CHAPTER THREE
– MEAVE –
The door falls shut behind us. I take my face in my hands and release a groan. “Stuart wasn’t following me, he freaking lives here. I’ve definitely lost my mind and am imagining things.”
“The fucker could have picked another damn hotel. The road to here is fucking long with many options. Besides, have you seen and heard him? He gives off some serious serial killer vibes if you ask me,” Reef states.
I raise my head and give him a hint of a smile. “You caught that too, eh? He’s too smooth and polite or something.”
Reef steps closer and places his large hand at the back of my neck to pull me close to him. His arms surround me and I bury my face into his chest. The clean scent of his shirt along with some spicy cologne and the leather of his cut spurs me to take a deep, comforting breath.
Bringing my hands up, I fist the leather of his cut and close my eyes. “I didn’t know I needed a hug, but I definitely do. Thank you.”
His chest rumbles with a laugh as he slowly strokes my back. “Anytime, Maeve.”
I feel his lips brush the top of my head. “Why don’t you take a shower, relax, and I’ll grab your stuff and the groceries.”
I blink a few times and tip my head back to stare up at him. “Sounds like a plan. Thanks again.”
Reef’s hand stills dangerously close to my ass.
My breath catches when he places one of his hands on my ass cheek, squeezes and give it a slap and says, “Stop saying thanks, darlin’. We’re friends, right?”
Holy hotness. Lightly or not, friends don’t squeeze and slap one another’s ass like that unless you throw in the benefits part. Becoming friends with benefits is surely something I’m interested in if it involves Reef. Shit. He’s not insinuating it, right?
Aaaaand I’m still awkwardly staring at him while contemplating the horniness spiking in my veins. Shit. If there was a test to prove you’re horny, similar to checking level of alcohol, it would definitely prove I’m drunk on lust over the guy I’m still clutching the leather vest of.
Clearing my throat, I step back. “I should take that shower.” In an afterthought I add to myself, “ Better make it a cold one instead.”
A bark of laughter rips from him and I realize I said the last part out loud. Dammit. I am way too tired.
I feel my cheeks heat and right when I’m about to apologize for my mindfart, Reef states, “You and me both.”
My mouth turns dry at the thought of taking a shower with this man.
“Are you suggesting we take a shower together?” I eagerly ask, my girl parts practically cheering and drooling at the thought of getting wet and naked with this rugged hotness standing in front of me.
“Yes,” he rumbles while at the same time I hear a key in the lock.
The front door swings open and in steps my mother along with Zale, whom I recognize from the photo Reef sent me where they were embracing one another at the clubhouse.
“You made it,” my mother gushes.
“Not to the shower,” I grumble under my breath, making Reef chuckle.
“Reef,” Zale grits. “Help me unload Maeve’s car.”
My mother smacks a flat hand against Zale’s chest. “Put a pin in the grumpy and come meet my daughter. Maeve, I’d like for you to officially meet Zale. He might come off as a stern, grumpy, annoying asshole, but he’s a sweet and nice man.”
“Sweet and nice?” Zale sounds offended. “Santa hightailed out of here last night, babe. Don’t mistake me dressing up as one for your entertainment only, for something I’m definitely not.”
My mother’s eyes go wide while Reef and I share a look.
Chuckling, I step forward and offer Zale my hand. “I could have lived without knowing my mother had a Santa kink, but it’s nice to finally meet you.”
Zale has a strong grip and shakes once before letting go.
With a smirk on his face he rumbles, “How do you know it’s your mom and not me who has a Santa kink?”
“Zale.” My mother gasps and is yet again smacking Zale’s chest.
“Okay, come on, Prez. Let’s give the ladies some space to chat while we get her stuff from the car. Oh, and we picked up some groceries because we were going to make chili cheese fries. There’s enough for everyone, right, Maeve?” Reef’s head swings my way.
I shoot him a grin. “Definitely.”
The sexy man winks and saunters to the door, Zale hot on his heels.
The door has barely fallen shut behind them when my mother engulfs me in a tight hug. “I missed you so much. I’m happy you’re here.”
I tighten my arms. “Same, Mom. Thanks for letting me come home.”
She pulls back. “Letting you? Sweetheart, you always have a room in this house to come home to because it’s just as much yours as it is mine.” Her smile is beaming when she adds, “I’m also very excited to have you close while you’re carrying my very first grandchild. I can babysit anytime you need it.”
I grin, loving the fact I can finally talk about things without worry or judgement. This pregnancy wasn’t planned, but once I discovered I was pregnant I embraced it. My ex, Beau, though? He hated the mere thought of a child, and would have burned my womb with a torch if he could. Hence the fact I mentioned talk about things baby related without worry or judgement.
Beau and I might have been together for two years, but we’d never discussed kids or raising a family at some point in the future. I guess getting pregnant unwillingly threw the discussion in our path, making both of us realize we didn’t really fit.
After the huge blowout on the day I told him we were pregnant, he grew distant and ignored any conversation baby related. I thought he needed time to adjust, but instead of ending our relationship he wanted to ignore the fact I was pregnant and use the time together to insult and blame me for ruining his future.
It took a few weeks for me to realize we were over and that there was no chance to salvage our relationship. Beau made it very clear when he let me walk in on him screwing my best friend in our bed. He kept his dick inside her while grabbing the piece of legal paper he had arranged to sign away his parental rights.
What an insensitive asshole, right? Yeah, obviously I didn’t tell my mother the way I received that piece of paper…how humiliating. Instead, I told her he showed up at my doorstep with it and the fact he was out of my life forever.
Which is basically what it comes down to so it’s a huge fat line to make sure everything involving the negative shit stays in the past. Moving to a different state, focusing on my life as a future single mom, putting me and Pickle first, is what it’s all about right now.
“Babysitting will take a while since the little Pickle is still growing in my belly. But I am liking the fact of starting over in Grandma Violet’s town and house. Hopefully, I can find a place of my own here in the next few months. You can help me look.”
The smile she’s wearing tips up a nudge and lights up her whole face. “Have I mentioned how excited I am to have you living in the same state again? Oh, and don’t worry about house hunting. I’ve been spending so much time at Zale’s place between his house and the clubhouse, that you probably won’t even run into me some days. Which basically means you’ll have this place all to yourself and not have me butting into everything you do.”
I keep quiet about staying in one home with my mother because I don’t want to hurt her feelings and love the fact she’s welcomed me with open arms…though, I would like to have a place of my own.
Instead, I ask the burning question to gain all the details of her new change in life. “So, Zale, huh? A motorcycle club president who is significantly younger than you? Way to go, Mom, stepping into your cougar era. You two look cute together, though.” I’m now mirroring her beaming smile when I add, “Needless to say, you deserve it. And I’m happy to be here to witness how happy you look.”
She gives me another quick hug. “I guess it’s time for both of us to start new things in life, right? Come on, let’s sit down and chat some more.”
Reef wanders back into the room and clearly catches the last sentence because he rumbles, “Maeve was going to grab a quick shower and rest up a bit. She ditched the last hotel she was going to stay the night at because Stuart, Gertrude’s son, was practically stalking her for the last few hours of her trip here.”
“What?” Zale and my mother snap in sync.
I roll my eyes. “Reef is exaggerating. Although, the guy did freak me out. I chatted with him at a gas station, and then hours later he also showed up at the hotel I was gonna spend the night at. It was weird. Then we arrived here and there he was again. Turns out, he’s Gertrude’s son, so we were simply going in the same direction. A coincidence.”
“Don’t leave out the fact that his girlfriend dumped him, and he eavesdropped when you were on the phone with your mom,” Reef not so helpfully replies.
“Could be in the genes. His mother is a nosy old fart, makes sense her son is a nosy asshole as well,” Zale muses.
“Whatever,” Reef grumbles. “I don’t want him anywhere near Maeve. Especially, with Gertrude blabbering how Stuart got dumped because he wants a family and needs a woman who pops out a few kids and stays in the house to take care of the family. I did mention he overheard Maeve is pregnant and single, right? Yeah, not happening. I made sure he knows my opinion about showing his face around Maeve.”
Zale narrows his eyes at Reef and my mother is grinning from ear to ear.
I huff out a breath. “Well, I don’t have to worry about Stuart with you around, do I?”
Reef takes a challenging step forward. “Nope. And you can bet your sweet ass I’ll be around.”
“VP,” Zale snaps. “A word.”
My mother places an affectionate hand against the imposing biker standing beside her and softly murmurs, “Leave them be. Go on, Zale, get those groceries into the kitchen. I’ll be right there and then we’ll start dinner. Reef, you can put Maeve’s stuff in the guestroom, you know where it is, don’t you?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Reef rumbles and disappears into the hallway while Zale stomps into the kitchen.
My mother crosses her arms in front of her chest and gives me a knowing look. The one mothers have perfected where they can see right inside your head. Makes me wonder if I will suddenly be graced with the ability when I become a mother.
“What?” I shrug, feigning innocence while I know damn sure she wants to address the interaction between me and Reef.
“Don’t give me the ‘what’ question, Maeve. Tell me, what’s going on between you two?” There’s no judgement in her tone of voice.
Her appearance might seem defensive with her arms crossed and yet there’s a smile tugging her lips and a twinkle in her eyes.
I throw a glance in the direction of the hallway where Reef disappeared into and lower my voice. “We messaged back and forth for the past few weeks. He’s sweet, nice, easy to talk to…a friend.”
“A friend,” my mom echoes. “Okay, well…he is nice, sweet, honest to the point of harshly blunt. I’ve heard him defend you against his own president, so it’s safe to say I like him. He seems more to me than a good friend the way he defends you, though.” Leaning in she lowers her voice and whispers, “The kind who will dress up as Santa for the sake of kink.”
“Mom!” I squeak.
She throws her head back and laughs. “Have fun no matter what, kiddo. Life is too freaking short not to say fuck it at times and simply do what feels right…or do whomever makes you feel right. I did, and do, and my life with Zale is more perfect than it ever was.”
She leaves me standing stunned and my mind reeling with what she just said. Not only am I happy for my mother who seems more happy than ever, but what she’s suggesting? Do whomever makes you feel right? That exact thought has gone through my mind today more than once.
It’s something I can’t, and shouldn’t ignore. Except, I’m pregnant. With another man’s kid. What guy would want a future…wait. This is about the here and now. Enjoy the moment. I definitely deserve to enjoy the moment if that’s what Reef is willing to offer, right?