Chapter 14

"You love me?" I blinked up at Kendrick, pressing trembling fingers against my lips as my heart started to race.

He pulled me closer, threading his fingers through the back of my hair. "Damn straight, I do."

His answer sparked a flutter in my belly, but I was still having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that this amazing man had fallen in love with me so quickly. "This isn't just a heat of the moment thing? Because I put myself out there to get you what you needed? And you think I might be carrying your baby after this past weekend?"

"I can see why you want to become a lawyer, baby. You're gonna be great at grilling people when they're on the stand." He brushed his lips against mine in a quick kiss. "But you've got this all wrong. I've seen many of my club brothers fall hard and fast for their women, but I never thought it would happen to me until I met you."

"Really?" I gasped, those flutters in my belly turning into full-on butterflies that had taken flight and were flapping their wings as hard as possible.

"I wouldn't have had Cat put you in my room if I didn't already know I was going to claim you." He captured my mouth in a deeper kiss that left me breathless and gripping his shoulders to hold myself steady. "Seems as though you're the only one who didn't realize what I was planning. I was acting so damn out of character, all it took was five seconds for Mac to figure out why and call me on my shit."

I smoothed my hands down his chest, tracing my fingers over the Silver Saints emblem on his vest. "I was so worried that you were going to get in trouble with how angry he seemed."

"Oh, he was still pissed as fuck because someone could've realized that I took you and clued the judge into the fact that the Silver Saints were looking into him." He chuckled and shook his head, flashing me a cocky grin. "But he couldn't say shit because he kidnapped Bridget out of her room on another MC's compound where her dad was the president."

"I really do need to ask her to tell me the story about how she and Mac got together," I muttered. "The things I've heard so far are pretty wild."

He quirked a brow. "Wilder than how we met?"

"Nah," I giggled.

His hold on my hair tightened as he peered down at me. "Then maybe your curiosity about my prez and his old lady can wait until after you tell me how you feel about me."

My smile was wide as I confessed, "I fell just as quickly."

"Is that your way of saying that you love me, baby?" he asked, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he returned my grin.

"Yes, I love you, too." I twined my arms around his neck and went up on my toes to press my lips against his. "So, so much."

"Thank fuck, baby." He dropped his forehead against mine. "Or else I would've had to kidnap you for real until you fell for me."

"From the little I've been told so far, I think Bridget already proved that you can't kidnap the willing," I teased, my heart full of happiness.

"Not sure how willing you should be since I'm pissed that you put yourself at risk. I would've come back to grab these from the judge's hiding place under the floor beneath his desk if the search of his house didn't turn up anything. Which I'm assuming would be the case since it looks like he was keeping the records for his dirty shit here."

"Oh." My shoulders slumped. "You already found where he kept this stuff?"

He lifted his head and nodded. "Yeah, on Friday night right as you walked into the office and interrupted my search."

Blown away by his explanation, I gaped at him. "Why didn't you just grab the stuff while I was making copies?"

"Because there was no way for me to be certain this was what he was keeping down there until I had the chance to check it out." He shook the file I'd given him. "And I didn't want to let you out of my sight in case shit hit the fan and I needed to get you outta the building fast. After years of putting the needs of the Silver Saints ahead of everything, your safety came first. Luckily, it's not a decision anyone's going to give me shit over because every other man who wears this cut would've done the same for their woman."

The television shows had definitely gotten a lot wrong about motorcycle clubs, and I couldn't be happier that Kendrick was the kind of man who wouldn't put me second. "If you'd told me that you were that close to grabbing this stuff, I would've stuck close to you while you searched the judge's hiding spot. Then you wouldn't have needed to worry about finding what you needed."

"I think it's safe to say that I don't live up to my reputation for being calm and collected when it comes to you," he admitted with a rueful grin. "But I wasn't worried, baby. Meeting you might've thrown me off my game a little on Friday night, but I didn't have any doubt that I'd be able to dig up whatever the judge was hiding. I'm the club's fixer because I'm damn good at ferreting out information and won't stop until I find what we need to keep my club brothers safe and outta jail."

I beamed a smile at him. "We really are the perfect fit. Once I graduate from law school and pass the bar, you can help me dig up information to help my clients, and I can help you keep the Silver Saints out of prison."

"Consider it a deal, baby." He captured my mouth in a deep kiss, his tongue tangling with mine until I was breathless…and had decided that we should seal every deal the same way. "The club could use a skilled attorney who's part of the family. We have two we use now, but one's too crooked to trust, and the other is too straight to get his hands dirty when we need it."

I winked at him. "Kinda like Goldilocks, I'll be just right."

"Because you're fucking perfect." He released the hair at the back of my head to brush my bangs away from my glasses. "Did your apartment come furnished?"

I shook my head, wondering if the abrupt change of topic was because he was going to suggest that he move in. We couldn't stay at the clubhouse forever, and now that I knew Kendrick loved me, I didn't see any reason we should be apart from each other. Especially not with how hectic my schedule was and how unpredictable his was. "No, everything in there is mine."

"Good, we can have the guys move all your shit to my house," he announced with a smirk. "Your stuff will be enough for us to start staying there. I bought it a few years ago, but it needed a fuck ton of work. Got most of it done, though. So there's no reason we can't move in. It's not too far from the clubhouse, so the drive to campus won't be bad."

My brows drew together. "You have a house?"

"No, we have a house," he corrected. "But you're gonna be the one who turns it into a home. I've let the place sit empty while I've fixed it up because shopping for furniture and shit is the last thing I want to do."

"I love shopping," I breathed, thinking about how much fun I'd have decorating a home for us.

"More proof that you're fucking perfect for me, sweet baby."