He leads me upstairs to a part of the clubhouse I haven't seen before, unlocking a door to reveal a moderately sized bedroom.
"This is my room here in the club,” Hawk explains, shutting the door behind us. "We’ll stay here tonight. I don't think we should go back to the apartment."
I look around, taking in the room. It feels rather homey—a large bed with dark blue covers, a comfortable chair in the corner, and an open door that leads to what I think is a private bathroom. There are a couple of motorcycle repair manuals and a sketchbook on the nightstand.
Hawk's eyes darken as he watches me explore his space. When I turn back to him, the mix of admiration and desire in his gaze steals my breath.
It hits me like a ton of bricks. I love this man. I've fallen in love with Hawk.
The realization doesn't shock me all that much. It feels more like simply acknowledging something I've known since themoment I looked into those golden-amber eyes of his. I love this fierce, dangerous man with gentle hands and a protective heart.
Hawk doesn’t seem all that scared, but I am. I’m terrified. I know Uncle Vincent and Marco are just getting started. They won’t stop until they get what they want—me. What if they hurt the club because of me?"
I make my decision. With tomorrow so uncertain, I want tonight to be ours. Completely ours.
I plant my hands on his chest, look up into his eyes, and breathe against his lips, “I want you to make love to me. I want you to be my first. I love you and I want to give you all of me."
He responds immediately, his mouth capturing mine in a searing kiss.
When I slide my hands under his cut, pushing it off his shoulders, he pulls back slightly, his expression fierce and possessive but also vulnerable and raw. "Say it again. Tell me you love me.”
I take a deep breath. "I love you, Hawk." The words come easier this time, feeling right on my tongue.
With a growl, he lifts me into his arms and carries me to the bed. He stands over me, his eyes burning like molten lead as he strips off his shirt, revealing a strongly muscled, tattooed torso.
"You're beautiful," I whisper, reaching for him.
He joins me on the bed, his weight pressing me into the mattress as his mouth finds mine again. This kiss is different—deeper, hungrier, filled with promise. I open for him, melting beneath his touch as his hands explore my body through my clothes.
“I want my woman naked beneath me,” he mutters against my neck.
My laughter turns to a gasp as he tugs my shirt up and over my head. His gaze drops to my simple cotton bra, and the heatin his eyes makes me feel more beautiful than if I were wearing the finest lingerie.
"Perfect," he murmurs, lowering his head to nip, suck, and kiss along the swell of my breasts.
His calloused hands run over every curve and dip of my body. Each touch fires off new nerve endings and draws from me sounds I’ve never heard myself make.
When he unclasps my bra and bares my breasts to his gaze, I fight the urge to cover myself. The reverence in his expression causes moisture to pool between my thighs.
“God, I love these tits. So goddamn beautiful," he says, his voice gravelly with desire.
He takes his time, worshipping my body with his hands, mouth, and tongue until I'm writhing beneath him, desperate for more. When he finally removes the rest of our clothes, I'm too far gone in pleasure to feel self-conscious about my nakedness.
Hawk positions himself above me, his powerful body caging mine. "This might hurt at first," he warns, his eyes searching mine. "We can stop anytime. Just say the word."
“Do it already,” I tease, cradling his face between my palms. "I want this. I want you."
He enters me slowly, carefully, pausing when I wince at the initial discomfort. "Breathe through it, little sparrow," he encourages, kissing away the hint of tears that gather at the corners of my eyes.
The pain gives way to a pleasurable fullness that makes me gasp. We’re connected. Joined. When he begins to move, pleasure builds with each careful thrust until I'm clinging to his shoulders, meeting his movements with my own.
"Look at me," he commands softly.
I open my eyes, meeting his intense gaze as our bodies move together. What I see there—tenderness, protectiveness, and devotion—steals my breath.
"I love you, Aria," he confesses, his voice strained with emotion and restraint. "Have since the moment I laid eyes on you."
Elation explodes in my chest as the mounting pleasure builds between my thighs. "I love you too."
