by Faith Gibson
When she was away from him, her mind came back to its senses. She was still a married woman. Granted, she was going to file for divorce, but still, she was married. She had known Frey less than a week. Even if he caused a constant throb between her legs, she had to play it smart. She would accept his hospitality, the safety of his home, and his friendship with Matthew. Other than that, she needed to keep her distance. A door closed downstairs, and her two men’s voices carried up the stairs. No, not her men. Her brother and her host. She forced herself to get up and go take care of her brother instead of hiding out from the one man who made her feel something other than dread after all these years.
Jasper skipped family day at the manor. He was in a foul mood, and he didn’t want to spread it around. Someone else was finally sitting on Troy, even though the man hadn’t moved in almost twenty-four hours. Jasper had written down the friend’s tag number and instead of calling, had taken it to Sixx. When Sixx picked up on Jasper’s unease, Jasper confided in him about everything that had transpired, from the envelope, to seeing Craig, to the new photos being delivered to Trevor. Sixx had seen the envelope in the plastic cover with Julian’s handwritten note beside it. The note stated that Julian had found one set of prints on the envelope, and those most likely belonged to whomever had put the envelope on Jasper’s desk. Since he had gone to Egypt, he hadn’t had time to investigate further.
While the computer was running the license plate number of the car parked at Troy’s, Sixx leaned back and clasped his hands behind his head. “I’m sorry Trevor left. At least you know he’s coming back in a week. That gives us seven days to find Craig and make him talk. Find out what the hell he’s up to.”
“I really appreciate it. When I was on the west coast, I didn’t really fit in with the Clan. It wasn’t anything they did or didn’t do, I just didn’t feel comfortable with them. Here, I feel like I have a family.”
“Speaking of family, I want you to look at something.” He turned one of the monitors around so Jasper could see the image that was front and center.
“That’s Desmond Rothchild. I see you looked up your doppelganger.”
Sixx frowned and dropped a bomb on Jasper, “Not my doppelganger, my son.”
“Your son? How the hell is that possible?”
“I dated a girl about twenty years ago. Her name is Desirae Rothchild. One night, during let’s say some pretty wild sex, I phased and bit her. She was so blissed out, she didn’t realize what I’d done. We dated a while afterwards until one day she disappeared. Now, there’s a kid out there with her name who looks just like me. Coincidence? I don’t think so.”
“Holy hell, and I thought my situation was bad. At least now maybe I can score some backstage passes to their concert,” Jasper joked, trying to lighten the mood.
Sixx threw a pen at him. “Right... ‘Hey kid, how about giving your old pop, who doesn’t look much older than you, some tickets to your show?’ I’ll ask him right after I see his mom and explain why she still looks twenty-something.”
“So, you are going to find them? You know, he’s coming here in a couple of months to do a concert.” Jasper couldn’t imagine how Sixx was feeling. It was bad enough Craig had shown up after less than a year.
“Then I guess I have a couple of months to think about it. Now, back to you. Let’s figure out what your ex is doing in New Atlanta and what his agenda is.”
The longer Jasper sat, the more agitated he got. “I’m going to head out to the gym. Please let me know if you find anything.” They had called Sinclair and gotten every bit of information he could dig up on Craig, which wasn’t much.
Jasper parked beside Frey’s empty spot. Of course he would be home with Matthew and Abbi. Uri was probably on duty since Mason had worked all day the day before. When Jasper didn’t see anyone out front, he strolled back to the office. He walked in expecting Uri, only he found someone else.
“Kai? What are you doing here?” Jasper had been a member of the gym where Kai worked out west.
“Jasper, good to see you, Bro. I’m working here. Had to catch a change of scenery, if you know what I mean.”
Jasper did know what he meant. He hadn’t wanted to move, yet now he was glad he had. “Yeah, I sure do. It’s why I’m on the other side of the States.”
“Hang on a sec, someone’s at the counter.” Malakai stood and headed toward the front of the building. Jasper noticed a bank of monitors that were relaying feed from security cameras. Each one was located in various areas of the gym. A couple were located outside. “I wonder…”
“What do you wonder?” Urijah asked, entering the office.
By now, most of the Clan knew about Craig being in town. Jasper still hadn’t shared the fact that pictures of him and his ex were showing up. “Trevor mentioned Craig was looking in the window on the side of the building where the parking lot is. How far back do you keep the security footage?”
“About a year. Are you thinking you might find something on the camera?”
“It’s worth a shot. Look at Wednesday afternoon.” Jasper sat impatiently while Uri set the parameters for the search fields. Malakai returned, “Are you still a fireman?”
“No, I’m a detective. The quota for hot, alpha firemen had already been met,” Jasper joked.
“What was up with your fireman friend, what was his name? Chris?”
“Craig? What do you mean, what was up?”
“After you transferred out here, he came in the gym looking for you. He seemed frantic, too. Like, you’d stolen something of his. I finally told him you’d left town, only I didn’t share where you’d gone.”
“Here we go.” Uri fast forwarded the feed until it showed Craig looking in the window. He froze the frame and rewound. When it came to the point where he got out of his car, Uri stopped it and zoomed in on the tag.
“Gotcha, you bastard.” Jasper wrote the tag number down. “Now, let’s pray it isn’t a rental.”
“So, what’s the deal with you and your ex?”
“He’s a closeted, lying, conniving sonofabitch. He disappeared on me, not the other way around. After almost a year, he finds me, and does everything he can to sabotage my relationship with my mate. So far, he’s succeeding,” Jasper seethed. “I’m going to call this in to Sixx. Excuse me.”
Jasper called Sixx and gave him the tag number. When he returned to the office, he asked, “I don’t suppose either of you are up for a little sparring, are you?”
Kai grinned. “If Uri doesn’t mind running the show for a bit, I would love to get in the ring.”
Uri gestured toward the door. “By all means.”
Malakai clapped his hands together, but he didn’t realize just how fired up Jasper was at the moment. He was ready to kick some major ass. Malakai borrowed some shorts from Urijah, since they were close to the same size. He kicked his flip-flops off and climbed in the ring. He was used to sparring barefooted, whereas Jasper was not, but he wasn’t going to let a little thing like shoes make a difference. Both males bounced around on their feet, warming up their legs. Kai took first swing, and they were off. Neither Goyle was holding back, and it felt great. Jasper didn’t intend to hurt Kai, but he wasn’t going to worry if he punched a little harder than usual, either. They had sparred together back on the west coast and were fairly evenly matched.
The patrons gathered as they always did when the big guys were fighting. It was a free show, better than anything they could get on pay-per-view. The men stood in awe, wishing they could move that way. The women lusted, wishing they could take the two men home. Neither male paid attention to what was going on outside the ring. That was until Urijah said just loud enough for them to hear, “Jasper, Sixx found Craig.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Abbi followed the sound of voices into Matt’s temporary bedroom. Not wanting to interrupt, she went no farther than the door. Even though her brother was in a tremendous amount of pain, he was laughing and cutting up with the big man. It had been a lon
g time since she’d heard the sound coming from Matt. As if he knew she was there, Frey looked her way, the smile never leaving his face. Even though it was there because of something Matt had said, it was still nice to see aimed her way. Too often she’d been on the receiving end of a scowl.
Her stomach rumbled reminding her they hadn’t eaten breakfast. Matt had been too groggy to eat at the hospital, and Abbi had been too nervous thinking about the upcoming days. Living with the tempting, gorgeous man was going to be a walk in the park compared to filing for divorce and staying far away from Troy. She left the two men to do their manly stuff, and she headed back to the kitchen. Her first order of business was to start the coffee pot. Once that was taken care of, she opened the fridge to see what Frey had picked up at the store.
Holy crap! Abbi couldn’t remember seeing that much food, ever. Not even when her parents were alive. She shook her head and dug around until she came out with all the ingredients she needed to make biscuits and gravy, eggs, and bacon. She hadn’t cooked a large breakfast in a while, but she wanted to do something nice for Frey. It didn’t hurt that biscuits and gravy were Matthew’s favorite breakfast.
The biscuits were in the oven, and the gravy was simmering when the men returned from the gym. “Is that bacon my nose detects?” Matt was practically drooling.
Laughing and pointing at the nearest chair, Abbi responded, “Yes, it is. If you’re a good brother, there might just be biscuits in the oven, too.”
Frey moaned, “You’re christening my kitchen, just so you know.”
“What do you mean?” Abbi asked as she stirred the gravy.
“Nobody’s ever cooked in here except me, and I have definitely never cooked a breakfast like this. Thank you.” The look in his eyes spoke louder than his words could. He liked her in his kitchen.
“You’re welcome.” She had to look away. She couldn’t have her teenage brother realizing what their host was doing to her body. “Matt, do you want coffee?”
“Are pigs tasty? Of course I do.”
“Here, I’ll get it. You’ve got your hands full.” Frey grabbed three mugs out of the cabinet.
There he went again, being nice. There’s no way it was all an act just to get in her pants. Frey Hartley was the real deal. He snagged a piece of bacon from the plate, taking a bite and crunching as he talked, “I wanted to let you both know, I’m having a little bit of construction done on the west side of the house. There will be contractors coming and going, but they will not bother either of you. Rafael Stone will be overseeing the project, and he only hires people that are one hundred percent trustworthy.”
“Rafael, isn’t that Kaya’s fiancé?” Abbi asked as she pulled the biscuits from the oven.
“Yes, he’s the best there is. Can you keep a secret?” Frey asked them both. When they nodded, he continued, “He happens to be my cousin as well.”
Kaya offering her home to Abbi now made more sense. “How do you like your eggs?”
“However you and Matt eat yours. No need in you making two different kinds. I just like ‘em cooked.” Frey poured everyone a cup of coffee. He handed Matt a cup of black, Abbi a cup with a splash of milk, and took his own black as well.
She scrambled half a dozen eggs, hoping that was enough. When they were almost done, she added a little shredded cheddar cheese. By the time she had everything ready, Frey had set out three plates, silverware, napkins, butter, and jelly.
Abbi helped Matt with his food so he didn’t move around too much. Once they were finished eating, he told Frey, “I really would like a shower before I lay down.”
“No problem. We’ll get you squared away and then I’ll help Abbi with the dishes.”
“You don’t mind?” Matt was blushing.
Frey shook his head, smiling. “Son, I’ve taken more showers with men than I care to think about. I was in the military. Besides, I can leave my shorts on. Come on; let’s get your stinking ass clean.”
Abbi didn’t wait on Frey to start clearing the table. There were no leftovers to put away. The next time she made breakfast, she’d have to remember to cook more. By the time Frey returned, she had finished cleaning and was sitting on the back deck enjoying her coffee. Frey had refreshed his cup and sat down beside her. “You should have left the dishes.”
“It’s okay, you were busy helping Matt. Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Abbi. I love that kid. He’s funny, smart, and brave. He’s everything I would want in my own son.”
“You’re getting attached to him.” Abbi didn’t think that was a good idea. When they had to move back out, Matt would miss the connection.
“I am. He needs a good role model. Not that I’m good, but I really care about him. No matter what happens with you and me, I’ll always want him in my life.” Frey wasn’t looking at her when he spoke. His attention was again focused on the trees.
“You are a good man, and I appreciate everything you’re doing for Matt. And for me.” Frey would always want Matt in his life, not her. With everything going on around her, of course he’d changed his mind about wanting her.
Frey finally looked at her. “I don’t mean to pry, but I need to know your plans about the divorce. I have to schedule your security.”
Abbi’s heart sank a little more. He didn’t want her divorced so they could be together. He wanted to plan who watched her. Stop it. You’re still married, and even if you weren’t you don’t need to jump right into another relationship.
“Hey, look at me. What happened just then?” Frey sat his coffee on the rail and squatted down in front of her. With him being so tall, she was still shorter than him in this position. He placed his hands on her knees and left them there. His touch lit a fire deep inside. God, how she wanted him to move his hands up her thighs. It was wrong, so wrong to feel that way, but he brought out a need in her. A need to be touched, wanted, cherished. Satisfied. Without thought to the consequences, she placed her free hand over his.
She probably imagined it, but she could have sworn Frey growled. He was motionless with the exception of his nostrils flaring. His brown eyes were now almost black, and they were staring at her lips. She wanted him to kiss her. She wanted to feel his mouth against hers, not just on her lips but everywhere. He made her want to feel. She sat her coffee cup down on the deck. If she started something with this man, she had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to stop, whether she wanted him to or not. Dammit, she was married. But she was getting divorced, so did that make it okay?
She licked her lips, and there was that noise again. Only this time, she didn’t just hear it, she felt it. The deep growl vibrated in her own chest. Frey’s hands tightened around her legs, not exactly painful, but strong enough to let her know he wanted more. Before she could blink, Frey pulled her out to the edge of her chair and parted her legs. He didn’t move his hands toward her core, but he did situate himself against her body. When he did move his hands, he placed one on her lower back and one at her nape under her ponytail. His eyes flashed with something so primal it almost scared her. Just before he crashed their mouths together, she could swear she saw sharp teeth. When their mouths connected, she expected to feel pain. Instead, Frey’s lips were soft, and his mouth was hot as his tongue sought out hers. What was up with her and fangs?
Abbi opened for him. Frey made soft, sweet love to her mouth as his cock hardened against her core. Frey, resting on his ankles, pulled Abbi out of the chair and onto his lap as he maneuvered her so she was straddling him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he held her tightly against him. Frey rose up on his toes, and the movement brought her clit in line with his erection. A jolt of electricity hit her between the legs, a gasp caught in her throat. She wanted more. Had to have more. Clutching his huge arms for leverage, Abbi moved her body against his, wanting the friction, needing the release. The soft kiss turned into a furious frenzy, their mouths no longer making love. She was rocking against him in sync with the motion of his tongue. Before she could
stop it, her body convulsed and white sparks flashed behind her eyes. Frey continued the movements of their lower bodies until her whimpers subsided. Holy shit. She’d just had the best orgasm of her life, and they still had their clothes on.
Frey muttered, “Fuck.” In one swift motion, he returned her to her chair while he picked up his coffee cup and leaned against the railing. She didn’t miss the fact that he untucked his t-shirt, trying to hide his still hard cock. She was confused. Was he so disgusted with her that he wanted her away from him? Before she could think about it too hard, Matt opened the back door. How in the world had he known Matthew was going to interrupt them? However he knew, she was glad. She would hate for Matt to have caught her rutting against Frey.
“Have either of you seen my pills? I thought I’d take one and chill for a little while.”
Abbi hopped up from her chair, knocking her coffee over in the process. “Oh, crap! I’m so sorry,” she braced herself for a tongue-lashing.
Frey grasped her upper arm, turning her to look at him. “It’s all right. You go help Matt, and I’ll clean this up. Nothing a little water won’t fix.” His hand on her was gentle, not bruising.
Abbi got Matt settled and returned to the deck. Frey had his hands on the rail, cell phone peeking out from beneath one. It just dawned on her that he was wearing short sleeves. “Aren’t you cold?”
He didn’t turn toward her when he answered, “No, I don’t get cold.” She was cold, and it had more to do with his body language than the November weather. “We need to talk.” He stuck his cell phone in his front pocket before holding his hand out to her. She placed hers in his, allowing him to lead her down the deck steps onto the walkway towards the lake. After a few steps, Frey laced their fingers together.
