Chapter 26
Danica
“W hat’s taking them so long?” Kit grumbled. She reached down and scratched Jecht’s ears as he sidled up and asked for attention.
We were sitting around the clubhouse the next morning, waiting on the guys. They were finishing up church and had asked that we didn’t leave until they were done.
I shrugged with a happy smile plastered on my face.
Who would have known that life could change so drastically, so quickly?
Certainly not me. Smokehouse and I had finally taken another step forward.
It might seem odd that the step was the exact one we’d taken when we’d first met each other.
There’d been so many retreats since then that we were back in the place we started, only it was different now.
He’d held me until I’d started awake. Then the sleepiness had faded and we’d spent a good portion of the night talking.
“You seem awfully happy,” Seek said with her own grin. She raised her eyebrows. “Did you get laid?”
Auron was laid out at her feet, waiting, but her question made him raise his head and he looked over at me.
The dog was an old soul. Or so I thought.
He just seemed so wise and stalwart. He didn’t take his eyes off of Seek for a second from what I’d observed.
Jecht was just as loyal and loving, but he roamed from person to person, seeking attention and pets.
The dogs were a constant presence around the clubhouse and I loved seeing them interact with the kids.
Having him stare at me while Seek asked about sex unnerved me a little.
“Seek,” Sloane said with a laugh. “Leave her alone.”
“What are we supposed to talk about while we wait?” Seek replied with a huff of irritation.
“Actually,” I said, breaking eye contact with Auron, “I have a question.” All human eyes zeroed in on me. “Smokehouse spent a lot of time last night explaining club life to me.” Some things had been a shock, but there was still one thing he hadn’t explained. “Why is his name Smokehouse?”
“No,” Kit groaned as though she were in pain.
Giggles filled the room as I looked around at them quizzically. Susie finally spoke up. “Okay, well this is what my old man told me, not that he was happy about sharing,” she said. “He said it’s because Smoke has a huge-”
“Stop!” Kit gasped out. “I can’t hear this again.” She slapped her hands over her ears and started loudly singing, off tune.
That made everyone giggle again. “Bear said the guys gave him the nickname. They all said it was because of the meat he was hanging,” Tori whispered, looking over at Kit in apology even though she couldn’t hear her.
My brows drew together. “The meat…”
“He has a huge dick!” Jordan blurted out, finishing what Kit had stopped Susie from saying before.
My jaw dropped open and I looked around the table in shock. Then the laughter bubbled up from within me and I joined them as we all cackled like hyenas. Kit gave me a mock glare and continued her singing.
“None of our guys will tell us if it’s true though,” Seek said.
“Priest got pissed when I asked,” Jenny snickered.
“You actually asked him?” Sloane gasped.
“We just want to know if it’s true,” Daisha whined. Then her eyes sharpened on me. “Wait a minute.”
Seek’s hand dropped onto my shoulder, keeping me sitting, not that I’d planned to go anywhere. “You’d know if it was true.”
I rolled my lips between my teeth to try to contain the laughter. I couldn’t and it burst out as I explained. “The first night we slept together, as soon as I saw it, I sort of panicked,” I admitted.
All their eyes widened and their mouths fell open. “It’s that big?” Gwen asked, sounding skeptical.
“Well, I’ve only ever seen two in my life, but…it really is.”
“Didn’t that hurt?” Susie asked, then jumped when Sloane slapped her arm.
“She might not want to share,” Sloane said. She was so incredibly sweet and protective. She had that mama bear vibe. The one where you knew you’d be in huge trouble if you messed with her family. I already loved her so much.
“Umm… It might have…if…” I hesitated. I’d be horrified if Smoke was talking to the guys about our sex life. The last thing I wanted was to be blabbing to the girls. But I also kind of wanted to tell someone, too.
“You can’t leave us hanging!” Jordan insisted.
“If what?” Seek asked, her eyes intent on me.
“If he hadn’t warmed me up so much first,” I admitted. My face was on fire. I must have been as red as a tomato.
There was silence for a full ten seconds before the table erupted in hoots and laughter.
“I knew he’d be amazing in bed,” Tori commented. That made everyone laugh even more. “Not that I’d ever sleep with him!” she insisted. “You can just tell by the way he moves and his confidence.”
Kit got sick of plugging her ears and eased her hands away. “Are you finished?” she asked, her lips twitching with amusement. It ruined the grumpy look she was trying to give us.
“Finished with what?”
I gasped and spun on my chair. Smokehouse and the rest of the club officers, and Static, were standing there. “Nothing,” I squeaked. “Um, how long have you been standing there?” I asked, horror overtaking me at the thought of all the men hearing our conversation.
“Just long enough to hear you all laughing like loons,” Hellfire said, taking pity on me.
“What were you talking about?” Smokehouse asked, raising a brow.
“Nothing,” Kit said. “I was telling them about my date.”
Smoke scowled, and I shot Kit a grateful look. I didn’t want to embarrass him, though the topic of conversation usually made men proud. I still didn’t want him to feel as though I’d said anything bad.
“What date?” he asked.
“Can we leave now?” Seek asked, huffing as she tried to stand up. Hush grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet. Auron was on his feet in an instant, ready to go if his human was. “I only have so long I can waddle around before I’m going to need a nap. We’re wasting time.”
“Sorry ladies,” Lock said, folding his arms over his chest. “You’re going to need an escort.”
“We have one,” Seek motioned toward her dogs. She’d looked the event up online and it had claimed to be pet friendly as long as they were well-behaved and on leash.
“More than them,” Lock said, petting Jecht’s head when he came over to sit next to him.
“What?” Most of the women groaned in unison.
“There’s too much going on right now to let you wander Tucson alone,” Priest added.
“We’re not wandering,” Jenny pointed out.
“Waddling then,” Toxic said, grinning at Seek. She stuck her tongue out at him, but a smile tugged at her lips.
“It’s fine,” Kit said. “Who’s going?”
The men all looked around at each other and slow smiles started to spread over their faces.
“What?” Susie asked.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve had a prospect,” Ricochet said, voicing what they were all clearly thinking.
Static glowered at him.
“Wait. There’s a new prospect?” Daisha asked.
“I think his first duty should be to go with the women to the convention,” Riptide replied with a grin.
Lock’s lips twitched as he fought back a laugh. “Sounds good to me. After that, Static, meet up with Priest and he’ll work you into the rotation for guarding this place.”
“Sure thing, Prez,” Static answered. He hesitated, then cleared his throat. “Um…”
“Don’t worry,” Lock said. “We’ll work around your schedule.”
That seemed to ease Static’s worry. He shot Gwen a quick look then gave us all a grim smile. “Guess I’m yours for the day.”
He wasn’t wearing his suit today. He was in jeans and a t-shirt and a brand new cut with ‘prospect’ on the back. He’d stand out in the convention in a whole different way.
“You’re going to regret that,” Kit said with a laugh.
Before he could answer, Keely stepped into the clubhouse. “Butcher and Toxic said I could come right in.”
I hadn’t even realized those guys were missing until Keely mentioned it. They’d been standing here a second ago. They must have slipped outside while we’d been talking. Excitement buzzed along my spine. I was ready to spend the day with these women.
“Let’s go then,” Seek said, leading the charge toward the door.
An arm wrapped around my waist and Smokehouse pulled me into his arms for a kiss. “Have fun.”
The deep bass of his voice and the kiss had me shivering in delight. “I will. See you later.”
“Later, Wildcat. Take care of them,” Smoke shot the warning at Static.
Our guard for the day nodded and tried to corral us all outside. He was swearing under his breath by the time we stepped out into the sunlight.
* * *
“I have to pee again. Sorry,” Seek told the group with a sheepish look.
We’d been wandering around the convention for a few hours now. There were so many cute displays it’d been hard to not start buying things. But I refrained and just took business cards because I thought it would be nice to do the baby shopping with Smokehouse.
I was walking around on a cloud of happiness. We’d stayed up in the late hours just talking. There may have been another round of lovemaking thrown in there, but really just feeling closer to him made me giddy. Everything was moving in the right direction as far as I could see.
“No problem,” Static replied and we all made our way toward the restrooms.
We were close to being finished, there was only one more row of vendors to check out. We’d stopped to eat lunch an hour ago. I smiled at Sloane as she looped her arm through mine as we walked.
“Are you having fun?” she asked.
“Oh my God,” I sighed. “You have no idea.”
Her smile faltered a little and I mentally kicked myself.
Smoke had told me a bit about Sloane last night.
How she’d been raised in a cult and had some really awful things happen to her.
Riptide and the others had rescued her and the other women and children who now lived in one of the apartment buildings nearby that the club owned.
They were the reason the club was building the school.
“I’m so sorry,” I started, only to be cut off.