10. Chapter Ten
Chapter Ten
Sophia directed people as they reorganized the area behind the farmhouse and clinic to make it more visitor-friendly for the adoption event tomorrow.
Yesterday, she’d been chased in a car while people shot at them.
Last night, Tack, Shield, and Stinger, along with FNG, a Prospect, and Cue, had set up rotations to keep everyone, including the animals, safe.
When she’d mentioned last night that she wished she’d thought to rent a large tent for shade for the animals and people, Cue had gotten on the phone and had the one Pit’s barbecue restaurant owned delivered.
She’d first had the animals divided into adoptable and available for fostering.
Since she was a private clinic, she could make her own rules, and she wasn’t allowing people who gave her the ‘icks’ to foster or adopt.
Adoption or fostering events were a way for those people running illegal animal fighting rings to get new blood for their events.
She smiled, thinking about how Tack had knocked on her door this morning and brought her coffee, just the way she liked it, and a homemade breakfast sandwich Ruthy had made.
Sophia hadn’t even known Ruthy was at her house.
She’d come down ready for the day, wondering how they’d get everything done, but the Saint’s Outlaws MC, and specifically Tack, had called in friends.
Some of Tack’s co-workers were helping set things up and ensure all the animals were tagged correctly.
The ones that needed more help were separated either in the barn or her clinic.
She stared at the area, seeing how it could be if she had unlimited funds.
There would be a large building by the barn with heating, air-conditioning, and a place for animals to play inside with plenty of space for them to be housed without being in a small crate.
Maybe someday, but for now, she’d be happy with all the help she had.
“Hey, babe,” Tack called, walking toward her with his ballcap on backward, wiping sweat off his chest with his shirt.
Was that a rivulet of sweat tracking down the middle of his chest, dropping into his shorts’ waistband?
How was she supposed to keep her thoughts on work when this masterpiece of man-flesh was in front of her?
“Babe, I appreciate you liking how I look, but now, I’m going to have a hard dick showing in my shorts because all I want to do is take you inside, strip you bare, and spend the afternoon getting to know each other—intimately,” he rasped, tilting her head up to look him in the face.
Fuck-fuck-fuck, she said that aloud again. She closed her eyes. Could she possibly rewind the last fifteen minutes and not embarrass herself?
“Babe, open your eyes. You’re not embarrassing yourself. I find it incredibly hot to get to hear your thoughts, and when we don’t have this adoption event to pull off, I’ll be making every daydream you have come true,” he vowed, staring intently at her.
“Babe, tell me you get me,” he grumbled.
She nodded. Oh, holy heck, did she get him. She got him so much her panties were drenched.
“Babe,” he groaned, staring up at the sky. “Hard dick, remember.”
She giggled at his aggrieved tone. How long had it been since she’d truly enjoyed herself and laughed? So long, but Tack brought the laughter and smiles back, just by being himself.
“Got it. No talking about licking the sweat off your abs and then tugging those shorts…”
“Babe,” Tack whined, shaking his head.
Sophia giggled. “Sorry. What did you originally need?”
“One of the guys was walking the property and found some large metal portable fence panels. Do you have a tractor, and what do you think of us moving them up closer to the barn to create a place to direct people to park in the field right behind the trees?” he asked.
“Oh—I forgot all about those panels. Dad and Mom used to use them when they had their big picnics here with their riding group. I think it’s a great idea,” she reassured him.
Tack stared at her with a perplexed look. Did he not understand her?
“Riding group?” Tack asked.
“Yeah. Mom and Dad were in a riding group for years. My dad was a huge motorcycle enthusiast. I don’t know how to ride one myself, but I’ve been going out and starting them up every two weeks to keep the batteries good,” Sophia confessed.
“Starting them up?” he questioned.
“In the metal building there by the barn,” she pointed toward the building to the left of the barn where the driveway stopped. “Wanna see them?”
“Hell yes!”
“Let me get the key, and I’ll meet you there,” Sophia instructed.
Tack waited as Sophia unlocked and opened the door, flicking the lights on.
The building was at least thirty feet deep and the same width Tack estimated a three-car garage would be, but instead of cars, it was filled with motorcycle memorabilia, pictures, and if Tack’s count was right, sixteen motorcycles.
“Wow!” Tack exclaimed.
Sophia walked over to the closest one, laying her hand on the seat.
“Dad took me out on this after I graduated as a vet. He didn’t start collecting motorcycles and riding until after I was out of high school.
I came home from college for Christmas my freshman year, and he’d bought a motorcycle. He and my mom loved riding.”
Tack’s heart ached for Sophia’s loss. “I bet he was so proud you were following in his footsteps,” Tack added warmly, slipping his arm around her shoulders. She leaned her head against him.
“He was. Mom was thrilled I was going to take over the practice because it had consumed their life. He’d allow one family vacation a year, but she always wanted to travel more,” Sophia offered softly.
Tack followed as Sophia walked over to the wall of pictures above a workbench.
“I don’t know if she planned their vacations to occur on the back of a motorcycle, but they did.”
Tack stared at one of the pictures with two couples in it. He recognized one of the couples. “Which ones are your mom and dad?” he asked.
“There,” she pointed.
He turned to Sophia, smiling. “Your dad was Woody?”
“I’ve never heard him called that, but that’s my dad,” she confirmed.
“I met your mom and dad at Sturgis once. Woody and Babs—they wanted to eat at one of the restaurants, but the wait was two hours. We had room at our table and invited them to join. They were funny and so in love. No one in our club had an Ol’ Lady back then,” Tack revealed.
“My mom’s name was Barbara, but maybe they decided they needed road names for their adventures,” Sophia mused.
It was a small world. Tack wished he would have had a chance to spend more time with them and that Sophia had more time with them too.
“Maybe on Sunday, after we’ve all recovered from the adoption event, you and I can take a bike ride and get some dinner,” Tack suggested.
Sophia grinned, her nose crinkling, “Are you asking me on a date?”
His hard-on had barely lessened, but she looked so adorable. If he was going to get through the next two days without having her underneath him, then he had to know how she tasted.
“Yes,” he reassured her, sliding a hand around her neck to pull her close, his lips claiming hers. The first touch of her mouth against his, her sweet scent tinged faintly with antiseptic, and her plush figure barely touching his had him sliding a hand down to her waist and tugging her close.
Her ragged moan when he released her lips to kiss and caress along her jawline was music to his ears.
“Woah, sorry. I thought you were getting the okay for the tractor,” Stinger called, his voice filled with glee, not freaking remorse.
Sophia jerked at his voice.
“Ignore him. Babe, you are so sexy and go to my head faster than liquor. I think I’ll be needing more of those to make it through the next two days.”
The joy he felt at the smile spreading across her face surprised him. She was it for him, but he hadn’t realized how much making her happy would give him something too.
“I think I can take care of that,” Sophia announced, winking.
“Hey, whose motorcycles are these?” Stinger asked, looking around the building in awe.
“Not yours,” Sophia sassed, making Tack chuckle.
“Let’s go use the tractor, and Stinger, keep this place quiet. I don’t want one of the guys accidentally saying something in front of people we don’t know,” Tack ordered.
Tack waited while Sophia locked the door.
Tilting her chin up, he tasted her one more time before reluctantly leaving.
She was still standing in front of the door when he turned back to check on her.
He motioned for her to head back toward the house, then chuckled when she stuck her tongue out before striding toward the activity by the house.
He walked with Stinger to the tractor.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Stinger offered.
“No, you’re not, but we have a lot to get done,” Tack replied.