by Chiah Wilder
“Isa wants to go too, but she might cry.”
“Why’s that?”
“’Cause that’s what babies do when they see Santa. Mommy said I did it when I was a baby.”
“Yeah, you did, but you’ll be there with Isa, so she’ll probably be good. You’re her big brother and you have to always watch out for her.”
“I know.” Braxton fell silent and stared out the window as Hawk turned into their neighborhood.
“Some of the neighbors really went all out,” he said as he passed a few homes with a ton of inflatables covering their front lawns. “Would you like to ride around at night and see all the lights?”
“Yep. Mommy said you were gonna take us to do that.”
“She did? Good to know.”
Twenty minutes later, Braxton was sitting on the couch watching cartoons while Hawk warmed up some leftover spaghetti and meatballs for lunch. Outside, snowflakes had begun to twirl down from the gray sky. He placed two plates on the table and called Braxton to come eat. The boy dashed into the kitchen and climbed up on the chair.
When they were almost finished with their food, he heard the garage door open, and anticipation of seeing Cara squeezed his insides. After all the years they’d been together, he still couldn’t get enough of her. It was true when they said love was a drug, and he was addicted to the max.
Braxton’s eyes lit up when Cara came into the kitchen with Isa in her arms. “Mommy!” He tried to push back his chair, but Cara went over to him instead and he wrapped his small arms around her neck, giving her a kiss on the cheek. He laughed. “I put spaghetti sauce on your face.”
“That’s okay, sweetie.” She turned to Hawk and smiled at him. A rush of desire bolted through him and, for a split second, he wished the kids were at their grandparents’.
“Come over here, babe, and I’ll clean you up,” he said as he rose to his feet.
Putting Isa down, Cara headed to Hawk and he leaned in close. “You smell awesome,” he whispered in her ear before he licked her cheek and then her lips. Heat stirred within him as she pressed close to him, and the warm and sensual mix of vanilla and apricot and Cara consumed him.
“Don’t the kids have to take a nap or something,” he murmured against her mouth.
“They do,” she answered as she ran her hand over his arm, squeezing his bicep.
“Daddy said we can see Santa next week,” Braxton said as he pushed away from the table.
Unfurling herself from Hawk’s arms, Cara went over to Braxton and helped him out of the chair. “That sounds like a great plan. Let me wash your face.” She took his hand and guided him over to the sink. Hawk watched her hips sway in her tight-as-hell jeans, readjusting his pants as his cock grew hard.
Bending down, he picked Isa up and ran his hand through her soft light-brown hair, then kissed her soft cheeks. “How’s my sweet girl?” She giggled and burrowed her head into his neck.
Yawning, Braxton rubbed his eyes and curled his arms around Cara’s legs. “Are you tired, sweetie?” she asked as she wiped his face with a warm cloth. He nodded.
Hawk carried Isa into her room and laid her in the crib, then stroked her head until she closed her eyes and her lips parted. He bent down and kissed her softly before making his way to his and Cara’s room, where she was brushing her hair.
“Braxton must’ve been exhausted,” he said as he quietly shut the door.
“He still loves his naps. He’s worn out on school days.” She came over to him and hooked her arms around his neck. “I’ve been missing you all morning,” she said, her warm breath tickling his neck.
He ran his hands down her back and cupped her ass. “You look sexy as fuck in your jeans. You been on my mind too, baby.” Tangling her hair in his hand, he jerked her head back, then crushed his mouth against hers. The small whimpers from her throat drove him crazy, and he slipped his hand between them and placed it on her breast, kneading it and grazing her hardening nipple with his finger. “You fuckin’ kill me, babe.”
She slid her hands under his T-shirt and scratched his chest with her fingernails, tugging at his nipple piercing. Fire rushed through him, and he picked her up and eased her on the bed. He tugged off his shirt, left his jeans and boxers in a pile next to the bed, and then he undressed her. Usually he liked taking his time peeling her clothes off her, but he had a bad burning inside him that needed relief real fast.
Grasping her breasts, he squeezed and sucked them until red love bites covered them like a blanket; he loved seeing his mark all over his woman’s creamy tits. “Get on your knees,” he rasped.
Cara turned over and rose up on her knees. He leaned back and took in her firm, shapely ass, her sweet puckered hole, and the glimpse of glistening pink between her legs. He licked his lips and leaned forward, spreading her knees farther apart. Pushing her tits into the mattress, he ran his finger through her wetness and she moaned. Flipping over on his back, he scooted between her legs and pulled her down a bit until his tongue reached her dripping pussy. Over and over his tongue laved her folds as his finger moved in and out, her warm walls tightening around it as she squirmed and moaned above him.
He knew she was close to exploding, so he slid out from under her, then entered her hard and fast from behind. While he pumped his cock in and out of her, he rubbed her sweet spot. When her walls squeezed him hard and her muffled moans increased in intensity, he knew she was going over the edge. He kept pummeling until he felt his balls tightening, pulling up inside him. And then the knot at the base of his cock dissolved in fire, melting.
“Fuck, Cara. Fuck!” Panting, he collapsed on top of her and lay still, his heart beating wildly against his rib cage. After a long while, he rolled off her and pulled her close to him.
She ran her nails up and down his chest. “I love you so much. That was awesome.”
“Fuckin’ awesome, babe. I love you too.” He kissed the top of her head and nestled her closer, glancing out the window, watching the falling snow. “It’s really coming down hard.”
“You don’t have to go back out, do you?”
“I’ve got to go to the shop for a few hours.” He tilted her head back and looked deeply into her eyes. “You make me feel real good, woman.” Bending down, he kissed her passionately.
And then Isa’s cry came over the monitor.
“She’s up,” Cara said as she began to pull away from him. “She’s not into long naps like Braxton was at that age.”
Hawk pushed her back down and kissed her gently. “You relax. I’ll get her. I have some time before I go to the shop. Kimber’s there, so I don’t have to worry.”
He pulled on his boxers and jeans and walked out of the room. Picking Isa up, he held her close as he walked over to the changing table, grinning as he changed her diaper. She looked so much like Cara. With Isa in his arms once more, he peeked into the master bedroom and saw Cara sleeping.
“It’s just you and me, princess,” he said against Isa’s cheek, and then he walked down the stairs.
Chapter Three
Baylee
Staring into the refrigerator, Baylee scanned the shelves for the diet ginger ale she was sure she’d seen the day before. Doubting Axe would drink it, she moved jars of olives, pickles, and cherry peppers out of the way. A wave of nausea seized her, and she straightened up and shuffled over to the kitchen chair. I feel like shit.
“What’s wrong, babe?” Axe asked as he walked into the kitchen. He came over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder, kneading it gently.
“I think I have the flu. I feel like shit. Did you drink the ginger ale that was in the fridge?”
He chuckled. “No. It’s not really my kind of drink.” He walked over and opened the refrigerator. “Here it is. Do you want ice in it?”
“Yeah. I didn’t see it. Where was it?”
“In the door. You’ve been under the weather for the last week. Maybe you should see a doctor.”
The clink of ice against glass and the pop
of the can deafened her. Her head swam and her stomach gurgled and heaved. Grasping the edge of the table, she pulled herself up and dashed to the guest bathroom, barely making it before she threw up. Clinging to the sides of the toilet bowl, she breathed heavily, waiting for the next bout of nausea to attack.
“I’m calling Doc,” Axe’s deep voice said from behind her.
“The one who patches all of you guys up when you slip into your caveman mode? Oh… shit.” Another hurl into the toilet.
“He’s a doctor and a damn good one. He’s been part of the club for years, since way before I joined. Maybe he can give you something to make you feel better.” He knelt down beside her and swept her hair back from her damp forehead.
“Nothing can help the flu but rest and seeing it through. I don’t have time to be sick.”
“Isn’t chicken soup supposed to help? I’m sure we got a can of it.”
“Just the thought of soup in a can makes me sick.”
“If you tell me what to do, maybe I can make it for you.”
“Are you serious? When’s the last time I cooked for you since we’ve been together?”
“A year ago.”
“And how was it? I won’t be insulted.”
He laughed. “Shitty as hell. Okay, I can run over to Weiner’s Deli and get you a quart of their chicken soup.”
“I can’t even think of eating right now. Maybe for tonight. I’ll let you know. I think the worst of it is over.”
Axe helped her up and rubbed her back while she rinsed and brushed her teeth. Looking in the mirror, she groaned. “I look like a mess.” Redness lined her hazel eyes, her face was white as a sheet, and a sheen of sweat shone on her skin.
“You always look beautiful to me,” he said as he kissed the top of her disheveled hair.
“Thanks for that, but I know what I look like. How in the hell am I going to make it to the meeting the old ladies are having at the clubhouse?”
“You’re not. I’ll just call Banger and tell him you’re sick. Belle and the others can manage just fine without you.”
“But I canceled the last two meetings because of work. They’ll think I’m not interested in helping out with the Christmas charity event.”
“No they won’t. They’ll understand. They’re busy too. Belle, Cara, and Kimber have a special obligation because their men are officers. I’m not, so you’re good. And there’s no way I’m letting you out of the house being this sick. Are you okay to go back to the kitchen, or do you want to go to bed?”
“The couch is good. I need that ginger ale. When I was a kid, my mom always gave me ginger ale with soda crackers, and I remember it always helped. After she was killed, I kept the tradition up.”
“My mom never knew if I was sick or not. I can look to see if we have any crackers.” Axe wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her into the family room, helping her down on the couch.
“They’re in the pantry. I’m actually feeling a bit better.”
“I’m calling Banger.”
“Hold off on it. The meeting isn’t until this afternoon, and I may feel a lot better by then. It may have been something I ate. I thought the leftovers tasted funny last night.”
“Yeah, you mentioned that.” The ice cubes clinked as Axe set the glass down on the coffee table. He sat next to her and placed her head in his lap, raking his fingers through her hair.
After an hour of lying down, the nausea had lessened, so Baylee sat up and ripped open the cracker wrapper. Nibbling on one, she leaned against Axe and placed her hand on his jean-clad thigh.
He brushed a kiss on her left temple. “Feeling better?”
She nodded. “I think I’m good enough to go to the meeting.” She held up her hand as Axe opened his mouth. “I know what you’re going to say, but I promise I won’t stay longer than a couple of hours, and when I get home, I’m in for the rest of the day. I’m also going to take tomorrow off work. And I would love for you to bring me chicken soup for dinner. You can get yourself a Rueben sandwich. I know how you love the way Weiner’s Deli makes them.”
At the thought of corned beef and sauerkraut, her stomach rolled over once again, and she placed her hand over it to calm it down. She hoped he didn’t notice or he’d make her stay home regardless of what she said.
“Okay, but if you’re not better in a couple of days, I’m calling Doc. And I don’t want any fucking arguments about it.”
“Okay, honey.” She bent her head back and he kissed her softly on the lips. “You may not want to do that for a while. You don’t want to get the flu.”
“Fuck that. I haven’t been sick since I was a kid. And there’s no damn way I’m not going to kiss you.” He kissed her again, harder and deeper.
She pulled away and laughed. “I don’t want you blaming me when you get sick.”
“Never.” He leaned over and kissed her quickly, then rose to his feet. “I gotta get over to Rocky’s to see what’s going on with the ordering. Banger said the manager we just canned had it all fucked up. If we find out he’d been stealing food, he’s not going to like the way we deal with it.”
“If he was stealing inventory, just call the cops.”
His dark eyes narrowed. “We like to handle things internally. We don’t need help from the fuckin’ badges.”
A shiver ran up her spine as it always did when she heard Axe say things like that. Most of the time, she forgot he was an outlaw biker, considering his world didn’t really collide with hers very often. The family get-togethers were fun times with the members, the old ladies, and the children. Those times didn’t depict the dark, gritty, and violent side of the club. For her, it was best to push that part to the far reaches of her mind.
“I’m going to take another shower. You don’t have to babysit me, honey.”
Looping his arms around her waist, he pulled her back against him. “I want to. I wanna make sure you’re okay. We can walk out together. Take your time. The restaurant’s not going anywhere.”
She brought his hands to her mouth and kissed them. “I love you.”
“Me too, babe.”
An hour later, Baylee cruised down the desolate road that led to the clubhouse. The snow sparkled under the brightness of the sun, and the frost on the evergreens glistened beneath clear blue skies. The mountain peaks, covered in snow, looked like upside-down snow cones, only more jagged.
She stopped at the iron gate and smiled when Rusty, the newest prospect, came up to her car. Rolling down the window, she gave the tall, lanky biker her driver’s license. Even though he knew her from the numerous times she’d been at the club with Axe, he acted like he’d never seen her before.
“Hi, Rusty. How’s life treating you?”
“Good.” He handed back her ID.
Laughing to herself, she drove through the checkpoint. She knew Rusty wouldn’t engage in conversation with her. He knew his duties as a prospect were to do whatever club members asked him to do and to keep his mouth shut unless he was spoken to by a club member or an old lady. A prospect never initiated any communication unless it was an emergency, and then he’d convey that to a member only. Baylee was surprised at the number of men who wanted to prospect for the Insurgents. She couldn’t imagine jumping on command as a life she’d want, but each of the brothers had gone through a couple of years of prospecting before they donned their full patches.
When she walked into the clubhouse, the first thing she saw was a young club girl wrapped around Tigger. Doesn’t that asshole ever work? To say she couldn’t stand Tigger was an understatement. He epitomized everything she despised in a man, and the way he treated Sofia broke her heart. But if she was being totally honest with herself, she also despised the way Sofia allowed Tigger to treat her. She knew she was being unfair, and that Sofia had come from a background laden with abuse and neglect, but the strong feminist strain inside her made her want to grab the thin woman by her shoulders and shake some sense into her.
“Baylee,” Belle ca
lled out, and she made her way over to a large round table near the pool tables.
“I’m glad you could make it,” Cara said as she glanced in the direction of Tigger and the woman.
Baylee shook her head. “I can’t believe he has the fucking nerve to be so open about his cheating, especially with Sofia coming to the meeting.”
“Sofia’s not coming,” Cherri said. “And Tigger’s a fuckin’ idiot.” The women burst into laughter, and a jolt of satisfaction rushed through Baylee as she saw Tigger turn and glare at the women.
“We’re all here. Are you feeling okay? You look peaked,” Belle said.
“Actually, I’ve been feeling like crap for the last few weeks. I didn’t think I was going to make it today because I was so nauseous this morning. I think I may have the flu, but it comes and goes, which is weird.”
“Do you throw up?” Addie asked.
“Sometimes.”
“Do certain smells really bother you?” Cara said.
Baylee nodded.
“What about heartburn?” Clotille said.
“Not really.”
Cherri leaned forward. “Does the nausea last all day some days and only a little on others?”
“Yeah, or sometimes I’m not nauseous at all. Why all the questions? Is that what the flu symptoms are like this season?”
“Sounds like you’re pregnant,” Belle said, and the others voiced their agreement.
“Pregnant? No way. Impossible. I’m on birth control.”
“Classic signs of morning sickness,” Cara said.
Morning sickness? Pregnant? I can’t be fucking pregnant. I’m in the middle of opening another office in Aspen. And Axe doesn’t want kids. We both decided if we changed our minds, it’d be years from now. I can’t be. No. Impossible.
Clotille placed her hand over Baylee’s and squeezed it. “This is so exciting. You have to go to a doctor right away. Dr. Neely is the best. I got her name from Cara when I was pregnant with James.”
Baylee pulled her hand away. “Wait. Stop. I’m not pregnant. Axe and I don’t want kids.”
