Bane enjoyed the moment of quiet he had with Emma in the car to the club. The day had been hectic, to say the least, and he had barely seen her. In one week, he had become used to having her by his side and found that he missed her not being there.“Is something bothering you?” Emma asked. He looked at her. She had her hair down, and it flowed over her naked shoulders. Emma was wearing a black, skintight, shoulder-less dress with a rhinestone harness. She had been in a good mood all day, which was odd when he considered the day she had had yesterday.“No, why are you asking?”“You looked lost, I thought, like you were trying to solve a problem,” she told him. Had she been watching him? The possibility sent a warm feeling through him, and he found he wanted to share his thoughts with her.“The meeting Jax and I went to this morning was with the mayor. Apparently, the city’s finances are tight, and he is asking businesses in the city to donate funds so they can keep healthcare and human

Bane and Jax had finished the talk they had had with Dave and Tobias. The talk had been kind of rough. Bane felt a little better afterwards. He needed to go check on Emma and her friend. Just to make sure she had a good time, before he headed to his office. As they walked into the club, his eyes were drawn to the dancefloor. He was surprised that not everyone in the club was staring at the spot where Emma and her friend were dancing. They looked ethereal as they moved together to the beat of the music. Two angels in a swirl of movement. A surge of jealousy took hold of Bane. He felt a need to yank his angel away from the man that danced with her. But he got a grip of his emotions and focused on the serene look on Emma’s face. She was enjoying herself and even though she and her friend moved provocatively to the music, they never touched except for fleeting moments. The more he looked, the more he could see the absence of attraction between the two of them. They just synced together.

“I did as you told me, angel,” he lied. “You did not. It wouldn’t be as swollen if you had. But you are the one that will have to live with that,” she told him. She then encased his hand in between the both of hers. Bane liked the feeling and let his hand be there. It was throbbing if he was being honest, and he didn’t doubt that she was right. It would have helped if he had kept the ice on it. “I liked Simon,” he told her and kissed her neck. He could see the smile on her face. “I’m happy. So you don’t mind me having lunch with him next week?”“Not at all.” He kissed her neck again. A part of him wanted to take back his hand and use it to move her hair out of the way. The other part of him was happy having her hands around his and told him not to move. He let that side win and settled to kiss her cheek. She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Tired?” he asked. “A little, mostly just content.” He smiled at that. They arrived home and for once she had to get out of the car first. He

Bane felt Emma make herself comfortable in his arms, and he enjoyed the feeling. He played with her hair and felt like he didn’t want the night to end. “Why were you living with your aunt and uncle?” he asked her. He already knew from the background check he had done. But he wanted to listen to her talk for a little longer. He felt her tense up in his arms and cursed at himself. Of course this was not a subject that she enjoyed talking about.“I lost my parents when I was nine,” she told him.“I’m sorry angel, I shouldn’t have asked,” he said, placing a kiss on her head.“No, it’s fine. Before that, I had a fantastic childhood. My parents were kind and loving and when I think back on that time, it just seems filled with light and warmth. After they died, my uncle and aunt took me in. Uncle Jonas is my father’s brother, I didn’t have any other relatives. So, in a way, I was lucky that they agreed.” There was a small pause, as if Emma needed to gather herself. Bane was about to tell he

“How can I help you, miss E?” Luke asked, glancing at Simon.“Simon and I are going for a walk and Bane asked me to take you or Ben with us, and here you are. Do you have time to accompany us?” “Sure, no problem,” he said and tried to steal a cookie and got a slap on the hand from Anna. “Thank you. Anna, could I ask something from you as well?” “Of course, miss Emma, what do you need?” “Simon and I were thinking of spending the afternoon by the pool, but Simon didn’t bring any swim shorts. Do you know if there is a way he could borrow some?” Emma asked.“Yes, we have some for guests. Let me guess,” Anna said, sizing Simon up. “Size 40?” “That’s spot on,” Simon said with surprise. “They will be in your room after your walk, miss Emma,” Anna said. She held out the platter with cookies for Emma and Simon while keeping an eye on Luke.“Don’t I get one?” Luke asked, sounding like a sad puppy.“No, you tried to steal one. This is your punishment. It will teach you to have patience and