Chapter Thirteen
I changed my outfit four times before I told myself I was being ridiculous. Then I changed one more time, putting on the first thing I picked out.
I had on sage green shorts with a high paper-bag waist and a matching belt that tied in a bow at the front. I wore them with my white, short-sleeved body suit and my cute, leather, slip-on sandal wedges. My curls had lost most of their body, as it was getting late in the day, so I ran a brush through my hair a few times and settled for a completely casual look.
It was almost seven when I grabbed my phone and my purse and headed for the door. Jed knew I’d be late coming from work, but seven was pushing it. Fortunately, my GPS told me I’d be at his house in only six minutes.
When I arrived at his address, I knew I was at the right place because there were four Harleys parked in the driveway. He had a three-car garage, which meant his driveway was also big enough for the SUV that rounded out the vehicles which belonged to anyone who was already inside. I parked along the curb and gaped at Jed’s house.
I wasn’t the kind of woman who was ashamed of where I came from. The house I grew up in, the neighborhood where I was raised—it was part of me. But as I stared at Jed’s house, the back of which butted up against Burlington Lake, I found I was a little intimidated.
He spent two nights in my tiny, one-bedroom apartment, and he had a house situated on at least a quarter of an acre.
It wasn’t the money he had that got to me. He’d been overpaying child support for six years, and he tossed ten grand at Rocco like it was nothing. That wasn’t what impressed me. It was, in a word, his maturity.
He hadn’t gone through life without making some mistakes, but Jed left home when he was eighteen and he didn’t look back. He’d lived and he’d learned. He found a family to which he belonged, and then he made another one for himself. He didn’t have a college degree or a white-collar job, but he was smart and level-headed. For the first time, I realized how much older than me he was. Not just in years, but in life .
There was something about Jed that made me feel safe and secure. He didn’t lie or manipulate or play games with my head. He thought I was gorgeous, he laughed at my jokes, and he wanted me to meet his kids. I’d known him for less than three weeks, and I was pretty certain I was already half in love with him. Now, I wondered if I landed a guy completely out of my league.
“Don’t over think it,” I whispered under my breath, forcing myself out of my car.
I heard music, the shouts of children, and the sound of men laughing behind the house as I approached the front door. I knocked a couple of times, but I didn’t bother waiting for an answer, assuming no one would hear me.
“Hello?” I called as I stepped inside.
Right away, I was taken aback by how homey it felt. The living room, just in front of me, had a huge, cozy looking sectional, with a coordinating area rug underneath. The coffee table was littered with books, and the entertainment center beneath the mounted television appeared to be stuffed full of movies and games.
There was a window on the far wall that looked out onto the covered back patio. It was open, the music playing outside wafting in with the breeze and the smell of whatever Jed was cooking on his grill. His back was to me, Roy and Benson flanking him on either side, all of them in their kuttes.
“Alexia, is that you? We’re over here. Come on in.”
I followed the direction of Winnie’s voice. I didn’t have to go far before I saw her and Jenna on the opposite side of the kitchen, standing at Jed’s dining room table. They looked to be setting up a food station of some sort—plates, condiments, and sides arranged in an assembly line kind of order.
“Hey. Good to see you again,” greeted Jenna.
“Yeah, you, too.”
“The guys and the kids are outside. There’s a cooler out there with a bunch of beer and some soda, but Jenna and I were thinking of making some margs if you want to hold out.”
“Yeah, Wrangler has a fancy blender I’m dying to try. If it ends up being as awesome as it looks, you’ll be seeing it on my wedding registry,” she said with a cheeky smile.
Just then, the sliding glass door opened, Jed walking through it with a platter full of burgers and brats.
“You ladies have a preference where I put these? Not tryin’ to mess up whatever system you got goin’ here.”
“Island,” instructed Jenna, pointing at the vacant space.
Jed turned toward the island and stopped short at the sight of me. A crooked smile tugged at his mouth, and he set aside the platter as he made his way toward me.
“Hey, gorgeous,” he muttered before delivering a quick kiss. “You just get here?”
“Mmhmm. Sorry to be so late.”
“You’re not.” He slid my purse from off my shoulder and moved to set it on the couch. He then jerked his head toward the patio and said, “Come on. I’ll introduce you before we eat.”
He took my hand, and I followed him to the door, looking back at Winnie and Jenna as I went. They both offered me smiles of encouragement before Jed guided me outside. He let go of my hand, moving his to the small of my back before he slid the screen door closed behind us.
There was a porch swing that hung in front of the window, big enough for two people—or, perhaps, one ten-year-old girl, stretched out across the cushions, with her nose buried in a book.
“Lowe, someone here I want you to meet.”
Marlowe lowered her book, revealing her face before she sat up and crossed her legs beneath her. It was hardly a surprise that she was beautiful, given who had made her—but she looked so much like Jed, I had to tell myself not to stare.
They had the same eyes. The same freckles. Even the same hair, hers grown out a few inches longer than his.
“Lowe, this is my friend, Alexia. Alexia, meet Marlowe.”
I didn’t miss the inquisitive way she studied me as her father introduced us, and it would have been a lie to say I wasn’t intimidated by it. I wanted her to like me. I was the coolest aunt on the planet according to Ellie, but she’d known me all her life. I hoped whatever cool factor I possessed wouldn’t be lost on Jed’s kids.
“Hi, Marlowe. I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s great to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too,” she replied carefully.
“Time to take a break. Head inside and wash up for dinner, yeah?”
“Okay, dad,” she obeyed, reaching for her bookmark.
Marlowe and I exchanged another glance, but she was quick to look away before she hurried inside. Jed, his hand still at my back, led me to the edge of the patio.
His backyard was huge. To the left, a few feet away from the fence, was the skate ramp he built for his son. To the right, on a bed of gravel, was a firepit with six Adirondack chairs circled around it. The rest of the yard was covered in thick, healthy grass.
Roy and Benson had moved to stand by the firepit. Maverick and another Stallion I hadn’t met yet were sitting, all of them with beers in hand. Racing around in the grass with Nerf guns were three more kids.
“Ax, Otto, MK, come ‘ere,” Jed hollered.
The kids all stopped and looked our way, their cheeks rosy from excretion. The little girl with adorable curly hair came racing toward us first. The two boys were quick to follow.
“You’re pretty. Who are you?” she asked without preamble.
Laughing, I replied, “Oh, thank you. I’m Alexia. Who are you?”
“Mary-Kate.”
“She’s Mustang’s daughter,” Jed added helpfully.
“Ah—Mustang, as in Steel Mustang, as in Tess’s man.”
“Daddy and Tess are getting married and I’m gonna have a baby sister. Or brother. I don’t know which yet. It’s my Christmas present.”
“Wow, that is an awesome present,” I exclaimed.
“Who are you again?” asked the blond-haired, blue-eyed boy who was the spitting image of his mother.
“Ax, this is my friend Alexia. Alexia, Axel.”
“Hi, it’s nice to meet you,” I greeted.
“Cool. Uh, dad? Is it time to eat yet? I’m starving.”
“You’re not starvin’. I feed you every hour,” teased Jed, playfully hooking his arm around Axel’s neck and pulling him into his side. “But yes, food’s ready. All of you go wash up. Winnie and Jenna will help you with your plates.”
None of them needed to be told twice.
I watched them go and then asked, “Who was the third one?”
“That was Otto, Bull and Winnie’s youngest.”
“Ah, got it,” I said, smiling up at him. “Well, that was painless.”
He furrowed his brow. “You were worried?”
I scoffed. “Jed, they’re your world. Of course, I was nervous. Still am, as a matter of fact. I don’t want them to think I’m lame.”
His face softened as he drawled, “Darlin’, you’re not lame. Quit your worryin’. And while you’re at it, try not to be so cute. Can’t kiss you like I want ‘til later. Now, you hungry?”
Speaking through a grin, I teased, “ Starved .”
All the kids, including Marlowe, ate their dinner on a blanket in the grass. The Stallions— Shep, also known as Hank, being my newest acquaintance—ate around the firepit. Somehow, Winnie, Jenna and I ended up inside, around the kitchen island.
It was probably because of the margaritas.
I was in one of two chairs tucked under the lip of the island, Winnie in the seat beside me, while Jenna stood opposite us. She was, in fact, very impressed with Jed’s blender and intended to add it to her wedding registry. That was to say, whenever she got around to creating one or if she didn’t end up buying it herself as a housewarming gift for her and Kade.
Maverick decided he didn’t mind if I called him Kade.
I’m pretty sure he just didn’t want to be left out after he learned I was calling everyone else by their given names.
“Remind me, when do you close on the house?” asked Winnie.
“Two weeks from today. Kade’s been staying at my place. All of his stuff is already boxed up. We did it in, like, two days. As for my house, I’ve been at it for a week, and it feels more like a million years.”
“I’m surprised Maverick hasn’t called the boys over to help.”
“Oh, we made a deal. I don’t want to take everything with me. I’ve been living there for a few years, and this is my chance to go through stuff and declutter. He promised he wouldn’t call in reinforcements unless I wasn’t done by my last day off before we close.”
“And when are you two getting married?” I asked before popping a chip into my mouth.
“As soon as humanly possible. I’ve got major baby fever, and Kade doesn’t really want to start a family until I’m not just his ol’ lady, but Mrs. Daughtry, too. Who would have thought my Wild Stallion would turn out to be such a traditionalist?” she said with a playful shrug.
Glancing between the women, I asked, “I heard Tess and Mustang are getting married, too?”
“Yes!” Jenna gasped. “He proposed last night. Total surprise.”
“That’s exciting. And Mary-Kate seems happy about it.”
“Yeah, she’s a sweetheart,” murmured Winnie.
“Speaking of children, I heard tonight was all about you getting to meet Marlowe and Ax. That’s exciting in its own right,” said Jenna.
“And I heard you have officially been extended an offer to become the Stallions’ general counsel,” added Winnie.
“No way, that’s amazing!”
“Yeah,” I replied, smiling down into my drink. “It’s been quite the week.”
“So—you’re going to be, like, an inside man.”
I knit my eyebrows together as I looked over at Jenna. “What do you mean?”
“You’re going to see and hear and know things some of the guys never talk about at home. I know for us, Kade doesn’t really tell me anything about club business. If it’s dangerous, he’ll let me know, but that’s about as far as it goes. With Tess and Mustang, it’s need-to-know only.” She paused and shifted her attention onto Winnie. “I bet you and Bull have the most transparency.”
Winnie shrugged. “I take what he wants to give me, and I don’t ask for more.”
Everything they were saying sounded so veiled and slightly ominous. I remembered what Roy said about signing an NDA and pulling back the curtain that shrouded the club. I was cognizant of my ignorance but looking forward to what laid ahead and the job that would change the trajectory of my career.
I glanced toward the window facing the yard. The sun was setting, the light from the fire casting a warm glow onto the men who surrounded it. I wasn’t afraid of them. Neither was I afraid of what I might discover behind the veil. I was pretty confident what the Stallions stood for was noble, even if it wasn’t always above board.
I was a woman of the law. I respected it and honored it. But I was well aware the world was full of people who didn’t feel the same way. I was related to men who were felons. I understood that while the law was often clear and ordered, if not concise, people were not . We were all messy and complicated in our own ways. At the end of the day, what mattered more than anything was love —how one human being treated another.
If anything worried me about the Wild Stallions, it was how the job might interfere with my new relationship. I was happy. Really happy. I wanted Jed more than I ever wanted anyone. He was everything I thought I desired in a man wrapped in a package I couldn’t have dreamed up. But from the sounds of it, the most successful relationships within the club operated with a certain level of secrecy.
“Hey,” Winnie called softly, resting a hand on my arm. I gave her my attention and she continued, “You and Wrangler will figure out what works best for you and Wrangler. There’s no right or wrong way to do it. Besides, if they do their jobs the way they’re supposed to, there will be nothing out of the ordinary for you to know.”
“Okay,” Jenna said on a sigh, reaching for the margarita filled pitcher. “Enough club talk all around. It’s time we go crash that bro huddle. They’re hogging the fire.”
She poured each of us a refill, and then we walked outside to join the guys. Kade made space for Jenna in his lap, while Winnie sat on the arm of Roy’s chair, leaning into his shoulder. Every part of me wanted to cozy up with Jed by the fire, but I took the last empty chair instead, sitting between Benson and Hank.
In the end, it wasn’t so bad.
Jed was a master at flirting with his eyes.
It was a little after nine when Winnie insisted it was time to get Otto and Mary-Kate to bed. Roy helped corral the kids and then the four of them were off. Around ten was when Benson and Hank decided they were due for a change of scenery, and they left to go party at the clubhouse. Jenna and I tried to clean up a little in the kitchen, Marlowe and Axel helping at their dad’s insistence.
When Jenna and Kade left, I got a hug from the former before Jed walked them to the door. As the last guest standing, I wasn’t sure whether to go or to stay. I felt like I was in high school again, lingering until the last possible moment in order to get a moment alone with the guy I liked.
“Don’t go anywhere,” instructed Jed when he turned from the door. “Make yourself comfortable. I gotta make sure these kids get to bed, and I’ll be right out.”
I nodded and watched as he disappeared into a hallway. The house had gotten quiet fast. The window in the living room was still open. As I made my way around the couch to sit, I could hear the roar of Kade’s motorcycle as it dissipated.
I slipped out of my sandals and curled my legs beside me as I listened to the low rumble of Jed’s voice. I couldn’t make out what he was saying, but it wasn’t my intent to eavesdrop—I merely liked hearing the sounds of a dad being a good dad, getting his kids to bed.
When he reemerged, he headed straight for the couch. He shrugged out of his kutte, folding it over a cushion before he sat as close to me as possible. I smiled at him, and he wrapped his arm around me, resting his hand on my hip.
“Hi,” I murmured, hardly above a whisper.
“Hey, gorgeous. You have fun tonight?”
My insides floated in elation at his moniker. I was convinced, hearing it would never get old.
“Yes. Thanks for having me over.”
“Won’t be the last time.”
It made me happy to hear him say it.
“Your house is amazing. And your kids are beautiful. Honestly. I understand what you mean now when you say, that’s just Axel being Ax ,” I said through a smile, thinking of his little dare devil. “And Marlowe—she seems pretty intuitive.”
Jed hummed a quiet laugh. “Yeah. That’s my girl. Watchful, like a hawk, and very protective of me.”
“That’s adorable,” I replied. It was truly endearing to think his little girl loved him so much, she thought it her place to protect him—the massive man that he was—and not the other way around. “Do you think either of them might suspect you and I are more than friends?”
“Darlin’, I have no doubt. You’re too pretty and they’re not dumb.”
I grinned up at him, laughing softly, and he watched me all the while.
Jed moved his hand until it was cupped around my backside, then nudged me as he muttered, “Come ‘ere.”
My insides did that thing as I followed his lead, straddling his lap. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close, and my breath caught in excitement as I rested my hands atop his shoulders. Then, at the same time without a word spoken between us, we both leaned in for the kiss we’d been waiting for all night.
We started slow, savoring each other like a treat. But it wasn’t long before we were practically insatiable. I could feel him beneath me, hard and wanting, and my own desire was drenching my bodysuit. When he took hold of my hips and dragged me across his bulge, my breath caught as I buried my fingers in his hair.
“Jed,” I whispered.
“Can’t fuck you tonight,” he muttered against my lips.
“I know,” I breathed with a nod.
“Gotta take it slow with the kids.”
He pulled me across his length again, and my whole body shivered in response.
“I—I—I know,” I stammered, growing short of breath.
“Still wanna feel you.”
He didn’t have to guide me the third time.
I couldn’t have stopped my hips even if I tried.
“Papi?” I whispered, pressing my forehead against his.
My shorts were thin. His jeans were rough. And his bulge was not insignificant.
“Darlin’?”
“I’m—papi, I’m gonna come.”
“Good. Eyes on me, Lex.”
I lifted my head just enough to meet his blue-green eyes, and we both worked my hips back and forth across his lap. Then he took me by surprise, thrusting up at precisely the right moment, and I was a goner. He knew it, too—because before my moan could pass through my lips, his mouth was closed around mine. He swallowed the sound and I stilled, holding tight to his shoulders as my sex pulsed in delight.
I was breathless when he broke our kiss, but I managed to ask, “Do you—do you want me, to—”
“Darlin’, you take my dick out and you won’t be leavin’. I’m on my own.”
“I don’t like that,” I muttered with a frown.
“‘Preciate the sentiment. You can make it up to me Sunday. You tell me when, I’ll be at your door. Should be free by two.”
“Two-oh-five, then?”
His eyes lit up as he grinned.
“What’d I tell you about bein’ cute?”
Giggling softly, I leaned in close and whispered, “You can kiss me now, though.”
And he did.
Until our lips were chapped and the hour grew late.