Prez and I laugh at the same time, then Prez says to Tate, “Just you wait till you find the one, then come and talk to me.”
“Ain’t never gonna happen, brother.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I tease. “It’s gonna happen. Look at your brother—every time his phone rings, he’s out of the room and talking to his woman, like a dog on a leash.”
“What’s that?” Tracker asks, walking out from the garage.
Quill taps Tracker on the back. “Nothing, bro, just talking about your woman.”
Tracker shakes his head. “Now why do you keep having to bring up Sophia?”
“Sophia, baby, you called? Sophia, baby, you all right?” I tease.
Tracker swipes at the back of my head. “Shut the fuck up, man. I don’t talk like that.”
I nod, and Prez says, “Yeah, you do, brother.”
We all burst out laughing, then Tate asks, “When you gonna let this Sophia girl meet your boys?”
“When I’m good and ready, man.”
I turn to him. “What’s holding you back, bro. Seriously?”
He sighs, taking a swig of the beer he brought out with him. “Sophia’s different, she’s not like your women?”
“What, she got two heads or something?” Tate teases, and we all burst out laughing.
“Nah, it’s not like that, it’s just… she’s rich, bro, brought up in a town where everyone knows your name. She was a cheerleader in school, and she’s just never seen a clubhouse before. Just not sure how she’ll react.”
“She knows you’re part of a club, yeah?” I ask.
“Yeah, she knows, but I’m just not sure what she thinks a club is.”
“Oh, man, bring her down. You’re crazy about her, you gotta be blind not to notice that.”
He takes another swig. “Yeah, you’re right, I will.”
“Make it soon, yeah?” Prez says. “Gotta be honest with her, man.”
He nods.
“Hey, you invitin’ her to Charity and Trigger’s wedding?” Prez asks,
“Was thinking about it.”
“Do it,” I state. “Don’t think too much on it, bro. If you want her in your life, it’s time to show her what that life is all about.”
We all agree, then start talking about Tate’s run, and all the guns and ammo he’s getting.
“Tracker, can I have a word?”
Tracker looks at me then back at the boys, “Now?”
“Yeah.”
He nods and we walk away, with Prez and Tate so involved in their conversation they don’t even notice we’ve left.
“I wanna thank you for helping Tess that night. I was a dick and I was out of line.”
Tracker takes a deep breath then rubs the back of his head. “Look, man, you were scared, your woman had been hurt, I know I wouldn’t be thinking if that was Sophia. I’d just want to hit something.”
“Yeah, you’re right, I did, but still… I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that, you were only protecting her. You’re a good man Tracker,” I say, tapping him on his back.
“How is she anyway, she doin’ all right,” he asks, bringing his beer to his lips.
I nod, looking around at the car park. “She’s getting there, she has bad days, you know how it is.”
“Yeah, she’s tough, though, man, and you two love each other. You’ll get through this.”
I nod, hoping that he’s right. “On another note, if you are serious about that girl, bring her down to meet us. She needs to know your life, man. If she leaves, then she’s not worth it, brother. You deserve to be happy too.”
“I know, you’re right. And I will,” he says.
“Good, now let’s get another drink. All this talk is making me thirsty.”
Blaze
I get my keys out to unlock the door, not sure what’s waiting for me on the other side. I didn’t try to call Tess all day, I wanted to give her space, and time to maybe calm down. I just hope it’s been enough time, so we can talk about it more.
I unlock the door and enter, then shut it behind me, throwing my keys in the bowl that’s on the side table. Music is coming from our bedroom, so I remove my cut, laying it over the back of the couch, and make may way down the hall.
I open the door, immediately mesmerized when I discover Tess standing in front of the full-length mirror, putting on her makeup. She’s singing along to “No Scrubs” by TLC. Fuck, she looks hot.
I watch on, enjoying the fact she doesn’t notice I’m here. She’s dressed in a red, tight as fuck, dress, with black knee-high boots that she knows I love her to wear when I’m fucking her. Her hair has grown a little longer, now sitting on her shoulders, and she’s styled it so it’s all sitting to one side, exposing her beautiful neck to me. I want to go up to her and kiss along her neck, then her collarbone, tell her how beautiful she looks, but I doubt she wants that from me tonight.
I clear my throat, and she looks over her shoulder at me then back at the mirror, seemingly not fussed with my presence. I walk into the room and turn the volume down on her phone, and she continues to finish off her makeup, then walks to the bathroom to spray herself with perfume. I take her in as she leans over to pick up her purse. While she’s bending over, I walk to her and stop behind her. When she stands straight again, her ass is flush with my cock, and it’s getting harder by the second with the warmth and pressure of Tess against me. God, I’ve missed her.
She jumps at the contact, then turns to walk away, but I pull her in toward me and wrap my arms around her waist. I spy her pulse running wild in her neck, and run my nose along her delicate skin, smiling when I see goose bumps erupt.
“I gotta go,” she whispers, her breathing coming out in pants.
I nibble on her ear, then say, “I’m sorry, baby, please forgive me.”
I realize I’ve fucked up—again— when I feel her tense in my arms, and then she’s pulling away. “I gotta go, Jasmine will be here any minute.”
I tuck my hands into the front pockets of my jeans, following her movements as she unplugs her phone from the charger and places it in her purse.
“Tess?”
She looks up, her eyes showing so much pain that my heart aches, but before I can say a word, the doorbell rings. “That will be Jasmine. I better go.”
I nod, knowing there’s nothing else I can do right now. “Sure, have a good night.”
She smiles then walks past me to head out of the bedroom. “Do I get a kiss goodbye?”
She looks at me, unsure, so I walk up to her and kiss her briefly. “Have a good night, baby.”
She just nods then walks out, not able to look me in the eye. I hear her open the front door, and then Jasmine is declaring loudly, “You look fucking hot!”
There’s lots of giggling, and it’s music to my ears. Jasmine really is a lifesaver. If anyone’s gonna get Tess to forget about what happened, it’s her.
I walk out to the kitchen, and Jasmine smiles and walks up to me, then kisses me on the cheek. “Hey, Blaze. You sure you’re okay with letting your woman out like that? Not sure I can keep the men away tonight.”
I look at what Jasmine’s wearing, noticing that her dress is just as short as Tess’s. “Quill see you wearing that before you left?”
She looks down at herself then smiles mischievously at me. “No, he didn't, he’s at the club. Why do you think I was able to leave home wearing this?”
I laugh. “You girls be careful and stick together.”
Jasmine places her hand to her forehead, saluting me. “Yes, sir.”
Tess laughs from behind me, and I look Jasmine dead in the eyes. “I’m being serious, you girls look too hot to be out without your men tonight.”
“Why thank you, Blaze. Your concern is touching. I’ll remember you said that.” She turns to looks at Tess. “Let’s go, chica, Lu and Charity are probably already there, whining that we’re running late.”
“You off to dinner?” I ask.
“Yes, we are. Then some
drinks. I’ve told Quill where we’ll be.”
I nod, and my eyes look over her shoulder to Tess. She’s wearing bloodred lipstick, her lips full and lush, and fuck, I just want to smash my mouth against hers and smudge all that perfection up like nobody’s business.
“Um… is it getting hot in here or what?” Jasmine asks, obviously noticing the hungry look on my face. “Not happening, Blaze. We’re leaving.”
She turns to face Tess and takes her arm, walking beside her out the door. “Come on, the cab is waiting.”
Tess looks at Jazz. “Cab? I thought you were driving.”
“You kidding, girl? I’m getting my drink on. I know I’ll regret it tomorrow when Rose and Jack want their momma’s attention, but I’ll deal with that then.”
Tess laughs, a real full-hearted laugh, and it’s music to my ears. Yeah, Jasmine is the best remedy.
Jasmine waves to me from the steps leading down from the porch. “See ya, and don’t wait up for her, we are letting loose tonight!”
I don’t look away from Tess—I need for her to give me a sign that things are okay between us. Shyly she looks back at me. “I’ll see you later, okay?”
I nod. “Sure, babe.” She doesn’t know I’ll see her sooner rather than later. I promised Quill we would look out for them. “Enjoy yourselves.” Walking over to Tess, I place a kiss on her cheek, then whisper, “Have a good night, baby.”
She doesn’t respond, just gives me a small smile, then Jasmine takes her hand and I watch them walk outside to the cab. Tess looks out the window at me as it takes off, and I release a breath I didn’t know I was holding, hopeful we’ll get through this.
A chime sounds on my phone, and I pull it out of my pocket and check. It’s a text from Quill: Meet you at Mike’s at nine.
I text back, See you there, then head back into the house to take a shower and get ready. I put on a pair of clean dark denim jeans and a white shirt and tug my boots back on before heading into the kitchen for a feed. Grabbing last night’s leftover pizza from the fridge, I quickly heat it up and eat it, wondering how Tess will react when she notices I’m there with the boys tonight. When I’m finished eating, I place my empty plate into the sink, grab my cut from the couch, and after shrugging into it, grab my keys on the way out.
I take the scenic route to the bar, using the time alone to really think about the situation between me and Tess. After everything that went down with Viper, I still want to marry her. I still want her to be my wife. The thought of her being married to Viper, to anyone else at all, kills me. But surely now that he’s dead, that marriage would be null and void, seeing that she’s now a widow. I smile, thinking about the ring tucked away in my duffel bag inside the closet. It’s my mom’s ring, the one my father gave to her when he proposed. I want Tess to wear it always. I want kids with her, three or four, and I want to bring them up together with her, here in our house by the beach. When I bought the house, I made sure there was enough space for a growing family, hoping she would one day say yes to me. Third time lucky, they say, and boy do I hope that is true.
Parking my bike, I check my watch; it’s nearly nine. There’s a strip of the club bikes next to mine, and I swing myself off, wondering if Tess is in there yet.
“Hey, baby,” a woman says as I pass her walking in. I don’t reply, I just keep walking, scanning the room for Tess. And then I spot her. She’s drinking shots, one after the other, with the girls. I smile, seeing for myself she’s having a good time. I hear a whistle and look over at the bar. Quill and the boys are there, and I lift my chin and make my way to them.
“There you are, brother,” Quill says as I accept the beer he’s offering.
“Sorry, man, had some stuff to do.”
His eyebrows raise but he lets it go. “Yeah, well, you’re here now. See your woman? She looks like she’s having a good time.”
I turn and lean against the bar and watch Tess on the dance floor, her body hypnotizing as something low and full of bass comes on. She hasn’t even noticed my presence yet. “Hey, Jasmine know you’re here?”
Quill smirks. “Yeah, man.”
“How’d she take it?”
He sets his beer on the bar and leans beside me, watching his wife move to the music. “At first she was pissed, but then she said she loves it when I watch her.”
I laugh, same old Jazz.
“Hey, boys.” Trigger arrives at the bar. “What’s everyone drinking.”
“Beers all around,” I say, noting the mix of bottles littering the bar top.
“Nah, come on, let’s have a real drink. I’m getting married soon.”
“Fuck, man. You sure about that,” Hawke says from somewhere behind me.
“Why, you got regrets,” Trigger asks, and Hawke looks over at Luisa, who’s on the dance floor and using Jasmine as a stripper pole.
“Nah, man, no regrets. Never.”
I envy these boys, they’re married to great chicks, and Trigger is on his way to the same. I look over at Tess, and she finally spots me. She’s swaying her hips as she brings another shot to her mouth, her tongue coming out to lick away the alcohol from her lips. I stand there, transfixed, as I watch her run her hands down the side of her body, swaying her curves to the sensual beat. My cock hardens instantly and strains against the zipper of my jeans. She’s driving me fuckin’ crazy. It might be the alcohol giving her the confidence, but I don’t care, Tess like this full of confidence drives me fuckin’ wild. I won’t be able to hold back much longer if she doesn’t stop. It’s been ages since I last had her, and my cock knows that.
She faces the girls again and continues to dance, and I turn around and take a swig of my beer, listening in on Quill and Trigger’s conversation about the fact we’re all going to be wearing suits again.
“Hey, man, you gonna let him get away with that?”
I look over at Hawke, confused. “Who, man.”
“Him,” he says, lifting his chin to point somewhere behind me. I look over my shoulder—some guy has his hands on Tess. I see red—she must think it’s me, because she’s swaying her body against his, practically grinding on the fucker. Anger blinds me to anything else happening around me, and I slam my beer onto the bar and storm over to dance floor. I tap his shoulder, and when he turns around, I strike him in the face, causing him to fall to the floor. I hear the girls screaming in the background, and I grab the guy by his collar and lean forward.
“Fuck, man,” he spits out, blood dripping down his chin. “What the fuck?”
I feel hands on my shoulders, pulling me back, but they’re not quick enough. I punch him in the face once more, and blood spatters everywhere.
“Fuck, you broke my nose. You fuckin’ asshole.”
“Blaze, please, stop. Please.” Tess is crying out to me, and the haze lifts at the sound of her voice. I shake out my hand, noticing blood on my knuckles. Fuck, it hurts.
“You touch her again, and I’ll kill you, fucker,” I spit out, blood still running thick in my veins at the vision of him laying a finger on Tess.
Tess steps in front of me then, blocking me from the asshole. “Blaze, baby, that’s enough. He didn’t know that I’m yours.”
My gaze pulls away from the man lying on the dance floor, moving to lock eyes with Tess. “Wait… did you just say that you’re mine?”
She smirks, and my heart just about jumps out of my chest. “Yes, baby. I always have been, and always will be.”
Suddenly the pain in my hand vanishes, just like that, and I grab her by the hair at the back of her head and smash my lips to hers, desperate to prove to her—and everyone else in the entire bar, the fuckin’ world—that she’s mine.
Whistles and catcalls surround us, and some people shout, “Get a room!”
Tess laughs against my mouth, and I pull back. “Does that mean you forgive me?” I say in a low tone.
She nods. “I do, but, Blaze?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“I want Katie gone, she’s to l
eave the club. You hear me?”
I smile down at her. “Already gone, babe.” Earlier today when I went to the club, after Tess left me at the park, I told Quill that Katie had to go. He didn’t ask questions, I think he just understood. He’d told me that day that I’d regret it, and boy was he right.
“Good.” She leans in, letting her tongue come out to play with my lip ring.
My cock throbs almost painfully at the contact, and I growl, “You gotta stop that, babe, because I’m gonna take you right here and now.”
She smiles and bites down on her bottom lip. “What’s stopping you?”
My heartbeat thumps inside my eardrums, keeping pace with the fast-moving beat of the song now playing. I block out all the noise around us. “Don’t play with me, you know you can’t do that just yet.”
Her eyes sparkle and dance when she says, “I can, the doctor gave me the all clear.”
My eyes widen and my lips turn up in a wide grin. “Then what the fuck are we waiting for?” I pick her up then, and her legs wrap around me instantly. I cup the back of her head and take her mouth, kissing her till her lips are swollen and her lipstick is a beautiful mess. When we finally break apart, I glance around the bar, assuming that the boys have walked the asshole out since they’re notably absent, and the girls are standing around looking all dreamy-eyed at us.
“You two are so cute,” Jasmine says, and I smile at her then look at Tess.
“I wanna get you home, we’ve got a lot of making up to do.”
I hear the girls squeal in the background, but my focus is only as Tess, and I breathe in a sigh of relief when she says, “Yes, please.”
Without any other thought, without even saying goodbye to Jasmine, Lu, and Charity, I let Tess slide down my body, grab her hand in mine, and walk her out to my bike. Everyone watching will know exactly where we’re heading, and what we’re about to do, and all I can think is, you wish you were me.
Tess
Blaze leads me out to his bike, and I take my seat behind him, wrapping my arms around his narrow waist. I lay my hands against his toned stomach, feeling every ridge of muscle as they flex beneath my fingers.
Tess Property of Blaze: Book #5 in the Blood Brothers MC Series Page 18
