Her loyalty was to the club, nowhere else.
She stood, putting trays of biscuits on a cooling rack. After several minutes passed, she turned around and let out a little scream.
“Shit, Stink, you scared me.” She pressed a hand to her heart.
“I didn’t mean to.”
“I know that.” She started to laugh. “I know you wouldn’t try to frighten me.”
Sandy walked toward him. Her body drew his gaze like a flame did a moth. She was such a beautiful woman. He loved being around her, but he also knew if he didn’t make a move on her soon, she’d be picked up by someone else. Stink didn’t want to live with that. His apartment wouldn’t ever be the same again without her. He needed her in his life more than he needed anything else.
“What’s going on? You look worried.” She reached out to touch his hand.
Glancing up, Stink smiled. “Mistletoe.”
“He really did do it. I heard Lash saying he was going to find an excuse for Angel to kiss him every time she left the kitchen. I even heard him making a deal with Anthony to get him to call her out.” Sandy started laughing.
Stink reached out, wrapping a hand around her waist, and pulling her close.
“Stink, what are you doing?”
The smile left her face. He needed to do this for the both of them.
“I’m taking my kiss.”
“Don’t do this,” she said.
He didn’t listen. Sinking a hand into her hair, he held her in place as he took the kiss he’d been desperate for from the moment he first saw her years ago. Stink didn’t want to pressure her or risk losing her, but he couldn’t go on anymore. Sandy was determined to keep him at arms’ length. He loved her and would do anything for her, even risk everything to take this next step.
Her hands went from pushing him away to gripping his shoulders. Encouraged, he slid his tongue across her lip waiting for her to open up to his tongue. After seconds passed, she moaned, opening her lips.
Stink had his first taste of her, and he was greedy as he wanted more. She stroked the back of his neck while he tugged on her hair. He broke away from the kiss to suck at the pulse beside her neck. Stink nibbled on her earlobe until he stopped to whisper to her. “Now you know what I want. I’m not expecting you to fuck me for a chance to stay with me. I want you, Sandy. I’ve wanted you for a long time. I’ll wait for when you’re ready, but I’m not going to pretend I don’t want you anymore.”
With those words finally out in the open, he pulled back to look into her eyes. He gave her a one final kiss, turned, and walked away.
Chapter Nine
Freezing his balls off, Blaine stood out in the cold as the kids made their snowman. It was so fucking cold but it was the weekend, and he’d drawn the short straw to watch over the kids. Baker was inside preparing for the coming Christmas Eve feast, Whizz was organizing the last of the wedding, and the women were gathering the final presents. It was a week until the big Christmas day.
Darcy was now off school for good. His little girl looked so happy nowadays. She was glowing in ways that filled him with pride. Emily was also happier. They couldn’t have sex as she’d started her monthly cycle. Last night they’d lain in bed while he rubbed at her stomach to ease out the knots. She’d snuggled up against him to work his magic with his touch. Blaine couldn’t complain about life. They were closer than they’d ever been before. He for one loved being with her and the club as their life was better. Blaine had also been back to the apartment to make sure Nicole knew she wasn’t to go anywhere near his woman. He wasn’t interested in the bitch’s excuses. The only woman in his life was Emily. Nicole agreed to stay away. From what his brothers told him, Nicole had been trying to get in with the club for some time. No one wanted anything to do with her. She had a long history of not being safe with her body.
Nicole was now out of the picture for good.
“I’m coming,” Tate said.
He glanced toward the back of the clubhouse to see Tate waddling like a penguin toward him. Chuckling, he walked toward her and helped her over the snow. If she took a tumble it would be dangerous for her. Murphy had warned them all about this late stage of pregnancy. She still had a couple of months left, but Tate was huge. He wondered if she was expecting twins. No one had said she was. If one of the kids was hiding behind the other there was a chance it was missed.
“What are you doing out here?”
“Getting exercise and getting away from Murphy. He won’t let me help the others work. It’s boring, and you’re out here on your own.”
“Emily’s wrapping the last of the presents.” She’d offered to go out, but he was useless at wrapping gifts.
“I know. Kelsey’s helping as she had several gifts herself to wrap.” Killer and Kelsey had a son, Markus. All of the kids were going to get spoiled, Blaine was sure. Darcy was going to be spoilt as well. “Daddy also asked for some help.”
Blaine laughed. He wasn’t the only man that was useless at wrapping.
Tate rubbed her hands together as they stood beside each other watching the kids. “It really is awesome we’re all here.”
His laughter died. It had taken them all a long time to get here, and he said as much.
“I sometimes wonder what it would be like if Mikey was here.”
Mikey was one of the original members who’d gotten killed a few years ago. Blaine still went to the cemetery where their fallen was resting.
“What do you mean?”
Tate looked at him. “I’m not stupid. I’ve heard the talk about my uncle. You all think he’s been given too much opportunity to have his say about the club.”
“I’m not going to get into that.” Blaine wasn’t comfortable talking about it. The other brothers did believe it was Alex’s influence that had ruined their friendship with the Chaos Bleeds MC.
“I’m not here to pick your brain. Murphy’s given me a warning and so has my father. I’m not a club member. I’m a club member’s old lady. It used to bother me, but it doesn’t anymore. I’ve seen what it takes to be a member. There’s so much stress just being an old lady.” Blaine stayed quiet while she talked. “I hear you’re going to ask Emily to marry you.”
He glanced back toward the clubhouse. Tate could be a bitch at times, and he wouldn’t put it past her to go and tell Emily what he wanted to do.
“I’ve not told her,” said Tate. “This life is not for everyone. I remember when The Darkness was a threat. No one had heard from Murphy. I was so scared, and then he arrived home, scarred but he was alive. During that time I thought I’d die before I got a chance to see him again.” Tears filled her eyes, and she stopped to take several deep breaths. “Emily’s a good woman, and you’re a good man. I’m trying to offer you my congratulations.”
“While you’re also warning me it’s not going to be an easy life.”
Tate nodded. “I love Murphy. I’ve always loved him. If there’s any doubt in your mind about both of your feelings, then I’d wait. With The Skulls you’re either all in or you’re out. There’s no double loyalty or in between. It’s good that Butch is leaving for Vegas.”
He’d already talked to Emily about the loyalty of the club. She swore she’d be loyal to him before she was loyal to anyone else. The club would come first to protect Blaine. He couldn’t ask for anything more from her.
The sound of the door opening had them both turning toward the sound. Murphy, Killer, and Whizz were making their way out of the door.
“Here comes trouble.”
All three men had been at The Lions, another MC they’d had to take out over the years. Whizz and Killer had been part of the club and hated it. Murphy had vouched for them as he’d only gone to The Lions as a spy in an attempt to find their weakness.
So much had happened in the years he’d been with The Skulls. Blaine wouldn’t change a thing. He loved the club, and now he had his woman as well.
“What’s going on?” Tate asked.
“Besi
des the fact you’re out here when I told you to rest your fucking ass?” Murphy said, glaring at his woman. Murphy wrapped his arm around Tate. “It’s dangerous out here, not to mention cold.”
“I was going crazy in there. No one will let me do anything.”
“That’s because I’ve told them to let you rest. You’re supposed to be resting.”
“I’m watching Simon.”
“Blaine’s out here.”
“You’re not going to send me in like a kid. I want some fresh air, and you’re here now.” Tate snuggled up against Murphy.
Blaine laughed as Murphy crumbled, holding her tighter.
“Is everything ready?” Blaine asked, turning his attention to Whizz.
“We’re all set. I’ve got everything. I just need to wait for the day.”
“How did it go at the adoption agency?” Killer asked, taking out a cigarette.
“Good and bad. Being with The Skulls is a mark against us and also Lacey’s very hazy past doesn’t help. The Savage Brothers are known by the cops, or at least some members were growing up, but the problem with Lacey is her attempted suicide when she was younger.”
“Surely they can’t do shit like that?” Killer asked. “All the shit she’d been through.”
Whizz shrugged. “I’m not giving up. I’ve got to show a settled environment, and Lacey needs to show a settled living. This gym would help our cause a lot more.”
“Why would it?” Blaine asked, interested to know what was going on in his brother’s life.
“It’s a stable working environment. I’ve already talked to Tiny, and he’s agreed to have Lacey on the books with a decent living.” Whizz ran fingers through his hair. “The woman I spoke to knew Mikey. She couldn’t guarantee we’d be successful, but she was going to help us to get the chance to adopt. Providing we meet all the requirements, we’ll get a kid.”
“It’s fucking shit if you ask me,” Murphy said. “There’s so many kids out there who’d be better off being adopted than shifted from place to place. You and Lacey should get kids.”
“Look, it sucks, but I get it. I understand why it’s hard to get a kid. I just don’t want Lacey to feel like she failed. I’m doing this without her knowing. I want to give her this gift. Those bastards took it away, and I’m going to give it to her.”
Blaine nodded. Whizz and Lacey deserved some happiness of their own.
“You’ll get it, Whizz. Either the old fashioned way by following their rules or just find a weakness and threaten them,” Blaine said.
“I’d rather not go that route.”
“You know you could put an ad in the paper,” Tate said. They all turned to look at her. “What? Ask for a chance to adopt. If a woman doesn’t want the kid she’s carrying but she doesn’t want to abort it, you pay her to allow you to adopt. It’s another way of doing it.”
Whizz nodded. “You know what, I’ll look into that.”
Tate smiled. “See,” she said, nudging Murphy in the side. “If you’d made me go inside Whizz wouldn’t have heard my idea.”
Murphy laughed. “Okay, I was wrong.”
“You give in way too easily,” Whizz said.
“Fire in the hole,” Darcy said.
Blaine gasped as a white snowball landed right in his face. The cold of the ice froze him to the spot.
“You little shits,” Murphy said, shouting as more snowballs crashed their way.
Out of the corner of Blaine’s eye, he saw the club start to file out. All of them were wrapped in jackets and gloves.
“Snowball fight,” Darcy said, shouting for them all to hear.
Blaine noticed his daughter had pulled all the kids behind the climbing frame where they were protected.
Emily walked up beside him. “She got you good.” She batted away the snow.
“Darcy’s a damn good shot.”
“That she is,” Emily said, giggling.
****
Emily thought Blaine looked adorable covered in snow. Their daughter had got him good in the face.
Tiny and Eva were throwing snowballs at each other. There was no order, and Emily quickly bent down and started running away from Blaine. The snowball fight was in full swing, but there were no teams. This was a free for all. She threw her snowball, and hers got Blaine in the chest.
Around them the club were laughing, crying out, and having fun. Lash charged at Angel as she threw a snowball that hit him in the nuts. Angel started to dash away, but Lash caught her around the waist, swinging her up in his arms.
Anthony, Tabitha, and Miles were working together as a team to fire as many balls as possible. It looked like Anthony was the best of the three throwers as Miles and Tabitha were molding the snow into balls then handing them to Anthony who threw them out. They were all the next generation of The Skulls. Beside the group of three stood Simon and Rachel who were also there, and behind all of them was Darcy and Michael, Cheryl’s son. Michael and Darcy were the oldest, and both were working together to fire snowballs.
With her attention on the kids she’d not heard or seen Blaine sneak up at her until he’d pulled her jacket far enough to stuff snow down. She screamed, rounding on him, intending pain. Blaine kicked out her feet, taking her down to the floor.
“Get off me. Fuck it’s freezing.”
Blaine chuckled. “That will teach you to take me on, baby.”
She looked up into his eyes, and she knew without a doubt she was in love with him. Blaine was her world and would always be her world.
“I love you,” she said, cupping his cheek.
The smile vanished from his face as he stared down at her. “Do you mean that?”
She nibbled on her lip. “Yes, I mean that. I’ve always been in love with you, Blaine. I never stopped.”
He pulled off his glove to cup her cheek. “You know how I feel about you.”
Emily leaned up, pressing a kiss to his lips. It was a mistake to do as they’d put themselves in the line of sight of their kids, The Skulls the next generation.
They got a snowball in the face.
Pulling away, Blaine got to his feet, jerking her up with him. They rounded the wall for cover. She wiped the snow off her face.
“You do realize our daughter just interrupted our moment.”
“We should tell Santa. No more presents for her,” Emily said.
She was so happy. It had been years since she’d felt like this. In that moment she understood what her mother was trying to do. Without giving herself to Blaine or trusting him, she’d not really been living, only existing. Shirley had known she wasn’t truly living or enjoying life. Emily hadn’t realized she’d been getting by from day to day. The last few weeks with Blaine had been joyous to her.
They were finally together, and she’d never been happier. She would call her mother to thank her when they were done punishing their daughter.
Out of the corner of eye she saw Murphy was walking Tate inside.
“She’s heavily pregnant and would probably do herself an injury?” Blaine said.
“Come on out, Mom,” Darcy said.
“It’s a trick,” Emily said. “She’s never so nice.”
Blaine laughed.
Reaching forward, Emily grabbed a handful of snow.
“She got this from you, didn’t she?” Blaine asked.
“What do you mean?” Emily glanced behind her to see Blaine laughing.
“You’ve always had a mean throw. I’d forgotten about it.”
Emily paused as she remembered their first Christmas together when she was seventeen. He had taken her to the café in town where they’d shared a muffin and a coffee. On the way home they’d gone through the church gates, and on the way out, she’d bent down to gather up some snow.
“If you hit me in the chest, I’ll give you a kiss.”
She’d pretended not to know what she was doing and had thrown the snowball at him.
“Okay, do it twice. Beginners’ luck.”
Shoot
ing a second time she’d got him in the chest. The kiss afterward had been amazing. Her first ever kiss by a boy.
“I’ve always been good at throwing.”
“Yeah, Shirley told me why.”
Her father had put up a basketball hoop in the back garden. Emily had used it more than he did. She had practiced her aim and could get every single ball within the hoop.
“Come on, we can get our daughter.”
Standing tall, Emily threw the ball getting Darcy in the chest. Within the hour they were all cold but laughing. She walked the kids back into the clubhouse. Darcy wouldn’t shut up and kept talking.
“It was totally funny, Mom. I mean, seriously, you and Dad were right there and it was totally too hard to resist. I thought it was funny. Grandma and Granddad said I’d be a good shot just like you if I practiced all the time. I practice all the time. Do you think I’m a good shot? That was totally awesome. I love it here. Are we staying here? Are we going to visit here often? Michael’s so funny, and he’s got like two dads.”
Emily laughed while Blaine looked like he was struggling to keep up.
She talked Darcy into the bath while Blaine took the first shower. When Darcy was dressed in some pajamas Blaine came through dressed in some clean, dry clothes.
“Will you keep an eye on her while I go and get freshened up?”
“Go.”
Leaving them together, she made her way toward their bathroom. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed her mother’s number.
“Hey, honey, we’re having an awesome time here at the cruise,” Shirley said.
“Hey, Mom.” Emily took a seat on the toilet.
“What’s going on? Are you having fun? Does your father need to come back and kick his ass?”
Emily chuckled. “No, you don’t need to come and kick Blaine’s ass. It’s fine. No, it’s perfect. It’s exactly how I imagined it.”
Blaine: Christmas at The Skulls Page 11
