Chapter Twenty: New Growth
Jaz
A few weeks passed and I began to question why I ever worried about being in a relationship with Ink. I woke up with a hunk most mornings. If I wasn’t at his house, he was at mine.
Ink loved the view of the water on the balcony and sat out there, drinking his beloved juice.
I joined him wrapped up in my blanket with my coffee. “It’s so nice out here isn’t it?” I said with a bright smile. This time it was real.
Ink was bare-chested and wearing boxer shorts only. His eyes locked in on me. “Yep. The view is perfect where I’m sitting,” he said in a low, sexy voice.
I winked at him and went back to sipping my coffee.
He slammed down the rest of the large orange juice he’d been drinking. He was still facing the water. “How long is your lease on this place?” he asked.
“Umm. I have another three months to go on it. Why?”
“I think you should move in with me. I want to wake up beside you every morning. You can save money in the long run. I know you have enough and you’re not hurting or anything. I just think you should consider it,” he said matter-of-factly.
“You want to move in together?” My voice turned up an octave. I got so excited I thought my little heart might not take it.
“Yes, I do. If you need to think about it, you have three months. Should be enough time, right?” He commanded, but with a huge grin on his face.
“I will think about it. Your apartment won’t fit all my stuff. Where am I going to put all my clothes? Have you seen them all? I haven’t even unpacked all of them here yet!” I threw my hands up.
Ink nodded. “I thought you might bring that up. I’ve cleared the room at the back of the apartment. There’s a whole other room back there. If it gets too crowded, we can just pick out a bigger place together.”
I squealed with happiness. He wanted to make plans with me for the future! “Wow! A new place that we can pick out together. I would like that. Maybe we could find a place near the water. I find it so pretty here. I love the river,” I gushed as my eyes twinkled at him.
His lips turned up in a smile. “You know what? I didn’t know I would like the water so much, but I’ve come to love it here.”
I moved around the table to him and planted a juicy kiss on his lips. For once, I was happy about my future. We still had a rival club situation going on, but that wasn’t stopping from us being happy together.
Talking on the balcony is where we solved a lot of things and I wanted to see where things were at. “What’s going on with the cartel situation?” I’d been worried. For so long, I’d only been concerned for myself and not somebody else. I wanted to stay. I wanted to face everything together with him and the Saints. For once in my life, I felt like Ink was a true ally, not just my lover, but a best friend as well.
“They’ve got their deposit now, and we have to deal with the fact they shot up the place. We have to figure this thing out with them,” Ink said, a confused look on his face.
“Strange and scary. Is Bones talking to them about it? Did he pay late?”
Ink nodded. “That part I don’t know and it’s a good question. We can find out more when we’re down at the club next. Meanwhile, I need to get you some shooting lessons. We have to take precautions.” His brow furrowed in concern but he grabbed my hand and kissed it. “So far, no pushback from either the Road Warriors or the Devil Riders, but it will be coming.”
“Okay. I’m up for it. Teach me, Ink,” I said fiercely.
“I’ve been through near death and survived it, there’s nothing I can’t get us through.”
I admired this about him. We’d both had experienced crazy circumstances and we endured.
Ink finished his juice. “I want to read the paper and get some more juice. I’ll be right back, you need anything from the store?”
“No, I’m good.” I smiled.
Ink got dressed and left my apartment.
I let out a weary sigh. I felt happy with Ink, but it wasn’t a smooth road. We still had this lingering cloud hanging over our heads.
Ink returned like ten minutes later with a storm brewing on his face.
“What? What’s going on?”