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I hadn't expected to feel protective of him. That wasn't part of the plan. I was supposed to marry him, help him get his trust fund, and use my position as his husband to gather dirt on Coombes. My feelings weren't supposed to enter into it at all.
But the way he'd looked at me when I'd helped him through that panic attack—like he couldn't believe someone would actually care enough to help him—had stirred something in me I hadn’t felt in a long time. I was going to have to be careful. Matthew Coombes was a means to an end. Nothing more, nothing less.
There was no way I could afford to catch feelings for him.
Chapter four
Matty
I woke to thesound of Novo moving around in the living room. For a few disorienting seconds, I forgot everything that had happened yesterday—the courthouse, the wedding, the panic attack. Then reality came crashing back, and I clutched Patches tighter against my chest.
I was married. To a giant biker I barely knew.
Glancing at my phone, I saw it was 7:15 AM. I had a shift at the café starting at 8:30. Helena had college kids that did the early morning rush. I hadn't even thought about work yesterday, tooconsumed with the wedding. But I couldn't afford to miss a shift—not with my rent due next week.
Taking a deep breath, I slipped out of bed and padded to the bathroom. After a quick shower, I dressed in my work clothes—black pants and a dark green polo with the café logo embroidered on the chest. When I finally emerged from the bedroom, I found Novo in the kitchen frying eggs.
He turned when he heard me, his blue eyes taking in my outfit. "Morning," he said, his deep voice still rough with sleep. "Made breakfast."
"Thanks, but I have to get to work," I said, hovering in the doorway. "My shift starts at eight thirty."
Novo frowned, spatula in hand. "Work? You didn't mention that yesterday."
"At The Lazy Bean," I explained, fidgeting with my shirt hem. "I work there five days a week."
"Why?" The bluntness of his question caught me off guard.
"Because I need money?" I replied, confused. "The 'allowance' Harold gives me barely covers rent."
Something flickered across Novo's face—surprise, maybe, or disbelief. "You work at a café," he repeated slowly. "For minimum wage."
"Plus tips," I added, feeling defensive. "Look, I know it's not glamorous, but—"
"No, that's not—" Novo shook his head. "I just didn't expect... never mind. You need a ride?"
"I usually take the bus," I said, grabbing my wallet from the counter. "It's not far."
"I'll drive you," Novo said, shoving the eggs onto a plate with buttered toast and turning off the stove. "Eat that while I get dressed."
"You don't have to—"
"I'm not letting my boy take the bus when I have a perfectly good truck," he interrupted, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Besides, I need to head to the clubhouse, anyway."
The word "boy" sent a strange flutter through my stomach. "Clubhouse?"
"Diamond Kings," Novo explained, gesturing to the leather cut hanging over one of the kitchen chairs. I hadn't noticed the name last night in all the chaos. "My MC. Need to check in, get some of my things."
"Oh." I shifted uncomfortably. "Will they... I mean, do they know about...?"
"About us?" Novo raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah," I whispered. "I didn't know if they'd... approve."
Novo's expression softened slightly. "My uncle knows. He's the president. A few others. Don't worry about it."
I nodded, taking a bite of toast to avoid saying anything else. The eggs were perfect again—just like last night. I hadn't expected Novo to cook for me.
I ate quickly while Novo disappeared to change. When he returned, he was wearing worn jeans and a black t-shirt that stretched across his broad chest, the Diamond Kings cut over it. The transformation was striking—he looked every inch the intimidating biker now.