Brick shrugged. “Fair enough.”
Tazzy came around the counter and slipped her hand into Jaxon’s. She squeezed once, then looked up at him with a soft, steady gaze that settled something inside him.
“I like it when you get all growly and protective,” she said quietly. “But I really am okay, Daddy. Ravage and Brick kept me safe while you were gone. You know, Daddy, while you were in prison, I got to know lots of people you’ve never met.”
Jaxon snapped his eyes on her.
“Never anything romantic,” she rushed to assure him. “There’s never been anyone for me except you. Though for a while, I wouldn’t admit it. Despite their looks, Ravage and Brick have been nothing but gentlemen. It’s you I get to go home with every night now, and I couldn’t be happier.”
She must have had countless opportunities to ditch him while he was in prison. They’d never discussed any relationships she might have had. Evidently, there were none to discuss. It hit him hard and deep. She’d been choosing him the whole time he’d been gone. She just hadn’t realized it. And she chose all of him. Even the dark, possessive parts he had tried to keep leashed.
He pulled her close, one arm banded around her waist, the other cupping the back of her neck. “You sure about that, Sprite?”
She rose up and kissed the underside of his jaw. “I am sure. And please don’t call me Sprite when I am trying to be serious. Like I said, I’m your Darkling now.”
He chuckled, the sound low and rough. “Darkling it is, then. But only because Darkling sounds a lot like darlin’. And you’ll always be that to me.”
She smiled against his chest. “I can live with that.”
Jaxon held her tight. No doubt Ravage and Brick had been vigilant, but the threat Dax had told him about had his sense of danger on high alert. The fact that the General was moving around Darling, despite wearing a tracker saying he was locked down at Graceview, had him worried. The man had gotten close enough to leave a note on Tazzy’s car just outside the shop. It was plain no one really knew where the General was or when he might strike again.
Jaxon knew two things for certain. His Darkling was in danger. And he would burn the whole world down before he let anyone touch her again.
Ravage caught his eye over Tazzy’s head and gave a single nod. Brick did the same, a silent promise that they had his back.
Jaxon pressed a kiss to the top of Tazzy’s head and let himself breathe her in. For the first time in eight years, he wasn’t fighting alone. He had his woman, his brothers, and a new crew of men who understood exactly what it meant to protect what was yours.
It didn’t matter how the General was beating the tracker he wore. If he ever came near Tazzy again, he was a dead man.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Tazzy clung to Jaxon’s back as the big Harley roared down the winding Tennessee backroads, the wind whipping past her helmet and making her feel gloriously, dangerously alive. Every lean into a curve pressed her tighter against his solid frame, her thighs squeezing his hips while the powerful vibration of the engine hummed straight through her bones and settled low in her belly like liquid heat.
Ravage had been right about the road. She'd forgotten how freeing this felt, how the world blurred into streaks of green and gold while she held onto her Daddy and let him take complete control. The stupid helmet he'd insisted she wear kept her safe, but it couldn't contain the wild, giddy laugh that bubbled up from her chest every time he opened the throttle.
For the first time in years, she felt small and protected and utterly free all at once, her heart racing with the same thrilling rush she got when Jaxon looked at her.
The late afternoon sun painted the East Tennessee mountains in soft gold, washing the ancient ridges and deep hollows in warm, honeyed light. Still, her mind stayed fixed on the man in front of her. Her arms wrapped tight around his waist, her body pressed flushagainst his broad back while the big engine rumbled between her thighs.
Every powerful vibration sent sparks dancing across her skin. The quick spanking she'd earned earlier for arguing about wearing the helmet still left a warm, delicious throb across her bottom, but the ache felt right. Like the world had finally clicked back into place.
They’d taken the long way home so they could get some road time in. She was disappointed to see they were approaching their driveway. Pulling in, Jaxon cut the engine. He turned to her, startling blue eyes steady. “Inside, Sprite. We need to talk about your rules now that you’re back with Daddy for real.”
Her stomach flipped with a mix of nerves and excitement. She followed him into the house, heart beating faster with every step. They went straight to the big couch in the living room. Jaxon pulled her onto his lap, so she straddled his thighs. His hands settled on her hips, warm and possessive.
“New rules,” he said, voice low and certain. “These aren't the same ones we had before. We're different people now. I'm not letting anything happen to you again. So we write them down together. That way they fit who we are today.”
Tazzy nodded, biting her lip. She liked this side of him. The sharp, protective edge that'd grown stronger in the years apart. It made her feel small and safe at the same time. Hearing his “Daddy voice” made her tingle all over.
Jaxon reached for the notebook on the coffee table, being careful to hold her in place. He leaned back and opened it to a fresh page. “Safety and protection come first. Daddy promises to keep you safe, physically and emotionally. That means I decide what risks you take. You don't argue when I say something's off limits. Like riding a motorcycle without a helmet.”
She shifted on his lap, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks. “Yes, Daddy.”
“Open communication,” he continued, writing each line in his bold handwriting. “You tell me when you're scared, sad, or hurt. No hidingit. I want every feeling, babygirl. I need to know what’s wrong so I can make it better.”
Tazzy’s throat tightened. She'd spent eight years hiding so much. The idea of laying everything bare felt scary and risky, but the way he looked at her made her want to try.
“Routine and structure,” he said. “Bedtime's ten o’clock sharp. No screens thirty minutes before. You eat at least one healthy snack every day and drink all your water. It’s the small things that keep you healthy and steady.”