Camp Hardwood by Alexa Riley

Chapter Seven

Piper

Ilet out a long sigh and enjoy the feel of my body completely relaxed and sated. It takes me a moment, but the smell of Hawk fills my lungs and everything comes flying back to me. The last twelve hours feel so unreal. He’s here and he said we’ll never be apart again. I tighten my hold on him, wanting those words to be true.

“Relax.” Hawk’s deep voice rumbles over me as his hand gently brushes through my hair. His other hand is laid protectively over my stomach.

I open my eyes but all I can see is a wall of a chest. I have no idea where I am but I know this bed isn’t my own because we wouldn’t fit in it. I lean in and kiss a small scar on his chest and it reminds me of the dangerous life he’s led—one I don’t want for our baby. I want him but I can’t have him if he comes with all that. I hope he doesn’t want that for our baby either.

“I don’t want to leave here,” I say against his chest. I know he’s moved us, but I know we didn’t go too far. “I won’t go back there.” I want him to know how serious I am about this. Camp Hardwood is wonderful and I love it here. Everyone is happy and it’s almost like a fairy tale. I wasn’t getting mine but I watched others unfold right in front of me. This place is filled with laughter and love.

“There’s nothing to go back to.” I jerk my head up to look at Hawk.

“What do you mean?” My heart starts to race because I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not.

“You really didn't look back, did you? You just left?” His eyes soften and it’s something I know they only ever do for me. I have a feeling they’ll do it for our little one too.

He’s right though, I didn’t look back at all. I was scared if I tried to see what was going on back in my old life someone would find me. They don’t call him Hawk for no reason. He could find anyone and I was doing my best to not leave a trail. But I don’t think anyone could lose him if he was hell bent on finding them.

“Are you only here because I’m pregnant?” Hawk already said we’ll never be apart and being together is something my father would never allow. That means he’s going around my father and picking me over him. Is he only doing that because he knocked me up? My heart prays that it's more than that. It has to be. Seeing him today and the way he acted and looked at me was too real. I can’t be alone in feeling this way. I also can’t believe he said the things he said only in the heat of the moment. It was raw and powerful and I felt them come from deep inside of him.

“I told you I’ve been looking for you since the day you left, muñeca. I didn't learn about our baby growing inside you until recently. Baby or not, I was coming for you.”

I rest my head back down on his chest as tears fill my eyes. I don’t know why but I needed to hear that more than anything. I felt as though everything was an obstacle that we could overcome together, but if he only picked me because I was pregnant then it would never work. You can’t make someone want you or love you. I wouldn't want to be together just because we were having a baby together.

“Look at me, muñeca.”

I do as he demands. I always do when he has his hands on me. I can’t help myself. My body is his to control and we both know it. The only reason I was able to leave that day in the hotel was because he was gone. The reminder of that makes anger flare inside of me again.

“You left,” I remind him. “I woke up and you were just gone. I waited as long as I could.” He closes his eyes and for the first time in my life I see pain flash across his face.

“I had to go. I was coming back but you surprised me that night. You forced my hand to move faster than I planned.” He opens his eyes to look at me. “My hands are dirty, muñeca. You know this.”

“But we can leave that behind.” I know Hawk’s life has always been dark. He was born into that world and I was born into it too. But I was protected from it and I didn't have to get my hands dirty to survive. I only had to play by the rules.

“That was always the plan.” He leans down to brush his mouth against mine. “I’ve been planning our way out for years. Everything was almost ready to go but then—”

“Then I got tired of waiting?” I let out a small laugh.

“You were eighteen for one day. I should have known what you’d do.”

I fight a smile. When I really want something I go for it, and Hawk is what I’ve always wanted. When it was he and I alone, I never hid my attraction from him. He knew I wanted him. He was better at playing it cool, so it seemed. That day in the hotel, though, all that dropped away. I got what I’d been asking for. I got to see all of Hawk and how badly he wanted me. That’s why I was so shocked to see him gone the next morning. I couldn't believe it after the night we’d shared.

“Go on,” I say against his lips before pulling back. I want to know why there’s nothing to go back to.

“I didn’t want that life for you and I could see it in your eyes you didn’t want to be there either. So I made plans for us and hoped that when I got everything laid out you’d come with me.”

“I would have come with you,” I cut in, and he gives me one of his rare smiles.

“I started working with the feds,” he says, and I gasp in shock. “I didn’t give a shit, they can call me a snitch. Call me whatever the fuck they want but I would have done anything to get you away from your father and for us to have a new start.”

“Is he in prison? Is that what happened?” He said I didn’t look back and I’m guessing my father going to jail would have made the news.

“No.” Hawk’s face grows a little solemn and I’m sure mine shows my disappointment. “He didn’t go down without a fight.”

“He’s dead.” I try to sit up but Hawk doesn’t let me go. It’s like a giant weight has been lifted off of me and suddenly I feel truly free for the first time.

“Because of me,” he admits.

“But you’re okay, right? No one is looking for you?” My eyes start to water, thinking about the FBI or someone else coming for Hawk. “I’ll leave with you, if that’s what we have to do.”

“You just said you didn’t want to leave here.”

“I don’t, but I want to be with you more. If we have to start over new, I will. As long as we’re together. I’ll miss this place but I love you and I don’t want to be without you. Now that I know where you stand, I’m so sorry I ran. I’m—” My words are cut off when his mouth comes down onto mine.

“Muñeca,” he growls. “You love me.”

“So much it hurts. It’s part of why I ran. I couldn’t see you every day and not have you. I couldn’t live that way.”

“No one has ever said those words to me,” he says before he kisses me again. He rolls us so he moves between my legs, and then I feel his cock nudging its way inside of me.

“I love you,” he says, and I moan.

“No one has ever said those words to me either,” I say in realization.

“I’m going to give you the life you deserve, muñeca. I won’t take you from here.”

“I want to give you the life you want too.” My eyes lock with his. This is about all of us.

“All I want is you.”

“I’m yours,” I say, wrapping my body around his. “We’ll never be apart again,” I reassure him as we make love this time. It’s soft and sweet and I get another glimpse of the man Hawk is and I know he’ll always be what I need.