CHARLOTTE

I was so warm right then. The feeling was pure bliss, and I knew if I opened my eyes, I would see the most magnificent arms wrapped around me. Last night had been so emotional and hard that I still felt wiped out. Not to mention, my head was pounding from my overindulgence of Stella’s fruity cocktails.

I vowed never to ever drink again. From what I could piece together in my foggy mind, I did have fun with the girls. For the most part, I thought ruefully to myself as I remembered the part of the night when Deck and the others returned to the compound and found us semi-naked. From there, it was not so much fun.

I could hear the soft snores coming from Deck. He’d had such a hard night with our fight and that horrible nightmare. I was on my way back to him when I heard him from the hallway. His tortured screams tore at my heart. When I made it to him, I was horrified at what I saw and heard. Deck was covered in sweat as tears escaped from the corner of his eyes. His whole body was tense and hard, lost in the memory of a horrible day he was never going to forget.

I also remembered looking up and seeing Booth standing just off from the couch, his eyes on Deck and sympathy etched on his face. But when he looked at me, and I saw the tears on his face running down unchecked, my heart just broke for him, too, for all of them. What they had to do to become the heroes they were now, I couldn’t begin to fathom and wasn’t really sure I wanted to—but if Deck ever wanted to share one day, I would be more than pleased to listen to him.

I ran my hands up and over Deck’s hard, muscled body, and I could feel them tighten from my touch. My eyes were still closed. I wasn’t ready to let the outside world in just yet, but I had so much to do today. The recital was tonight. I had to get Shiloh up so we could get to the dance studio and set up. The prospects had already gone and set up the chairs and tables for the refreshments Mia had planned.

The club had been so amazing with their help for the recital. Their love for Shiloh was so real.

So honest.

When Deck’s hands moved across my back and around to my sides, I pushed myself harder against him.

“Sweetness, you feel so soft.” His husky voice was turned on, making me smile.

I started to move my body just a little to get better contact with my soldier man’s chest when, suddenly, a voice stopped me like a statue.

“I wouldn’t move anymore, Teach, if I were you. We can see far too much of your breast now as it is.” I wasn’t sure, but I thought it was Ford’s voice. He sounded a lot like Sebastian, one of the club’s prospects.

My mind was panicking. How much had they seen? And who saw?

“Deck,” I shrieked, but he was already wrapping me back up in his arms and had me pinned under him in seconds, most of my body covered by his. He had his boxer shorts on, but sometime during the night, he must have kicked his jeans the rest of the way off.

I, however, was still completely naked after last night.

“Ford, you fucking arsehole, get your eyes off my woman’s tits right fucking now.” Deck growled from above me.

Okay, then, I got the name of the voice right.

I was completely naked and lying on a couch most of the club sat on, my semi-naked boyfriend was lying on top of me, and at least one person I knew of had seen my breasts. I started to giggle. I couldn’t help it. Before I met Deck, my entire life was sad and lonely. My friends were the people I danced with, but they weren’t friends away from dance. My family had never taken to me, except for my grandparents, and they couldn’t exactly go out and have fun with me. I’d been lonely. Alone in the world. And then Deck stormed into my life, and suddenly, I had everything I ever wanted and so much more.

Never did I think that one day, I would be naked, under the man who was the love of my life, in a biker compound made up of ex-soldiers, but here I was, and I couldn’t be happier.

“What’s so funny, Sweetness?” Deck asked.

I looked over his shoulder and saw Vegas making her way to us with a large mink blanket in her hands and a huge smile on her pretty face.

“Oh, nothing. I just never thought I could be this happy,” I said as Vegas dropped the blanket down over the top of us.

“Here you go, you two. Seriously, Charlotte, when you said you were going to sleep with your man on the couch, you took it to a whole other level, didn’t you?”

I giggled again as I hid my face in Deck’s neck, then wrapped my arms around his shoulders and just held on. “This is my happy place, honey. Right here with you and your family,” I whispered in his ear.

He pulled back slightly, and his sleepy eyes caressed me. “Your laugh is like music to my ears, Charlie. You are my happy place, and this is your family. Never ever forget that, Sweetness. I love you so much, baby, so much,” he whispered back to me fiercely. Then he kissed me softly like we were the only two in the room.

“I love you, too, fiercely,” I told him, kissing him one last time.

His smile lit up his face.

“Now get me to our room without any more of my naked body being shown. Our daughter needs to rise and shine. Today is a very big day.”

I saw the look of love and satisfaction pass over his face at my words.

“Alright, then. Let’s go.”