Chapter 11 Skull
SKULL
After banging on Bones’ door and telling him to get his ass out here, I take Isla home.
She jumps off my bike, gives me a sweet, chaste kiss on my cheek, and all but runs inside.
I don’t know how I fucked shit up with her so much, but I can’t blame her for wanting to bail from the shit show that was this morning.
I don’t know how much she figured out from that small slice of my life, but she’s not a stupid woman.
I head to Viper’s to work on her car with Mase, and when it’s done late that afternoon, I send her a text, happy to have an excuse to.
Skull
You home?
Isla
Yeah, why?
Skull
Coming around now with your car.
Isla
Oh, thank you. How much do I owe you?
If she thinks I’m a man who lets a woman pay, she has another thing coming.
She steps out of her front door before I can even turn off the engine, carrying her handbag with her. Stepping out of the car, I close the door and hand her the keys. “She’s as good as new.”
“Thank you, Skull.” She beams, her big brown doe eyes looking up at me. “How much? I can do a bank transfer or pay some of it in cash, depending on the amount.”
“Don’t worry about it, baby,” I reply, knowing she’s not going to like it. “I own the business, and I’m covering it.”
Her soft, pouty lips fall open, and her brows furrow. “No, Skull. I don’t expect you to do that. It’s very kind of you, but I can pay. It would have taken a lot of time and—”
“You stayed with me last night to help me settle Natalia. If anything, I owe you. How about we call it even?” I suggest and then try to change the subject. “Are you free now? How about we go and get something to eat?”
“Skull, I don’t think that’s a very fair trade. I didn’t even do anything last night.”
Yeah, she doesn’t need to remind me about the fact that we did nothing last night. I can’t remember the last time I ever made myself come in the shower, but that’s what I quickly did this morning because I couldn’t take it. I’ve never wanted a woman so much in my life. I can’t explain it.
And it’s probably because she hasn’t jumped on my cock. She’s making me work for it, and I can’t remember when, if ever, I’ve had to do that.
“Let’s go out for dinner,” I plead, glancing down at her jeans and sandals. “Go put some boots on. We can go for a bit of a ride first. I know you liked being on my bike last time.”
“I did,” she admits, biting her lower lip. “Yeah, okay. How are we going to get your bike?”
I feel victorious, smiling widely at the thought of having her right where I want her. “One of the prospects is coming to pick me up now, and then I’ll come back on my bike.”
“Okay.” She nods.
Patch shows up right at that moment, and I kiss her forehead and step back.
She smiles as she watches me.
Will one night be enough?
Time to find out.
* * *
“Nix and Nate, huh,” she repeats, her bottle of beer halfway to her mouth. “Now Natalia is making sense.”
“Have to stick with the theme.” I smirk.
“Does anyone call you Nix?” she asks, tilting her head to the side, her dark hair falling across her cheek. I reach down and push it back behind her ear.
“No, not since I joined the club,” I explain, reaching out and taking her hand. “So, are we going to talk about what happened this morning?”
She absently starts to rip the label off her bottle.
“There’s nothing to discuss. We aren’t together.
So if you planned on getting a morning blow job from some sexy pin-up-looking woman, that’s your business.
And your brother clearly doesn’t like sharing you, maybe you should carve out more time for him. ”
Fuck.
So she only read half of the situation right, not that I knew Rose would come in. But she missed the comments Bones had made, and, of course, she did. She’s sweet and innocent. Why would she assume Bones thought we fucked without him and was jealous I didn’t share?
And then he was fucking confused that I let her even stay the night without kicking her ass out.
He knows that Isla is different for me.
And if there’s one thing we both don’t like, it’s change.
And I can feel things changing, but I don’t know how to stop it.
I don’t know if I want to.
“Rose is a club girl,” I try to explain in a way that won’t make her throw her drink at me and run out of here. “I’ve slept with her before. I’d say most of the brothers have.”
“I assumed as much,” she replies, her expression carefully blank.
I don’t know what else to say, because she’s right, we aren’t together. And I don’t want to make any promises that I can’t keep.
“I never want you to feel uncomfortable,” I say, sliding my fingers beneath her chin and lifting her face to meet my eyes. “And one last thing.”
“What?” she whispers, searching my gaze. The way she looks right into me, like she sees me, is fucking addictive.
“You’re more beautiful than any club girl I’ve ever seen,” I rasp, leaning forward and kissing her lips softly. “Never question that or yourself.”
Those chocolate eyes soften. “Skull…”
“Yes, little spitfire,” I reply, my gaze dropping to her mouth.
“Kiss me,” she demands.
I don’t hesitate. Pressing my lips against hers, softly at first and then harder, deeper, I kiss her before she can change her mind.
Before either of us can think about why it’s a bad idea.
Pulling her chair closer to mine with my foot, my hand slides to the back of her neck while I taste her tongue.
I devour her.
Her hands come up to rest on my chest, and I hesitantly end the kiss. “Fuck,” I say against her smiling lips.
I’m in deep fucking shit.
And for once, I can’t rely on my twin to help me.