I snort, then break out into a full-on giggle. “But, you still did her anyway?” I ask.
“Well, yeah. Of course.” He flashes another smile at me, and I notice he’s got these adorable cheek dimples. “It’s my duty to fuck as many women as possible.”
Maybe he said it to shock me, but it only makes me laugh harder. “You and Lilly really are kindred spirits.”
The silly smile on his face falters. “What?”
“She has a similar theory on dating.” His uncertain expression says he wants more information but doesn’t want to ask in front of the guys.
Inga joins us next, ending the “strippers are a lousy lay” conversation. Pity.
“Fuuuck.” She throws herself on the couch next to Trinity, jostling the poor girl awake. The two sort of glare at each other for a second.
When Trinity realizes she’s been using Wrath’s thigh as a pillow and that we’ve all witnessed it, I swear she turns a little green.
“Morning, Trinny,” Rock greets her with a slow grin.
She mumbles something that resembles good morning and takes off down the hall. Wrath gets up and follows her. I swing my gaze to Z, silently begging him not to go anywhere and leave us alone with Inga. I get a wink in response. Planting her hands in the couch cushions, Inga does this weird slide/crawl down the couch, giving me an eyeful of cleavage in the process. Rock’s playing with my hair, tucking wild strands behind my ear and tracing his fingers down my neck. It tickles, and I giggle.
Something sad passes over Inga’s face, which nags at me. After last night, I’m feeling a lot more secure about my position in Rock’s life. With that in mind, it’s easier to recognize having this PDA moment in front of her might be a little rude, even though she once told me she had no interest in Rock romantically. Last night it seemed she came up here with some sort of expectations, and I ruined that for her. Not my fault, but I still have the twinge of guilt.
Wrath comes back wearing a dejected expression and glares at Inga before sitting back down. Trinity follows and sits on the arm of the couch next to Rock. Basically, she’s as far away from Wrath as she can get and still be part of the group conversation. I swivel in Rock’s lap so I can see her.
“So, I get how Dex got his nickname now,” Inga says out of the blue to no one in particular. I glance at her as she wiggles her fingers in the air. “Real good with his fingers.” She winks at Trinity as if she’s in on this joke.
Ewww.
Trinity’s gaze skips from me to Wrath. “That’s what I’ve heard.”
Wrath shakes his head. “That’s not how he got his road name.”
“So, how did you like our show last night, Hope?” Inga asks in a casual tone, but the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Any sympathy I might have felt for her a second ago evaporates. The dirty little tramp is up to no good.
I choose to go the diplomatic route with my answer. “You’re very talented.”
She cocks her head, and a mean-girl grin curls her lips. “Rocky took you away from us before we got to the good stuff. You actually move really well, once you loosen up.” While she says “loosen up,” it sounds more like “take the stick out of your ass.”
“Uh, thanks.”
“If you ever want lessons—I mean, you’re a little on the old side—I can teach you how to work the pole.”
Rock sits up, wrapping his arms around my waist. “Knock it off, Inga.”
“Yeah, she knows how to work Rock’s pole just fine,” Z adds helpfully.
I flick my gaze at him, and he winks again.
Deciding diplomacy is a wasted effort on Inga, I turn and pin her with what I used to think of as my courtroom stare. “Inga, I get that you used to fuck my man, but if I wanted to hang out with a bitch, I’d get a dog. Keep your thinly veiled insults to yourself, you’re not fooling anyone.” I’m proud of myself for spitting all that out without stumbling over the words. Rock coughs. Wrath and Z whoop and chortle. My brave moment passes as my cheeks heat up, and I imagine I must be furiously blushing but I refuse to lower my gaze. Finally, Rock slides his arms under my knees and stands, lifting me in the air. I gasp, grabbing at his shoulders with the sudden shift.
“You hungry, baby doll?”
I trace my fingers over his jaw. He didn’t bother shaving this morning, and I like the scruff on him. His eyelids drop at my touch, and I marvel that I have this effect on him.
“Inga, you got a ride home?” he says pointedly.
“I brought my car. Waitin’ on Peach.”
“She’s in my room. I’ll go get her,” Z says as he pushes out of his chair, clearly eager to get rid of Inga.
She flicks her bony fingers at Z and settles into the couch cushions. “Unless you plan to wake her up with your head between her thighs, I wouldn’t bother. She’s not a morning person.”
“Fuck that shit,” Z grumbles and walks off.
Rock sets me down but keeps his arms around me. Behind us Inga huffs, and out of the corner of my eye, I watch her pound up the stairs.
Good riddance.
Trinity slides off the couch. “I’ll get breakfast started.”
“Hang on, Trinny,” Rock says without taking his eyes off me. “After Ing and Peach get the fuck out, round up whoever’s awake, and we’ll go down to Hog Heaven.”
A grin lights up her face. I imagine she’s thrilled not to have to cook for a pack of hungover, hungry bikers.
“You want me to call and see if they’ll open the back room for us?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
Rock releases me, and I glance up. He leans down and presses his forehead against mine. “Hope,” he breathes, his hands cupping my throat, thumbs brushing against my jaw. “Do you have any idea what you do to me?”
Overwhelmed with the tenderness in his voice, my eyes flutter shut.
“I’m so sorry for that scene, baby. But, I’m so proud of you.” His lips press against my forehead.
I’m choking on emotions I can’t even name. Suddenly I’m acutely aware we’re not alone, so I pull away. “Do I have time to fix myself up?”
His gaze travels over my face for a moment. “Sure, baby doll.” Pulling the keys from his pocket, he hands me the one to his room. “I need to speak with Wrath for a minute. You okay?”
On the verge of tears, I choke out, “I’ll be fine.”
I run upstairs, praying I won’t pass Inga on the way. If I shed one tear in front of that skank, I’ll never forgive myself.
Once inside Rock’s room, I dump my bag out on the bed and sort through the clothes I brought. Figuring out what to wear helps clear my head. Hog Heaven isn’t fancy, but it’s the weekend. So, I pull out a frilly, flowy white sleeveless blouse dotted with tiny roses in various shades of blue. Holding up the new pair of jeans I brought, I go back and forth about whether I should wear them. They’re skin tight, something I would normally never wear, but they give the illusion that I actually have an ass, and I think Rock will like them.
I hurry through my shower hoping Rock will surprise me, but I have the bathroom to myself. While I’m drying my hair, the door opens, letting some of the steam out. I’m still wrapped in just a towel, and as I meet Rock’s hungry gaze in the mirror, I think it’s going to be a while before we get to breakfast.
Fury at Inga’s behavior toward Hope has my fist curling and itching to punch through the fucking wall. My girl handled herself well, but she shouldn’t have to put up with that shit.
Over the years I’ve met plenty of guys who got off on a good catfight between an ex and his ol’ lady. I’ve never understood that mindset. There’s nothing sexy about having the person you love be tormented because of your past actions. If I could go back in time and toss Inga’s job application in the trash, I wouldn’t hesitate.
The crazy rituals women put themselves through before going out have never interested me all that much. When I spent my nights holed up at Crystal Ball, I tended to avoid the girls’ dressing room like the plague. But, I
find myself fascinated as I observe Hope. Some of that is probably because she’s standing there in only a towel. But it’s cute watching her try to pull and smooth her hair into submission. Her lips twist in annoyance when it doesn’t stay where she wants. She looks up and meets my eyes in the mirror.
“I don’t know why I’m bothering. It’s just going to get messed up. I didn’t bring any of my hair stuff with me.”
Coming up behind her, I wrap my arms around her waist and kiss the top of her head. “You’re beautiful no matter what.”
“I love that you see me that way.”
I spin her around. “It’s not me. You are simply beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
Maybe I need to show her.
“Baby doll,” I breathe against her neck. Kissing my way down her shoulder, I tug the towel from her body. With my hands cupping her hips, I back her onto the bathroom counter.
Three sharp pounds against my bedroom door pull us apart.
“Fuck,” I groan.
Z shouts through the door. “Ding dong, bitches be gone! No time for fucking—we want food!” He slams his fist against my door a few more times.
Hope shakes her head and giggles. “I guess we better hurry.”
She slides off the counter, whips out an elastic, and quickly twists her hair into a messy braid. Naked—the way I like her—she strides out of the bathroom. I pick up her towel with a shake of my head and follow. She’s wriggling her perfect ass into a pair of panties when I find her. I turn away because I’m getting worked up. After a minute, she molds herself against my back, her arms encircling me in a hug. “All set.”
I turn and drink her in. Damn, she’s so fucking cute, I don’t want to take her in public where other people can see what is all mine. I finger the thin straps of her top. “You’re going to be cold.”
“Oh, yeah.” She turns and bends over—
“What the fuck you wearing?”
“Huh?” She straightens and throws on her leather jacket.
“Those jeans.”
“Oh, I just bought them. Why? Are they too tight?” She spins and twists, trying to get a glimpse of her own ass.
Fuck, yes, they’re too tight. “Yes,” I grind out.
She stops trying to turn herself into a pretzel and walks over to the full length mirror on the back of the door. As she bends and poses in the mirror, my fists ball at my sides. She’s fucking clueless about what she does to me.
Apparently satisfied, she faces me. “I think they make my butt look nice.”
With a twist of the doorknob, she flings the door open and swishes out. It takes a second before I catch up to her.
“You’re going to be the death of me.”
She flashes a sweet smile at me and takes my hand. Holy fuck, do I love this woman.
“Frank can’t give us the back room, so he said no colors, guys,” Trinity informs the small group of us who are waiting downstairs.
“Fuck,” Z grumbles.
No one else wanted to get their lazy asses up, so only Wrath, Z, and Trinny are out to breakfast with us. The place is packed. Although Frank couldn’t give us the back room, he does have a corner table in the back of the joint waiting for us.
Hope orders some frou-frou egg thing I’m surprised to even see on the menu at Hog Heaven.
Wrath is still sulking because Trinny decided to ride here with Z instead of him. Z is, of course, oblivious. Trinity chose to sit next to Hope. The two of them are talking so fast I can’t really keep up with their conversation, but I’m thankful they seem to get along so well.
Hope wrinkles her nose at my sausage, biscuits, and gravy when it arrives. Placing a spoon in her hand, I tell her to try it. She hesitates, then digs in. Her eyes light up, and she moans as she licks the gravy from the spoon.
“Holy crap. That is good. I wonder if I could figure out the recipe.”
Wrath stares at her like she’s nuts.
She licks the spoon again. “What?” Hope asks, genuinely confused.
Z chuckles and resumes shoveling in his food like someone is going to take his plate away any second.
Before Frank brings the check, I wander up to the register to pay the bill. Trinny taps my shoulder while I’m waiting for my change. “Thanks, Rock.”
Settling my hand on her shoulder, I give her a quick squeeze. “You’re welcome, sweetie. Everything okay?”
She shrugs and nods. I don’t press her any further.
I glance at our table and see Z tapping at his cell phone, a feral grin spreading over his face.
“What’s he up to?”
Trinity grins and shakes her head. “No idea.”
“Hey, the term ‘muffler bunny’ came out of my girl’s mouth last night. You teach her that?” I’m teasing, but Trinity’s face twitches with panic.
“It might have slipped out.”
“I’m joking, Trinity.”
She relaxes a little. “Last night would have been tough to take for anyone, but someone not used to bikers? She handled herself well, Rock. You picked a good one.”
Hope and Wrath appear to be having some sort of staring contest. “He giving her shit again?”
“You want me to go check?” Trinny asks.
“Please.”
She saunters over with a sway in her hips that takes Wrath’s attention away from my girl. Settling her hands on his shoulders relaxes him, and he tips his head up to flash a smile at Trinity. I get my change and head back to our table.
Z looks up and taps Wrath. “Hey, I gotta take off. Give Trinny a lift back?”
Wrath is pleased as fuck. “Yup.”
When the four of us hit the parking lot, my brother stretches obscenely and runs a hand over his gut. “It’s too nice to be inside. You wanna take the girls for a ride?”
Sounds like a good idea. I hug Hope to my side. “That okay with you?”
A broad grin lights up her face. “Yeah, where?”
Wrath looks around, trying to orient himself. “Fletcher Park isn’t far. Should be a nice view on a day like today.”
Hope goes rigid next to me, and I remember she has a weird reaction to that place. I want to get her to tell me why. “Why don’t you go on ahead and we’ll meet you at the overlook?”
“See you in a few.” Trinity surprises Hope with a brief hug.
Once they’ve cleared the parking lot, I sit Hope on my bike. “Are you okay with going up there?”
She tips her head up, squinting at the bright sky. “Yeah.”
“Wanna tell me about it?”
She sighs, and I can tell this has something to do with her husband, so I brace myself.
“Clay proposed up there. Not at the overlook, but the area next to it. The one with the gazebo?”
Fuck, that’s bad. No wonder the place wigs her out so much. “We don’t have to go. I’ll text him and tell them we’re going to skip it,” I say pulling out my cell phone.
Her soft fingers land on my arm. “No, it’s okay. I’d like to go there with you.”
I search her face for a second. “If you change your mind, just say so, okay? Promise me.”
“I promise.”
I take my time driving us up there, giving her a chance to back out if she wants. When we reach the overlook, Trinny is standing on the low stone wall snapping pictures with her cell phone. Wrath is standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her legs even though the drop off the cliff is a good five feet away from the wall. At the sound of my bike, she turns. Wrath slips his hands around her waist and sets her on the ground.
“We were wondering if you guys got lost!” She runs over and hugs Hope again.
“You two looked so cute standing there,” Hope whispers to Trinny.
Wrath is sitting on the wall facing us now. He lifts his chin at me, and I nod. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Hope snag Trinny’s cell and push her toward Wrath. This should be interesting. But instead of grouching about it, Wrath pulls Trinity between his knees,
hugs her close, and allows Hope to snap a bunch of pictures.
Trinny giggles and waves me over. “Your turn! Come on, Rock-steady.”
A warm feeling settles over me as I wrap my arms around Hope, and Trinity takes a bunch of pictures. I grab a few shots of just the girls together. Wrath draws the line at them taking pictures of just the two of us. The girls want to walk along the top of the length of the wall, even though technically we could get booted out of the park for it. Every seven feet there’s a sign stating no one is to step on or over the stone barrier. I hold Hope’s hand as she tightrope walks along the wall. When we reach the end, the girls prance up to the observation deck to look through the viewfinders the park has installed. For a dollar you get enough time to take a quick sweep of the tri-county view. Wrath and I fish out quarters and hand them over.
We take a few steps back. Even though he’s staring at the girls’ asses, something is bothering him.
“What?” I ask.
He keeps his voice low so we won’t be overheard. “We came in the back way. Down at Green Rocks Pavilion there is a horde of Devil’s Demons having a barbeque.”
That makes no sense. The closest Demon chapter is about four hours from here. Fletcher Park is technically neutral ground. Since we are the dominant MC in this area, normally they would check in with us, even if just to say “hey.” We have friendly history with the Demons and maintain a decent relationship. It’s a respect thing. “Are you sure? Was it the Kodack chapter?”
“Probably. It was just me and Trin. I didn’t exactly stop and play twenty questions.”
Shit, yeah. That could have been dangerous. We have no beef with the Demons, but no reason to take a stupid risk either.
“How many?”
“Maybe twenty?”
“Just patch-holders, or did it look like a family event?”
“Family too.”
I relax a little. If they’re not here to do business, then I’m not going to worry about it. “Who knows, maybe they just needed a place to crash.”
“Yeah, but they would need a permit to close down that whole area.”
“Call Z and tell him to start making some quiet inquiries. Let’s get the girls and go.”