober, their early evening cocktails having worn off while I was away, and they were good and pissed off at my life choices—again.

They’d no doubt been discussing it for the hours I’d been gone, enjoying my time with Brock. It was worth being away while they got pissed and all worked up. I could have stayed home and listened to them lecture me, but not for the first time, I chose the selfish path.

Nothing surprising about them being mad at me, though.

They are always pissed at my life choices. It doesn’t mean anything to me at this point. It’s just another day of living with my parents, and another reason why I left as soon as I could when I was younger and tried not to come home for visits.

Maybe I’m the weak one. Maybe if I had stayed or come home more often and visited them, there’s a chance we’d have a better relationship, but probably not. Camden is the golden child who can never do wrong, and he doesn’t come home to visit, either.

My parents just rub us the wrong way. Even though Camden and I are complete opposites, my parents still manage to piss us off in different ways. And this night was no different.

Eventually, after the arguing, with zero solution because I’m not willing to break things off with Brock and just take him to court for financial reasons, I did fall asleep. It wasn’t a deep one, though.

My mind is swimming, and my body is all worked up, and it’s not just from the amazing sex and the promise of more. It’s me not wanting to ruin my life, to ruin Thea’s. It’s my parents getting inside my head. I’ve disappointed them at every turn, so I know it’s not just that part.

It’s the simple fact that I have Thea to worry about now. Everything is different. If I fail, if I fuck up, I’m not just ruining my life. I’m ruining hers, too. And I don’t want to have that kind of responsibility. I know that having her and caring for her is a huge responsibility, but it’s different when I’m making life-altering, course-changing decisions.