“Come here, baby, let’s burrow.”
I squeal as he pulls us both down, with me sprawled along his side, my leg tossed over his. When he leans in and starts kissing me, I can’t help but moan.
“God, I love the noises you make when I’m kissing you.” His voice is little more than a raspy growl and it sends frissons of excitement through me.
Long minutes pass as he thoroughly investigates my mouth, our tongues dueling as his hands softly stroke along my sides and back. I wish I was ready for more, but I’m still scared to death. Quentin did me no favors when he assaulted me, because when I think of Nick and I having sex, I break out in a cold sweat. “I’m sorry,” I whisper against his lips.
“What are you sorry for?” he whispers back.
“That I can’t go further.”
“Shayla, look at me,” he commands. I raise my eyes to his and see nothing but desire. “When we get to that point, you won’t be thinking of that time. You’ll be focusing on what I do to you and what you’re doing to me.”
“You sure?” I can hear the worried tone in my voice.
“Positive. Baby, whether you know it or not, you react to me and I know if I checked, you’d be wet for me.” Now I’m glad the room is nearly dark because the heat covering my face tells me that I’m beet red.
“Nick! You can’t say that.”
“Gonna say a lot more when it gets to that point. Now, let’s make out for a bit. I need something to carry me through until I come back.”
As he lowers his head, I realize that his face is the only one I want on the pillow next to me for the rest of my life.
12
Nick
“I’ll be back as soon as I can. In fact, if it’s okay with you, I’ll stay with you and we can commute down to the sanctuary during the week. I need to find us a place down there because that’ll be a challenge during the winter and I don’t want us staying at the clubhouse with Meli long-term.”
“Be careful,” she replies. “And it’s perfectly fine staying with me. If it hadn’t been for you, I wouldn’t be here.”
“Gonna miss you, short stuff,” I tell her, pulling her into my arms. She fits perfectly and something settles deep inside. She’s my game changer, the one who will be with me the rest of my life. As that feeling grows, I realize that I’m falling in love with her. I don’t tell her because now isn’t the time, but my brain tells me it won’t be long.
“I’ll miss you too, Nick,” she replies.
“Kiss me, Shay,” I demand, leaning down. Her arms wrap around my neck and she moves closer before kissing me. Fuck, I’m a goner and I know it. She’s nothing like Piper, there’s no artifice in her. What you see is what you get.
Long minutes pass as I pour everything I can’t say yet into the kiss and when I pull back and see the dazed look on her face, I realize that leaving her is going to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I lean down and kiss her forehead and say, “I’ll call every night, babe. You concentrate on regaining your strength and taking care of Meli.”
“Be careful, Nick. We’ll be fine.”
I pick up my duffel bag and head out the door to my truck, my body wanting to turn back and grab her and never leave. Soon.
* * *
The drive back to the clubhouse was uneventful and I pull in roughly an hour after leaving. “Glad you got here okay, we’ve got church in thirty minutes,” Motor tells me as I walk through the door. “Gives you time for a beer.”
“Yeah, sounds good to me,” I reply, going to the bar where one of our new prospects hands me a beer. “Thanks, man.”
“You’re welcome. Need anything?”
“Naw, I’m good.” One thing I’m grateful for is that those of us who served with Reese didn’t have to prospect. Initially we had to do all the bullshit stuff, but once we got some prospects in, that changed. Of course, Reese runs his club differently than a lot of them. We don’t really have women hanging around all the time, just when we throw a party. I know a lot of them come in the hopes of snagging a biker as an old man, but some just want a trip on the wild side and my brothers are more than happy to provide them with that. Now that I’ve had a taste of clean, I can’t believe I was ever attracted to anyone that came to the parties.
I head into the room we use for church and take my seat. “Trip back okay?” Reese asks, coming into the room.
“Yeah, hated to leave. Gotta find a house down here. Until then, gonna commute back and forth.”
“That’s gonna be rough during the winter. You know the roads get rough.”
“Clubhouse isn’t exactly set up for Meli.”
“You haven’t been in your room yet, have you? My old lady hooked y’all up. She wants to meet Shayla as soon as possible.”
“Well, she’s not working this next week and I figured we could work at the sanctuary Monday through Thursday, then head back up and she can help my dad until he hires someone else.”
“So you’re claiming her then?”
“Yep.”
“Good. Think she’ll be good for you, brother.”
I nod because she has brought a level of peace to my life I haven’t had in too many years.
* * *
“Nick, how’s Bosco working out for you?” Corrie asks as I walk into the main building at the sanctuary.
I glance at the dog who never leaves my side and grin. “Fucking fantastic, actually. He’s so damn smart.” Then I think of something else and say, “I appreciate what you did to my room.” I went up after church and saw that she had put a crib in one corner and rearranged the furniture so that it wasn’t cramped. There’s even a folding screen to put around the crib so that Meli has some privacy. Not that I think Shayla and I will be doing anything with her in the room, but the option’s there.
“Not a problem. I know it’s probably only temporary, but at least y’all can come down and stay here and not worry about running back and forth, especially since you know how the weather plays havoc around here.”
She’s not lying. I mentally make a note to tell Shayla to make sure she packs plenty of clothes that she can leave at the clubhouse because if the weather goes sideways, we’ll be forced to stay here instead of going back and forth.
“So, what do we have going on?”
“I’ve got an adoption event set up at the local pet store for some of the cats and dogs.”
“Do we need to do anything to get them ready?”
“I was gonna bathe the dogs and make sure the cats’ nails were trimmed.”
“Want me to pull some prospects in to help?” I ask.
“Yeah, that would help. So, Reese mentioned you want to look for a house?”
“I do, one that has a fenced backyard for Meli to play in and Bosco to laze in the sun when we’re there.”
“Kirsten knows someone who can help. Any idea how big of a house you’re looking for?”
I think about what she’s saying and realize I want ‘the house’, the one that Shayla and I can raise a family in. I don’t want to roam aimlessly any longer now that she’s come into my life. I want to set up a home. “It needs to be big enough that when we start adding to our family, we don’t have to move,” I tell her.
Her eyes get big and she says, “She’s the one.”
“She is.”
“We’ll get on that and find you some houses to look at before she comes down so you can decide.”
“She’s the one who’ll decide, Corrie. Just find me some y’all think will work and we’ll go from there.”
Her grin says it all and I mentally shake my head. My pres has a great old lady and I hope that when Shayla gets down here full-time, she finds a few friends. “Let’s get this stuff done, I’m sure you’ve got other things you need to take care of,” she replies.
Shayla
“Brody, I can definitely come into work for a little while,” I argue while eating breakfast. “I feel fantastic and sitting around doing nothing isn’t really my style.”
>
“Maybe during the lunch crowd,” he concedes. “Just don’t want you to relapse. Nick would kill me.”
I giggle because Nick’s family has taken me and Amelia in with no questions and I find myself being treated like a beloved daughter or something. It’s a new sensation for me and one I lay in bed at night and count my blessings over. “Naw, he wouldn’t kill you.”
“He might. Okay, you come down around eleven but you’re not working past one, I don’t care how busy things are.”
“Sweet!” Is it sad that I’m excited to go back to work? I’ve gotten used to making my own way and even though he keeps telling me he’s got me, I don’t feel right about him taking care of us like he is.
Brody shakes his head at my exuberance and starts cleaning the kitchen. “Jaycie and the girls will watch Amelia since it’s still cold out.”
“Okay. I better go get ready.”
“It’s five in the morning, I think you’ve got time.” His droll comment has me laughing out loud.
“Fine, I’ll go take it easy for a bit before I come down. Better?”
“Like seeing you feel comfortable enough to joke, Shayla.”
I just shake my head and take care of my plate. I’ll go in and lay down for a little while so I’m fully rested and ready to work.
* * *
I’m at the counter resetting the coffee pot when I feel someone staring at me. Turning, I notice the blonde sitting down, her eyes never leaving me. “Can I help you?” I ask, grabbing the full pot of coffee and walking toward her.
“Is…is Nick around?” she asks in return. Nick? Why would she want to know if he was around? Looking closer, I see she’s near his age and my mind quickly realizes that she’s likely Piper, the one who pulled that shit on him all those years ago.
“Why do you wanna see Nick, Piper?” Brody questions, stepping so he’s at my back. “You know he doesn’t want to see or speak to you.”
“That all happened a long time ago, Brody! We were close once and I heard he’s been up here a lot, so wanted to get in touch with him, for old times’ sake.”
My heart is thumping wildly as I look at her. She’s beautiful, but I can see a hardness around her eyes that has a hint of desperation. Why would he want me when he could have her in his life?
“Not thinking my boy wants to revisit those times, Piper. Best you get that in your head before you try and fuck his up.” Right now, I’m grateful that Brody is managing this conversation because I’ve gone mute.
“Brody, my folks forced me to do that.”
“Not what Nick told us,” Jaycie states, walking in from the back, holding Amelia.
“You…wait, is she his?” Piper asks.
“In every way that matters,” Jaycie replies. Piper’s eyes come to me when Amelia squeals and reaches for me, causing me to put the coffee pot down and grab her.
“I see,” she mutters. Her glare in my direction has me shaking inside, but I learned with Quentin to never let anyone see me cower.
“Did you want something?” I ask. “Coffee? Breakfast? Lunch?”
“I’m good. Let him know I was asking to see him, will you?” she asks me.
Yeah, like that’s ever gonna happen. I nod even though the likelihood of her name crossing my lips is slim to none. “Sure,” I state. Then, as if he was standing against me, his chest pressed into my back, I continue, “Although I’m not thinking that he will want to renew any friendship.”
She all but stomps out of the diner and I let the breath I’ve been holding whoosh out of me. “You did well,” Jaycie announces, patting my back. “She means nothing to him, not after she pulled that shit. Don’t let her words make you doubt my boy.”
“I…I won’t.” We’re still so new, though, that it’s hard to maintain that confidence because what if he feels like a trip down memory lane? He’s a man and they’ve got needs, needs I’m not ready to handle.
As if she can hear my inner thoughts, Jaycie leans closer and whispers, “He cares for you, Shayla, and knowing my boy the way I do, that means he’s okay being on your timetable, not his. He’ll take matters into his own hands until you’re ready.”
And…I’ve got nothing. I can feel my face heat up at her words and she laughs as she takes Amelia back from me and walks away. “You’ll be fine, Shayla,” she calls out.
* * *
Later that night, I’m lying in Nick’s bed since his folks are insisting I stay a few more days when my phone rings. Picking it up, I see his name and grin. “Hello?” I whisper. I know the house has settled for the night and even though his room is on the other side of the house, I don’t want to wake anyone else.
“You weren’t sleeping yet, were you?” he asks. His voice has my stomach fluttering and I close my eyes against the sheer longing I feel.
“No, just laying here watching some Netflix.”
“Whatcha watching, baby?”
“The Notebook,” I whisper.
“Chick flick, huh? You okay? You sound like you’ve been crying.”
“Noah and Ally’s story is…intense.”
He chuckles before saying, “I watched it with my mom and remember her crying. Good movie, I guess.”
“It’s a beautiful love story!”
“We’re gonna write our own, sweetheart.” Be still my heart!
“We are, are we?”
“Yeah, starts out with us being best friends and moving toward becoming lovers.”
“I see.” What the hell else can I say? He’s got me so damn tongue-tied right now I don’t know whether I’m coming or going.
“You don’t right now, but you will. So, Dad called me and told me about the visit y’all had at the diner today. She’s not on my radar, baby. Not for a long fucking time.”
“Okay.” My voice is soft because my mind had wandered to the what if part as in, what if he saw her again and decided he wanted someone who knew the score?
“So, what’re you wearing?” he asks, switching subjects now that he has laid down the law concerning Piper. Well, in his mind, he has, anyhow, but I don’t think she’s gonna give up so easily.
“Me?”
“Yeah, you, baby. I need a visual.”
“Why do you need a visual?” Jeez, I feel like a damn parrot right now!
“Because I can curl up with a pillow and pretend it’s you.” Dammit, now he’s saying sweet things.
“Um, I went shopping with your mom and aunt today and picked up some new nightgowns. This one is red with tiny hearts on it.”
“How long is it?”
“It comes to mid-thigh, why?”
“Because I’m imagining me with my legs tangled up in yours and I wanna know that I’ll have that smooth skin to stroke.” He’s lighting a fire that I have no clue how to put out and I don’t know what to say, so I stay silent. “You there?” he asks after long minutes pass where I try to control my breathing.
“Yeah.” I know my response sounds breathy, but my body is reacting to his words.
He doesn’t call me on it which is good because I’m not sure what I’d say. “Guess what? Corrie set up an adoption event for some of the sanctuary animals for this weekend. I’ll come up Thursday and get you and Amelia and bring you down since we’re gonna have a barbeque afterwards.”
“Where will we stay?”
“In my room at the compound. Corrie and her girl, Kirsten, fixed it up so Amelia has her own little corner. It’ll work for now. And they’re getting me some houses for us to look at as well.”
“Aren’t we moving kinda fast, Nick?”
“Not fast enough,” he mumbles, probably thinking I can’t hear, but where he’s concerned, I’ve got supersonic hearing or something. “No, I claimed you to the brothers today so you’re my old lady now and that means where I’m at, you need to be there as well.”
Alrighty then, Mr. Bossy Biker. “I see. What does that mean, exactly? Are we boyfriend and girlfriend or what?”
His chuckle comes through the
phone and sets other parts of me fluttering. Since I don’t know what to do with that, I ignore the sensation and listen to him instead. “It’s a little more than that, baby. For a biker, an old lady is the most important thing next to his bike and his club. I’ll protect and treasure you until I draw my last breath. It’s like being married in the biker world, although a lot of bikers do end up marrying their old ladies. And while there are some out there who have old ladies but also have their side flings, I’m promising you that I’ll be faithful.”
Alrighty then. Wait…married? That implies physical intimacy, something I’m not sure about at all, although how I feel when he kisses me tells me that I’m getting there. “I…see.”
“Your pace, Shayla, remember? This just means that to my brothers, you’re mine. Porter is ordering you a cut like mine that’ll have my property patch on the back.”
Property? Deciding to put it out there, I ask, “Property? What does that mean?”
“It means that I’m responsible for whatever you do whenever we’re around my brothers, so if you show any disrespect, I’ll be the one to take whatever they decide to dish out.” Well, that seems a little archaic to me!
“Nick! That’s barbaric!”
“It’s the way of our world, baby. But I don’t expect you’ll throw sass at anyone except me and that’ll probably only happen when we’re alone, so I think we’ll be just fine.”
“You sure about this?” I know my tone is worried sounding, but I can’t help it. He deserves way more than me in my somewhat broken shell.
“Beyond sure. So, do you work Thursday? I’ll come pick you up at the diner.”
“No, I’m off on Thursday so I can get the house in order.”
“Then I’ll be there as soon as I can, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Gonna let you get some sleep, Shay. Sweet dreams.”
“Good night, Nick. Talk to you soon.”
Nick: Black Tuxedos MC Page 9
