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It was a dangerous thought. One I had no business having. I shook it off, exhaling as I turned away and busied myself with a nearby stack of brushes. I tried telling myself that this wasn’t a big deal. It was just a few repairs. A favor. Nothing more.

But deep down, I knew it was much more than that.

9

PREACHER

“That should do it.”

“This is incredible.” Tabitha stood near the entrance, her gaze sweeping over the finished work, admiration clear in her expression. When she turned back to us, there was a warmth I wasn’t expecting. “I can’t thank you enough. I mean it. You all went over and beyond.”

“Glad we could help,” Goose replied, wiping his hands on the front of his jeans. “Just let us know if you need a hand with anything else.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” She looked around at all we’d done, and I could see the pride in her eyes as she said, “You’ve done more than enough already. This place looks incredible.”

She was right.

It did look incredible, and we’d busted our asses to make it happen. Hell, the whole damn barn was a mess, and now, every stall was secure, the busted boards had been replaced, and all the weak spots had been reinforced. It looked good. Damn good. I was proud of the work we’d done. We all were.

Goose being Goose, gave her one of his playful smirks. “Glad you approve.”

“I certainly do.” She looked at each of them, making sure they knew she meant it. “Seriously, you all did an amazing job.”

They ate it up, nodding and exchanging grins, but my eyes stayed locked onher. I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off her. Her smile, the spark of excitement in her eyes, and the way her face lit up as she took in the repairs captivated me. The woman had no idea how damn beautiful she was, and that only seemed to captivate me more.

“Time for us to head out.”

“Oh?” she almost sounded strained as she asked, “What about that bike ride?”

“Afraid we’ve lost too much daylight for a ride today.” I motioned my head toward the darkening sky. “Best to postpone until tomorrow. Or maybe the weekend. Whatever works best for you.”

A light blush crept along her cheeks as she answered, “I don’t know. I guess I would be good with either. You tell me.”

Damn.

That blush was gonna be the death of me.

“Let’s plan on Saturday. I’ll be here around ten.”

“That sounds perfect.”

I held her gaze for a second longer than I should have, then finally turned to the boys and ordered, “Load up.”

With that, the boys got back in their SUV, and once I’d gotten on my bike, we headed back to the clubhouse. The ride was smooth. It gave me a chance to clear my head, and I was feeling pretty good about things until I made it up to the back door and found Goose waiting for me.

He had his arms crossed and was sporting a shit-eating grin, and I knew he was about to say something that would piss me off. “So, when were you gonna tell us about the new girlfriend?”

The prospects snickered as they headed inside, but I shut that shit down when I barked,“Don’t.”

“Easy, killer.” Goose held up his hands. “I was just asking out of concern. I mean, she is a Volkov, right? Their mother?”

“I don’t need your fucking questions, and I don’t need your fucking concern.”

“Ah, damn.” Goose grimaced. “You really like this chick.”

“You’re walking a fine line, son.”

“Yeah, I shouldn’t have called her a chick. She’s all lady and a classy one, too. Don’t blame ya for wanting to hit it.”