Emma had chosen the teal blue dress for the evening. It clung to her body like a second skin and had a strap over one shoulder, leaving the other naked. But the thing that made the dress stand out were the decorative bands that had been sewn in a way that showed off her curves. They seemed to outline her breasts, ass, and hips. She had eaten dinner with Luke and Ben in the dining room. Bane and Jax were out on business that would keep them out longer than usual. When they got back, they all would go straight to the club. There was a soft knock on the door and when Emma opened it, Bane was standing outside. It looked like he was about to say something, but he just looked at her.“Hi. Is it time to head out?” Emma asked.“Yes,” he said.“Let me just grab my purse,” she told him. She left the door open as she walked over to the dresser to get her clutch. Emma could feel Bane’s eyes on her as she moved over to get her phone and put into the clutch. “Sorry to keep you. All done,” she sai

Bane was seething with anger. He wanted to kill someone. That someone preferably being that little shit squirming on the floor in the break room. He would have made Dave follow his friend as well, for good measure. But for once, he had controlled his bloodlust. The reason was trembling in his arms as he made his way to the back door of the club. He had to remind himself that she wasn’t used to the violence that was a natural part of his world. The sight of her trying to defend herself with a fucking fork while that vile creature put his hand on her, had pushed Bane close to losing his sanity. She was his, and no other man was to place his hands on her. “Bane, I think I can walk on my own,” Emma’s frail voice said. “You are precisely where you should be,” he told her as he forced himself to keep his voice soft. “I’m fine,” she insisted. “I know you are. I’m not,” he told her. “Okay,” she said, relaxing in his arms again. Bane wasn’t lying. Having her in his arms was the only thi

Bane smiled down at her and kissed both her cheeks, the spot between her brows, both sides of her mouth and then gave her a gentle kiss on the mouth. “Your face tells me everything. You are an open book, never play poker,” he chuckled. Emma blushed. She had no idea that she was that easy to read. That could be a problem.To distract herself, she traced the outline of a rose on Bane’s shoulder. It was one of several that stretched over his shoulder, down to his arm. She could see a black snake entwined in the roses and a dagger.“Do they bother you?” he asked. Emma looked up in surprise. “No, I find them fascinating,” she told him. She saw his face changing into an amused smile.“You never stop surprising me, angel,” he told her and lifted a lock of her hair and played with it. “Do they have meaning?” Emma asked as she traced the dagger with her finger. “Most of them do. Some are just to fill space and bring it together,” he told her. She made a soft sound to let him know she under

Bane looked down at Emma as she slept. She was curled into him with her head on his shoulder and her golden hair spread all over the pillows. She had never looked so innocent and beautiful. Bane wanted to trace her face with his finger, but he didn’t want to disturb her. He looked at the clock on his bedside table and saw it was almost five in the morning. She deserved to sleep some more. He was satisfied just looking at her.It was a new thing, waking up with someone in his bed. He tried to avoid to actually sleep with the women he had sex with. Sleeping together seemed to invoke intimacy, which he didn’t want. But Emma, she looked right in his bed, like she was a thing that had been missing from it until now. As he looked at her and gently played with the ends of her hair, he had to be honest with himself and confess that he loved her. Even in his own head, those words sounded grand and terrified him. He had no illusions about who he was or what he did. He was a selfish man that to

There was a surprised silence in the room as they all looked at Emma. Emma looked at Bane. She saw a mild surprise in his eyes, but mostly he seemed amused.“Please tell me more,” he said.“I’m living in your house, eating your food and sleeping in your bed,” she reminded him. “True, but only because I asked you to,” he said.“But you didn’t ask me to take advantage of you last night,” Emma whispered, just loud enough to make sure everyone heard her. She was not comfortable telling him that, and even less to tell the others. But if she was to play this game, she would play to win. Bane looked at her for a second, as if he couldn’t believe what she had said. Then he laughed and kissed her. “You got a point. You did take advantage of me last night,” he agreed. Emma could hear a chuckle coming from Jax. “But I forgive you, and give you permission to do so in the future as well. It was enjoyable,” Bane added. Emma blushed even though she tried her best not to. As Bane turned toward Ol