Perfectly Flawed

23. All In

Mature themes later in this chapter 🔞

I wake up squinting at the brightness in my eyes, enveloped in Blade’s smell. Wait.
I sit up, my heart pounding as I'm immediately confused where I am for a second. Then I remember everything about last night. How his fingers pleased me under layers of tulle, how his tongue felt against my most sensitive parts, how he undressed me slowly but left my heels to be thrown over his shoulders.
I bite my cheek, shaking the thoughts out of my head as I do a quick look around his room. It’s what I would expect it to look like, dark blue walls and basic grey furniture. Paintings done by his daughter pasted up on the walls.
My dress is crumpled in the corner of the room, and I let out a little chuckle. I can’t believe this is my life now. Old Dakota would have been scared to not immediately hang it or hand it to one of the staff so it could be professionally cleaned.
I lean over to peek in Blade’s closet. Small and pretty empty, only things hanging inside are multiple sweaters and some leather. I assume the suit he wore last night is the only one he owns.
“What a 360 from the norm.” I chuckle, stretching my arms out wide before I roll out of bed.
I hear voices in the kitchen and then he laughs. Oh how I love his laugh. I can’t resist the urge to tiptoe to his bedroom door, opening it a slit to see if I can see anything. No such luck, and a chilly draft comes through, reminding me that I’m completely naked.
“Definitely should have worn something other than the dress last night.” I scold myself. Being naked is usually something I’m comfortable with. My aversion to underwear isn’t just some flirty quip I told to make him just as horny as I, I honestly own less than 10 pairs of everyday panties.
“Right now, though.” I huff. Right now it wasn’t the best idea to skip it. A little girl's voice squeals some unintelligible words and he laughs again.
June’s here.
Yet another reason I can’t go out there.
I open the door a little further, trying to hear what's happening but they’re talking quietly, almost as if to not wake up the woman in the bedroom. Its sweet.
The door opens, and Blade's tone turns ice cold. Seconds later, goodbyes are exchanged and the door closes again.
He curses and theres a clinking of dishes before his heavy sigh and pattering footsteps start down the hall.
Embarrassed at my eavesdropping, I run back to bed and throw the covers over my small frame.
His door creaks all the way open and closes before the other side of the bed dips down. “Are you awake?” His gruff voice is making me feel all the things. Fuck.
I keep my eyes closes. Just ignore him.
His scent wraps around me as Blade leans closer into me. “Dakota I know you’re awake.”
I stubbornly squeeze my eyes closed tighter. Yes, that's believable.
“I’m convinced it’s literally impossible for you to lie to me.” He chuckles and I open one eye with a sheepish smile.
“Hi.”
“There you are.”
“I wasn’t eavesdropping.”
“I didn’t leave my door open.” His eyes smile.
I bite my inner cheek. “Oh. Well okay.” I sit up, now face to face with him.
“June was here, her mom just picked her up for daycare since we both have to work today.”
“You didn’t know she was going to be here?”
His smile fades. “Well the babysitter was at her mom’s house, but her mom asks her to bring her here instead, like on the weekends sometimes.”
“Oh..”
“Yeah so the babysitter came to this place and stayed with her, until she heard us come in the door.”
“Oh my gosh.” I blush thinking about all that happened last night. “That's so creepy. I didn't hear her here.”
“Yeah don’t worry, she didn't hear anything. If you're worried about your screaming.” He chuckles.
“I was not screaming.” I tug the blanket up higher.
“Mmm, I don’t agree with that statement.” His smirk is back and I resist the urge to slap it off his face.
“Whatever.” I roll my eyes.
He leans into me closer, eyes darting down at the blanket between his bare chest and mine. “You talk in your sleep.”
“Usually if I drink before bed.” I look anywhere but him. “Did I say anything interesting?”
“You scolded me when I stopped cuddling you for a second.”
I giggle. “Well that’s a fair reaction.”
“My arm was asleep.”
“Seems like a you problem, not a valid reason.” My teasing tone only makes him move closer to me.
“I’ll write a mental note to never stop cuddling you then.” His lips are inches from mine, and suddenly the nervousness comes back.
“Are you gonna kiss me?” I whisper.
“Do you want me to?” He whispers back.
“I’m naked.”
Blade chuckles, one hand gliding up my back to grab my hair at the base of my head. “That sounds like a you problem, not a valid reason.” He copies my response.
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re really good at pulling hair?” I try not to moan as he tugs my hair back to drag his lips down my neck.
“You’re the first, but I’m really good at everything, so.”
So far that’s true, but ugh, this guy is annoying. “You’re such a cocky little p-” My words are cut off as he kisses me.
Deep and passionate, lips melding against mine as if they belong nowhere else. All too soon, it’s over and I whine at the loss of contact.
“You like me more than you want to admit.” He grins wide.
True again. My brain reminds me. I lick my lips. “Shut up.”
“Mm. I have to go to work in an hour, so you don’t have a lot of time to make me.”
I shake my head, hiding my smile. Change the topic.  “Can you find me something to wear? I was going to go into the kitchen earlier, but I thought it wasn’t the best idea, given I don’t have any clothes.”
He looks pleased as he gets out of the bed. “You’d like to meet her?”
“I mean, it doesn't have to be for a while if you don’t want it to be, but I don’t know…yeah?”
“I'd love you to meet her.” He throws a shirt at me. “We're a package deal, so.”
“I-”
I'm cut off as his phone starts ringing.
He frowns as he picks up. “Why the hell is Scott calling me?”
“I dunno.” I shrug. “You should answer it, though.”
“Why are you calling, Slip?” He sits back on the bed.
“Didn’t you check the group chat?” Slip’s crackly voice comes through the other end.
“Dude no.” Blade laughs. “I have you guys on silent, otherwise my phone would never shut up.”
“True. some of these guys gossip like bitches.”
“My phone would never stop vibrating.” He snorts, eyes burning into me as I pull the shirt on.
“Like JT’s.” I interrupt to chuckle. “I don’t think I’ve ever gone through a conversation with him where his phone didn’t vibrate at least 10 times, I don’t know how Kasei can handle it.”
“True.” He bites on his bottom lip and looks away from me.
“Is Dakota there?”
“Yeah.” 
“Okay. Well, she might as well hear about this, too.”
I sit up straighter as Blade turns the speakerphone on. “Okay, slip, what's happening?”
“Okay. So pretty much Kasei last night had some drama with this guy. I don’t know if you know him but his name is Dennis.”
“Oh, from the Broken Chain gang?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, is she alright?”
“She didn't text me anything.” I lean over to grab my phone. It's dead. Perfect.
“Yeah, yeah, she's fine.”
Blade swats my naked behind and I sit up, shushing him as Slip continues.
“We'll just, you know, JT doesn't like anyone messing with his women, especially her.”
“Who does?” Blade snorts.
“Fair enough. So yeah there's gonna be a race tonight.”
“Where?”
“Zion Street.”
“Yeah, that makes sense.”
“I mean, we don't really have much time to organize it, but I assume he's just gonna be driving the same Dugati.”
“Okay sounds good to me, time?”
“10 pm?”
“Okay. Stakes?”
“10k.”
I listen to them go back and forth, unable to hide my shock. “Wait, this is like seriously a thing.” 
Blade turns to me with a frown. “Yes. Dead serious. You don't fuck with any of the women here. I do the same for you.”
Ignore the fluttering in your tummy, Dakota. “So do you guys do this often?”
“Not necessarily often. But yeah, anytime someone important to us is threatened.” Slip interjects.
“Interesting. So how does it go down?”
Scott sighs. “ Well pretty much, we all go to the street. We bring cash. We bring our cop friend to make sure everything goes okay.”
“And we bring the most souped up bike and the winner gets 10k.” Blade finishes.
“It beats shooting people, which is what we used to do.” Slip laughs. “Anyway we're being called in to work on the bike, obviously.”
“Yes, of course it had some road rash after Flynn last used it so that was all fixed, I think paint should be okay but Ink and I will double check everything.”
“Cool.”
“What were you planning on doing today Dakota?” Blade turns to me.
You. My thoughts make me chuckle and I shake my head. no, Dakota, calm yourself. “I was just going to do some painting, I dunno, why?” 
‘Liar.’ Blade mouths to me. I flip him off.
“Do you want to be our flag girl?” Slip is blissfully unaware of what’s happening.
“What's that? Explain it to me.” 
“Basically. It's a girl that starts the race for us.” He snorts.
“Okay?”
“Yeah. Usually, it's Siren or Stiletto who does it, but it doesn’t really matter who does as long as she's hot.”
I scoff out a laugh. “Nice Scott, that isn't objectifying women at all.”
“Sorry, but am I wrong?”
“No, obviously I’m hot.” I tuck a hair behind my ears as Blade narrows his eyes. “But I'm down.”
“Ok well, Blade or Kasei can help you find which girl has the outfit. I gotta get to work, see y’all later.”
“Bye.” We call in unison as he hangs up.
Blade rolls over on top of me. “Are you flirting?”
“With Slip? Ew.” I snort. “I was agreeing that I’m hot, are you disagreeing?” I raise one eyebrow.
He gives me that smile. “I’ve been hard as a rock since I walked in this room and saw you.”
I clear my throat. “Right. Okay.” He leans down and kisses me, pulling away a second later.
“But you have to get to work, we don’t have time.” I chew on my inner cheek.
“Yeah I do…rain check?”
“Okay.” I get out of bed with a grin. “I had fun last night.”
His eyes are glued to my bottom half as I turn back to him.
“Blade.”
His head snaps up to look at me. “Sorry but your ass is peeking out the bottom of that shirt and…” he trails off, blowing out a breath.
I shake my head. “Do you have a belt? I have a better idea.”
He heads to his closet. “Yeah, black or brown?”
“Black is better, matches my shoes.”
He hands it to me as I bend to grab his button up shirt from last night.
“Dakota.” He growls.
“Just stop looking at my ass and you won't have that problem.” I giggle, gesturing to the bulge straining against his PJ pants.
“I can’t.”
“Okay, well turn around because I have to get completely naked here.” I gesture.
He curses and stomps out of the room.
“Or that too, grumpy pants.” I laugh at the closed door. I make quick work changing into the button up, tying the belt around my waist so it looks like a planned dress not the discarded men’s shirt that I just threw on.
I grab my phone, now charged to 10%, and head out to the kitchen where the grumpy man stands, drinking a glass of water.
“What do you think?”
“That I wish I could throw you down and fuck you all day instead of having to work.” His tone remains even, honest, and he doesn’t move an inch.
I close my eyes. Breathe, D. lets pretend he doesn’t make you feel things, for just a second. “I meant about the shirt.” I open them again.
“I’m surprised you made it work, but it looks good.”
“I just ordered the Uber so I should get out to the front of the compound before someone shoots the poor guy.”
“If I didn’t have to work you could ride-”
“Blade.” I cut him off. “I hope you know this isn’t easy for me either. You’re standing there shirtless, muscles…tattoos.” I close my eyes and take a breath again before I open them to his amused smirk. “You’re hot as fuck so obviously all I wanna do is ride you, okay but I still don’t have panties on so if you continue with that voice and those eyes…” I sigh. Oh, those eyes. “I’m gonna have a big problem.”
“I was about to say my bike. I could take you for a ride on my motorcycle if I didn’t have to work, but I’m glad you’re having those thoughts too.” His voice is gruff as he walks to me.
“Blade.” It comes out as a whimper as I stare up at him.
“Dakota.”
“Step back.” There’s no authority in my voice, and he steps closer instead, pressing himself against me.