IVY
I struggled to get through the night without Uncle Dwight finding me in my dreams. Once I was cuddled in Clint’s bed, I could focus on this new life.
I woke up feeling like Clint was my guy. Love at first sight was a thing in movies and books. I decided it was a thing in real life, too.
Clint’s cousins made me believe I was already a set fixture in his life. Our relationship was a done deal.
I was riding high until Clint refused to kiss me. That’s when I realized I might be reading everything wrong.
Before I settled too long on that worry, Clint lifted me on the stool and closed his lips over mine. The kiss was soft yet demanding. I had no choice but to acquiesce to his desire.
And Lord, did it feel great! My body exploded with a startling heat. I never imagined lust could feel this way.
Clint’s hands were in my hair, massaging my scalp and keeping me in place. Gripping his shirt, I felt his heart beating hard against my palm. Lightheaded and craving more, I wrapped my legs around his hips to prevent him from escaping.
His tongue encouraged me to open wider and let him claim me. I moaned loudly into his mouth. Suddenly, I felt Clint pulling away. My wild lust was too unhinged for his tastes. He wanted to be reasonable. I noticed how he was a man who owned his space and remained in control.
When he wanted free, I dug my heels into the foot part of the stool and lifted into a standing position. My hands went to his jaw, holding him in place. I was ready to tackle him to the ground and force more kisses.
Clint finally escaped of my lustful grip and stepped back. “We need to get breakfast.”
“Or we can go upstairs.”
Clint looked at me like I was nuts. Rejection burned deep inside me. Before I could shrink away, Clint suddenly smiled.
“I believe we’ll be together for the rest of our lives,” he said full of affection before adding, “So, maybe put all that heat you’re feeling into neutral for the time being.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m hungry, and we just met. It’ll be just as hot in a few days or weeks.”
“Weeks?” I balked. “Are you religious or something? Is this a fundamentalist biker club?”
Clint chuckled at my questions. He started to speak, seemed to replay my words in his head, and laughed more. Finally, he said, “No, I’m not religious, but I do believe the universe gives us opportunities. That’s why I stopped at that particular gas station despite being close to home. When you believe the universe wants to create order out of chaos, you don’t need to micromanage everything.”
“Of course, I’m glad you stopped when you did,” I said, sighing deeply while sitting on the stool. “Except I worry you’re making these moves because of signs from the universe and not because it’s what you really want. That’s why when you tell me to wait, I feel like you’re having second thoughts.”
Clint studied me with his beautiful eyes. I tried to think straight when they focused on me. It would be so easy to simply follow his lead and let him build a life for me. But I was tired of being treated like a child. I wanted a say in what happened next. I also refused to be a burden on this man.
“Look,” Clint said and brushed his fingers across my cheek, “I know this is all new to you. And there will be a time when you can stand on your own and call the shots, but this isn’t it. Yesterday, you were still with your uncle. Look at how much has changed in such a short amount of time. Now, imagine what you’ll feel like in a week.”
“That’s easy for you to say, but I’ve spent my life waiting for something to happen. Now, I’m faced with new opportunities. Why would I want to be patient?”
Clint stepped closer and kissed me quickly. His hand took mine and rested it against his crotch. Gasping might have been a childish response, but I was shocked by the large size of what I hoped to have inside me.
Despite staring wide-eyed in horror, I couldn’t help smiling. I liked how Clint wanted me to touch him.
“I’ll need to keep an eye on you,” he said and wagged his finger in my face. “Your doe-eyed expressions make me think you’re too sweet for my life. But you’ve got a devious side.”
“I’m not sweet,” I insisted as I stepped down from the stool. “I’m just inexperienced. I want to be like your sister.”
“Not too much,” Clint said and grabbed his keys. “Elle can be a handful, and I don’t want to have to finesse your moods.”
I followed Clint out to the hallway and asked, “Is it possible I’ll be too wild for you?”
Clint chuckled as he pressed the elevator button. “No way are you ‘too’ anything for me. You’ll always be my Goldilocks.”
His words stole my earlier unease. I knew I was coming on strong today. Yesterday was a wild ride. Now, I could choose what path I wanted, and the kind of person I hoped to be.
But the person in my head wasn’t just one woman. She was a wild child and a shy bookworm. She was the life of the party but also a good listener. She loved pink and sparkles while also being drawn to bright and funky colors.
Ivy Humphreys was everything and nothing. Yesterday, I watched Elle and tried to be like her. She blurted out sassy things but also got soft and dreamy when talking about her son.
I was clearly overthinking the situation. Instead, I decided to focus on Clint as we walked to a breakfast buffet restaurant. He announced how he didn’t like to cook or shop.
“If I didn’t have money, I’d need to force myself to overcome those dislikes,” he explained. “As long as I can afford to be lazy and spoiled, I’m sticking with it.”
Clint didn’t fear his flaws. He owned them like he did his good looks and casually dominating personality. I doubted he was ever insecure.
Elle wasn’t, either. They were raised to be comfortable in their own skin. That was why when Vanessa and Roy teased Clint, he only smiled. Their taunts didn’t hit him like they would me.
“How did your parents meet?” I asked Clint as we ate breakfast at the quiet restaurant.
“Shay was living in another state. She got a ride from a club guy visiting her town. Lucky brought Shay to Little Memphis where she started over fresh. Just like you.”
“And your dad knew Lucky?”
“They were in the same club, yeah. These days, they’re retired and live at the Sleepy Eye Community. My uncle Donnie is married to Lucky’s daughter, Paige.”
“I feel like I ought to take notes.”
“It wouldn’t hurt. Your phone has a notes app.”
“Is that what you would do if you were me?”
“Though I’m usually good with names and faces, I sometimes write down my thoughts on people when I meet them. Then, I look back to see if my first impression was the correct one.”
I took out my phone and typed in my thoughts about Elle, Rock, Vanessa, and Roy.
“Should I call your cousin Roy or Rowdy?”
“Whichever you prefer. People call him both.”
“Which one does he like?”
“Rowdy, I guess, but his parents refuse to call him that. Pax chose the name Roy, and he won’t back down on it being a solid name.”
I smiled at his reasoning and typed the info about Clint’s aunt and uncle.
“How old was your mom when she moved to Little Memphis?”
“Twenty. My grandmother was a mess of a person. She didn’t take care of my uncles who were younger than Shay. My mom was running away from her life more than looking for a fresh start. But she made the best out of what she found here.”
“And she met your dad.”
“He’s a charmer, for sure,” Clint said in an unreadable tone.
I wasn’t sure if he was being sarcastic, so I dropped the subject. “Are any of your cousins married?”
“Lula was for a while. She went to law school. He was in medical school. They both had ties to the original club. As a couple, they made sense. But Lula wanted to ride with my club. After the divorce, her ex married Rock’s older sister. Lula decided to move back to Little Memphis and build a house next to her parents.”
“And Elle lives with your parents.”
“Yeah, only because she figured growing up at the Sorority House might turn Sutter into a creep.”
“That’s where you’re having the party that I’m going to.”
“Yes, it’s where the foxes live,” Clint said and wiped his mouth. “That’s what we call the female members of the club.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s what Rock’s dad called women in Rawlins, where he grew up. We like having our own lingo.”
“Can I call them foxes or is that just a biker thing?”
Clint smirked at my question. “You can call them whatever you want.”
“No, I think there are rules.”
“You’re overthinking stuff again. Just stick with what’s right in front of you, not what will happen in a few days.”
Resting the phone on the table, I sighed. “I’m afraid to offend your family and make you not like me.”
“That’s not going to happen. One day, you’ll know all my people and become my sounding board when I need advice.”
His words made me swoon. He made everything sound so simple.
“I want to be someone important to you.”
“Because I saved you?”
“No because you’re sexy and sweet,” I murmured, staring at him like a lovestruck goof. “I want the soulmate thing to be real.”
Clint’s smirk wouldn’t feel half as inviting on another man. He had a calm aura. There was nothing weak or flippant about the way he moved through the world.
If Clint believed all the pieces in my life would fall into place soon, I’d be a fool not to trust him.