Chapter 5
Jeremiah burst out laughing.
“That’s not funny,” Joci grumbled.
“Joci, the look on your face is priceless. And, yes, it is funny.” Jeremiah grabbed a paper towel from the counter and handed it to her.
She had walked into the break room at Rolling Thunder to grab a bottle of water before the meeting when she interrupted a beer fight between Chase, one of the parts guys, and Deacon.
She hadn’t gotten hit with any beer, or very much anyway, but she squealed as she saw the beer flying, causing Jeremiah and the boys to laugh at her.
She grabbed the towel from Jeremiah as the guys all muttered “Sorry” and started cleaning up the room.
“Do you always squeal like a little girl?” Jeremiah teased.
“What does that mean? I didn’t squeal.” Joci feigned irritation, but the smirk on her face gave her away. As she stood here now, even she realized she did squeal like a little girl.
He stepped close. Very close. “I thought it was cute. Actually, I thought it was sexy.”
Joci’s breath caught in her throat. He thought she was sexy? Gawd, she thought he was sexy. Every time she looked at him, her core tightened and tingled. She grew wet and wanting. The past ten months she’d grown to know him, and she liked what she saw, physically and on a deeper level.
She loved watching him with the boys. He was a great boss, a great father, and more and more, she saw how he was with Gunnar. It took her breath away.
Her voice breathy, all she could say was, “Jeremiah.”
* * *
Jesus. She whispered his name, and his dick ached.
Ten months. Ten fucking months, he had wanted her.
Now that he had gotten to know her a little more, he needed her.
His body wanted her, but he needed her in his life.
She was great with his boys. She laughed and joked with them.
Ryder gravitated to her in an inexplicable way.
Jeremiah noticed that on meeting nights, Ryder would watch the door for Joci to come in.
He was done waiting. The Veteran’s Ride was tomorrow. They were having an afternoon meeting for the core group and again later that evening with all the volunteers. Then, she was going to be his.
“Here’s how this is gonna go, Joci. We’re going to finish this meeting. Tonight, after we meet with the volunteers, we’re going home together. No more of you avoiding me. I want you, Joci, and you want me. I don’t want to hear ‘you can’t’ because you sure as hell can. We can. We will.”
She looked into his eyes. Her throat was dry, and she didn’t think she could speak. Jeremiah reached up and touched her cheek with the back of his fingers, neither of them breaking eye contact. Neither of them wanting to move.
“What the hell is going on here?”
Joci jumped back. Fucking LuAnn! What a buzzkill. All those warm, fuzzy feelings flew right out the window when she was around.
“Last time I checked, I didn’t have to explain myself to you. Still don’t.” Jeremiah’s snarl caused LuAnn to take a step back.
“Well…I thought we were supposed to be having a meeting, not making out.”
Jeremiah looked at Joci, “We’ll talk after the meeting. Yeah?”
Hesitating briefly, Joci said, “Yeah.” She nodded and turned to walk down the hall to the conference room.
* * *
She stepped through the doorway, fighting the urge to turn her head and see what was happening between Jeremiah and LuAnn.
Then she felt someone behind her and felt his lips close to her ear say, “Tonight.” Oh, lordy.
Her stomach flipped, and she became instantly wet. Her breathing felt constricted.
He walked around her, took a seat at the head of the table, and looked at her with a smirk on his face. He motioned with his head for her to take the seat next to his and immediately said, “Okay, let’s get started. We have a ton of stuff to cover.”
* * *
Standing to leave, Gunnar looked at his mom. “Mom, you want to ride a little before the meeting tonight? We haven’t ridden for a while. I thought I could take you to eat somewhere and then we’ll ride over here.”
Joci chanced a quick look at Jeremiah. He grinned and nodded slightly. “That sounds like a great idea. But after the meeting, she’s mine.”
Gunnar looked at his mom, eyes wide, a broad smile spread across his face. “Yeah? Awesome.”
Jeremiah’s smile grew, “Yeah. Awesome. I’ll see you two later. I have a few things to get ready before the meeting tonight.”
Joci’s face flamed bright red as she watched Jeremiah walk out of the room.
Gunnar snickered. “It’s about time, Mom. He’s a great guy, and he’s been hung up on you for a long time. I’ll swing by your house around four-thirty, and we can ride a little before we eat. Good?”
She nodded, “Yeah. Good. I’ll see you then, honey.”
Joci walked out of the conference room in a daze. What just happened in here? First, Jeremiah told her how it was going to be; then he told Gunnar she was his! Holy shit!