by Amelia Shea
Arnett didn’t answer. He turned quickly and rushed inside. The whole scene, and Kase’s own reaction, seemed to throw his brothers off. Each man stared back at Kase in question. Rourke released his hold.
He turned his back, glancing up at Phoebe’s place. His chest expanded in deep breaths with his heartbeat raging. She was having an unnatural effect on him, and he didn’t like it. The possession and need to have her back was angering the hell out of him. He clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth to the point of pain.
“Kase,” Saint said.
He turned and found his VP. The others were making their way up the hill.
“You good?”
Kase eyed Saint. They’d been close forever. Aside from his own brother, no one knew Kase the way Saint did. For as close as they were, Kase wasn’t about to admit any kind of claim on Phoebe. His actions would need an explanation since they were out of character for him.
“Not gonna have that asshole setting off her kind of fucking crazy. Shit like that will bring cops swarming around. It puts us on their radar. The shit we moved away from, and I ain’t gonna have it here.”
The majority of the club’s ventures and businesses were legal. Most. However, they continued to dabble in some activities that teetered on the line.
Saint nodded. “I agree. It was actually the reason I stopped and stepped in when it went down. Had it handled.” The corner of his mouth curled. “A little surprised to see you coming to her aid.”
Kase exhaled deeply through his nose.
“If either of those two dipshits were in need of aid, it wouldn’t be her.”
Saint remained silent with a smirk playing on his lips. Kase halted, resting his forearm on Saint’s chest. “The only thing I’m interested in is her acreage, not her pussy.”
Saint arched a brow.
Fucking Saint with his silent bullshit.
“Don’t fucking read into it, Saint. Nothing there.”
Saint nodded, which fueled the fire in his veins. Who the hell was he trying to convince?
It meant fucking nothing.
Chapter Three
What a fucked up day.
Phoebe tapped her nails on the glass cupped between her hands and stared out into the field behind her house. She refused to revisit the events from earlier in the afternoon. Giving Arnett any more thought or head space was not happening. One simple word had sent her over the edge. Whore. She snorted at the irony. She was being accused of the very same thing Jared had done. He was the whore who had cheated on her. She had been faithful throughout their whole marriage. She hadn’t even considered other men. That makes me the fool.
She closed her eyes. The good, Feebs, focus on that. She fluttered her lids and smiled.
From her back porch she had the best view of the sunset. It was what sold her on the property. The seclusion and quiet had been the second selling point. I love it here.
She glanced to her right, watching the party next door filter into the yard. From the distance, she couldn’t make out who was there. Based on the movement, it was apparent they were having a good time. She lifted her glass, keeping her gaze locked on the yard of the clubhouse, and sipped her drink. She’d be lying to herself if she didn’t admit to seeking out Kase. She had, with no luck.
When her phone lying next to her rang, she glanced down and immediately answered.
“Hey, Dad.”
“Hi, sweetheart. How’s it going?”
It was an interesting question. How was it going? I almost landed my ass back in jail. She shook her head, ridding Arnett from her mind, and keeping the small piece of information to herself. Her dad had worried about her enough. She wouldn’t add to it.
She drew in a deep breath. “Going great, Dad.”
He chuckled. Her dad knew her better than anyone. It would be easy for him to read through her bullshit. “Starting over is always hard, baby. Keep your head up. Good times are waiting for you.”
She smiled without response. My dad. Forever the optimist. It was a shame it hadn’t rubbed off on her. She drove her fingers through her hair, brushing it over her shoulder.
“Have you cleaned out the house yet?”
Phoebe snorted. “Six boxes all set to be donated.”
Aside from moving all her stuff in, she was moving Jared’s out. She hadn’t realized how much of his shit had accumulated until she opened drawers and the closets. It was a strange feeling tossing his belongings in a box without a second glance. It was almost sad how much she didn’t want to hold onto anything from a man she had shared her life with for so long. The man she was supposed to grow old with. Motherfucker.
“Good news. I haven’t attacked anyone since I got here, though I came close with Arnett at the town meeting.” And two hours ago. “Don’t worry, Dad, I’ve banned all bats and weapons from my possession.”
She pressed her lips together when she heard the heavy sigh. “Too soon, sweetheart.”
Phoebe laughed and pushed off the porch, pacing through the yard.
This place. It was handpicked by her. She craned her neck and stared up through the giant pines. Exactly where I’m supposed to be. This place was heaven.
My place. Jared had been against the purchase, but she’d fought hard for it and never backed down. There was something about the small town. Phoebe had refused to budge and insisted they buy the small shack. Where had that girl gone?
Jared stole her. Then, he erased her. And I let it happen.
“Phoebe?”
She blinked, bringing herself back to present day.
“I’m here.”
“Yes, you are. In the place that makes you happy.”
She sighed with a soft smile. She inhaled a deep breath through her nose, taking in the pine scent. It had always been her favorite. It was Ghosttown.
“I’m good, Dad.” Her reassurance was for herself as much as it was for her father. They both needed to hear it. The last year had been a rollercoaster of ups and downs. Moments where she truly wanted to throw in the towel.
“I don’t doubt it, sweetheart. Strongest woman I know, second to your mom, of course.”
She chuckled. “Those are big shoes to fill.”
“Yes, they are.” He paused. “You’ve got it in you, Phoebe.” The small silence echoed on the line. “You lost your way, kiddo. I have confidence you’ll find your way back.” He snickered. “Everyone falls from grace, Phoebe. You just have to get back up.”
She sighed. Even as a child, he gave the best speeches. She wasn’t sure she deserved the pep talk after the path she had chosen with Jared.
“I should have seen it, Dad. I look back, and I can’t believe I didn’t see Jared for the man he really was.” Her eyes teared, and she inhaled a deep breath. For everyone around her, Phoebe gave the strong, hard front. A front, that’s what it was. The only person alive she’d ever let her guard down with was her father. “How did I not see it?”
“Because love blinds us. There’s nothing to be ashamed of, Phoebe. You loved a man who was unworthy. The fault lies on him, not you.”
“Well,” she laughed through her fallen tears, “won’t be making that mistake again.”
“You can’t give up on love because someone hurt you, Phoebe.”
She scoffed. “Love is bullshit, Dad.”
It was.
Her dad sighed. “I had twenty-seven years with your mom, and I can say with one hundred percent positivity, it wasn’t bullshit, kid.”
She tightened her hand, silently scolding her black heart. She may have had a bullshit marriage, a sham of a partnership. Her parents hadn’t. She was being an asshole by diminishing it.
“You guys had something special, Dad. I didn’t mean you and Mom.”
His soft chuckle put her heart at ease.
“We had a lot of years of true love. We weren’t special, sweetheart, it exists. You gave your heart to the wrong man. He didn’t deserve you. Someday, you will find someone who does. Maybe not now, but someday this conver
sation will playback in your head, and you’ll say, ‘the old man knew what he was talking about’. That I can guarantee, Phoebe.”
Ah, this man. She smiled. “Guarantee, huh?”
“Yes.”
She laughed and kicked the pebbles under her feet. There was always something special about her dad. He was imperfect, he’d made mistakes, she’d been there to witness them. He had faults, yet he was perfect in her eyes. No man, not even Jared when she’d been blinded by love, could hold a candle to the first man in her life.
“I’m thinking about going skinny dipping in the lake behind the house.”
He groaned and she laughed.
“Could always count on you for the inappropriate stuff.” He laughed. “Do what makes ya happy, sweetheart. Just don’t tell your old man about it. Talk to ya soon.”
She smiled, a genuine muscle shaking, all in, smile. Maybe her first in months. “Love you, Dad.” She hung up and felt a weight lift from her shoulders. Her dad had always had a way of making her see the positive, even in the worst of times. She strolled through the woods, heading down toward the lake. It was her own private oasis.
Just the escape I need.
****
The leaves and brush crunched under his heavy boots as he made his way down the path. The prospects had made a clearing for easier access to the small lake behind the property. It was state land, but nobody monitored it. The only access available was from the club’s property and hers.
The day had been completely fucked. His new neighbor was proving to be more of a distraction and liability than he’d anticipated. Too much shit hanging over his head and on his shoulders. He needed some fucking give and to just relax. He stopped at the edge of the lake, leaning up against an old oak. He’d come down here plenty of times by himself. It was quiet, and a short getaway from all the responsibilities with the club. So fucking quiet when I don’t have to share it.
His peace was short lived. The voices echoing through the trees announced the arrival of a few members. He should have expected it.
The others had breached the opening, and a few of the girls were already half naked. Kase had seen them and fucked them enough to not bother taking in the scene unfolding. He hadn’t necessarily become immune to the girls in the club, but he’d grown tired of them. Each one vying for his attention with the end goal of becoming his old lady. No fucking way. Thirty-eight years without one and he was completely content.
As president of the club, he had enough responsibility taking care of his brothers and their families without adding on another. He’d never even considered settling down with a woman or becoming a father. Some men were built for it. Kase was not.
“You coming in Kase?” one of the girls asked.
He ignored her. The sole purpose of coming down to the lake was for a bit of peace. That was shot to shit a few minutes ago. Time to head back to the house.
Kase drew in a deep breath and glanced out at the lake, noticing the rippling water near the north end. The moon shining over the water gave a natural lighting effect. It took a second for his eyes to adjust.
He squinted and sucked in a breath. You gotta be fucking kidding me? He’d spent the day trying to rid her from his mind. Now she was fucking here?
He caught her a few yards out in the middle of the lake.
“Who’s that?” Val asked, pointing to the lake. The girls were topless and ready to dive in, but the addition already in the water had everyone taking notice.
Dobbs stood next to him. “You know?”
Kase kept his gaze on her and lifted his cigarette, taking a drag before answering. “The neighbor.” His tone gave nothing away. Phoebe.
He watched as she swam up to shore, stopping only when she realized she was being watched. He was far enough away to stay in the shadows, but Phoebe saw them and waded in the water, staring up at the small group.
“Hey.”
Gage moved closer to the shoreline. “I was just thinking we haven’t seen enough of our new neighbor.” He hadn’t been around for the brawl earlier.
Kase gritted his teeth when she laughed. All the women were taken in by Gage. Usually it didn’t bother him. For some reason, right here and now with Phoebe, it did. She wasn’t one of them. She was an outsider, and Gage was fucking with her. Or was he trying to find an in with Phoebe? It irritated him more than he was willing to admit.
Phoebe glanced up at the group. “You guys going for a swim? Water’s nice.”
“Yeah?” Gage said, grasping the hem on his shirt and lifting it over his head. “Gonna have to join you, then.”
Kase furrowed his brows, watching her smile brighten.
“Actually, I was just getting out.” Only her head was above water. She raised her brows and smirked. “Think you can be a gentleman and turn around while I get out?”
Kase took another drag from his cigarette and watched her. Was she fucking naked?
Gage laughed. There wasn’t a gentleman in the bunch, or a man who hadn’t already seen a naked women a thousand times over. He was almost surprised at Gage’s response.
“Yeah, we can do that.” One by one the members turned around, giving Phoebe their backs. Not Kase. He leaned against the tree, smoking his cigarette, staring back at her. He noticed her shift in the water and her gaze wander over the group who had turned around.
As she breeched the water, her tits came into sight. It was a chore fighting against his raging hard on. He’d seen topless women every damn day of his life for the past eighteen years. It made no sense for him to respond to her with such a deep desire. He was tempted to look away for his own self-preservation. He didn’t.
He made no movement, but Phoebe caught his stare as she glanced across the brush. He expected her to duck back into the water.
Phoebe stared back at him, and the corner of her mouth curled. She slowly emerged from the lake, water droplets dripping off her tight nipples. Fuck me. She walked as though she owned the fucking lake. There wasn’t an ounce of uncertainty in the sway of her hips.
He’d seen thousands of women naked in front of him. Yet nothing as sexy, revving him up as much as the one coming his way.
Her hair was slicked back, and beads of water peppered her face and skin. A slow perusal of her body was enough for Kase to harden to a steel rod, painfully straining in his jeans. His cock stretched against the seam. Fuck! She wasn’t anything special. His body would respond naturally to any naked woman. He sucked in a breath and gritted his teeth.
As she neared him, he narrowed his gaze. She knew exactly what the fuck she was doing. It was impossible not to peruse her body. Perfect handful of tits and her waist dipping, giving her the sexiest hourglass figure. Too many he fucked thought the skinnier the better. Not Kase. He wanted his women soft, something to hold onto while he fucked her hard.
She reached down, grabbing her shirt and shorts. He steeled his natural response to her. As she closed in next to him, she glanced over her shoulder at the other men, who had shown her the decency to turn around. Something Kase hadn’t.
She smirked and strolled forward with her gaze locked on him. She had yet to cover her breasts, and his gaze lingered down to her tight nipples. The pointy peaks begging to be sucked.
“Hey, neighbor,” she whispered.
Fucking trouble. He’d called it the second he saw her at the meeting.
She passed by, and he side-glanced her ass in soaked panties with the hem riding up her crease. He gritted his teeth and turned back to the water. He was never one to get distracted by a piece of ass.
Then came Phoebe.
What the fuck?
Chapter Four
Free!
She had been held captive by boxes of her own shit for the past few days, a prisoner in her own home. For someone who sold everything she had owned supposedly, she had a lot of boxes. By definition she was a hoarder, packrat, or as she liked to think of it, memento-keeper.
For now, she was set on human interaction and looking at a
nything outside her house. She pulled up in front of the new boutique. She’d heard about it through Bailey. Two wives from the club had opened up a few months back. As she strolled on the sidewalk, she peeked in. She recognized one of the girls from the meeting and waved. She would stop in eventually, but right now, her stomach was dictating her next destination.
She grabbed the handle and opened the door to the next building over. Once the scent wafted her nostrils, she closed her eyes and inhaled the aroma. God, I’ve missed you. The pizzeria had been her favorite spot in Ghosttown before they closed their doors a few years back. It was a mom and pop eatery, and they made the best pizza. Like most places in Ghosttown, they didn’t have the revenue to stay open. With only forty full-time residents, and a handful of tourists, the odds were stacked against them from the start.
When Bailey had told her, a silent investor offered to help them reopen, she almost cried.
It was still early, and the place was quiet, with only one other customer. His back was facing her, giving her the perfect view of his jeans contouring his ass. They weren’t tight, just enough to curve around his butt. Her gaze travelled up over his patched leather vest. Ghosttown Riders. His light brown hair was clipped at the back of his neck.
She hadn’t ever been overly drawn to men with long hair, but on him? She was having seconds thoughts. She couldn’t quite figure out what attracted her so much to him. There was something, though. She’d never been a girl with a bad boy fetish. Throughout high school and college, she veered toward the athletic and fun as opposed to the rebel. Now, here she was, thirty-two years old, and finally looking to take a walk on the wild side.
She inched closer, but he had yet to notice her.
The attraction was mutual. Right? It had to be. She couldn’t have been reading it all on her end. The other night at the lake she’d read through his harsh glare. Behind the façade, she caught the heated desire in his eyes. She spared a quick glance down at her body and twisted her lips with a quirky shake of her head. She was pretty even though she’d lost the youthful glow of her twenties. Her body was toned, with extra baggage from her love of chocolate, chips, and ice cream. She bit her lip. She had nothing to lose. Flirting with him had become a mini obsession for her, along with nighttime fantasizing. And apparently, daytime too.
