Chapter One
Carbon
Five months later
IT’S BEEN A long as fuck day. I’m ready for a cold beer and my bed.
I’ve been doing inventory at the bar all day long and it’s the job I hate more than anything in the world.
As the manager of Down n’ Dirty, I don’t make my employees do that job for two reasons.
The first is I don’t necessarily trust them to get the counts and new order correct.
Secondly, it’s the worst job in the place and I’d rather keep my employees happy instead of them quitting because they have to count everything we have in the place.
When I do inventory, I count absolutely every single item in the place and it usually takes me all day to complete it.
Considering I haven’t been sleeping the best, today was the day to get it taken care of.
The last five months have been both hell and heaven.
It’s been hell because I haven’t seen Peyton since that night at the bar and it’s the only thing I want to do.
I haven’t seen her since I graduated from high school and she’s the one person who calls me on my shit and doesn’t let me get away with anything.
The one person who didn’t kiss my ass and suck up to me because of who I am or what I look like.
On the other hand, it’s been heaven because I’ve been able to relive my night with her on a daily basis.
The smell of cherry blossoms surrounded me as Peyton wrapped her body around mine.
Her soft skin rubbing against my own and the sounds she made when I was buried deep inside her.
Pure fucking heaven and everything I’ve never felt before in my life.
When I was in school, I didn’t really need tutoring.
I actually got really good grades. The only reason I started it was to work with Peyton.
She was always in the background at school, but I noticed her no matter what she was doing or where she was.
Her time was spent either in the classroom or library.
Even during lunch she would go to the library and study, do her homework, or read for fun.
Peyton’s nose was always buried in a book and that’s one of the reasons I noticed her immediately.
I don’t know many people who read for fun besides my mom and some of the other ol’ ladies of the club.
It wasn’t the girls who went to school with me.
Another reason I noticed her was because Peyton always had a kind word for everyone around her.
The only time she ever got pissed off was if she found someone being bullied.
My girl would go off on the bully and practically make them cry.
All without touching them at all. Her words can cut like a knife The only time she wouldn’t put a bully in their place was when she was the one being bullied.
For some reason, Peyton would take the abuse and end up running away in tears to hide until she could get better control of her emotions.
Or to clean up whatever mess had been made of her.
I’ve seen the kids at school throw everything at her and she still managed to have a smile on her face every single day without fail.
Unless she was in the same room as me. That gorgeous smile would disappear without a trace no matter what I did or said.
It was fun to push her buttons and get reactions out of her though.
Shaking my head, I get on my bike and start the engine.
The vibrations under me cause me to clear the thoughts of Peyton from my head.
Putting on my helmet, I pull away from the bar and make my way to the grocery store.
I need a few things because I’m not going to the clubhouse after being at the bar all day long.
Including a nice, juicy steak for dinner.
My mouth practically waters with the thought of a steak cooked on the grill and a cold beer to go with it.
Paying attention to the traffic around me, I make the short trip to the main grocery store in town in a matter of minutes.
Pulling into the parking lot, the first thing I notice is Peyton’s Tahoe close to the front door.
I park as close to her as possible and debate waiting for her to come out so I can talk to her or seeing if I can find her inside the store.
I’m not always the most patient man so I shut my bike off and head inside after setting my helmet on my seat.
I stride across the parking lot and the first person I see coming through the doors toward me is Peyton.
She’s got a little boy and girl with her and my mind is spinning.
It’s been so long since I’ve seen the girl I had a crush on in high school that I didn’t realize she has children.
A ton of questions start running through my mind.
Is Peyton with someone?
How long has she been a single mom?
Are these her kids?
“Tutor, what a coincidence runnin’ into you here. Been a while since I last saw you,” I say, startling her as she immediately stops pushing the cart and her conversation with the little boy comes to an end.
“Carbon? What are you doing here? Don’t you have people who usually go to the store for you?” she questions me, her voice shaking with nerves as she releases the cart and starts wringing her hands together. It’s her tell when she’s nervous and a move I’ve seen countless times from her.
“We do. But it doesn’t mean I have to make them do everythin’ for me.
I’m more than capable of gettin’ my own groceries and that kind of stuff,” I tell her, looking up and down Peyton’s body slowly as she stands up straight and grabs the children’s hands next to her.
My eyes land on her stomach and I notice the baby bump there as my mind goes fuzzy with the thought of this woman carrying my child. “You’re pregnant? Is the baby mine?”
Peyton isn’t one to fuck a ton of different guys.
When I graduated, she was still a virgin.
Yes, I know that because she didn’t date and had no boyfriend.
No one ever asked her out. If she was seeing anyone, he wasn’t from our school.
She didn’t travel either so I know she wasn’t seeing someone from a different school.
Yes, I made it my mission to know everything about Peyton.
The only time she ever traveled was with her family and it wasn’t ever very far from Frostford.
Peyton was always more comfortable with her dad in the backyard of their home puttering around with something or going to the shooting range.
My girl can handle weapons of all kinds and I can’t wait to see her in action.
“I am pregnant. Yes, the baby is yours, Matt. I was planning on telling you, but I haven’t seen you since that night and I don’t have your phone number so I couldn’t contact you.
I don’t want anything from you and there’s no reason for you to play daddy if you can’t commit to our child.
I refuse to have a man who is going to break his own son’s or daughter’s heart because he can’t spend time with them on a regular basis.
Being a parent is about more than hanging out or doing the fun things,” Peyton says, a fierceness flashing in her eyes I haven’t seen in a very long time.
“Never said I wouldn’t be a dad to my own child, Tutor.
You don’t know my feelin’ about havin’ kids and bein’ a parent.
You’re about to find out though. You’re mine, Peyton.
Have been for a long time and it’s time we make that shit official,” I tell her, my voice low and serious as I take in the scene in front of me.
“W-W-What are you talking about, Matt?” she stammers while keeping her eyes locked on mine.
“You really had no clue I liked you in school, did you?” I return, stepping closer to the cart to eliminate the space between us.
“You liked to torment me and push my buttons, Matt. That doesn’t mean you had a crush on me or anything like that.
I know the types of girls you date. Did you forget that?
You were all about the cheerleaders in high school and now I imagine you’re all about the girls who could walk a runway.
Thin. Beautiful. Sexy. Women who fit in and aren’t the shy wallflower who prefer to read a book and hang out in the backyard with their family over going out all night and showing off for everyone,” she states, her voice taking on a cold tinge to it as she looks me up and down.
“You really haven’t changed all that much, Matt. ”
“I’ve changed more than you realize, Peyton.
Come to the clubhouse with me and let me claim you in front of the club as my ol’ lady.
I will protect you and our child and you can see the real me.
Get to know me before our son or daughter is born.
I want to go to all of your appointments with you and be there for everythin’ comin’ up,” I tell her, stepping even closer to her as the kids with her try to hide behind her body. “Are these your kids?”
“They are. This is my son Cedric and daughter Caydence. They’re a little shy when it comes to new people.
And they’ve been through a lot over the last year,” she responds, her voice showing nothing but love for her children as she reaches down and holds her children close.
“Matt, I don’t know anything about your world.
The one thing I’ve always heard is that when a biker chooses to claim a woman, it’s for life.
We don’t know one another like that and I don’t know if I’m actually ready to be with anyone.
That night in the bar was something I don’t ever do and the only reason I did was because it was you. ”