by Lila Rose
Swoon. Totally adorable.
“Rommy,” Dodge began. “You met Pick next door. But that’s Billy. The women are Josie and Low.”
“Low.” She giggled.
Stepping forward, I held out my hand to Rommy. She took it attentively. “It’s actually Willow.” I smiled and added, “But I like Low better.”
“Cool.” She grinned.
“Little bird.” His voice was deep and growly. I tensed.
Standing tall, my eyes roamed up and glared at the sinful man, looking sexy as ever, as he stood behind Rommy. “Dodge,” I said blandly.
“Why do you call her âlittle birdâ, Uncle Trey?” Rommy asked, looking from her uncle to me and then back again.
Not giving him a chance to answer, I turned to Tex and walked over to the coffee table, gesturing to the pizza boxes. “Hey, Tex. We’ve got all kinds of pizza. What do you like the best?”
He shrugged and said quietly, “Anything, really.”
“Awesome, I’m the same. I’d eat just about anything, except snails.”
Rommy giggled and walked over to us. “No one eats snails, silly. That’s yuck.”
Nodding, I said, “People in France love them.”
“Really?” she whispered.
“Really,” I uttered back.
From then on, everything exploded into action. People talked to the kids, made them laughâthough, I could see Tex was holding back a bit more than his sisterâso Billy and Pick took up picking on their uncle, which seemed to relax him more and enjoy a laugh without feeling as if he was being watched or judged.
We ate pizza while we discussed what they didn’t like to eat. For Rommy, it was vegetables. Josie managed to talk her around, saying that eating a few most nights was good because it helped people grow and become smarter. Since she wanted to be a monster truck driver, she knew she needed to be strong, because if that fell through, she wanted to be a stunt-girlâher words. I noticed Dodge blanched at those ideas of possible future positions. Tex, after some encouragement, told us he hated broccoli. I managed to get a smile and chuckle out of him when I told him that if his uncle tried to feed him that stuff, I would come to the rescue because I hated it, also.
The night went smoothly until I stupidly went into the kitchen on my own to get rid of the rubbish. I’d just placed the boxes on the counter when I felt heat at my back. I stiffened and went to shift to the side, but hands caged me in on both sides when they landed on the kitchen counter.
“Dodge,” I hissed. “Move away.”
“Call me âDodgeâ one more time, little bird, and I’ll have you over my knee in seconds.”
He was so full of it.
“Sure, Dodge, with the kids in the house and all.”
“You think I’m lying?” His tone told me he wasn’t messing around, but still I pushed.
“Yes.”
Why did I say that? I shouldn’t have, because he picked me up and a moment later, I was laid out over his knee after he’d sat on a kitchen chair.
“Dodge,” I warned while pushing up to get away from him. I couldn’t move, though. He had his arm over my upper back and the prick was strong.
“Last chance, little bird. Call me âDodgeâ one more time and see what happens.”
Stilling my struggles when his hand roamed over my jean-clad bottom in a circular motion, I said, “Don’t be silly, let me up. The kids could come in here.”
He chuckled. “Noticed your game tonight. Talked to everyone but me. The kids were a good distraction for you, Low. But no more. Josie, with my brothers, took them home while I have the chance to have a talk with you.” While he spoke, his hand never stopped running over my arse.
Snap. Snap. Snap! Why did I like it? Why did I like that he wanted the chance to talk to me? Why did I like that he made it happen?
Still… “Dodge, you’re being aâ”
Crack.
His hand slapped down on my butt. My back arched and I cried out in surprise and…dang it, desire.
“Don’t you dareâ”
“You gonna stop calling me âDodgeâ?”
“You can’t do this. We have to talk properly. You can’t just do what you did and expect me to beâ”
“I’m not and I didn’t. But the ignoring game ends now. You willing to talk about what happened like adults now?”
That just pissed me off.
Turning my head, I glared up at him. “Act like adults? Like you did before you left? Like you gave me a chance to explain how I ended up in Beast’s lap? Don’t be an arse, Dodge, and thinkâ”
Crack.
A stupid moan slipped from my mouth.
Oh, God, I was panting. “Don’t,” I uttered.
“Don’t call me âDodgeâ and I won’t. Though, I think you likeâ”
“Let me up!” I yelled and pushed against his leg again.
“No,” he growled. His hand rubbed around where he’d slapped it. “Two weeks, Low. Two weeks while I was dealin’ with my fucked-up sister’s funeral, taking care of her kids and feeling like a loser, all the time you were on my mind.”
Oh, man, oh, man. Why did he have to be sweet when I was still annoyed and hurt? My heart, already erratic, sped up.
“Dodge, you seriously can’t.”
Crack.
God. Damn. It.
Licking my lips, I panted through them until I stopped breathing altogether when his fingers ran down over my pussy. Thankfully, I think, I had jeans on. Still, I felt that heated touch. I felt it and liked it too much.
“Low,” he growled. “I’m sorry for being a dick.” His fingers pressed in more, causing me to moan. The prick chuckled. “I’m sorry for leaving you after what we nearly shared that day.” His fingers slipped down further, and I jolted when he pressed them down hard on my clit and rubbed them up and down upon it. “Most of all, I’m sorry I hurt you.”
“You’re,” I panted. “Two weeks,” I moaned. “Too,” I groaned. “Late,” I snapped and swiftly rolled and fell off his knees, my butt hitting the ground hard. However, I was on my feet and straddling his lap next. I took note of his surprised look with satisfaction before I got close and hissed, “I don’t forgive you yet, but I’m willing to use you.” With that, I kissed him. It was a hot, heavy and dark kiss, one I enjoyed very much, especially when his fingers slid into my hair and gripped to tilt my head to the side to deepen it. Our tongues slipped and slid over one another, as though they were memorising the way they moved and felt against each other.
I rocked back and forth on his hardness, causing him to growl low down my throat.
“What do we have here?” a highly amused voice asked. We broke apart and I quickly stood, taking a few steps away from my desire.
“Dive,” I breathed. “You’re, um, home.”
“Sure am.” He beamed. “Good to have you back, Prez. I’d come and welcome you back, but it looks like I could get my eye poked out.” His eyes dipped down to Dodge’s crotch, and I slapped my hand over my mouth to hide my laugh. Even though Dodge had jeans on, somehow, his pecker was so hard, it just about tented in the denim.
“You reckon you could come back later?” Dodge snarled at his brother.
“Nope.” Dive smirked.
“He, um…” I licked my dry lips. Had Dodge sucked all my saliva out of my mouth? Too bad I wanted him to do it again. “Dive and I. Uh, we have something to tell you. We’re together,” I said my lie and crossed my arms over my chest.
“What the fuck?” Dive cried. “We’re not. No way would I touch her, brother.” Dive’s tone was high-pitched as Dodge stood slowly. Dive backed up, and his glare to me meant I would pay. “You trying to kill me, woman? After I take you in, you want my own brother to kill me for thinkin’ I touched you?”
“S’all good, brother,” Dodge announced, and Dive visibly sagged in relief.
“Well, I guess if Beast had told you nothing was happening between me and him that night, you’d have belie
ved him over me? Oh, wait, you didn’t even give me a chance to tell you, Dodge. Nooo, instead, you kicked me out and spat nasty words at me.” I glared.
He smirked. “You think you’re safe now my brother’s here? You’re not. Call me âDodgeâ again, woman, and see the show we’ll put on for him.” He shrugged. “Dive won’t care. He likes to watch. It’ll be like porn for him.”
“You wouldn’t.” I scowled.
“Wouldn’t I?” He quirked a brow at me, testing me.
Snap. He really would.
“So, I see you have a new game now, to piss me off so I don’t wanna get close to you.” He stepped towards me, taking my chin between his finger and thumb before he pulled my gaze up to meet his. “Won’t work, little bird. I know I was a dick, and I apologised. Now it’s you being a bitch for not accepting it and getting over it. Still, I reckon I’ll enjoy the games you’ll give me.” His gaze heated. “You seemed to like the last one real good.” He chuckled at my hooded eyes, which then turned hard as I scowled up at him. “Talk soon, Low,” he uttered, pressed his lips to mine and walked out of the room. Moments later, I heard the front door close.
I jumped when Dive said, “He’s bloody good.” I’d forgotten he was even in the room.
“He’s a pain.”
He laughed. “Yeah, okay then, woman. How about you take your lust-filled self into your room and knock one out.” He paused. “Even better, how about you let me watch while you do it.”
“Dive,” I scolded. “Didn’t you get any tonight?”
“Sure did. Which is why I’ll only watch and save it for my wank bank later.”
Snorting, I rolled my eyes and said, “No, Dive. I will not let you watch me rub one off.”
“Noticed you didn’t say you weren’t going to do it.”
Glaring, I asked, “Do you want me to tell Trey you asked to watch me?”
He blanched. “No.”
Walking towards him, I patted his arm as I passed. He called my name just as I reached the door. Looking back, I asked on a sigh, “Yes, Dive?”
He smirked. “You called him Trey. Looks like you’re learning.”
Shaking my head, I gave him a smile and wave before leaving. Did I want to learn, though? Because the outcome had been enjoyable.
Trey ‘Dodge’ Monroe was the most annoying, sexy, possessive man I knew. He got under my skin, pissed me off, and hurt me. Yet, his words when asking for forgiveness were sweet and tender, caring even.
Could I forgive him?
I realised I already had. Still, I’d let him stew on it for a while longer.
It was too much fun otherwise.
Chapter Nineteen
Dodge
My little bird was playing with fire. It’d been two long-arse weeks since that fuckin’ scorchin’ kiss, and I wanted more. How-fuckin’-ever, life got in the way, so I was stuck with flirty looks, light touches and her teasing me with small smiles as she worked at the front desk.
My cock was hard all the goddamn time and my hand had seen more action in the last few weeks than it had in my whole bloody life. I couldn’t get a moment alone with her, and it was driving me insane. Every time I caught her alone in the office, someone would walk right in after me. It made me think she had my brothers’ ears and told them to come in if they saw me entering. If that was the case, then she’d better look out because my hand was itching to get on her arse again. Her arse, her tits, her body, her pussy. Fuck, anywhere on her body would do.
The kids were also puttin’ a dampener on my sex life. Not that they planned it or knew about it, of course. But they kept me busy with setting up their school, cleanin’ shit at the house and cooking. It seemed my life now played out the same every day. I’d wake up hard, wank in the shower, get the kids ready for school then take them, which they seemed to be enjoying; the teachers loved them. Then I’d head to work, finish early to pick them up from school, head home, and help them with their homework. After that, I’d do other stuff with them, like play ball with Tex or draw with Rommy. Both I didn’t mind doing. Then I’d cook dinner, wind them down before bed, and get them into bed, which was always a feat with Rommy. She wanted to stay awake all the time. By doing that, she’d get up several times until she’d eventually crash. Then I’d be too fuckin’ tired to do anything else, so I’d go to bed and wank while thinkin’ of Low, waiting for it to happen all over again the next day.
What was also frustrating was that we’d gotten nowhere with Baxter. It was like he’d cooled off and wanted nothing to do with Willow anymore. While this was good in one way, it wasn’t in another because knowing the fool, he was just waiting on the sidelines for us to slip up in some way. So I made sure Low always had protection around her.
Venom MC seemed to be still wantin’ to fuck with us, which was why I’d made the play to have a sit down with their prez to see what the fuck his problem was. It couldn’t be just because he wanted our turf. There had to be something else. My guessin’ was Baxter had something over him, and the Venom prez was doing shit to us for Baxter’s benefit in some way.
It was all fucked, petty shit, boys playin’ in the real man world, and they needed to stop, to be taught a lesson. Time had come for me to do it.
I’d felt shit for not doing it sooner, but I had the kids to handle first. If that shit hadn’t gone down, I would have already had a sit-down with Switch, the Venom prez.
Better late than never, I guessed.
I could have left it to my second, Pick, or even to Dive, my third. Hell, even Dallas or Billy, but I wanted to do it. I needed to show them that since I was prez, I wasn’t some pussy. I didn’t hide behind my brothers.
As the last brother walked through the door in the room we held church in, I cleared my throat. They knew to shut the fuck up when I did that. “First order of business. Beast, Knife and Muff, you guys pick a strip club to go to tonight. You know the drill. If anyone sees anything outta place, call it in. Don’t try and be a fuckin’ hero like Bottle did.” Bottle was at a club last weekend when I got the call he’d been taken down. Thank fuck it was only a flesh wound and Nurse had stitched him up. Nurse was a medic from the Army who’d joined Hawks a year ago. Fuckin’ glad he joined. Saved us going to the hospital with little shit and having docs or cops askin’ questions. “He’ll be back in business next week, but until then, I need another out at the last strip club tonight. Any volunteers?”
“Me,” Saxon said. He’d never done security detail as of yet. I guessed it was time to tell if he’d be good for it. I sent him a chin lift and Billy wrote his name down against the club he’d be on that night.
“Right, moving on. Anyone got anythin’ to tell me about business here?” I asked.
“Prez, gotta get some time off,” Elvis announced. He was an older member, but a good one.
“What’s happenin’?”
“Family shit. Some dick thinks he can fuck with my sister. I need to take time out to get to Geelong, spend time there lettin’ him know it ain’t fine to mess with my family.”
“Done. Take off tomorrow and take Eden with you.”
“I can handleâ”
“We have each other’s backs,” I interrupted. “You don’t do this shit on your own. Havin’ a brother with you will also help get the message across.”
He sent me a nod. A small smile played on his lips. He agreed and approved.
“Right. Handle comes back next week.” A few grumbles started around the table. I slammed my fist down. “He learned his lesson. He has the injuries to prove he learned them. He was lookin’ out for his blood brother, but in the end, he had our backâ”
“Only after they killed his woman!” someone yelled. Every brother knew of the situation, the one where we had a snitch in the club, and what went down with Baxter and Low. They’d already admired my woman, but had since cherished her for how bloody strong-willed she was. And they were prepared to do anything to fuck Baxter up.
“Don’t matter how it all went d
own. When he gets back, I don’t want shit to start for him. Brothers’ through and through. We all fuck up in some way or another. What counts is if we can see the errors and fix that shit. He did. He’s paid, a lot. Now it’s time we have his back again.” I looked around the room. “Does everyone get me?” A chorus of yeahs and okays were sent my way.
“Good. Anyone got anythin’ else to say?”
“We need to get new club pussy in,” Gamer voiced.
“What’s wrong with what you got?”
He smiled big. “Been there, done that. Want somethin’ new to play with.”
“If you want to recruit more pussy, do it or have a club girl you trust to pick clean girls out. I don’t give a fuck.”
“You used to like the girls, Prez. They’re missin’ you,” Gamer said.
“Used to being the word there, Gamer.”
“Something else, something chocolatey taken your eyes now, Prez?” He chuckled.
I sat forward, my eyes hard. “Learn now, brother. No one says shit about Low. No fuckin’ one.”
“You claiming her, then?” Dive, the smart arse, asked.
“You know it,” I growled and saw smiles around me. Some even cheered. Fuck me. “Enough pussy talk. Get the fuck outta here.”
The room cleared except for Pick, Billy and Dive. Dallas hadn’t even been there. He was out already at the most popular strip club Talon owned doing security.
Knew my brothers were in for a chat, but I stood. “You guys still right to watch the kids for a little longer?”
“Our woman’s already there, s’all good,” Pick said.
“Appreciate you lending her for the kids.” If it wasn’t Josie, it was Willow, always stepping in to spend time with the kids when I couldn’t be around. Made me wonder if my woman liked the kids more than me.
“Josie wouldn’t have it any other way.” Billy smiled.
“Where you goin’ in such a rush?” Dive smirked.
“Gotta get my woman off Lan’s hands,” I said, walking to the door already.
“So, you gonna claim it true tonight? For Low to be yours?” he questioned.
Turning, I said, “Should’a already happened. But yeah, she’ll be mine, enough games. Which means don’t come home for a while.”
