Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
AYDA
The bar had been filled with laughter and good spirits.
The whole mood seemed to have shifted while Tate and I had been gone, and it felt good to walk into that atmosphere after the shit show I’d just left at the school.
Rubin had been at the bar with Deeks, drunk but mellow and smiling, his face lighting up when Tate had followed me in.
Deeks, reading my expression easily, had just pointed me in the direction of Drew with a wink.
Seeing the three men pissing themselves laughing as I’d headed toward them had pretty much swept my lousy mood out of the door completely.
I loved seeing the guys that relaxed with one another.
As much as the relationship with Kenny and Sloane worried me, I also knew it was none of my business.
I was slowly learning that I needed to pick my battles around here, and the hole Kenny was digging for himself wasn’t my concern.
He knew who Sloane’s father was. He also knew how old she was and was probably more than aware of what could come about if Howard Sutton ever found out what they were doing.
That was their risk to take. I’d spoken to Kenny about my concerns when I’d found them making out in one of the repo cars in the lot.
He said he knew what he was doing, and I had to leave it at that.
It wasn’t like Sloane and Tate hadn’t been doing the same thing when they were dating…
though I often allowed myself to forget that.
Grabbing Drew by the hand, I led him away from the bar.
Hand in hand, we headed to our room where I already had a bottle stowed.
There was no need for us to go to get distracted.
Not that we wouldn’t be distracted by one another.
When it came to being alone with Drew, I wasn’t known for my self-control.
“Whiskey or bourbon?” I asked once we were safely within the confines of our room.
He stepped forward and face-planted on top of the bed, his muscular body bouncing when he did. His face was turned my way, one half of it scrunched up while the other somehow managed to look at me lovingly. Like I was enough without the liquor.
“Whiskey,” he mumbled against the comforter.
I nodded in agreement and went to the desk in the corner, grabbing two glasses and a fresh bottle. I dropped it all on the nightstand and eased myself onto his body, my chest blanketing him, my cheek pressed against the patch on his back.
“Did you miss me today?” I asked, smiling against the leather.
“Not really.”
I grabbed some flesh on his hip and pinched. “Liar.”
His groan was muffled against the bed, but he didn’t move an inch. “I may have missed you a little… once I noticed you were gone.”
“Pussy,” I said into his back, glad he couldn’t see my teasing smile.
“That’s me.” Drew blew out a stream of air, another tired moan rumbling in the back of his throat. “Pussy-whipped and damn proud of that. Especially when that pussy who owns me lays on me and keeps me warm, giving me the good stuff, darlin’.”
“Well,” I mumbled, wriggling up his body, so my mouth was close to his ear. “If you’d fallen backward, I would have been happy to put some overtime in.” I wriggled my hips against him and chuckled quietly. “Missed opportunity.”
“I’ll take what’s mine when I’m ready. Whether you’re ready or not.”
Rolling my body carefully, I landed on my back next to him on the mattress and turned my head to face him, my smile still firmly in place. He’d squished his handsome face against the bed, but his eyes were still open.
“Maybe you should do some of that talkin’ so you can get to the takin’.” I thickened my accent and tipped my imaginary hat.
His lazy smile rose, and he lifted his hand, pushing it up my body until it slid over my chest, up my neck and rested on my cheek.
Drew paused for a moment, just holding me as he seemed to study every fleck on my skin.
His thumb eventually found my mouth, and he dragged it down slowly, resting it on my turned-out bottom lip.
“Why you gotta be so beautiful?” he whispered, his soft voice shining with honesty. “Let’s talk about that.”
I felt the blush rise, heating my cheeks, my stomach suddenly holding a thousand tap dancing butterflies. I’d honestly thought I was beyond these reactions to this man, but here we were. Once again, Drew Tucker had me utterly under his spell, and there wasn’t anywhere in the world I’d rather be.
“Stop trying to distract me.”
“I’m distracting you?” he asked softly, knowing full well he was.
I closed the distance between us, my lips gently pressing against his, barely dusting the surface but appreciating the brush of his breath and the scent that was leather, motor oil, and uniquely him. “You’re my favorite distraction.”
His hand found my ass and tugged me closer, a soft sigh leaving his lips. “What do you think about letting me distract you a whole lot this weekend… in Dallas?”
“I would say that sounds like an amazing idea. What do you have in mind?”
“I have some business I need to take care of up there.” His eyes searched mine. “I was going to take Eric, but I made a promise to you, and I’m tryin’ to stick to it. Come ride with me.”
“I would be honored to join you.” I plunged my fingers into his hair, and kissed him again with more fervor, my tongue teasing his bottom lip.
My whole body seemed to gravitate toward him as he reciprocated, and though my body flared to life, it was my heart that reacted the hardest. I wasn’t sure many people would understand why this little gesture meant so much to me.
This new step we’d taken together, this simple little invitation to take me with him, was Drew’s way of thinning that line he’d put up between his life with me and the club life.
I think I’d always known that he could only keep us separate for so long before we crashed back together.
I lived in his home with him and the men.
There was never going to be a real divide, but I’d had to let him figure that out and accept it for what it was.
Drew was assertive, he was a leader, and he was allowing me to stand at his side.
His smug smile grew against my lips as we kissed, slowing down our moment together. His eyes were open when I looked up at him, shining with a victory he’d probably never bother to explain.
“It means a night away from The Hut. From the men. From Tate after everything that happened today. That okay?”
“Does yes, please, answer your question?”
“Do I need to get the guys to babysit your kid brother while we’re away?”
I shook my head from side to side slowly. “I’m not going to ask that of the men. Tate has to be responsible for his own behavior and prove himself worthy. That doesn’t mean I trust him with the bike though. I was thinking of asking Autumn if I could leave it in her barn for two weeks.”
“Autumn would donate a kidney if you asked her to. She’s good people.”
“Y’all are good people,” I said quietly. “When are we going so I can call her?”
“Tomorrow.”
“And it just keeps getting better.” I smiled at him. “Fine. I’ll call Autumn in the morning and see if I can’t get someone to ride the bike over there, and I can bring them back in the truck with me.” I traced the shell of his ear with my finger. “Do you need me to bring anything specific?”
“Maybe some of that sexy lingerie I like to peel off with my teeth?” he said in his worst Texan drawl.
“Well, that was a given.” I grinned, running my finger from his ear to his stubbly cheek. “Though I may have to make a trip to a mall if you keep ripping it.”
“Take. My. Money,” he breathed on me seductively.
It was so hard to think straight when he was looking at me the way he was now.
We hadn’t so much as touched the whiskey, and there really hadn’t been much talk.
Yet, all I could think about as I looked into his eyes was slowly stripping his clothes from him and letting him have his way with me.
As much as I would love to have my way with him, that glint in his eye told me there was no way in hell he was in the mood to relinquish that to me tonight.
“Are you done talking yet, Tucker?” I asked breathlessly.
“Not even close.” His eyes fell to my lips, and he dragged his own through his teeth before he looked up into my eyes again. “I haven’t dropped the bomb about Rubin yet.”
I pushed up on one elbow in surprise. “You spoke to him?”
Drew closed his eyes, his cheeks scrunched high. “Kinda. Actually, he spoke to me.” He peeked one eye open. “And Deeks. And… fuck, Ayda,” he sighed. “You’d better pour that whiskey for this one. I’ve got a feeling you’ll need it before I’m through.”
Drew and I stayed up late talking about everything, and then avoided sleep further by exploring one another in a slow reverence I craved more than ever these days. I sometimes had to take a moment to let the wonder that he was mine wash over me.
Even with as little sleep as I’d had, I’d gotten up early to take the bike to Autumn’s, leaving Drew in bed for a while longer.
I knew Autumn was an early riser and Tate wasn’t, so it was an opportunity I couldn’t avoid.
I didn’t want Tate harassing her or Deeks all weekend, so I was keeping the location a secret from him.
I’d managed to get her on the phone, and I’d bribed Moose—the only one of the Hounds who rose early that morning—to ride the bike to her house for me.