•Talia•
"Fuck... just like that, yes," I draw out, digging my hands into the siding of the window overlooking the backyard. My breasts are pressed firmly against the cool glass window, my foot propped up on the window sill.
Ryder is behind me, his large hand around my neck and pulling my head back until his lips can slam against mine in a bruising kiss.
We're both covered in a thin sheen of sweat, having both worked ourselves up after two rounds prior to this one.
It's been several weeks since his surgery and the club doctor finally—after weeks of begging on both our parts—said it was okay to start having more than just me on top and him trying not to move sex.
Not that I complained too much before, but it is nicer to have him in charge. Now that I'm okay with relinquishing my control, I can't get enough of Ryder showing me exactly who I knew him to be.
"Shit, cupcake, you feel amazing," he growls against my lips, taking his other hand and wrapping it in my hair and pulling roughly. I gasp at that, giving him a chance to shove his tongue into my mouth.
His hips speed up, slapping against my asscheeks. The window in front of me fogs up enough to where I can no longer see clearly outside where the club is sitting around, enjoying their evening.
They know we're up here. I'm sure some have been snuck a peak—I guess that's the exciting part of what we're doing.
My hands fists the sides of the window, nails digging into the wood until I can feel the pain radiating in my fingertips. My leg that's propped up loses its footing and slams back to the ground as I collapse even further into the window, slumping against the frosty glass. A deep moan escapes me.
My orgasm pulses through me, out of nowhere, in waves, my pussy clamping over Ryder's cock as he comes, filling me. It spills out, dripping onto the ledge in front of the window and the floor.
He slows until he's barely pushing inside of me anymore, softening already. I know he'll be hard again soon, but I can barely catch my breath right now. I can barely even hold my weight up anymore. I don't know if I can go another round in this position. How he might be in his condition is a mystery to me.
Ryder senses my deep exhaustion and wraps his arms around my waist, dragging me over to the bed and dropping me gently onto the plush comforter.
An imprint of where my body just was remains in the fogged up window and I'm sure everyone downstairs is having a laugh at my expense, but I can't find it in me to care. Not when Ryder slides into the bed behind me, wrapping his slender body around mine and pulling me firmly against him.
He's so warm. I feel safe in his arms. Like nothing can ever touch me again. His arms are where I belong. It took a year for me to figure that out, but once I did, I saw him for who and what he truly is: home. He is the home that I belong to. He is what I was always looking for. What I didn't even know I was chasing.
Dylan Novak is my forever.
♠️♥️♣️♦️
"I've found that information you requested," Turner says on the other end of the call.
I hold my phone tightly to my ear. "Yeah? What'd you find?"
"Alvin Wallace, formerly married to Marta Wallace née Davis. They had one daughter, Savannah Wallace, who has since married and became Savannah Mitchell. Mrs. Mitchell and her husband, John Sr., have two sons, John Jr. and Georgie. The family lives at 73990 Forsyth Street."
"Thanks, Turner, I appreciate the help."
"Anytime, Talia."
The phone goes dead on his end and I drop it from my ear, immediately opening maps and typing in the address he just gave me.
My mouth hangs in shock at what I see. Forsyth Street is barely ten miles away from my apartment complex.
Pa's daughter and her family are practically within walking distance. And they have been for quite some time now.
If only he knew.
I hadn't decided what I'd do with the information when I found out, but knowing his family is so close and he doesn't know... Well that's pure torture.
He's gone years now thinking he'd never see his family again. And family is too important to not ever meet again.
I can only hope his daughter will want to share her life with her father.
"What's got you all giddy?" Ryder asks, coming up behind me as I lean against a pole out back near the pool. His arms curl around my stomach, his chin resting on my shoulder.
He smells like cinnamon pancakes and I just know he's been chowing down on June's breakfast extravaganza without me. I steal a kiss, lingering a moment longer to savor the flavor bouncing off his tongue. Honey and syrup, cinnamon and sugar. My mouth waters at the taste.
"The homeless man that lives at my old apartment complex, the one that sleeps under the stairs?" When he nods that he knows who I'm talking about, I continue. "I had Turner do some digging and found out that his family only lives about ten miles away from him. All this time, he's not known what happened to them but they've been here all along."
I can feel Ryder smile over my shoulder. Placing my hands over his, I mimic his grin, proud of myself.
"Are you going to do something about it?"
I sigh deeply, looking out over the backyard. "I'd like too. I just don't want to overstep any boundaries."
"I don't think it'd be considered overstepping."
"You sure?"
He turns me around in his arms until his hands are latched at my lower back and I'm facing his chest. "Positive. What made you do this to begin with?"
Ryder's brow quirks up in amusement and I lean my head back on the pole, using his arms around me as a way to stay balanced.
"I barely even know the man, but he was there for me when I was having a moment of weakness. A stranger who didn't even know what I was going through. He had the kindness to sit there and help me through it. It wasn't much. It wasn't life altering advice. But it was enough. He helped me that day and it's stuck with me ever since. If I can do one kindness for him, it'll be make feel a whole lot better."
He pulls me into his arms at that, placing a sweet kiss on my forehead. "You're amazing, you know that?"
I roll my eyes and playfully push against his chest. "You're just trying to butter me up so you can go in there and sneak the rest of the cinnamon pancakes without me yelling at you."
His mouth drops open in shock. "How dare you accuse me of such a thing. I'll have you know I originally came out here to come get you before they all were gone."
I give him a pointed stare. "Oh yeah?"
"Nope!" He laughs maniacally as he pulls his arms free and spins around, running back into the clubhouse. "More pancakes for me! You snooze you lose, Montgomery!"
My chest vibrates with laughter at the ridiculous man running off to the kitchen like a child.
But that's my ridiculous man and damnit, if I don't love him with all my heart.
♠️♥️♣️♦️
Nighttime in Vegas never ceases to amaze me.
It's so beautiful. All the lights adding to the atmosphere. I've never been to a city more visually stunning before. Everything feels so alive here. So much more vibrant than the rest of the country. It's only rivals are Los Angeles or New York City. There's just something about all the sparkling, twinkling lights off of billboards and buildings that give a magical feel to everything.
Even the people walking up and down the strip make it feel like I've stepped into another dimension. Sure you've got those of us dressed like ordinary people, some dressed in jeans, others in slinky dresses. But then there's the showgirls. The celebrity impersonators. The cocktail waitresses in barely-there lingerie. The men in full gold body paint as they pretend to be statues. The weirdos dressed in ridiculous costumes.
It's all...magic.
Pure, beautiful magic.
Ryder and I walk hand in hand down the sidewalk, occasionally looking over at one another lovingly. His hair is pulled back into a bun the way I like it, a long sleeve black henley shirt and his cut covering his torso. Just underneath the V in that shirt is a brand new tattoo with my name in elegant, swirling cursive. It's hidden amongst the copious amount of tattoos, but it's in that space he's saved for his future Old Lady.
I told him it wasn't necessary, but he insisted, saying it was tradition. Caught up in the moment, I made the decision to do the same, except my tattoo isn't as elegant as his.
The only way I would agree to it is if it was absolutely ridiculous. I had to be able to laugh every time I saw it.
And that's why on my outer thigh there was now an old school heart with barbed wire wrapped around it and Ryder's name in script in the center.
Just think about a biker with a MOM tattoo and that's exactly the style I have Ryder's name on my body.
Each time I look down, I smile. It's an archaic practice amongst these Wolves, but I can't help but admit that I like seeing his claim staked on me in such a permanent way.
And that's why it must be the adrenaline and endorphins talking when I see a cute little white chapel with neon lights and an Elvis impersonator dressed as a priest standing out front and decide to do something even more permanent.
"Whoa, where are you taking me?" Ryder laughs as I begin to drag him by the arm through the crowd.
I stop outside of the chapel, grinning at the priest with the snazzy black pompadour and dark sunglasses.
"You've been talking about how you're going to marry me someday. I think it's time you put your money where your mouth is, Novak."
His eyes practically bulge out of his head. "Here? Now?"
I grin mischievously, grabbing his hands in mine and getting onto my knee in front of him. "Dylan Novak, will you marry me?"
His lips spread into a wide smile and he kneels in front of me as well until we're eye level. "Don't you think I should be the one asking you that?"
I drop his hands to place my palms on either sides of his cheeks. "Does it really matter? I never really liked following the rules anyway."
He places his hands over mine, his cheeks heating up in a deep flush. "You know the rest of the club is going to be pissed when they find out we got married without them being there."
I shake my head. "I don't care. I just need you. Me. Us."
We kiss passionately, both of us kneeling on the sidewalk outside of a crappy fake church in the middle of the Las Vegas strip as countless people that walk by probably wonder what kind of drugs we've been doing tonight.
"Us," he says, pulling back.
"You're my family, Ryder. Always."
The End
Ryder and Talia will make appearances in following Savage Wolves MC books.
•••
Thank you so much for being apart of this journey with me. It makes me so happy that so many of you have stuck with this series and fallen in love with these characters as much as I have.
I wouldn't be where I am if it wasn't for all of you amazing readers.
This book took much longer to get out, as this past year I've been suffering from my own demons. It's been a rough struggle for me and I'm happy to say it is finally beginning to get better. I feel like I'm on the road to recovery and healing from several things all at once.
I can't thank you all enough for understanding and being so kind to me during my extended break. I will forever be thankful for all those that sent kind words of love and support.
I love you, and hope you all continue with this series!
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Make sure you're following me to be updated on when I post the next book!
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Next Up: Talon and India in
Talon (Savage Wolves MC) #4