Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
LILITH
I can feel his eyes on me, and it makes me feel all hot and needy.
It has been a long time since I felt a man’s touch, thanks to my ex, Christopher, sleeping with my cousin and telling me that I fuck like a wet fish. Sex with Christopher was never nice, it was all about him. As long as he got off, I was an afterthought.
Then the days came that he would come home from work smelling of perfume, but he would brush off my concern. My mother was never any help when I would go to her. She would tell me that women who are married to high-powered men had to deal with how they relieved their stress.
Christopher is a cop, but not a high-ranking officer, just a police officer.
My mother would never let me end the relationship over some perfume or lipstick mark; I was merely told to grow up and be the perfect wife-to-be. Now my father, God bless his heart, is a good man, yet he puts up with my mother.
He is the reason I am here in Fort Lauderdale with my new business. Wicked Sugar is my baby. Baking and making something out of nothing has always been a passion of mine, thanks to my grandmother, Thelma.
My family is a mixture of preppy, uptight people and laid back, linked to the wrong side of the law types. My Uncle Huxley aka Prime, my mother’s brother, is the President of the Saint’s Outlaws MC, the Denver, Colorado charter. It is why I have always been comfortable around the Rugged Skulls— I have always known motorcycle clubs.
Grandma Thelma would bring everyone together, much to my mother’s distain, but I loved spending time with Prime and some of the guys from the club. He may look like an angry bear, but he is a softie at heart, even though he wouldn’t let anyone believe that.
“You okay, Lil?” my aunt asks.
I blink, plastering a smile on my face.
“Of course. Just excited to meet this baby.”
“Oh, me too. Another grandchild to add to my growing list.” She beams with pride.
“You hear that, Jack? More grandbabies are good grandbabies.” Magnum elbows his son, making people laugh.
My gaze connects with Magnum; he winks at me, making my cheeks heat. Jack looks between us before he shakes his head, then walks over to Dom who is sitting with Calder.
These guys may be covered in tattoos, have a broody look about them, and display a sexy-as-sin vibe that belongs on the cover of any fashion magazine, but they are all soft and caring at heart.
Like the Saint’s Outlaws MC, the Rugged Skulls run on loyalty and respect, no one messes with one of theirs. The only difference between the clubs is that the Saint’s are one percenters, and seem edgier, not threatening, nor do they make me feel uncomfortable, but I get the feeling that they would kill anyone who got in their way.
What I do love about them is they own a cattle farm that has prize bulls. I have only been to the club once, and I was treated like a princess, everyone made me feel welcome, and there thankfully were no club girls around. It was all families of the men who were actually taken.
My uncle is one of the single members. He says that being the president is a full-time job and he only has time to get off, before telling the woman to leave.
My gaze finds Jack, my stomach making that swirly feeling when I catch him looking at me. The smile he gives me makes me weak in the knees. Only having Jack look at me has me feeling things that no touch from Christopher ever gave me.
My biggest regret with my ex was giving him my virginity.
It was painful and very unfulfilling. He didn’t get me ready to take him, he didn’t make it special. We had sex for all of six minutes, until he climaxed then he pulled out, took a shower before leaving me in my room alone so he could go and watch the game with his friends.
That right there was the first red flag, and I should have run then, but I let my mother convince me to stay.
“He always seeks you out, honey,” my aunt says.
“Huh?” She looks at me and she gives me a wide smile.
“Jack. Whenever you are in the same room, he always looks for you, and watches you. You could do far worse, sweetie. After what that toad did to you, you deserve a man who will worship you, and I believe that the other Masters twin can give you that.”
Her words warm my heart but also scare me. He has Dom to think about, and from what I have heard from the girls, Jack doesn’t date, he has hook-ups now and then, but he never has a relationship.
He never allows women around his son, because he wants to be the best dad and a great role model, which I think he has done in spades.
What he told me earlier about no more running, has my heart racing in a different way.
Would I like to see if we could have something? Yes. I have crushed on him for so long.
He also has Dominic to think about. It scares me that once I fall for him— because I have no doubt that I will, as I fall hard and fast, always have— he could decide that he doesn’t want me, just like Christopher did, and sleep with someone else before ending it with me.
I can’t go through that again.
The whole situation is something to think about. Something that needs a deep dive into all kinds of scenarios of every outcome.
“Tree and Kady got lucky with their men. I think I am doomed to be single all of my life. Jack is a nice guy, but he has his son to think of, and that is the main thing.”
“Lilith, honey, he would be lucky to have a woman like you. Both of them would.”
“Maybe.”
“I did not want to bring this up now, but have you received the invite?”
I give her a shaky nod.
“I am so sorry, sweetie; we will all be there for you.”
The invite that she is speaking of is the wedding invitation of my cousin Vanessa and my ex Christopher. She’s the woman I caught him cheating on me with. It seems that they want to hurt me even more and had the balls to invite me to their wedding.
What is worse is that my mother will demand that I attend.
I often think that my mother hates me. She has never treated me like I was hers, just an inconvenience that was bestowed on her life.
“HE IS HERE!” gets bellowed.
We all look to the door and see a beaming, happy, smiling Royal. My heart feels light and warm seeing how happy he is.
“A boy. Oh, thank God,” Dom cheered, making people laugh.
The club, his family, surround him, hugging, slapping him on the back in congratulations. Royal walks over to my aunt and uncle, hugging them, before he turns back to the room, with his mom, Risky, tucked into his side.
“Tree is great, a fucking rock star. No way could a man ever go through what women go through during labor. Man, that was tough to watch, but my girl did it.”
“Women are stronger than men, remember that, Uncle Royal. Without women, man does not walk the earth.” Trust Juni to say truthful words that many do not agree with.
“Damn straight,” Finan calls out, hugging his daughter.
“Can we see them?” my aunt asks the new father.
“You can, but Tree wanted me to fill everyone in on his details. He was eight pounds, four ounces. A big boy. We have decided to name him Archer.”
Everyone erupts in cheers again, loving his name.
“Parents and siblings first.”
“Hey,” Dom whines.
“Fine, and annoying fucking nephews,” Royal replies to him.
I pat my aunt’s arm. “Congratulations.”
“Oh no, you are coming with us. You are like a sister to Tree. She will want you there.” This comes from Kady, who hands off Kane to Calder.
“Are you sure?” I look to Royal.
“Yeah, come on.”
We all walk down the hall toward Tree’s room where her and baby Archer are waiting to meet his family.
A hand brushes against mine, making me shiver. I turn my head to see Jack next to me with a smile on his face, bright eyes, showing his excitement to meet his nephew.
We enter the room and there they are. Tree looks like a goddess. She has brushed her hair, her skin looks fresh like she just washed it, and her smile fills her face. In her arms is a blue bundle, sleeping soundly.
“Hi,” she greets us.
I stand back, letting the grandparents make a fuss of mom and baby.
“I am glad that you gave me a boy cousin. There are too many girls at the club.”
“Give it time, bud, and you will love girls,” Perri says to him, ruffling his hair, as he jerks away.
“No way.”
“You getting closer?” Jack's lips brush my ear, he is that close to me.
My eyes close, soaking in the gentle touch from him. This man could ruin me.
“I will. Just letting the family have their time with them.” My voice is barely a whisper, but he hears me.
“You are family. Come on.” He takes my hand, leading me closer.
“You did good, brother. Now the fun begins.” He pulls Royal in for a hug, then pushes him to the side comically.
“Come here, gorgeous.” He gently hugs Tree, kissing the side of her head, and I swoon.
Freaking swoon at how he is treating my cousin.
Oh, I am in trouble. Big freaking trouble.
“I am glad you are here, Lil. Did you see him?” Tree smiles at me. I love how happy she is; even after hours of labor, she looks just as radiant as she did when she was pregnant.
“I did. He is beautiful, cousin.” Tree holds her hands out to me, beckoning me in for a hug, so I move close, but Jack doesn’t move back enough, so when I move in to wrap my arms around Tree, I feel his body pressed to mine.
When I pull back, I kiss her cheek, and she winks at me, knowing what Jack is doing to me.
Both Tree and Kady know about my crush but thankfully never brought it up when we were around the club.
“Take the leap, honey.”
I give her a quick smile as my cheeks rush with heat again. I move past Jack, but not before he slides his fingers across my wrist and down my palm.
I feel every second of his touch, and it makes hope bloom in my chest that maybe I could take that leap, but something is holding me back.
The stark white card with gold embossed wedding rings on it pops into my head.
Knowing my mother, she will start hounding me when I don’t RSVP to the invite; I mean, who would? Why on God’s earth would I want to watch the man I was supposed to marry, stand up in front of my family and marry my cousin, who he was apparently sticking his dick into for months before I caught them.
What I also hate is that my family, sans my father and grandmother, and obviously Uncle Huxley, think that I am being childish for not supporting their marriage. It is like I am supposed to completely forgive them for doing what they did behind my back.
If they think this of me, Lord knows what else my family members are doing behind their spouses’ backs.
I step back, taking my sudden unsettling thoughts to the back of the room, allowing everyone to bask in the joyous moment of Archer joining our family.
My heart feels happy seeing the family and the club celebrating a new life, a new member. I push down the aching feeling of dread that sits heavy on my stomach thinking about what I am about to be forced to endure with my family.
Smiling and keeping up with conversation, I ignore the dipped brow look I get from Jack from time to time. He can sense something is wrong, but he doesn’t come to me to ask, and for that I am grateful.
One day, maybe, I will be able to speak to him without making a fool out of myself.