Knight_A Steel Paragons MC Novel

by Eve R. Hart

  I had a feeling that he knew all too well about being a causality in that type of situation. But before I could push for more, he shook himself out of his thoughts, gave me a hard pointed look that lasted long enough to make me feel uncomfortable, then walked off.

  As much as I wanted to go to her, my first instinct was to scan my surroundings. I took in the full house and the madness that hung around the room. Too many brothers to count were scattered about, carrying on different conversations. Surprisingly, Sketch was tucked in the corner, watching much like I was. He was usually right in the middle of everything. As long as I’d known him, I hadn’t seen him shy away from a fun time. I mentally filed that away as I tried to follow his line of sight, but the place was just too packed for me to be able to make it out.

  My eyes made contact with Gwen’s again. She sent me a half smile, one that let me know she was thinking the same thing I was only she wasn’t going to act on it. I respected the hell out of her right then but at the same time, hated that we both felt like we had to keep our distance.

  Soon.

  I just had to keep reminding myself of that. Soon. Or at least I hoped so, that soon we would be able to not give a fuck about anything and touch one another whenever we felt like it. That soon, I’d be in this very same room, full much like it was right now, and I’d be able to throw my arm around her, sending the unspoken message of mine to everyone that was around.

  “So Gwen is kicking my ass,” Mouse called out over all the noise once he spotted me. “Come save me from further embarrassment.” He laughed as he held up his beer.

  That right there told me we wouldn’t be able to sneak off unnoticed anytime soon. With a heavy sigh and a smile plastered on my face, I made my way over to the pool table and took over for Mouse. My eyes connected with Tara as Mouse made his way over to the couch, then flopped down on. I briefly wondered why she was here because it didn’t really seem like her kinda scene. Then I dismissed my own thoughts because, in truth, I didn’t know the girl all that well. My guess was that she brought Gwen here. And I knew Gwen well enough that she wouldn’t have been rude to her friend if she wanted to tag along and see the place. And I couldn’t deny that Tara had been hanging around more and more and that she had usually been around when the guys were over.

  “Don’t miss.” Gwen’s voice and breath were suddenly in my ear as I leaned over the table to line up my shot.

  “You doubt my skills, princess?” I asked as I cut my eyes over to her and raised a brow.

  “Never,” she said in a knowing tone. Her eyes turned dark with lust and I sucked in a lungful of air in an attempt to calm myself.

  Fuck!

  If her intention was to shake me, then she sure did. Because right then, my mind wasn’t on the balls on the table. No, my mind was thinking what it would like to be balls deep inside her, fucking claiming her in every way possible.

  Distance. That was what I needed. So, I took my shot, ignored how fucking good she smelled, and moved to the other side of the table. I had to remind myself that we were surrounded by other people as the game went on.

  Once that game was over, with me losing so badly, I was done. And this time it wasn’t because I purposely let her win. I couldn’t concentrate while watching her bend over the table, her perfect ass up in the air, every time she lined up her shot. She seemed to linger longer than necessary, her perfect tits threatening to spill out of the deep V of her shirt. I was torn between wanting to see more and getting pissed off at everyone that was around to witness it.

  B-ry stepped up and played when I bowed out. I flopped down on the couch next to Mouse and chatted with him. I tried my hardest to keep my eyes off of her, but it seemed like every few seconds they would drift her way. I could tell she was having the same problem. I only hoped that everyone around us was too wrapped up to notice.

  Mouse got up to grab some more beers for everyone around us. I declined with a shake of my head. I would be driving soon and if luck had it, I’d be taking a blonde haired beauty with me. It was maybe the first time I was actually glad that she had moved in with me. And not the strained, I-can’t-get-away-from-her-but-also-want-to-touch-her, kind of way.

  “Well, I’m done,” Gwen said with a laugh.

  I looked at the table and saw that B-ry had kicked her ass that round.

  “I need to get home. Bed. Sleep. Early class and all that fun stuff,” she said and though she was joking, I could see that she was a bit worn out.

  I imagined, like me, she hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep the previous night. Before she’d come into my room, it had been hours of trying to forget that kiss we’d shared in the kitchen. Hours of tossing and turning and punching my damn pillow like it was the problem for my restlessness.

  “Yeah, I’m tired too,” Tara said from the other end of the couch. “I’ll take you home.”

  “That’s okay,” I practically barked as I got to my feet with lightning speed. “I got her. I’m headed out now.”

  If I hadn’t been looking I would have missed the flash of anger in Tara’s eyes. But it was gone in a blink and she smiled at me and nodded as if to say it was fine. However, I got the feeling it wasn’t.

  I shook it off and waved my goodbyes.

  Outside, Tara lingered for a bit, seeming unsure of letting Gwen climb onto my bike behind me. She only settled herself behind the wheel of her car when Gwen reassured her, for the third time, that she would be fine. Gwen climbed on wrapped her arms around me like it was the most natural thing, and pressed her face to my back. I took off without even waiting for Tara to start her car. Rude? Maybe, yeah. But it wasn’t like she was in any danger. I trusted my brothers and I knew it wouldn’t be but mere seconds before she was taking off herself.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Gwen

  “Wake up, baby.”

  Knight’s sexy morning voice filled my ears causing my lips tip up in a smile. Every time he used the term of endearment my heart fluttered like crazy. Let me be real, everything Knight did made my heart flutter. This man wrecked me. Not only now, but years ago too. Only I didn’t know what it all meant back then. What he meant. Because as I snuggled up closer to his side, I realized this was what I wanted to wake up to today, tomorrow, and forever. Life’s little obstacles be damned, I was going to make it happen.

  “Baby,” he said again and I felt his warm lips graze my forehead.

  “Five more minutes,” I mumbled against his chest.

  His low, deep chuckle vibrated through his chest. The sound sent a shiver down my spine and I couldn’t fight another smile.

  “You’re going to be late,” he said trying to reason with me.

  Did I care? Nope, not one single bit right then.

  Okay, so sometimes I was an avoider. Only sometimes, though. Usually with big things. For example, and I was aware that I did this, mind you, I would face the anniversary of my mother’s death like any other day. Maybe with a bit more force than just an average day. But every year, I’d wake up and not let the sadness in. I would do the things that I had to that day, whether it be cleaning the house, going to class, or studying. I treated it like a normal day. And as I pushed my way through that one day every year, I also knew that by the end of it I would crack and end up in a river of tears surrounded by every reminder I had of her.

  With that said, I knew today was going to be similar. Today my dad was coming in. I would normally be thrilled and over the moon to see him but today was the day that would possibly make or break whatever delicate thing Knight and I had going on. I couldn’t tell you which way it would go and that had my insides all twisted up.

  I loved my dad, but sometimes I got the feeling that he wanted something else for me or maybe it was that he thought I wanted something different. I wasn’t sure and since we’d never sat down and talked about it, the whole thing was this great big unknown.

  I suppose that my choice to run far away from the club to go to college might have sent the wrong impression. He didn’t
understand the real reason behind it. I had hoped that the change in my path and the breakdown would let him onto some of how I felt about the club being in my life.

  I never wanted to make him think that I hated the club life, because it was the complete opposite. I never felt more at home than when I was there. And even here with this new chapter, though I wasn’t so embedded into this one like I was in Gray Fort.

  In other words, I had no idea what was going through my dad’s head and I had absolutely no clue how he would react to the fact that I wanted to be with Knight.

  Knight and I had talked about it the day before. He said he wanted to have words with my dad alone first. I wasn’t crazy about that idea, but when he explained that it felt like the more respectful thing to do, I gave in. Knight also said that it wouldn’t feel like we were ganging up on my dad and putting him on the spot. I wasn’t worried about my dad being able to hold his own against the two of us, and the thought of him cracking under pressure almost made me laugh. Almost.

  My plan for the day was to go to class and work my shift at Royally Brewed, then I’d study there while I waited for Dad to finish up with club business. I knew that came first, so when I’d talked to him two days ago, we’d made a plan for him to call me when he was done and we’d go to dinner. At some point, Knight was going to pull him aside and talk to him. My guess was that he would wait until club stuff was handled and then he’d discreetly tell my dad he needed a moment. And I would be just waiting and trying not to freak out.

  I told myself I could handle not being there, but as I opened my eyes to face the day, I wasn’t feeling so sure.

  “Gwen, look at me,” Knight said as his arms tightened around me. I tilted my head so that I could meet his eyes. “It’s all going to be fine.” His words did nothing to uncoil the knot in my gut.

  “Come on. Up. Shower. Then class.” He tapped my back with his command.

  “But I’m so comfy,” I moaned as I refused to move.

  The bed shifted violently around me as he flipped me on my back and covered my body with his. I loved the feeling of his weight on me. I resisted the urge to wrap my legs around him and pull him closer like I desperately want to do. He dipped his head and kissed me with everything he had, leaving me dizzy and breathless. I forgot about the anxiety that filled my head. I forgot about what day it was. I forgot the world existed around us. That was what it was like every time and I couldn’t ever get enough.

  “Shower. Class,” he repeated.

  “We could just stay here forever. Forget the outside world.” I smiled even knowing it wouldn’t do any good.

  “I love you.” His declaration pulled all the air out of my lungs. “That won’t change. You need to trust in me that I can prove that to your dad and anyone else that might question it.”

  Well, damn. I couldn’t come up with an argument against that if I wanted to.

  He kissed me lazily, our tongues finding each other’s in a slow dance. I wrapped my arms around him trying to hold onto this moment forever. When he broke away, his blue eyes shined down into mine, filled with every feeling he had for me. If I ever doubted he was mine it was just shattered with that one look.

  “You and me, baby,” he whispered against my lips. “Against the world, forever.”

  And before I even had the chance to say anything back or tell him how much I loved him—had always loved him—he was rolling off the bed and pulling me up to stand. With a playful slap on the ass, he ushered me towards the door.

  “Shower,” he said as I looked over my shoulder at him.

  “I’m going, Mr. Bossy-pants.” I laughed as I darted across the apartment and into my bathroom.

  I showered, a smile plastered on my face the entire time. Ready to face the day, I headed to the front door, where I was unsurprisingly met with a waiting Knight, my travel coffee cup in his hand and perfectly made.

  “See you tonight,” he said as he gave me a quick kiss on the lips.

  “Yes, you will,” I replied as I brought my free hand up to stroke the short, soft side of his hair.

  By the time I made it through class and to work, the day had proved to me that it was going to fight me every step of the way. Time did not tick by, it didn’t even creep by. It seemed to be at a friggin’ standstill.

  To make matters worse, the coffee shop was not busy. That would have normally been fine, but I had come to realize the busier it was, the faster time went by. And it didn’t help that I was working with the shy girl. She was never one for conversation. Matter of fact, she was barely able to squeak out a ‘hello’ or ‘goodbye’ every time we crossed paths. How she managed to get through taking customers’ orders, I wasn’t sure. Maybe that was why I was there. While she had trouble even stringing just a few words together without looking like a frightened, shaking rabbit, she was quick with getting orders out. It actually worked out well when we were paired together, for business that was, but not for my sanity right now.

  “Oh, is it that time already,” I said sarcastically, more to the universe than to Dale as he tied on his apron and clocked in.

  “That bad?” he asked with a hefty laugh.

  “Just a long day. I’m gonna sit and try to get some studying done now,” I said with a smile and a little shrug.

  “Well, at least you won’t have to do it alone,” he said and I tilted my head in confusion. “I saw Tara parking as I was coming in.”

  “Oh, cool,” I replied as I clocked out and grabbed my books that were stashed under the counter.

  It wasn’t that big of a shocker because she often met me after my shifts. But I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be around anyone with the heavy anxious state I was in. I knew I wouldn’t be able to hide it and I really, really, didn’t want to talk about it.

  Tara came in and sat down next to me right as I had gotten settled. We gave our greetings then dove into our books and notes. A little while later, Dale brought over a fresh coffee for me. He knew me so well and I shot him a grateful smile but didn’t say anything. He gave me a long look, sensing something was off, but I shook my head to let him know I wasn’t in the mood. I let out a little sigh of relief when he didn’t say anything and turned to walk off.

  “So there is something going on with you today?” Tara asked, a little something I couldn’t decipher in her tone. I had hoped she missed the whole exchange between myself and Dale but that didn’t seem to be the case.

  “I’m just not really in a studying mood, I guess,” I said trying to brush the whole thing off. I flipped my book closed. All I was doing at that point was killing time. “I think I’m going to call it a day.”

  I’d dropped my car back off at the apartment after class and chose to walk to work instead. It was a nice day and I had hoped that the fresh air would help my mood. It didn’t work then, but maybe the walk back would prove differently. And at that thought, I wanted to roll my eyes at myself.

  “Okay,” Tara said as she started to pack up her things.

  “I’m gonna hit the restroom before I head out,” I said feeling the sudden need to go and I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold it until I got back home.

  I came back out, downed the last of my coffee like I always did, wondering if it was really a great idea to drink the nearly full cup all at once. I needed to get home and eat before I became too jittery from consuming too much caffeine on an empty stomach.

  “Ready?” Tara asked and I gave her a nod as I picked up my phone from the table and shoved it into my pocket.

  We headed out, both of us tossing a wave to Dale on the way, and right as we stepped into the hot midday air, she asked if I wanted a ride. The thought of walking suddenly sounded like too much work. Maybe I would go home and take a little nap. I could feel the stress of the day wearing heavy on me all of a sudden.

  I agreed and looked around for Tripp because I knew he was on watch duty. I was going to let him know I was heading back to the apartment and insist, again, that he didn’t need to keep guard. Of course, I kn
ew it wouldn’t do any good. I needed to come up with some plan to get my dad and the guys to drop this whole detail thing. Depending on how things went tonight, I might bring it up. But as I scanned the area, I didn’t see him or any other prospect. No, there was not a vested brother in sight.

  “Something wrong?” Tara asked as she opened her door and tossed her bag into the backseat.

  “No. I just…” My voice trailed off. It wasn’t like them to up and leave. The job of watching me may have been a shit job but prospects knew what it meant and that fucking up would mess up their chances of getting a patch. “Did you see Tripp when you got here?”

  “Yeah,” she said and shrugged. “I think he took off while you were in the bathroom.”

  “Oh, okay.” I shook it off and dropped down into the passenger’s side of the car. “I should have eaten today,” I mumbled as we started to drive off.

  Suddenly, I was hit with a strange feeling as my vision went a little blurry. Too much coffee. I told myself as I tried to blink my eyes back into focus.

  The car turned in the opposite direction of my apartment and that was when it hit me that something was definitely wrong.

  “Tara?” I said and my voice sounded far away and weak.

  When she started humming instead of answering me, I had a feeling that this day was going to end worse than I had imagined it could have. Suddenly all that worrying about how my dad would take the news felt like child’s play.

  I blinked again and it took all of my strength to get my eyes to open. My limbs felt heavy and I couldn’t even lift so much as a finger.

  “Shhh,” Tara said, not taking her eyes off of the road to look at me. “Just close your eyes. We’ll be there soon enough.”

  Oh, fuck!