Unveiled Wishes (Iron Shield MC #2)

17. Always Meant To Be This Way

Chapter 17

Always Meant To Be This Way

E mily

Flo washed the serving platters, and I stood next to her with a drying towel in my hand. The parties that my parents threw didn’t require us to help with cleanup. I was having fun being included in the chatter as the women switched from breakfast to the beginnings of Christmas Eve dinner.

“Are you alright?” she asked me quietly, washing the serving utensils.

“I am fine,” I said, waiting for her to hand them to me to dry.

“These men are intense, and I wanted to make sure you know you have my support, no matter what happens.”

She didn’t look up at me as she washed the fruit bowl, but her words poured over me like warm honey. Her concern was so genuine that it startled me. I couldn’t remember the last time someone, aside from Eric, had cared about me for who I was and not what I represented. I’d tried to make friends over the years, but I could sniff out hidden agendas like a basset hound. As soon as they learned I was from an elite family, their true motives became clear.

“I am alright, but my head is spinning faster than my heart. What if I make the wrong decision?” I hadn’t realized I’d been harboring some doubt until the words spilled from my lips. “What if I stay and it falls apart again? I’ll have my brother, but my heart will break knowing Zook’s so close and yet so far away.”

Flo snorted as she tried to hold in her laugh. “Are you listening to yourself?”

I replayed the conversation in my head, looking for anything that might have been amusing. “I sound like the little girl that he accused me of being.”

Flo raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at her lips. “No, you sound like a woman who’s waiting for her man to get his shit together.” She laughed again, handing me the fruit bowl to dry. “I will tell you this: most of these men have the same values. He’s always going to put you first. You’re going to have to be the one who reminds him to take time for himself. It’s just the way it works around here.”

I thought about her words as I dried the fruit bowl.

“Don’t look now, but you’re about to be whisked away,” Flo said to me.

“Hey, Flo.” Tyler’s voice sent a shiver down my spine, drowning out the noise in the kitchen. I didn’t dare turn around. If I did, the fruit bowl would crash to the floor, and I’d find myself in his arms before I could think twice.

“Are you stealing her?” Flo asked over her shoulder, continuing to scrub at one of the chafing dishes.

Tyler’s tone softened. “If you’re okay with it, I’d like to spend some time with her. I’m running out of days to convince her to stay with me.”

“I don’t think you’ll have a problem,” Flo said as Pebbles sauntered up to my other side.

“Don’t keep him guessing,” Pebbles giggled as she playfully snatched the dishcloth from my hands and set the bowl on the counter. Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “He’s one of the good ones around here, unlike some of these other assholes.”

“Are you sure?” I asked them. “I don’t want to leave you in the lurch.” If there was any hint that they needed an extra pair of hands, I was going to stay in the kitchen. My nerves kicked in, and my heart whispered that I’d have to take a leap of faith, hoping it wouldn’t end in a crash landing.

“Nope, we’re good.” They both smiled at me and made shooing hand motions.

Tyler extended his hand, and without hesitation, I slipped mine into it. With a blanket draped over his arm, he led me outside, guiding us down the back porch steps toward the tree line that bordered the property. Once we reached a secluded spot, he spread the blanket out and sat down beside me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me close. “We’re far enough out,” he murmured, his voice low. “No one’s going to interrupt us here.”

“This morning, you were relaxed before your meeting. What’s changed?” The muscles in his arm felt tight against my shoulders as he curled a piece of my hair in between his fingertips.

“It’s Christmas Eve, and you’re leaving me soon. I don’t want to rush you, but have you thought more about staying?” He stared straight ahead, the arm muscles flexing against my neck. His other hand lay in his lap, but his fist clenched repeatedly.

“With you?” I filled in, nervous all over. I couldn’t gauge the situation, and I wasn’t ready for it to head south quickly.

He sighed, pulling me closer. “You belong with me, but I don’t want to force you to stay. It should be your choice.”

“I am keeping track of all the times you tell me I am yours.” I tugged on his beard and made him face me. “This won’t work if we’re on opposite coasts. My return flight is in a few days, and I am thinking about using it to handle the essentials.” I tugged on his beard again and lowered his chin until I could kiss his lips. The warmth between us was undeniable, our lips dancing in a playful game of hide and seek, teasing and retreating with each soft touch.

“What are the essentials?” he whispered against my lips.

“I’ll have to resign, but I am not giving the Nelsons two weeks. They’ll be fine without me. Then I’ll have to deal with my apartment and pack my stuff. I own it, so either rent or sell.” I ran my tongue against the seam of his lips until he opened, stealing the kiss I wanted.

“About your job. Do you want to work?” he asked as I pulled back, settling against his side with my head in the crook of his shoulder.

“Is this about money?” I was concerned he thought he wasn’t enough again.

“Not really. You have a trust fund, and I am going to have to accept that you’ll always have more than I do. However, I am in a better position to provide for you, and I will.” He kissed the top of my head and held my hand. “I am not sure of all the details. You’ll have to speak to Count, but he asked if you would take over the club’s contracts. I guess he pays the lawyer in town, but the guy isn’t really looking after our best interests.” He uncrossed his legs and wrapped his arm around my waist. “Ultimately, it’s your decision.” Drawing me in, he said, “I asked Count if he would help you with your plans to defend those without a voice. He agreed. Actually, his spikes were bouncing, so I know he was excited.” Tyler chuckled.

My heart swelled with the realization that this man was not just asking me to stay. It was like Flo had said: he was putting me first, and I would make sure he never wanted for anything.

He’d remembered. One conversation, over five years ago, and he had held onto it. In that moment, every doubt I’d harbored melted away. I was in love with him. Capturing his cheeks in my hands, I tilted his head until his eyes met mine, wanting him to see the truth. “I love you,” I whispered, the words carrying all the weight of my heart.

His hands came up and cupped my cheeks. “I’ve loved you for forever, Em.”

“No, you don’t understand, Tyler Mitchell. I first fell in love with your words. I checked the mail twice a day, waiting for a letter. It wasn’t healthy. This time, I’ve fallen in love with your actions. You’re making a future for us. Now, I love you with everything I have, and I can’t imagine my life without you. My love for you runs that deep.”

He gently guided me back, so that I laid on the blanket as he followed me forward. “I don’t think you understand, Em. I gave up the first time because I thought I was doing the right thing with you. Now, I don’t give a fuck. You’re mine, and I’m not letting you go. I’d rather move to New York than be without you.”

He unsnapped the button of my jeans, running his fingers underneath the denim. I wanted more. This wasn’t enough. I dug my fingers into his back, trying to be as close as possible. I loved this man, and I wanted to save as many memories as possible for when I headed back. It would only be temporary, but the days would pass by slowly.

He lowered himself further, so that we were nose-to-nose. “I love you, Emily.”

“I need you.” Reaching for his jeans, I unsnapped the button and pulled down the zipper until I could weasel my hands against his bare skin. Sliding them to the back of his jeans, I wiggled enough room to grab his ass. I didn’t want any space between us, and I could feel his dick hardening against me.

“This isn’t how I imagined this,” he whispered against my ear, nipping at the lobe.

I pushed up against him as I pulled him closer to me. “There are too many clothes between us.”

“Greedy. What if I stop?” he chuckled in my ear, rubbing against me.

“It’s Christmas Eve. You’re supposed to be in the giving spirt.” I dug my nails into the flesh of his ass. “Give it to me.”

“So demanding. Push up,” he said, pulling my jeans and panties down to my knees. “What am I going to do when you’re gone?”

“It’ll only be a few days. You’ll survive.” I searched for his wallet in his back pocket. Grabbing it, I used my other hand to push his jeans and boxers as far as I could get them without his help, whispering in his ear, “Birth control is going to be an essential.”

He laughed and buried his face in my neck. “One day, Em. When you’re ready.” He grabbed the wallet from my hand and leaned on his elbow to balance. Finding the condom, he threw the wallet onto the blanket next to us and sheathed himself. “Practice makes perfect, and I am a bit of a slow learner.”

“Promise me it will always be like this.” I pushed up against him, trying to get him to enter me. I craved being connected. To know that he was with me, mind, body, and soul.

“No.” He slid his dick inside me with one stroke. “You hold me to the promises that I don’t make you, and we won’t change that.”

A low groan escaped my lips as I reached up and wrapped my arm around the back of his neck until his forehead rested against mine. “You’re mine, and I am yours.”

“Stay with me.” He pumped deep within me.

“Make me come,” I begged, gripping his biceps to gain more leverage.

“Stay with me,” he said again, moving slower than he had before.

“I need you,” I tried again, and then it clicked. “I am not leaving you when you’re mine.”

He picked up the pace of his hips, slamming into me. Over and over, until I was screaming his name amongst the trees.

As I was coming down from my high, he whispered in my ear, “It was always meant to be this way, and I love you.”

Tilting my head back, I let one last moan loose.

He shivered as he came, and I wrapped my arms around him. Holding him tight to my chest, I knew I didn’t want to be without him for any length of time. “Come with me to New York. I have to pack.”