by Amelia Shea
I bet he’s a hair puller. She smirked.
Kase was resting against the center column with the phone up to his ear. “I’ll call and make sure he fucking does it.” Phoebe widened her eyes. Whoever was on the receiving end of Kase Reilly’s call was fucked.
His shoulders bunched. “Talk to Riss about Pop?”
While she didn’t actually know Riss, Bailey had mentioned her enough times for her to be familiar with the name.
Kase laughed. “I ain’t gonna fucking upset her, ya pussy.” He stopped and straightened, sending Phoebe a step back. “She needs the break. I’ll take him for a week, give her some downtime.”
Phoebe cocked her head, staring at his back. It was another side to him she hadn’t seen. There was almost a twinge of empathy in his graveled voice.
“Later.” He clicked his phone and folded his arms.
Time to make my presence known. She sidled up beside him.
“Hey, neighbor.”
His movement halted, and his shoulders tightened. Interesting effect I have on him. She half wondered if he was going to pretend he didn’t hear and simply ignore her. However, Kase didn’t strike her as the type of man who would shy away from uncomfortable encounters. If anything, she figured he’d go head to head. He slowly glanced over his shoulder with his usual scowl locked in place. The corners of his eyes crinkled.
“Phoebe.”
She giggled and shook her head. “It’s hard, right?”
He furrowed his brows, sending a shiver down her spine. His side-eyed glance was forcing her to tighten her thighs together. The sexual chemistry had to be two sided. Or maybe it’s just me?
“My name. Phoebe.” She smirked. “It’s sweet and feminine, almost impossible to snarl the two syllables.” She shifted closer and lowered her voice. “Though you do give it a good try, Kase.”
Nope, not one sided at all. His eyes hooded, and she didn’t miss the heated glare he was sending her. It could have been strictly irritation. She didn’t think so. Kase might not want to be interested, but he was. She craned her neck, getting an eyeful of his rough, gorgeous face. The pads of her fingers tingled with a strong urge to touch his beard.
“How was your party?” She stepped closer. “I never got my invite. Probably got lost in the mail.” She playfully rolled her eyes. “It was a nice surprise seeing you all at the lake.”
If he had been the least bit affected, Kase hadn’t shown it. He showed no emotion or after effect of her naked play. It hadn’t been planned, but when she saw he was the only one who hadn’t turned their back, she played into it.
“We don’t invite outsiders,” he said in an even tone. He had blatantly ignored her comment about the lake.
“Outsider? Me?” She rested her hand on her chest. “Is it because I’ve done time? It is, isn’t it? My stint in the big house makes you wary of my kind.”
His gaze lingered over her face, his lip pulling up at the corner. She was going to take her opportunity.
“We would probably become real good friends if you just gave me a chance.” She batted her lashes. “This whole ‘you want my land, I’m the enemy’, it’s so early eighteen hundreds.” She winked. “How about you come over to my place? I’ll cook, we’ll have some drinks.” She shrugged. “And ya know, we’ll see where the night takes us.” She curled her lip. “Or we could go for a swim at the lake? I showed you mine, now you can show me yours, Kase.”
It was a bold statement.
“Here ya go, Kase,” Maria said. His stare hesitated on Phoebe before turning to walk to the counter and retrieve his four pizzas.
She watched him spare a chin nod to Maria, who was smiling back at him. He turned, glancing over at Phoebe. She assumed he’d walk past her, but instead he stopped next to her.
“I got a full-stocked bar at my place, women on hand to make me a meal. Don’t need nothing from ya, neighbor.” He sneered his last word. It was a huge indicator she was getting under his skin.
Not the only thing I’m looking to get under.
She chuckled. “Except my property, right, Kase?”
His stone-cold masked exterior only chilled more from her dig. He obviously wasn’t amused with her playful banter. Serious people had always been a downfall for her. She lacked resistance in letting them be, as her father used to say. Aside from the obvious outward appearance, Kase reminded her of her brother. Too serious for his own good.
This was not how she intended her run in to go. She grappled with her next words.
“Wait, Kase.” She started toward him even before he turned.
She didn’t have an exact plan of what she was going to say. She silently groaned. Winging it had never been her strong point. When she made it near him by the door, his annoyance was evident. He scowled and glared down at her.
She clasped her hands, cracking her knuckles. It was a stall tactic. She glanced up through her lashes. He wouldn’t give her much more time. Whatever she wanted to say had to be done in the next few seconds before he bolted. Urgency to keep him there had her spurting her next words.
“Thanks.”
He furrowed his brows but hadn’t made a move to leave.
She licked her lips. “The other day, with Arnett.” Her voice tapered off, unable to finish the sentence. She had come dangerously close to having a repeat performance from six months ago. It would have landed her in jail again with a much harsher penalty. She sighed. “I’m working on my anger management.”
“Yeah, you need to work fucking harder.”
She clenched her jaw and was preparing for a sarcastic retort. What could she say? Kase was right. She nodded.
“I wasn’t really going to hit him.” It was a half-truth. She wasn’t actually one hundred percent confident she wouldn’t have taken a swing if the MC hadn’t stepped in.
Kase raised his brows. He wasn’t buying it.
“I probably wouldn’t have hit him.” She paused. “He knows what buttons to push.”
Kase inched closer, catching her off guard. “And you fucking feed into it.”
She couldn’t dispute his accusation. She did. Arnett hit a nerve, and her first reaction was to go after him. Again. She simply nodded and lowered her gaze to the floor.
“Stop playing into his hand,” Kase growled, and she glanced up through her lashes. His features tightened, his jaw squared, and the lines in his forehead deepened. “Next time, you walk the fuck away.”
It was beyond strange for a member of a motorcycle club to give her advice on walking away. She doubted Kase had ever taken his own advice on standing down. She refrained from pointing out the obvious.
“I will.”
He scanned her face, his gaze softening slightly, Along with his jaw. God, this man is gorgeous. He inched closer and leaned forward, pinning her in his stare. “You do that.” He paused. “Don’t want to lose your gold fucking star for good behavior.”
It took her a second to comprehend. A gold star was what she had earned for her anger management. She had mentioned it at the town meeting to Elsa. And he remembered. Her mouth spread into a wide smile.
Kase straightened, taking another second before turning to walk out the door. Holy shit, was that a moment with Kase Reilly?
Bailey was just walking up past the window. He said something she couldn’t hear. It made Bailey laugh and rest her hand on her small protruding belly. Even at four and a half months pregnant, she just looked bloated. Kase hooked his boot around the bottom of the door, holding it open for her. As Bailey passed through, she reached out, gliding her hand against his arm. It was impossible not to notice the familiarity of those two.
Bailey waved and rushed toward her, wrapping her arms around Phoebe. “You’re home.”
Phoebe smiled, embracing her in a tight hug. She’d missed Bailey. She smiled and glanced up to catch Kase through the window. He was walking across the street heading back to his shop, glancing over his shoulder and staring directly at her. She drew in a breath, keeping her gaze lock
ed on him.
“C’mon.” Bailey stepped back and tugged her arm, forcing her to look away from Kase. She was tempted to look back. It was totally a moment.
When they settled into their table near the front window, she searched the empty street with no sight of Kase. She sighed and focused all her attention on Bailey.
So much had happened in their small town while she’d been away. She’d kept tabs on everyone, but Bailey was giving her all the details, including those of her and Saint. Phoebe sat for an hour listening to her friend. Bailey had given her the condensed version of life in Ghosttown while strategically leaving out information on the newest residents.
“So, what’s going on with you? Are you seeing anyone?”
It was a fair question. In the past year, she had shared with Bailey all her illicit dates. It was the perfect segue into her immediate thought.
“Nope, but let me ask you something? Kase? Taken, available, what?” Phoebe rested her elbows on the table and waited eagerly on Bailey’s answer.
Her excessive blinking was the start of Phoebe’s fascination with her friend’s response. It continued to get more amusing by the second. Her brows hiked up to her hairline, and then her head tilted in an awkward motion, followed by her lips opening and closing. She remained silent during her entire display. Phoebe chuckled and grasped her hand resting on the table.
“I don’t even know how to go about interpreting your facial responses.”
Bailey shook her head and flickered her lashes. “I-I don’t even know…” She clamped her lips. “You’re interested in,” she gulped, “Kase?”
Phoebe burst out laughing. Was it really so strange? The man was sexy, rough, and gorgeous, so why wouldn’t she be?
“Is it that weird?”
“Yes,” she blurted, and her cheeks shaded to pink. She shook her head. “I mean, I just didn’t see Kase as your type.”
Phoebe sat back in her chair. It made sense. Kase was the polar opposite of Jared. Thank God.
“Kase is single.”
Phoebe glanced up with a smirk.
“He’s always single, Phoebe.” She widened her eyes, and Phoebe could see her hesitation. “He doesn’t date. Or if he does, he doesn’t do it well because he’s always with a different girl from the club.” She glanced up at the ceiling and furrowed her brows. “Actually, I don’t really think you could call what Kase does, dating. He, um...” Bailey blushed.
He fucks them. Though Phoebe would bet her life savings, currently pennies, those words would never come out of her friend’s mouth.
Phoebe snickered. “Why should you be the only one who gets to bang a biker?”
Bailey smirked, shaking her head.
“Not looking to marry him, Bails.” Phoebe snorted. The last thing on earth she wanted was to be strapped down again. It was a long, hard, painful lesson. Love was for suckers.
Phoebe settled into her seat. “Just looking for a good time, girl. Nothing more, I promise.”
She sighed. “Okay. I just don’t want you to get hurt. Ya know, some people can be the best at one thing and the worst at another. Kase is a great leader to the club, he’s awesome with the guys, he’s loyal and protective.” She shrugged with a soft smile. There was no doubt Bailey loved him and thought highly of him, “When you’re in with him, he’s got you.” Bailey smiled warmly. “Kase has moments when he’s better than most.” She paused, and Phoebe wondered what she wasn’t telling her. Whatever it was, Bailey was keeping it to herself. She glanced up, and her lips pursed. “But he never struck me as the type of man who would be a great partner.”
“Really? Too bossy in bed, ya think?” Phoebe teased.
She twisted her lips at Phoebe’s teasing. “I only think of Saint when it comes to sex.”
“I don’t blame ya.” Phoebe waggled her brows.
Bailey blushed and ignored the comment. “I don’t want you hurt, Feebs.”
There were not enough Baileys in the world. Government scientists should clone her DNA. The world would be a better place. Phoebe smiled, keeping her thoughts to herself.
“Look, Kase won’t hurt me, I promise. Hurt is reserved for those who invest their hearts.” She chuckled. “And there’s no way any man will ever get a piece of mine again.”
Bailey’s smile faltered. “There are good guys out there.” She shrugged. “I found one.”
Phoebe nodded. “And you deserve him. I’m not interested in anything but a little fun.” She winked. It was the truth. As callous as it may have sounded, Phoebe wasn’t looking for anything more than a good time and a mind-blowing orgasm that ended with her partner leaving shortly after.
Bailey shifted forward, resting her elbows on the table with a somber smile. “Can I ask you something?”
Their lunch had taken a turn to a serious note. Phoebe geared up for it.
“Sure.”
“It’s personal.”
Phoebe snorted. “Oh, even better.”
“How come you’ve never talked about Jared and everything he put you through? I mean, it’s none of my business, and you can tell me to shut up and never bring up his name again and I will, but umm…” Bailey bit her bottom lip. “You can talk to me.” She shook her head and raised her hands defensively. “Or not. No pressure from me. But you’ve always been there for me and listened when I needed to vent.” Bailey snorted. “Let me cry in front of you without judgement. You’ve seen me at my worst.” Bailey reached out and grasped her hand. “I want to be that for you if you need it, okay?”
Phoebe stared back, overcome with emotion. It had nothing to do with Jared. It was all for her. Phoebe had shared with Bailey but hadn’t gone into detail. She kept it all to herself. Even her father, her closest ally, was left in the dark when it came to her feelings regarding Jared. I’ll take it to my grave.
Phoebe cleared her throat and squeezed Bailey’s hand. “I don’t talk about him because I don’t want to give him any more of my time. Not an hour, not a minute, not even a friggin’ breath. He got enough of me.” Phoebe licked her lips and inhaled a deep breath. Her tears were balancing at her eyes, and the last thing she wanted was to cry. “But if I did need to talk, to scream, to cry,” Phoebe paused with a slow nod, “you’d be my go-to, Bailey.”
There was a long silence between them. Phoebe released her hand and grabbed her soda, taking a sip, and glanced out the window. The pizzeria was situated diagonally from the parts store. She watched as two men straddled their bikes and talked to the man in the doorway. The perfect distraction. When he stepped out onto the sidewalk, the corner of her mouth lifted. God, he’s sexy.
“I feel like I ruined lunch by bringing him up. Let’s talk about something good.”
Phoebe laughed and turned to Bailey. “Okay. How good do you think Kase is in bed?”
Bailey’s cheeks burned red, and she covered her face with her hands while Phoebe burst out laughing. It was good to be home with Bailey, making her blush.
****
Kase was growing increasingly annoyed by the second. Watching his brother pussyfoot around his wife for the last hour was pissing him off.
Kase and Caden had agreed last week. Marissa needed a break. With the new baby, a teenager, and Caden’s workload, Marissa had taken it all on, including their dad. While she never complained, it was obviously taking a toll on her. When Caden approached him about taking their dad for a week, Kase didn’t hesitate. Caden and Marissa had done their part and then some. It was Kase’s turn to man the fuck up and do his.
Caden insisted he be the one to tell Marissa, which made sense as her husband. Kase had no problem with it until about an hour ago. Caden was skirting around it in hopes of gently breaking the news to her.
Kase rested his hip against the counter and folded his arms. Time to rip off the band-aid.
“I’m gonna take him to the clubhouse for a week,” Kase blurted. When she turned to him, he raised his brows. “Cade and I talked about it. You need a break.”
He w
atched Marissa widen her eyes and immediately turn on Caden. “You think I can’t handle everything?”
She had handled everything for a long time. She was so far in with his family she couldn’t even see she needed a break. Kase rolled his eyes and ignored Caden’s glare.
“No, that’s not what I said.”
It was exactly what Caden had said, and he was right. Kase lifted his beer, watching the showdown between husband and wife. It would have amused him if not for the tears in her eyes. Fuck me. He flattened his lips trying to keep himself out of their domestic disagreement.
“Riss, stop,” Caden said with a tone meant to be comforting. His wife wasn’t having it. When he stepped closer, she backed away.
“I can do this.” She sniffled, wiping her sleeve across her cheeks. “I have a routine with Jack, and I’ve got Cora on his sleep schedule. I’m caught up on all the paperwork from the shop and-and,” she inhaled a shaky breath and turned to Caden. “Do I not make goddamn dinner every night?”
Kase clamped his lips. Not many people had ever gotten inside and settled deep in his heart. Marissa was one of the select few. While he wasn’t vocal, he had more respect and love for her than any woman he knew.
“What about you, Riss?” Kase asked. “Where’s your fucking time?”
She dropped her stare to the ground. She avoided the answer because she didn’t have one. She was dedicating everything to everyone around her. She was forgetting about herself.
“No one is saying you can’t handle it, baby.” Caden sighed and inched closer, carefully timing his approach.
She jerked her head up and squinted her eyes. “You are.” She turned to Kase. “And you.” Her lips pouted down to a frown.
