Nova
NOVA
W hen Brent had left her with nothing, or the many times during her marriage he’d cheated on her or was disinterested in his own child, she wondered who she’d pissed off in a former life.
But after Hook towed her car weeks ago, she found herself wondering who she’d blown in a former life to be so lucky as to apply for a job at the local music venue on a fluke. A fluke which led to Hook.
When her electricity had gotten shut off, she was already down to one job. She had gotten June to school that next day and made it to work on time. She’d planned to swing by after her shift and leverage the fact she was gainfully employed to beg them to turn it back on. That did not go as planned because she had been downsized right out of employment by lunchtime.
Leaving work that day, she’d been basically doing a bad impersonation of an eighties song—she was drivin’ and cryin’, while wondering how she would bathe her daughter that night. That was when she happened to pass the bar and see a help wanted sign in the window.
She took it as a sign. Not a literal one, but a metaphorical one, because who hired that way anymore? Most businesses she’d asked about a position available in the three hours since she’d been let go told her to go online. Well, the internet had been the first thing that she’d budgeted out, so…
The spur-of-the-moment decision to pull into the bar led her to a job. That job led her to the Bastards, which led her to the Hook, which led her to a place to stay and a car to drive.
Hook had been her savior; she’d completely misjudged that particular book by its cover. Other than his comments and the kiss the day she’d moved into his place, he’d been a perfect gentleman. Well, that was a bit of an overstatement. He’d given her looks and winks, but he never lingered long after she got off work. And when he did, it had been like old friends hanging out and watching a movie with her daughter. Not to mention, June thought he hung the moon. She had to admit, if only to herself, he looked at June the same way.
Maybe, just maybe, she was starting to look at him that way too.
That’s why as soon as she’d cashed her most recent paycheck, she swung by for his favorite pizza. According to Croon, that was a pineapple, anchovies, and onions with a heavy garlic crust from Lil’ Tommy’s. Good thing it was open late. She cringed at the thought of salty fish with garlic and onions. Thank God she wasn’t making out with him, or that would be a mood killer for sure.
That voice inside her, one that was apparently sex-starved, pointed out that he owned a toothbrush and mouthwash. The logical part of her argued that she didn’t want to make out with him. Horny her stage-whispered in her brain, she doth protest too much .
“Stuff it, both of you.” Nope, having an internal argument with oneself and then externally breaking it up didn’t sound crazy at all.
Pulling into her spot at the apartment, she grabbed the boxes from the passenger seat of the car the club had loaned her. It was dependable and nicer than anything she’d ever driven. Pizza seemed wholly inadequate, but it felt good to buy a little something for Hook for a change.
She couldn’t believe it, a big bad scary motorcycle club, the kind of men she’d been warned away from her whole life, had done more for her than everyone else combined since as long as she could even remember. And not a one of the Bastards had asked for anything in return.
Just because they hadn’t asked didn’t mean she wouldn’t do everything in her power to pay them back, though. Even if it took her decades, she’d repay the men who’d become her family. A huge family of big brothers and one who she may or may not see as big brother’s hot best friend. Off limits, but oh man, she could dream. Especially when she saw him with her daughter each evening. Her heart just melted.
Unlocking the door, she stepped inside. There were just a few low lights on and a sexy, husky voice coming through the child monitor. Granted, her child was beyond the baby monitor stage. However, she couldn’t help herself. June had sleepless nights since her dad left, but they’d completely stopped since moving into Hook’s apartment. Being in a new place where they weren’t sleeping together, needed that added peace of mind.
Right now, it wasn’t her mind being engaged by the smoky voice making a princess falsetto while telling her daughter a tall tale.
Hook had tucked June in almost every night since they’d been there. Even when was home, June wanted her Jeremy .
Tonight was no exception if the sounds coming from her daughter’s room were any indication.
set the pizzas on the counter, Hook’s inexplicable pizza and a cheese for people with taste buds.
Slipping off her shoes, she made her way toward the sounds. The bar was dead, so Croon closed early. She thought she might actually get to tuck June in for once.
She approached the open door when she heard her daughter ask, “Did they live happily ever after, Jeremy?”
“You know my stories don’t end like that, Flower.”
watched from the shadow of the hall as he tapped her nose with a tattooed finger and kissed her forehead.
“Now, get some sleep, and I’ll make you pancakes in the morning.”
“With rainbow sprinkles?”
“Are they even really pancakes without ’em?” The teasing amusement in his voice made her insides quiver.
He reached for the lamp, and before he could dim the light, her daughter’s sad voice cut her deep. She went from laughing to forlorn just like that.
“I wish you were my daddy.”
swallowed a sob.
“Flower…” Hook’s voice trailed off as he tucked her hair behind her ear. It amazed her how gentle he was when it came to June. “If you were, we could be a real family.”
“June, look at me.” That was the first time since they moved in, he’d called her June. took a step closer to better hear what he’d say. “We are a real family. More real than any family I’ve ever had, other than my club brothers. No matter where you go or how big you grow, we will always be family.” Hook raised her chin with a gentle finger. “You understand me?”
’s heart shattered into a million pieces and knit back together all in the span of seconds. Hook didn’t treat her daughter like a child in the way many adults did. He spoke to her as he would anyone else, sans cursing.
“Mommy too?”
“Of course, Mommy too. Did you miss the part about real family?” Before could even mentally aww , her daughter struck.
“Are you her boyfriend, then?”
“Um…no.” It was the first time had heard Hook at a loss for words. Especially when it came to June.
watched from the door as June puffed out her bottom lip.
“Why not? Misty’s dad left, and her mom got a new boyfriend, and he’s nicer than her dad was. You’re nicer than mine, too, so why aren’t you mom’s boyfriend?”
“Well, Flower. Um, people are different.” suppressed a small giggle when he rubbed the back of his neck again and stuttered a few incomprehensible syllables.
She’d noticed he did that when he was nervous.
“Don’t you like my mom?” The accusation in her daughter’s voice was obvious. Who knew she had a pint-sized hero?
Without a moment’s hesitation, he answered with vehemence. “Of course I do.”
“Then you can be her boyfriend, and we can stay?—”
“I think you’re getting a little ahead of yourself, Flower, but no matter what, you’ll always have a place in my heart and my home.”
had to strain and concentrate to hear her daughter’s whispered question.
“Can I stay even when he comes back for me?” No one needed to ask who she meant by he .
“Yes. Even then.” Her daughter nodded, and ’s heart melted. “Can I ask you a question?”
June nodded again and twisted the ear on her stuffed bunny.
“What makes you think he’ll come back?”
June came up on her knees and cupped his ear, whispering a secret. was a little concerned about what secret her daughter was telling him. She couldn’t see Hook’s initial reaction, but when he turned back to profile, he was smiling, and relaxed.
“You’re my family, remember, and I take care of what’s mine.” June wrapped herself around Hook as if she’d never let go.
“Now, it’s time for bed, little one. Your mom will be home soon, and I wanna have dinner ready for her.”
Hook stood, tucked her in, kissed her forehead, and then murmured words of love to her daughter. ’s knees went weak. When he turned and spotted her, his face lit up.
Shit.
Shit, was falling for him. How could she not?
Stepping into the room, she announced, “I brought pizza, but it’ll keep until tomorrow for you, young lady, since it seems like you’ve already had dinner.”
made her way to the bed and sat by her daughter’s side. She rearranged the tuck and bid her good night. The realization that Hook meant a lot more to her and her daughter than she ever intended or expected hit her like a punch to the chest.
Looking toward where Hook stood, there was something simmering just below the surface. A look he was hiding, but not as well as he thought. wondered what had put it there. Before she could overthink it, her daughter yawned.
Whispering, “I love you, sweetheart,” she breathed in the scent of her daughter. June mumbled a response and turned away.
That was her cue. Hook had put in the work before she even made it home, and her daughter was asleep before could even look away.
That brought a twinge of guilt, but she shrugged it off. It had to be done for now so she could give them a better life in the long run. actually kept a guilt log—all the things she’d have to make up for when she and June were on their feet again.
stood and stared down at her daughter a few more seconds before heading toward the door. Hook still waited there and flicked off the overhead light when she reached him, then followed her into the kitchen.
She grabbed plates from the cabinets and started placing slices on them. “I know I’ve said thanks a million times, but I don’t feel like it will ever be enough.” She wanted to say so much more and throw herself into his arms, so in typical fashion, she turned into a third-rate comedian instead.
“So, I got you pizza.” She set a plate down in front of the chair he stood behind and turned to grab a few sodas from the fridge. By the time she spun back, he was seated with the slice in his hand.
“I even got your favorite,” she bragged as she placed one of the bottles by his plate as she sat.
Hook gifted her with another one of his signature smiles. The very same one she thought of as cocky and contrived when she’d first met him. Now she realized it was slightly insecure and wholly genuine.
“How did you know my favorite?” He sounded almost embarrassed that she took the time. He didn’t take his eyes off hers as he raised the slice and took a massive bite.
“I asked Croon.” The sound of the ‘n’ had barely left her lips, and Hook spit the pizza across the table.
leaped up. “Oh my god, what’s wrong?” Had she just poisoned the man who saved her and her daughter from living on the streets?
Hell of a way to pay back his kindness.
She flung paper towels at him. “Are you okay?”
He choked a little, wiped his mouth, and guzzled soda. With eyes still watering, he asked. “And what exactly did the fucker tell you was my favorite pizza?”
“Pineapple, anchovies, and onions with a heavy garlic crust. I tried not to be judgy, but gross.” She wanted to ask if something on it had gone bad, but who could tell if it had?
“He’s a dead man,” he threatened when he finished the entire soda.
wasn’t sure what was wrong, except for the vilest taste in pizza on the planet.
“Do you mind?” Hook nodded toward her box.
“No, of course not.” She flipped open the box. Hook grabbed a slice, taking a huge bite and moaning in appreciation. The rumble his voice made when he did so had her crossing her legs.
“Nothing beats a slice of ooey-gooey goodness. Classic.” He polished it off in two more bites, sucking his fingers to ingest every single crumb. When he pressed his thumb in sideways, and she heard him smacking, a small whimper escaped her. offered him another slice with her mouth agape.
When he winked and took it, she recovered just a little. Enough to stop staring anyway. “So, I take it Croon lied about the pizza?”
“Yep.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why would he lie? I mean, I’ve always sensed a tension between you two, but I thought it was more friendly.” She knew it centered around Devin.
“It is.”
“Ruining the cuisine of gods is not what I call friendly. That’s an act of war.”
Hook’s eyes sparkled at her words, and the laugh that followed was borderline orgasmic. Shit, she needed to get her libido under control before she asked him to do her right there on the table—pizza be damned.
“Agreed, but he’ll come around.” A note of sadness entered his voice.
“Penny for your thoughts?” finished her slice and removed the plate and the offensive pizza box while waiting for him to answer.
“He thought there was something between Devin and me, and he’s still butt hurt.” knew, at least in passing, most of the club—hell, even she’d thought at some point there was something between those two. If she were being honest with herself, she still wondered if there had been. That insecure part of her needed to know. Everyone, with the exception of Croon, seemed to believe there wasn’t, and they all wanted her to know that.
She tried to resist asking but failed. “And there was never anything there?”
Damn it.
When his gaze clashed with hers, she knew she was busted. A smile curled the left side of his lips, just hinting at the dimple on that side. “Are you jealous, ?”
She didn’t want to lie, mostly because she was shit at it, so she said nothing, opting to grab another soda from the fridge instead.
She couldn’t face him just yet; she expressed her emotions plainly on her face. stood with her back to him, sipping her soda, practically standing inside the open fridge.
That wasn’t suspicious at all.
Warm breath on her neck startled her.
“Would I be a dick if your jealousy made me happy?”
A shudder coursed through her. He wasn’t touching her physically, but she felt every inch of his body as if he were. He was so close, she had to scoot sideways to close the refrigerator without bumping into him.
Once she did, she set her soda on the counter and just stood there staring at it.
“Turn around, .”
The command in his soft tone had her complying without thought. She wasn’t one to usually do so, but there was something about Hook that she couldn’t understand or resist. Every inch of her wanted to please him.
Turning, she kept her eyes downcast. Unsure if it was the fact that if he looked at her, he’d see the truth, or if she looked at him, she’d fall too deep and hard, that kept her gaze on the floor.
With a single knuckle, he lifted her chin. His intense green gaze met hers, and there was a flair of something reflected there. When he bit his lip and groaned, she squeezed her thighs together.
“It looks so fucking good on you.” His voice was husky and dripping with erotic promises.
“What?” Holy shit, she was breathless.
“Jealousy.”
“I’m not…I mean?—”
“Release me.”
“What?” Now she sounded like a scratched record.
“Release me.”
“From what?”
“My promise. I want to touch you.”
It was one of those moments, the moments that could change everything.
She was one hundred percent certain that if she said no, he’d stop, but she didn’t want him to. wanted this, wanted him. More than anything else. The desire she felt for Hook was unmatched, especially when he looked at her daughter like she was his own flesh and blood.
was in her head so much. Hook dropped his knuckle from under her chin and took a step back.
No, no, no, no.
Rather than speak, she stepped forward and fused her mouth to his. Hook returned her kiss, but only for a moment before he put his tattooed hand on her throat and pushed her away.
“This isn’t gratitude?” The upward inflection implied it was a question rather than a statement. His searching green eyes conveyed the answer’s importance to him.
“No,” she answered honestly. She was grateful, yes, and more than once she thought about it, but it wasn’t like she could sleep with someone just because she was grateful.
“I want to be sure you know you don’t have to do this. Nothing changes with your or Flower’s situation if you pull the plug right now. You know that, right?”
nodded.
He stared into her eyes for what felt like an eternity. She wondered what he was looking for. Truth, desire, desperation?
Whatever it was, he must’ve found it.
Using the hand at her throat, he pulled her back to his lips.
“Fuck, yes.” He spoke against her mouth before plunging his tongue inside and owning her with a single kiss.
The hand at her throat flexed, and she whimpered. Never had a man held her like that, turning a kiss into something so raw and visceral. His grip wasn’t tight, but it was a presence she couldn’t ignore. A focal point.
Her arms hung down by her side, relaxed as tension coursed through the rest of her. They were only connected by his hand to her throat and their lips, but it felt like so much more. His hold tightened and tugged at her. She followed where he led. He backed them out of the kitchen and down the hallway to her bedroom.
She heard the door close and the lock engage. He pulled his kiss back and stared at his hand on her throat.
“Beautiful,” he murmured.