Chapter 5
Reeze woke early the next morning and lay on the sofa for a moment, staring at the ceiling while his brain tried to catch up with his body. It wasn't his ceiling, wasn't his living room, and the sofa beneath him was considerably more comfortable than the one he had at home.
Then the memories came back.
Charlie. The kiss. The way she'd looked at him before they'd finally said goodnight.
A smile crept across his face before he could stop it.
Fuck. He'd actually kissed her.
And she'd kissed him back.
Reeze ran a hand through his hair and sat up.
There was still no sound from the bedroom, so Charlie and Molly were clearly asleep, which didn't surprise him much after the chaos of the previous day.
He got carefully to his feet so he wouldn't wake them and wandered into the kitchen, where it took him all of three seconds to realise that Charlie seriously needed to go shopping.
The fridge contained basically the sort of things people bought when they had neither the time nor the energy to cook: a few yoghurts, half a cucumber, some cold cuts and a packet of cheese that had definitely seen better days.
He stood there for a moment, studying the miserable contents before closing the door again.
"We really need to do something about this," he muttered to himself.
Naturally, he received no answer, which was probably just as well.
A few minutes later, he slipped across the yard to his own flat and started gathering what he needed.
Eggs, milk, butter, flour and the strawberry jam Molly loved more than anything else went into a bag, and while he was at it, he added coffee, bread and a few other things Charlie was clearly missing.
By the time he returned, the sun had begun to creep between the buildings, and before long the kitchen was filled with the sound of the coffee machine and the smell of butter melting in the frying pan.
There was something soothing about making pancakes.
Maybe because it always made Molly happy, or maybe because, for the first time in a long while, he was standing in a kitchen where he actually wanted to be when the people around him woke up.
As the coffee brewed behind him, he caught himself looking forward to hearing Charlie come out of the bedroom.
His phone started vibrating on the kitchen counter just as he was working on his third batch. One glance at the display showed Rollo's name.
Reeze answered without stopping what he was doing.
"You're awake."
"Unlike some people, I actually seem to have a job."
"That's a bold fucking statement from a man standing in his neighbour's kitchen making pancakes."
Reeze stopped with the spatula halfway beneath a pancake and stared at the phone as though Rollo could somehow see him through it.
"Who the fuck's been gossiping?"
"You think anyone needs to gossip? Half the fucking club saw you go in there yesterday."
"Fuck."
Rollo laughed, and Reeze could practically see the bastard's grin.
"Two hours."
"I know."
"We're bringing Billy, Isaac and Jet home, and then the real work starts."
Preparations for the gathering were already under way, and now that three of the club's officers were coming home, things would only get busier. Reeze flipped the pancake and glanced at the clock.
"I'll be there."
"Good." Rollo went quiet for a moment before adding, "You sound happy."
"I'm hanging up now."
That only made the president laugh harder. Reeze ended the call and tossed the phone back onto the counter, muttering a few choice words about nosy fucking club members.
He had just put the last pancake on the plate when a thud came from the bedroom, immediately followed by a startled,
"Ow!"
"You need to take it easy," he heard Molly say in a considerably more cheerful voice.
Charlie looked at her.
"Have you always been this bossy?"
Molly smiled contentedly.
"Dad says I'm helpful."
"I suspect it's the same thing."
The girl giggled and helped her to her feet while Charlie tried to ignore the pain shooting through her leg when she put weight on it.
It was difficult not to be fascinated by how mature Molly was for her age.
Reeze had obviously done a lot right, because there was a calmness and thoughtfulness about the girl that was impossible to miss.
Charlie stopped halfway across the room when the smell of freshly brewed coffee and pancakes reached her.
If she was being honest, she'd expected Reeze to be gone when she woke up. Not because he'd given her any reason to think that, but because experience had taught her that men were often considerably braver in the evening than they were the following morning.
Instead, he appeared to have taken over her kitchen.
Molly grinned.
"Dad's making pancakes."
As though that explained everything.
And maybe it did.
When they entered the kitchen, Reeze was standing at the stove with a spatula in one hand and a mug of coffee in the other. Plates were already waiting on the table and, at some point during the morning, he appeared to have filled her fridge as well.
Charlie spotted the grocery bags immediately.
"You've been shopping."
Reeze followed her gaze.
"Technically, I just moved things from my fridge to yours."
"Reeze."
"What?"
"You can't just fill other people's fridges."
"Why not?"
"Because it's weird."
"I'd argue it's significantly weirder to have fuck-all at home to eat."
Charlie opened her mouth to protest, then closed it again when Molly had already planted herself at the table and looked approximately two seconds away from eating straight from the serving plate.
Reeze noticed too.
"No."
Molly sighed dramatically.
"I've been waiting forever."
"You've been waiting two seconds."
"It felt longer."
Charlie laughed and carefully lowered herself into a chair.
For the first time in a very long while, the morning felt strangely simple. As though she'd been handed something she hadn't even realised she was missing.
Conversation flowed around the table between pancakes, talk about school and Molly's extremely firm opinions about which teachers were good and which had clearly chosen the wrong profession.
Reeze seemed to know every name she mentioned.
He knew which friends she'd argued with, who she played with most and who always forgot their PE kit.
Charlie mostly listened while she ate, fascinated by how natural it all seemed.
She'd seen fathers who loved their children. She'd also seen fathers who tried.
But Reeze seemed to live for this.
Molly talked constantly and he answered everything.
Not because he had to, but because he genuinely wanted to know.
Everything about him changed when she was around.
His gaze softened, his smile came more easily, and the big, loud biker suddenly cared very deeply about drawings, homework and which friend had been an idiot at break time.
When breakfast began winding down, Molly pushed away from the table.
"I have to brush my teeth."
"Good idea."
"I know."
She disappeared towards the bathroom with all the confidence only children seemed capable of possessing.
As soon as she was out of earshot, the kitchen became noticeably quieter. Charlie remained at the table with her coffee mug between her hands while Reeze began gathering the plates.
"You're good with her."
The words escaped before she could stop them.
Reeze looked up.
"Molly?"
Charlie nodded.
A soft smile spread across his face.
"She makes it pretty easy."
"No."
He raised an eyebrow.
"No?"
"It's not just Molly." Charlie watched him stop halfway through picking up a plate. "You make an effort."
"She's my daughter."
"Exactly."
Something in her voice made him understand what she meant.
Too many people were satisfied with simply being parents on paper. Charlie had met men who took care of their children because they knew they were supposed to. Men who turned up for school events, paid child maintenance and did whatever was expected of them.
Reeze wasn't like that.
Everything about him changed around Molly, and he clearly loved every second he got with her.
And it showed.
He put the plate in the sink and walked back towards the table.
"You look surprised."
Charlie lowered her gaze to her coffee.
"Maybe a little."
Reeze rested one hand on the tabletop beside her.
"When I found out Lotta was pregnant, I was fucking terrified."
That made Charlie look up.
"You?"
He laughed.
"Believe it or not, I haven't always been this handsome and confident."
Charlie snorted.
"Now you're lying."
"Maybe a little."
He smiled, but then his expression grew more serious.
"Molly's the best thing that's ever happened to me."
There was no hesitation in the words.
None.
And for some reason, something in Charlie's chest ached. Not painfully. More like a longing for something she'd never had. For someone to look at her that way. As though she meant everything.
Reeze seemed to catch at least some of it in her face, because he reached out and brushed his fingers over her cheek.
"You're thinking too much."
"I'm not."
"Yeah, you are."
His thumb lingered against her skin.
"You think I kissed you last night because it happened to be Tuesday?"
Heat rushed into Charlie's face.
"I don't know."
"Yeah, you do." His mouth curved into a crooked smile. "But if you need to hear it, I'll fucking tell you."
She didn't get the chance to answer before he leaned down and kissed her.
Briefly this time. Softer than the night before.
But far more certain.
"When I kiss you, it's because I want to."
His forehead rested lightly against hers.
"And believe me, Charlie."
His voice dropped lower.
"I want a hell of a lot more than is practical right now."
Charlie burst out laughing even as her blush deepened.
"Reeze."
"What?"
"Molly's in the bathroom."
"I know."
"You're hopeless."
"No." His grin widened. "I'm motivated."
Molly reappeared a few minutes later with her backpack slung over one shoulder and her jacket only halfway on.
"We're going to be late."
"No, we're not."
"You always say that."
"Because it's always true."
Molly rolled her eyes in a way that was eerily similar to her father's before opening the door.
"I'll wait outside."
"Not in the car park."
"I know."
"I mean it."
"I know, Dad."
Then she was gone.
Reeze stood still, listening until her quick footsteps disappeared down the stairs before turning back to Charlie.
The flat immediately felt much quieter.
Charlie was leaning against the kitchen counter with her coffee mug in her hands when he took a few steps towards her.
"What?" she asked when she saw his expression.
"Nothing."
"That's definitely not nothing."
A smile tugged at his mouth.
"I was just thinking how fucking nice it'd be if I didn't have to leave."
Something warm fluttered in her stomach.
"You have things to do."
"Unfortunately."
He should have headed for the door.
Instead, he took another step towards her.
Charlie narrowed her eyes.
"What?"
"I'm thinking."
"Dangerous."
"Extremely."
She tried to remain serious and failed miserably.
Reeze shook his head. "I'm trying to figure out how the hell I'm supposed to concentrate on anything else for the rest of the day."
"And?"
"Haven't come up with a good solution yet."
"Stop."
"What?"
"That."
"What is that?"
"You know exactly what."
Reeze laughed softly and pulled her towards him before she could protest any further.
This kiss wasn't careful.
It wasn't like the night before, when neither of them had really known what the other wanted, and it wasn't like the brief kiss across the kitchen table earlier.
This time Reeze kissed her like a man who had already made up his mind.
When he finally lifted his head, Charlie looked considerably less composed than she had before.
Which seemed to please him far too much.
"That wasn't fair."
"No."
"So you admit it?"
"Absolutely."
His thumb stroked over her cheek before he rested his forehead briefly against hers.
"I'll call you later."
Charlie nodded.
Then his eyes suddenly narrowed as he looked past her towards the kitchen.
"What?"
"You need to go shopping."
She blinked.
"What?"
"You've got almost no food."
"I certainly do."
"Charlie."
"I have yoghurt."
"You have three yoghurts."
"That still counts."
Reeze looked completely unimpressed. "You'll get groceries delivered later."
Now she stared at him.
"I'll get what?"
"Groceries."
"I haven't ordered any."
"No. I promised I'd shop for you because you looked after Molly."
"Reeze."
He was already heading for the door.
"Have a good day."
"Reeze."
"See you later, babe."
"You can't just walk into my kitchen and start deciding things!"
He opened the door.
"Apparently I fucking can."
Charlie just managed to grab a tea towel and throw it at him before he disappeared into the stairwell laughing. A few seconds later, she heard him shout something to Molly downstairs, followed by the familiar slam of the front door.
Left alone in the suddenly quiet flat, Charlie stood there with her coffee mug in one hand and a ridiculous smile she couldn't seem to get rid of.
And that irritated her almost as much as it pleased her.