15. Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Fifteen
Griffin's Beach Gavin
P ulling up outside of the drug store, Gavin groans. "What the fuck do I even buy?"
The men of the clubhouse really want to haze him, and there's nothing like making him buy feminine hygiene products to remind him just where he stands with the club. Especially without knowing what the hell to even get.
"Gavin?" Hailey asks as she comes into his view on the sidewalk. "Why do you look like you're about to walk through the gates of Hell or something?"
Her beauty as she stands so casually distracts him from his distress momentarily. "Because I feel like I am. I've been assigned to pick up lady products to restock the clubhouse bathroom with. But I have no idea what to fucking buy."
Laughing, she shakes her head. "Don't you have a sister? And a mom?"
"I don't pay attention to that shit!"
"Men," she says and sighs. "Is it a basket of things or a dispenser?"
This is fucking embarrassing. The last thing I want to talk about is woman things. Unless we're dating. "A container thing. Not like a condom dispenser."
"Did you get told if you need tampons or pads?"
"Fuck, I don't know. They just said, and I quote, 'lady shit for the bathroom.' Like I know what that means."
Rolling her eyes, she holds out a hand. "You got money?"
"Yeah, here," he says and takes his credit card from his back pocket.
"Be right back."
The moment she disappears inside the store, he worries she'll run his card up with other items, and while he's sort of part of the club, he's not exactly flush with cash yet. Once he's patched in, he'll make bank like everyone else. At least the club will reimburse him for this purchase. So what if Hailey decides to get some stuff for herself? He'll gladly figure it out. Which is pathetic because she hasn't even let him kiss her yet.
She walks out with a bag, and his stomach lurches. A bag. How much did she buy?
"I got two boxes of tampons and two boxes of pads. Guys don't realize it, but there's a flow difference, and it's a pain in the ass when you use the wrong size," she says and hands him the bag.
He takes it and puts it in the saddlebag before taking the card and receipt from her. She only purchased four items, and he almost wishes she'd gotten something for herself. Then he could use it as an opening for a date.
"Thanks, Hailey. I owe you one."
"How about a ride home? I don't have class the rest of the afternoon, and I was just wasting time until Lex or Colt came to get us after picking up the kids from daycare."
Let her sit behind him and wrap her body around his? Sign him up. "No problem."
"Do you have somewhere you have to be soon?"
Hope fills him. Maybe she wants to kiss him as much as he wants to kiss her. If Lucas hadn't interrupted them the other day, he definitely would've been caught making out with Colt's new house member. "No, I just have to drop this stuff off at some point. Why?"
"I was hoping I could ask you some stuff about Lex and Colt. You seem to know them pretty well."
Handing her his helmet, he nods. "Sure."
She slides behind him, her arms wrapping around his waist, and it sets him off like a rocket. Pulling away from the curb, he shifts, trying to ease the pain of his jeans pulling against his groin.
It's been way too damn long since I last got laid, but I'm not touching the bunnies. I've seen them all naked as it is, and it's just creepy knowing most of the men in the club have had a turn.
Gavin considers driving the long way to the house to have her body pressed against his just that much longer, but he doesn't want to make her uncomfortable in case she doesn't feel the same electric attraction he does. She's one who seems to keep her feelings close to the vest, and he can't quite determine whether she likes him or not. They almost kissed, but it could have also been an in-the-moment situation.
They pull into the driveway, and he kicks the kickstand out. Hailey hops off and hands him the helmet before sitting on the front porch steps. This doesn't seem like a good sign if she's not even going to invite him inside, but he takes a seat next to her anyway.
"The stuff in my bike won't melt or anything, right?" he asks.
"You are such a guy," she says with a laugh. "It's not ice cream. You seriously know nothing about this stuff?"
He shakes his head. "Just what we learned in school. I've seen the boxes before because they're oddly in the same aisle as the condoms, and there are so many options to choose from. They almost look like flavors, and I have no idea what to get."
"You will when you end up living with a woman who isn't your mom or sister."
"Doubt it," he says.
"You will. Trust me. Colt gets stuff for Lex. He's smart, and he knows to get chocolate or ice cream for her when he has to pick something up. We can become bears around that time of the month."
Snorting, Gavin laughs. "Oh, I'm aware. Imagine having a preteen sister. I swear, I would've put money on her being possessed by the Devil."
"She's pregnant, right? How old is she?"
"Sixteen."
Her hands stretch out in front of her as she arches her back and leans forward. "Oh, yeah. Gracie."
"You know her?"
Scrunching her nose, she avoids looking at him. "I know of her. She's been getting a lot of shit at school because of her situation. Poor girl."
This perks Gavin up, and he's suddenly very interested. Gracie hasn't mentioned anything about anyone saying a thing to her about it. "She has?"
"She hasn't told you?"
"No, she hasn't said a word. She's good at keeping secrets these days."
"Don't tell her I told you. If she didn't tell you, she had a reason."
The idea of his sister—as annoying as he finds her at times—getting bullied at school pisses him off. "Probably because she knows I’ll go on a rampage."
"You gotta be careful. You're an adult and will be tried as one. And it would be a little weird to beat up a fifteen-year-old girl as an eighteen-year-old dude."
"I just wish I knew who knocked her up. They'll never find his body."
Hailey's eyebrows lift. "You don't know?"
"You do?"
"I've... heard things. I doubt they're true, though. She really hasn't told anyone?"
"Nope."
Something about the look on her face makes Gavin uneasy. "Don't press her. It's probably for the best."
Whatever Hailey knows, or thinks she knows, isn't something she'll share, and Gavin doesn't want to talk about his sister anymore. When he does, he can't help but wonder if what happened to her wasn't entirely her choice. Which, if that's the case, he really will murder the guy who touched her.
"You in there?" Hailey asks, pulling him from his concerns about who the father of the baby is.
"Sorry, yeah. You said you wanted to talk about Lex and Colt?"
She smiles, and he's thankful she doesn't press him on what he's thinking. "Just for the record, your sister doesn't seem like the type of girl who sleeps around. She's not out there getting naked with the football team or anything."
"Well, that's good to know."
"So, um... What do you know about the crazy people who took me and my brother in?"
His eyes narrow at the question. "A lot. You gotta narrow down what you're asking about."
Her hands fiddle together in her lap, and she stares at them instead of him. "Like, what kind of people are they? Because in my life, people don't just give you shit out of the goodness of their heart. There's always something they want in return, but they're not giving me a solid read on what they'll ask for down the road. Besides free babysitting, which was all Lucas. I just... I need to know what they're going to expect."
"They don't expect anything. Hell, if you said you didn't want to watch the kids for free anymore, they'd either pay you or find another person to watch them. But they won't throw you to the curb for it or anything like that."
"Tell me about them."
"Um, well, they're my parents' best friends. Well, were. They're good people, which says something considering we're a motorcycle club family. They'd die for anyone they consider family without hesitation."
Rolling her eyes, Hailey scoffs. "Their kids, sure, but not others."
"Lex almost died for Gracie. Took a bullet for her. Then she almost died saving both of us from a crazed ex-Prospect and rival club members. Oh, she also took on a car for her sister-in-law before she and Colt were married. Got herself kidnapped to save both herself and the President of the Black Valley's wife. I'm sure there's more I don't know about."
"Sorry, back up. She took a bullet?"
Smiling, he knows he's piqued her interest, and he recounts Lex getting shot in the shoulder her first night back in ten years. Then he tells her about how she took Lane's place when she was kidnapped with Gracie and him and sneaking them out the window to get help.
"You're lying!"
"Ask her to see the scar in her tattoo, if you don't believe me. Went right through the eye of the eagle on her shoulder. It's kind of awesome."
Her eyes stare at him, wide and unblinking. "No way."
"Way. She's a Drifter by blood, and it's obvious. Too much so, sometimes. Which is probably why she was crying in the kitchen and hasn't told Colt whatever it is she was asked to keep secret. She takes that shit seriously. And she loves just as fiercely."
"They threw this huge birthday party for Noah last week. You'd think he was turning sixteen or something."
"Lex goes all out for birthdays. Her brother ruined hers growing up, so I think she makes it a point to ensure her kids have the best experiences with theirs. She'll do the same for you and Lucas."
Leaning back, Hailey rests her elbows on the top step. "I don't want a big party."
"You might not have a choice. Look, they're good people. Bikers get a bad rap because of the shit on TV, but we're not like that. Well, not totally like that."
Hailey doesn't say anything, and he turns to look at her. He expects another question, maybe something about the club he can't answer, but instead, she grabs his face and kisses him. The moment their lips touch, he can't control himself. His arms wrap around her waist and pull her onto his lap. His tongue slides into her mouth as soon as she parts her lips to grant him access. Her fingernails scrape along his scalp as her fingers run through his hair, and she doesn't stop him when he slides his hands up her shirt. He tests his boundaries and slips her tit from the cup of bra.
Her hips grind against his hard cock, and he moves to kiss her neck. "I wasn't sure if you liked me."
"I haven't quite decided if I do," she says and tilts her head to give him more skin to suck and nip. "But that doesn't mean I don't find you hot as hell."
The comment makes him smile, and he twists his fingers on her nipple beneath her shirt. Having the cups pulled under tits like he has them can't be comfortable, but she doesn't seem to mind, which makes him confident she does like him as much as he likes her. "Fuck, you're sexy."
"You feel like you have a lot to offer a girl in the bedroom," she murmurs in his ear before sucking his earlobe into her mouth.
The sensation makes him imagine her mouth on other parts of his body, and he gasps. "I'd give you everything you could ever want," he whispers.
"I'm not having sex with you today," she says, pulling back to look into his eyes. "As much as I may want to, I don't know you that well yet."
"What do you want to know?"
Smirking, she bites her bottom lip while his hands continue playing with her chest. Perfect little palmfuls. "How many women have you slept with?"
"Three."
Her eyebrows lift disbelievingly. "Three?"
"I was in a relationship with all three of them. I told you that I don't just go out to fuck anyone who will let me. If I wanted that, I'd need a standing visit at the free clinic because I'd be with a club bunny every night."
Giggling, she runs her fingers through his hair again. "Take me on a couple of dates, and then we can re-evaluate things."
"When are you free?"
"Tonight," she says, her lips gingerly touching his.
"I'll find a way to get free."
Her mouth moves to his ear, her tongue flicks his earlobe. "Even though I don't plan to fuck you, I'm not exactly opposed to other forms of getting off."
"Fuck me," he groans, his hips lifting to press his need against her to prove how much desire he has for her.
"I turn eighteen in a week."
"Well, that's good to know," Lex says from behind Hailey's back, and they both jump.
How the fuck did she pull up without me hearing her?
"Lex, hey," Gavin says and clears his throat while Hailey adjusts her bra underneath her T-shirt. "We didn't hear you."
"No shit."
"This isn't what it looks like."
Smirking, she laughs. "It looks like you're making a date with one of the newest members of our family while feeling her up on my front porch."
"Okay... This is exactly what it looks like."
Hailey jumps off his lap, and he misses her body heat. And the cover of his embarrassing erection. "It's not as bad as it looks—"
"Oh, please," she says and waves a hand in the air. "Make out. Touch each other. Just don't get knocked up."
"You don't care?"
She laughs. "I don't know if I'd go that far, but I was a teenager once myself."
"Told you Lex is cool," he says and smirks at Hailey.
"You told her I was cool?"
"Show her the scar on your tat."
Rolling her eyes, she slides her jacket down her arm and pulls her T-shirt down her shoulder to show Hailey the tattoo. Hailey stares in shock. "You got shot through the eye of the eagle?"
Lex turns and shows the exit wound on the front of her chest. "Through and through. Burned like a bitch, but my shoulder was better than Gracie's head. Now, you said your birthday is in a week. What kind of party am I throwing?"
"No party. Please. I'd rather have a lowkey day."
"You sure? We kind of go all out for parties in this house."
"Except yours," Gavin reminds her.
Glaring at him, she sneers. "For good reason, smart ass. Besides, I'm old. You're not. Celebrate. Eighteen is a big year."
"No," Hailey says, her voice adamant. "No party." After a moment of a standoff staring contest with Lex, she adds, "Please."
Lex smiles and nods. "Okay, but that means you have to accept whatever gift I decide to give you."
"No gifts."
"It's either a gift or a party. Your choice. I'd say I don't make the rules, but I do, and this is one of them."
For some reason, Hailey looks annoyed in situations that would have anyone else jumping for joy and thrilled. "Okay, fine. Whatever gift you give me, I'll accept."
"Okay, good. Now, I'm going to go inside and try to get some sleep. You can go back to kissing and copping a feel, but Colt will be home with the kids in about an hour. Whatever you're going to do, you better be done by then. And you might want to move to the back porch to give yourself a little bit of extra time in case time gets away from you."
She walks inside, giving them a wink, and Gavin stares at her. Her smile and demeanor mask things fairly well, but her eyes give her away. Tired eyes.
"She looks like death walking," Hailey whispers. "It's getting worse, not better. And she doesn't sleep much. She and Colt have lots of sex, but she doesn't seem to shut down and rest much."
"And you really don't know anything?"
"Not at all," she says and holds out her hand. "Before we get too carried away again on the back porch, let's talk about that date."