I grabbed his hand without a word and led him outside to my bike. I pulled a helmet out of the saddlebag and held it out to him. His eyes widened, and he stared at it as if it might bite him.
He looked up at me and blinked. “Are you sure?”
It was a common question he’d been asking for days. Every time we went out in public, he asked if I was sure.
I fucking hated it.
But I had no one to blame but myself. “I’m sure, baby.”
His smile melted any lingering doubts that might have been hiding inside the dark parts of me. I placed the helmet on his head and clipped the strap. Then I swung my leg over my bike and held out my hand.
I’d never had anyone on the back of my bike. That seat wasn’t for just anyone. It was sacred. It was a claim that told the worldthis person is mine.
His hand trembled in mine as he climbed on behind me.
Then his body pressed against my back.
Fuck!
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, reveling in the moment. The weight of him, the solid warmth of his chest against my spine, the way his thighs bracketed mine, and the way his arms wrapped around my waist and held on to me was a feeling I’d denied myself for far too fucking long.
Simon relaxed against me as we rode through town where everyone who saw us waved. His love and trust in me were something precious that I would never again take for granted. Because for six years I’d touched him only in the dark corners of The Sanctum.
And he’d stayed.
He’d waited for me to pull my head out of my ass and my sexuality out of the fucking closet I’d been locked in.
And now he was mine.
“Tony?”
Simon’s voice pulled me back to the present. He was looking at me over his shoulder, his brow furrowed. “You okay?”
I kissed him again, softer this time. “Yeah, baby. I’m good.”
Better than good.
Because this time, I’m not hiding. This time, I’m not letting him go.
The music shifted, and King’s voice cut through the noise. “Alright, everyone, listen up!”
The room quieted, all eyes turning toward the front where King stood, Jack beside him, holding a white box.
My chest tightened.
Here we go.
King’s eyes found mine across the room. “Matlock, get your ass up here.”
I stood, gently lifting Simon off my lap and setting him on his feet. He looked confused, his eyes darting between me and King.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“You’ll see,” I said, pressing a quick kiss to his forehead before walking toward King.
The crowd parted as I moved through them, my brothers clapping me on the back, murmuring words of encouragement.
Say something. Tell them what this means.