Chapter Eleven #2
“Growing up, my family wasn’t the most loving.
When I was in the fifth grade, we did a project on family trees.
They wanted us to bring in photos of family members and discuss how we were related and all that.
When I asked my mother for photos, she told me our family doesn’t do that shit.
I asked if we had any of me as a baby, and she scoffed at me.
It hurt so I skipped school that day. When the teacher called me into her office the next day, I told her my family didn’t do photos.
She asked me how I felt about it, and I told her the truth.
The next week, she brought me a small, cheap camera and told me it was mine to keep.
She wanted me to be able to document my life from that point forward. So I took up photography.”
She turns to me, giving me a soft smile. “I’m sorry about your family. Do you still talk to them?”
I shake my head. “They weren’t my real family. Hudson and Walker are. The brothers at the club are. I made my own family.”
Her eyes mist a little, but she blinks until they are gone.
“Can you tell me about the club or whatever?” she asks.
I laugh. “Of course I can. Devil’s Den MC. Have you heard of us?”
She nods her head. “A little. Troy’s father said something about you boozing and treating women badly. I haven’t seen that from you, but I won’t lie and say that didn’t enter my mind when I realized what the patch on your vest said.”
“Cut. It’s called a cut,” I tell her. “When did he say this?”
“A couple years back. I didn’t realize you were an MC back then.”
I nod. “We weren’t. We were just a crew back then with a different leader. He wasn’t the nicest of men. Back then, his father would have been right, but when we took over, we tried to clean it up. It’s much better now. No one there will hurt you.”
“Is that why you all have a patch that says president?” she asks.
I smile. She’s so fucking smart.
“We explained that we are a clan. That means we lead together. No one president. We have three. If anything happens to me, the other two will still be there to lead. The vice president position is a clan too. They have four. It’s how we work things.
It’s a little different than most, but it’s working out well. ”
She frowns, so I cup her cheek.
“What don’t you like about that? I told you that you don’t have to be with all of us. We will make whatever you want to work,” I whisper.
She shakes her head. “I don’t like the idea of something happening to any of you. Is that a possibility?”
I try not to let the hope flare inside of me. She doesn’t want any of us to get hurt, but does that mean she could accept us all?
“It’s always a possibility, but so is getting hit by a bus. Please don’t read into those words the way you are. I only meant that the structure of our club accounts for any contingency plans.”
She nods, shivering as the weather begins to take a turn for the worse. I can see rain clouds in the distance.
“Let’s get you home. I don’t want you to get sick,” I tell her, looking at my watch.
I hadn’t realized we had already been out here for three hours. It feels so natural to be with her. Time is of no consequence as long as she is in front of me.
She doesn’t argue with me, letting me wrap my arm around her as I lead her to the truck.
By the time I drive her back to her place, it’s storming so badly that I can barely see through the rain. When we finally pull in, I look at her.
“Don’t move.”
She listens as I pull my leather jacket out of the back seat, running around to her side of the truck to help her out. I hold it over her head as I usher her to the porch.
I unlock her door with the keys I never gave back. Then I hand them over to her.
Then I cup her cheek, kissing her softly. “I had a good time. I hope to take you out again,” I tell her.
When I pull back, she smiles. “What, no orgasms?” she jokes.
I look at her confused. “Excuse me?”
She blushes. “I figured Walker and Hudson told you.”
I barely withhold a growl.
“They didn’t share your dates with them with me. We won’t unless you want us to,” I tell her.
She smiles up at me shyly now. “Oh.”
Leaning in, I kiss her once more. “Yeah, so if they gave you orgasms, I wouldn’t know, and as much as I want to, I know I won’t be able to control myself, so I need you to be a good girl and go inside now.
Lock the door behind you. Then I’m going to go back to my truck and think about all the things I could be doing to you right now, but I’m not because I am a fucking gentleman. ”
She swallows hard. “What if I don’t want you to go back to your truck?”
Fuck. She’s a damn temptress.
I remain in control, though.
“Then I want you to go inside and think about all of the things I could possibly be thinking about and give yourself an orgasm thinking about me.”
“Okay,” she whispers.
I kiss her one last time, biting her lip this time. She moans into my mouth before I pull myself away.
“Inside. Now,” I bark.
“Yes, sir,” her husky voice says back, making my cock jerk in my pants.
I wait until the door closes and locks before I call through it. “Good girl. I’ll text you later.”
She doesn’t respond as I turn and run back to my truck.
Once inside, I run my hand down my face.
I’m totally fucked because I lied to Esme.
There is no way I will ever be okay with her choosing one of the others over me.