Ripley lounged against Tig's chest, her ear pressed against his heart as they dozed beneath the shade of the massive willow tree. He'd gone by his apartment to change after they'd eaten, showering and brushing his teeth before coming back to the house in fresh jeans and a long sleeved black tee shirt and leather riding jacket under his cut. He'd begged her to keep the same clothes on . . . and had pouted when she told him no. Only to perk again as she came back downstairs, dressed to go riding with him. Apparently, he was just as content with the cropped toffee leather members only aviator jacket over the tight white tee shirt and dark washed skinny jeans tucked into the toffee leather riding boots as he had been with the gray leather.
As soon as she'd come down the steps, he'd told her to grab an old blanket and get ready to go . . . and now she was glad she'd just listened for once. He'd rolled the blanket tight, strapping it to the back of his bike before asking if she was riding or following. She'd smiled, climbing on the back of his bike and flipping her sunglasses down in place when he'd cranked the bike. He'd handed her the extra helmet and they'd set off.
She loved riding with Tig, especially when he was relaxed like today. He was fluid on the bike, moving with the road instead of against it. The best way to be. When they'd gotten out in the middle of nowhere, he pulled off the rough asphalt onto gravel sideroad she'd barely seen, working slowly until he came to a grove of willow trees that were probably older than the town of Charming. He'd pulled off into the grass, parking the bike next to one of the smaller trees before dismounting and grabbing the blanket, spreading it out under the largest tree furthest from the road. They'd both shed their respective boots and she'd laughed for a good five minutes at the sight of their boots propped against the tree, her smaller brown leaned against his darker scuffed black.
Now as they lay there together, she could barely see the bike or the small gravel straight away . . . but she didn't have to wonder why as she felt his hands trace small circles on her hips. She sighed, looking up to see his eyes were still closed and his lips were barely spread in a small smile. She kissed the are above his heart, causing him to look at her.
"What's on your mind, Tigger?"
He shrugged, the hand on her hip stilling as his other came up to brush her hair out of her face, ghosting over her cheek before he laid his head back against the flannel blanket.
"Just trying to figure out where the girls are going to stay for three weeks."
She nodded, watching him. One thing she knew about Tig was that, despite whatever his brothers thought, he adored his daughters. He didn't talk about them much because it was a raw spot with him that he didn't get to have them in his life like he wanted . . . so to protect them and him he shut out the side of him that missed them terribly until he was with them. She smiled. She'd seen him on the phone with them, the way his eyes lit up. It was the same way her Pops had been with her and Khail. And that Clay was when he and Jax weren't at each other's throats.
"When do they get into town?"
He sighed, propping himself up on an elbow as he looked at her. She knew he didn't want to talk about it but he needed to. Besides, two heads could wrap around a problem better than one.
"A few days . . . why? You know some secret pathologist magic to make my apartment sprout another room?"
She rolled her eyes, smacking him in the chest. But he was right. His apartment was perfect for him and how little he was actually there . . . but with the twins-fourteen year old twins at that-coming to visit . . . he needed at least another bedroom and bathroom. Too bad they couldn't just . . .
She looked up at him, an idea forming in his head and she knew it would work. Just like she also knew he would hate it. But still . . . maybe she could help him learn to love it.
"Well . . . I don't know any pathologist magic to sprout new bedrooms. But I have an office I really don't use and space upstairs to relocate it to . . . leaving an empty bedroom beside a full furnished a female friendly bathroom. If you wanted to hear about it . . ."
Tig sat up straighter, brow raised as he looked down at Ripley. She must be joking . . . but by the look on her face she wasn't she was dead serious. Okay he'd bite . . . He scooted back, propping against the tree trunk as she stretched back out, head in his lap. His hands started playing in her curls, carefully tugging trough the knots riding had left as he leaned his head back, still looking down at her. When she blushed he nodded.
"I'm listening . . ."
She sighed, smiling up at him before laying out what had crossed that crazy odd brain of hers.
"Well, I don't use the office any at all. I mean I did at first but now I just do everything upstairs in the sitting area. And the bay window area is big enough for my desk. So I could move the stuff up there and store the rest that I can't make fit. And I could go to my mom and dad's storage and see what they've got. I mean, my mom was an interior designer. She kept everything . . . I could redo the room for the twins and when they're in town, you could all just stay with me . . . if you don't think it's crazy."
Tig blinked, shaking his head. She was offering to rearrange her whole damn house, her life for him so he wouldn't have to sleep on the couch? She took his silence as a bad thing and started rambling. Which had to be the cutest thing she'd ever done.
"Well, I know the room will hold two double beds, a dresser and small side table because that's how it was set up when my mom and dad bought it. I think I still have the bedframes in the attic . . . Mom didn't want to part with them because they were white powder coated rod iron with these little bird cages made into the headboards. They'd need to be cleaned and repainted but I could do that in a few hours and I know I have enough furniture to fill the rest so-"
He cut her off, dipping down and locking his mouth over hers. She froze before melting into him, arms wrapping around his shoulders as he kissed her. Never pulling away from her, he moved them until he was settled over her, between her legs as his hands ran up her sides and found the clasps to her jeans. Her hands were already at his belt, working the buckle loose and fighting with the button before he pushed her away and undid it for her. As soon as she could, her hand was in his jeans and had him a firm grip, making moan against her lips as she started stroking him.
Her jeans were down quickly and tossed to the side as his fingers pushed aside the white lace thong and sought out her clit. A few hard passes and he had her practically seeping as her hips jerked into his hand. He moved, letting her pull him out of his pants and guide him into her, both groaning at the feeling. God she was so wet . . .
When he started moving, he kept a slower pace than normal, moving his mouth over hers and down her chin to her neck before coming back up. She gripped his shoulders, cling to him as he brought one of her legs up to wrap around his waist.
"Alex . . ."
For some reason he knew that this was changing from what they'd set out for it to be but he didn't care. As she came around him, he didn't see a problem with her welcoming him-his children-into her home without doubts or reservations. And as he buried himself to the hilt in her, coming undone so unexpectedly as she kissed him lightly on the lips, he knew as he deepened it that he wouldn't be able to just walk away from her like he had Allison. He'd loved Allie once-with as much of his heart as he could give her- but it was never enough. She hated SAMCRO, hated his life but loved he was the bad boy. Ripley wanted him, SAMCRO and all. The bad boy was just a perk to her. As his head dropped to her chest, he knew he was in trouble. Because all he could think of for the first few minutes his cheek touched the spot over her heart, was that his ink would look fucking wonderful nestled over her left breast. He needed to talk to Clay today . . . but first he was going to go and see exactly what his girl wanted to do with her house.
Ripley watched Tig eye the upstairs loft space critically before nodding. She rolled her eyes. She knew the desk would fit there . . . its where she'd originally wanted to put it. But she hadn't wanted to make a guest room that would never get used. So she made an office that never got used.
Tig turned, looking her over before heading downstairs to the office. She knew that something between them was different now . . . she'd 've had to been blind deaf and dumb not pick up on it with their little tryst in the woods. And it should scare her but it didn't. Sex with Tig had never been slow and sweet . . . which was part of what she'd liked. Slow usually meant he was saving up the energy to fuck her until she couldn't walk straight. Which had happened a few times on her days off, making her thankful she was on the weird four on/three off, four off/three on rotation at the morgue.
But today, after she'd offered she'd thought he was mad and would refuse . . . until he'd pretty much stripped her. And while she wouldn't honestly call what happened out there slow and gentle, it had definitely been sweet. He'd sent over the edge with his little touches and his deep kisses far faster than he usually did . . . and when she'd reached up and kissed him he'd let go, flooding her senses with his kiss and sending her straight back into oblivion. They'd laid there for what seemed like forever, only moving when he rolled them to where she was on top.
And they'd talked for almost two hours, until the sun had started to set behind the trees. He told her he'd see about the other, look to see if it'd work and then he'd make a decision. But he wanted her to know he appreciated the offer. And then he moved flipping her on her stomach and pulling her to her knees. And had licked every last bit of their combined pleasure of her skin. Before he'd slipped right back into her and repeated the whole process all over again.
She shivered, pulling the sweater she'd donned when they got home a bit tighter around her. The second time had been more like their usually sexual endeavors . . . but even it seemed a bit different. Something about the way he held her and spoke to her seemed more personal than it had been before. Like he'd finally let go of whatever had been holding him back and just decided to let it happen.
She sighed, slipping down the stairs and down the hall to find him standing in the office, looking down at the desk. She came to stand behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her cheek against his shoulder. She knew, as his hand came and linked with hers that she was in far too deep to escape unscathed now. But, as his fingers danced over hers before he brought them to his lips to kiss she knew she didn't want to escape. She was happy here, with him. And she would be for as long as he let her keep him.
"Think it'll work?"
He glanced back, nodding before he turned in her hold, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her tight.
"Only if you want it to. I don't want you to think you have to do-"
She reached up, pressing her fingers against his lips. He stopped, nipping at them before letting her talk.
"I want to, Alex. I would offer for any member of SAMCRO . . . but I want to for you. You love your girls, Tig. And I know that, I can see it. And if this lets you see them-comfortably without making them feel unwanted-then I'm all for it. Besides."
She leaned in, letting him press her flush against him as she smirked up at him. He grinned down, his hands going to her hips to pull them into his own, causing her to roll her eyes.
"Besides what, Baby?"
She stretched, kissing him lightly.
"I have an ulterior motive. It seems that I sleep so much better when I have my Tigger in bed beside me . . . when he actually lets me sleep that is."
Tig grinned down at her, loving the way hearing that had made him feel. He'd called Clay while she was upstairs, telling him he would be by later to talk. And having her like this, with him, just made it easier for him to go talk. His girl wanted him, wanted his kids . . . that was a big deal. And Tig knew it. He dipped kissing her before pulling back.
"Really? You want me to start letting you sleep more?"
She glared at him, smacking him hard.
"Don't you dare. Besides, you can't run around if don't let you leave the bed can you?"
He stilled. He'd forgotten with everything going on about the deal they had. Before he would've gone crazy to see her look at anyone else . . . but now, with whatever this was surfacing he knew he'd kill another man.
"Are you? I mean, I reneged on our deal and-"
She leaned up and kissed him, long and sweet on the lips before going to pull back.
"Lets do this then . . . anything before today that's slightly unpleasant we forget. Meaning that was a get out pussy jail free card, Tiggy. But from now on, Croweaters and Sweet Butts had better stay contained to runs. Live it up on the road but . . . "
He nodded, dipping to press his forehead to hers.
"You all the way at home. I can handle that, Baby . . . unless you wanted to invite a friend or two to join us . . ."
She rolled her eyes before looking up at him. She was serious.
"I'm not playing Tig. You sleep with any other woman in Charming and I will find the prettiest, sexiest girl I know and fuck her just for the hell of it. Got me?"
He nodded, knowing his eyes were probably dark with lust.
"Could you do that anyway? I swear I don't mind so long as I can watch . . . maybe even join in . . ."
She raised a brow before shrugging out of his hold and turning to leave. When she got to the door, she glanced back, smirking.
"Christmas is only a few weeks away . . . who knows. Maybe Santa can bring you something nice . . ."
Tig smirked, following her as she went to towards the living room.
"Well, tell Santa I want something small and Asian with a killer rack . . . and that after a few days we send her back and get back to us."
Ripley rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she knew he was more than serious.
