And as he did this, I watched and deep breathed because something was happening. I was too sated from sex and too drunk to know what it was. I just knew it was something.

Something big.

Mammoth.

Colossal.

“Honey?” I called and he moved back up, straddling me, now at my h*ps but he stopped there and reached out an arm, his hand curling around my throat like he’d done those two times after I was kidnapped.

He didn’t speak but his eyes were on me. I saw them through the dark and I felt them.

“Kane?” I whispered when he didn’t move for a long time.

His hand slid from my throat gliding down my chest, between my br**sts to my belly but he did this not saying a word. Then he moved, shifting to my side and settling there. He reached out to yank up the covers before he tucked me tight to his side, his arm not around my waist but up, his fingers cupping the back of my head and forcing my cheek to his shoulder.

“Is everything all right?” I asked his chest.

“Oh yeah.”

“You sure?”

“Abso-fuckin’-lutely.”

Well, that was firm.

I stared at his chest.

Then I whispered a hesitant, “Okay.”

“How drunk are you, babe?” he asked.

“Drunk.”

“So drunk you’re gonna forget tonight?”

“No. I’ve never been that drunk.”

“We’ll see about changin’ that,” he muttered.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because you’re gonna live life, Red. I’m gonna teach you to suck it dry.”

I took in a deep breath thinking he already was.

Then I whispered again, “Okay.”

“Sleep.”

“Okay.”

“And you forget tonight, I’ll be pissed.”

“I won’t forget, Tack.”

“Be sure about that.”

“I won’t forget.”

“Good,” he murmured.

“Are you going to shut up and let me pass out?”

His hand left my head, his arm sliding down and he wrapped it around my waist, pulling me closer.

Then he whispered, “Yeah.”

I snuggled even closer.

Something had happened. I didn’t know what and I stared at his chest while I tried to figure it out.

I did this for about two seconds before I passed out.

* * * * *

I opened my eyes and smelled musk and man. Correction, my man. I liked it but I also felt something else that wasn’t nearly as awesome and instantly I groaned.

Hangover.

Damn.

Tack rolled into me and I groaned again.

He settled, chest partly on mine, and his slumberous eyes caught mine.

“Queasy?” he guessed accurately which made me wonder what I looked like because I knew I had wild hair. I also knew I had leftover makeup which was never attractive but I was deducing I also was green at the gills which was even less attractive.

“Yes,” I answered.

“Day off,” Tack stated.

“Pardon?” I asked.

“You feel shit, day off.”

“But… I’m hungover.”

“Yeah. So you’re gonna take the day off.”

“Tack,” I started to inform him, “you’re my boss. You should frown on an employee taking the day off because she tied one on the night before.”

“Tyra, I’m your boss, I’m your man and I’m a biker. As your boss, you feel shit, you’re not gonna be on your game so you might f**k shit up which means it’s better you’re not in and work doesn’t get done instead of you bein’ in and work gettin’ fucked up.”

I had to admit, this made sense.

He continued, “As your man, you feel shit, I want you to rest and get better.”

And I had to admit to this, it was sweet.

He kept going, “And as a biker, I live wild, I want you to too and I don’t give a f**k if that has the consequences of a day off work to get over a hangover. In fact, I like it. You can make up the time. You can blow it off. The work’ll get done. Work isn’t important. Livin’ a good life wild and free is.”

Maybe it was the hangover but I couldn’t figure out how he could be making sense, I agreed with him at the same time I thought he was sweet when just two and a half weeks ago all he said I would have thought was wrong.

“I’m not up to conversation,” I shared.

“You up to bacon and eggs?”

I fought back a gag and groaned, “No.”

Tack grinned then advised, “Babe, food is good for a hangover.”

I fought back another gag and ordered, “Stop talking about food.”

“Okay,” he agreed. “You want coffee?”

“I could do coffee. And aspirin.”

“Then I’ll get you coffee and aspirin,” he muttered.

“Thanks, honey,” I muttered back and his eyes locked on mine.

“I color your world.”

I blinked and my heart stopped.

How did he…?

Oh crap! I told him!

Drunk, in the middle of great sex, I told him!

Ohmigod!

“I –”

“I was right. You were asleep but you were dreamin’. You dream in black and white, babe. I gave you color. Now, you’re awake.”

“Tack –”

“You admitted it.”

“Tack, please –”

“You were drunk, wet, hot and way the f**k turned on but you still admitted it.”

I did and the way he was looking at me, his blue eyes drilling into mine, I couldn’t deny it.

And also, it was true.

Damn.

“I’m in no state so can we not talk about this?” I requested.

“Yeah, we can not talk about this. Just want it confirmed you get that you gave that to me.”

“I get that I gave that to you,” I whispered, powerless to do anything but.

“Okay, baby, then now I’ll confirm that you get what it means to me.”

I stayed silent and stared.

Tack didn’t stay silent.

“Seen a lot, done a lot, met a lot of people. Most of ‘em, I like. Some of ‘em, I don’t. Some of ‘em, I hate. But did so much and knew so many, the unexpected is rare. I color your world, you give me the unexpected. We’re now totally balanced, Red. You didn’t know it but you had the upper hand. Now I know what I give you, it means as much as what you give me, we’re on the same level. And I like it like that.”