Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
SIMONE
We decided we would head to the mall after getting a plan into place.
There was a baby store there that would have educational toys, and Jasper wasn’t willing to wait for anything to be ordered online and delivered.
Neither of the boys was brave enough to wake Isla before she was done with her nap, so Jasper disappeared upstairs for a little while, leaving me and Elias alone.
“Hey, thanks for doing this. You didn't have to.”
“In any normal circumstance, I wouldn’t have. Jasper is a special case. And he asked me himself. That to me shows a lot of progress. He’s a sweet young man when he wants to be. I want to foster that if I can.”
Elias nodded slowly, lips pursed. “Kinda wish it was because you wanted to visit me, but I can accept that reasoning.”
A flush burned in my cheeks. I’d considered a few times the night prior keeping the dynamic as it was. We had no clue if Jasper would do well in John’s class or not, but looking at those baby blue eyes, I found myself speaking before I’d thought it through. “Maybe it had a little to do with you.”
His eyes widened and he lit up, like the comment meant something to him. Clearing my throat, I absently gathered the papers we’d spread out on the table, avoiding eye contact as I pointed out, “Jasper starts his trial run in a new class on Monday. We could…”
“Go on a date?” he prompted with a big grin on his face. It helped settle me a little, seeing how eager he looked. The attraction definitely wasn’t one sided.
“I was going to suggest that, yes. I–”
Before I could blink, my chair was yanked back and turned and Elias looked over me, one warm hand cupping my jaw as he captured my lips in a fierce kiss.
It was demanding and a little rude, and a gasp escaped unbidden.
I hadn’t realized how sexy it was for a man to take charge like that.
He took full advantage, tangling his tongue with mine, and my body lit up like an electric line.
Who knew such a chaotic and goofy man could kiss like this?
When he finally released me, I sank back into my seat, breathing heavily and staring up at him in shock. “What was that for?”
A smirk stretched across his lips that was entirely too smug when he casually lifted one shoulder. “I’ve wanted to do that since the last time. Thought if I had to wait any longer, I might go insane.”
I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped me. “You know, I’d been struggling to see where the biker thing fit in with your personality. Now I realize you were just hiding it from me.”
His grin was unrepentant and I could see more of that confident biker peeking out. He was doing his best for the kids, and his life was a little chaotic, but his real personality was still there, just hidden behind dark circles and a general air of chaos.
“Want to see my bike?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Is that a euphemism? Because there are children in the house.”
He barked out a laugh, shaking his head. “I promise it’s not. Come with me.”
He offered me his hand and laced our fingers together when tugging me to my feet.
While I put my shoes back on, he disappeared long enough to let Jasper know where we were going and put on socks before slipping into his boots by the door and leading me outside.
His garage was unattached, near the back of the property down the long driveway.
It passed the backyard, which was empty for now, but would likely be filled with toys once Isla got a little older.
The house itself was nice enough, a warm contrast to the windy weather, and Elias was quick to tug me into the garage proper to escape the weather, closing the door behind us to block it out.
The lights flicked on and I took in the mostly empty space, frowning at the lack of boxes or tools. “Have you not lived here very long?”
I didn’t do much with my garage, but even I had more in the space than he did. Boxes of donations, old school paperwork, gifts my students made me that I couldn’t make myself part with, lawn equipment. This garage was mostly empty.
He huffed a laugh, nodding as he released my hand and wandered closer to the motorcycle parked in the middle.
“Yeah, I rented the place right after the social worker showed up. Used to live in the clubhouse because it was just easier for me. I was single and unattached. I didn’t have a reason to get a house before now. ”
“You got a house so you could take in the kids?” I asked, surprised. Not many could say they’d do the same. His housing situation would have been a simple excuse he could’ve used to not take on the responsibility of two grieving kids.
He shrugged. “Well, yeah. Couldn’t keep them in the clubhouse.
I love my crew, and they’re all great with kids, but they get rowdy sometimes.
Not the kind of place I’d want to raise two kids.
Though I’ve been trying to get them to visit.
Jasper especially will like it once he gives it a chance.
Last year a few of the guys put together a track in the lot right behind the clubhouse.
The kids ride dirtbikes back there. I think he’d like it if he gave it a chance. ”
I made a face. The idea of kids on dirtbikes made me nervous. Growing brains were too important to risk riding around like that.
Elias must’ve noticed my expression because he chuckled, shaking his head.
“Don’t worry. They can’t ride unless they’re fully kitted out and there are adults watching them.
I think Prez just added a new rule that no one is allowed to do tricks back there either.
One of the guys was messing around and he didn't want the kids getting any ideas.”
He pushed to his feet when I came to stand next to him, eyeing the motorcycle like it might bite me.
“Ever ridden before?”
“No. They’re dangerous.”
“In the wrong hands, yeah. I totally agree with that. But I’ve been riding since I was sixteen and never crashed once. The previous crew president, Tank, taught me to ride, and he would’ve tanned my hide if he caught me doing anything stupid. The lessons stuck.”
Nearly two decades of a clean driving record wasn’t something to scoff at. But just because he never crashed didn’t mean he didn’t do anything reckless. “How many speeding tickets have you gotten?”
He rolled his eyes at the question, but it didn’t feel directed at me. “Three. One for going three over the speed limit, one for going five over. The last one, the cop never actually said how fast I was going. Just gave me a ticket anyway.”
My brows snapped together. “That’s not legal.”
He snorted. “Tell that to them. The local PD has a problem with my crew. They have for years now. We’ve been doing shit to change perception, but only one of those pigs is decent and treats us fairly.
“Maybe they’d treat you better if you stopped calling them pigs?” I suggested with a smirk.
His grin was mischievous, and I got the feeling he wouldn’t take my suggestion seriously. I didn’t have a chance to argue with him about it. He used my proximity to his advantage, sliding a hand around the back of my neck to pull me closer as he sealed his lips against mine.
My hands came up automatically to rest on his chest, then slid around his neck as he drew me closer with his arms around my waist. It’d been years since I last made out with someone, and I lost myself in it for a little while, feeling my blood heat as his erection swelled against my belly.
I was so wrapped up in it, I didn’t realize he was moving me until he lifted me off my feet enough to sit me on his bike.
I startled a little, clinging to him a little tighter, and felt him grin against my lips.
“Relax. They’re more sturdy than they look.”
He didn’t wait around to make any demonstrations, distracting me with another deep kiss until my brain went fuzzy and my focus was entirely on him. He was just urging my leg around his hip when a door slammed in the distance and his head jerked up.
“Fuck. That’s Jasper.”
Horror like ice cooled my ardor and I pushed away from him, both of us putting enough space between us to look innocent just in time for Jasper to shove the door to the garage open with a frown.
Isla was in his arms, looking adorably disheveled like she’d slept long and hard for nap time, hugging her brother’s neck like a koala.
“She’s up. Can we go to the mall now?”
“Yeah, man. Lemme just check her diaper and make sure we’ve got extra formula in the bag first,” Elias said, forced cheer in his voice.
I didn’t miss how he seemed to be purposely standing in a way that hid his crotch behind his bike, and he seemed reluctant to move even after making the suggestion.
Jasper stared at him for a long moment, giving him a look like he was being crazy when he still didn’t move.
He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could draw attention to Elias’s predicament, I jumped in.
“Why don’t I check her diaper? I’ve seen the chaos of that diaper bag. Seems like a two man job to me.”
It distracted Jasper from Elias, though he did point an accusing finger at his cousin. “It’s his fault. He forgets to pack it until we’re heading out the door and then grabs stuff randomly and stuffs it in without looking.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, pulling out my hands for Isla. Jasper handed her over without complaint, spinning around to lead the way. “I’ll pack it. I can’t trust him to do it right. He’s had her in his t-shirt three times now. Dude always forgets a spare outfit.”
“Hey!” Elias complained, jogging to catch up with us. I didn’t look back to check on his predicament. I assumed the wind would take care of it, if the embarrassment hadn’t already.
While they continued to bicker, I leaned in to whisper to Isla, “All boys are the same, baby girl. If you don’t want to spend your life picking up after them, then do like your mama did and marry a nice girl instead.”
“Hey!” The twin complaints behind me made me grin.
They might not be immediate family, but they were family.
It became clearer the longer they spent together.
I hoped one day I could mention it without making Jasper feel threatened.
He should feel like he had family, even if it wasn’t the family he had.
A different kind of family, but he still had the support and love he needed.
He just needed to be open enough to see it.