Page 22 of Gator (Bourbon Kings MC #1)

It was late when Juju dropped me off, and all I wanted to do was shower and go to bed.

My mind was still whirling with the information I learned, and though I refused to admit shit right now, deep down, I already knew what I was going to do.

I needed at least one good night’s sleep before my life changed forever.

I guess I already knew before I left The Bourbon Bar.

Maybe even when I was sitting in the kitchen and Wade was trying to tell me what he couldn’t verbally say.

But the more I thought about it, I made my decision the second I got off my couch and ran out of my apartment after him. I knew back then he was it for me.

Didn’t like it, but hey... a girl couldn’t get everything she wanted, right? On the plus side, the food was way better here and if I were honest, Wade wasn’t half bad either.

I felt him the second I entered the room, and for a fleeting moment, I thought about running for the hills, but instantly thought better of it.

Oh, who was I kidding?

I wasn’t running anywhere expect to that nice fluffy bed.

“Do you not understand the concept of time, Wade?” I said, kicking off my shoes as I walked toward the bed.

“Gave you three days.”

Quirking an eyebrow at him, I snarked, “Do you want a medal?”

“I want you to come home.”

“This is your home, therefore by default, technically I am home.”

“You know what I mean, Devlyn.”

Sighing, I nodded. “It’s been a long day and I’m tired, Wade. Besides, this bed is so comfy. So, unless you’re willing to disassemble it and bring it with us tonight, we’re sleeping here.”

He practically sprinted across the room, grabbed me, and kissed me ardently.

I almost forgot how intoxicating Wade’s kisses could be—how they had a way of making the world blur at the edges until only he existed.

When we finally broke apart, his fingers still tangled in my hair, he whispered, “You drive me crazy, you know that?”

“That’s part of my charm,” I teased, though my voice was softer than usual, the moment wrapping around us like a cocoon.

For a heartbeat, or maybe longer, we just stood there, his forehead pressed against mine, breathing in sync. The tension that had followed me for days melted away, leaving something raw and real in its place.

Breaking the silence, I smirked. “So, are you disassembling the bed or what?”

He chuckled, his laugh warm and deep, the kind that made my chest tighten in all the best ways. “We’ll stay, Devlyn. But just for tonight.”

“Thank God.”

I woke the next morning to a cold bed.

Grumbling, I huffed, flinging my arms wide as I stared at the ceiling. Just where in the hell had that man gone so freaking early in the dang morning? Would it have killed him to stay and cuddle for a friggin’ minute?

Rolling out of bed, I wrapped the blanket around my shoulders like a cape and shuffled toward the faint clatter coming from the kitchen. The smell of freshly brewed coffee, mingled with something buttery and sweet, wafted into the hallway, and my irritation melted into curiosity.

As I rounded the corner, there he was—Wade, standing at the stove, wearing a pair of ridiculously low-slung sweatpants and a focused expression that could have turned granite into jelly.

A stack of golden-brown pancakes sat on the counter beside him, and he was humming—actually humming—a tune I didn’t recognize.

“Good morning, Chèr ,” he greeted without turning around.

“Wade,” I quipped, plopping into a chair with dramatic flair. “I’d like to point out that you abandoned me in bed again.”

He glanced at me over his shoulder, a crooked grin lighting up his face. “I thought I’d make it up to you with pancakes. But if you’d rather I crawl back under the covers—”

“Don’t tempt me,” I interrupted, my voice dry, but my eyes betraying my amusement. “But you’re lucky I’m a sucker for breakfast.”

Wade turned, plate in hand, and slid it in front of me with a flourish. “I live to serve,” he said, his tone teasing.

I stabbed a fork into the mountain of pancakes and grinned. “If this is your way of keeping me happy, you’re smarter than you look.”

He laughed, leaning down to press a quick kiss to my temple. “Eat up. We’ve got a long day ahead.”

“Oh?” I arched an eyebrow. “And just what craziness is that? More importantly, does it involve more food?”

Wade laughed. “There will be food, I promise.”

“So, what’s on the agenda?”

“Christmas is two days away and I haven’t done any shopping.” The annoying man smiled.

“That sounds like a you problem,” I muttered around the food in my mouth. Damn, these pancakes were good. Swallowing the bite, I added, “Besides, I’ve already finished my shopping.”

Wade rolled his eyes dramatically. “Well, not all of us have our lives together like you, oh wise and prepared one. Care to lend me your infinite wisdom?”

I smirked, savoring another bite of the pancake before replying. “Sure. Rule number one: never wait until two days before Christmas to start shopping. Rule number two”—I paused for emphasis, raising a finger—“always— always —bring snacks.”

“Snacks?” Wade snorted, reaching for his coffee. “Do you think I’m five?”

“No, I think you’re a man on a mission, and missions require fuel,” I shot back. “Besides, I’m not the one who’ll be dealing with hangry mobs hunting for last-minute bargains.”

He placed his mug down, grinning. “You know, you could come with me. Be my shopping guru. Help me survive the chaos.”

I tilted my head, pretending to consider it. “And miss out on watching you flounder on your own? Tempting, but I think I’ll pass.”

“You’re heartless,” Wade declared, though his grin said otherwise.

“And don’t you forget it,” I replied breezily, sliding another forkful into my mouth.

After dropping me off at The Bourbon Bar, Wade took off to do his last-minute shopping, leaving me blissfully alone.

There wasn’t enough money on the planet to make me traverse the shops or malls two days before Christmas.

Instead, I plopped my ass down on the chaise in the main barroom, with a plate of beignets I made Wade buy me before he took off with strict orders not to return unless he was bringing me a sandwich from that deli I liked.

Munching away on a beignet, I looked up to find Donut glaring at me. Swallowing, I asked, “Can I help you?”

“We share in his club,” the half-naked man said, looking as if he just stumbled out of bed, thankfully wearing a pair of basketball shorts and house slippers.

I raised an eyebrow at Donut, taking another deliberate bite of the beignet. “Is that so? And what, exactly, are we sharing in this club of yours?”

He gestured vaguely with a hand, his posture half-slouched but his tone mock-serious. “Everything. Clothes, personality, time, air. You know, the essentials.”

“Well, forgive me, but I don’t recall signing any club bylaws,” I said, brushing powdered sugar off my fingers. “And as far as I can tell, this beignet is all mine. Unless, of course, you plan to invoke some obscure rule demanding a bite.”

“Donut, don’t anger the dragon lady,” Juju said, walking out of the kitchen.

I quirked an eyebrow at Juju.

“Dragon lady?”

“It’s because of your stellar congenial personality,” Worm stated, walking down the stairs along with Braveheart and Thore.

“Are you saying I have a temper?”

The room erupted in laughter.

“You know, sharing is caring,” Donut muttered, sulking from across the room as I dug out another beignet.

Looking at the man, I couldn’t help myself and held eye contact with him as I took a bite of the sugary treat, moaned and licked my lips.

Donut narrowed his eyes then stormed out of the bar as I chuckled.

“That was mean, Devlyn,” Worm said. “Donut will get you back for that.”

I shrugged. “He can try.”

Not even seconds later, Donut rushed back into the bar, heading straight for Juju, when my eyes damn near popped out of my head. Walking in shortly behind Donut was a beautiful redheaded woman wearing a dainty, barely-there elf costume, with actual tinsel in her hair and bells on her nipples.

The woman looked ready for an X-rated Christmas special!

“Hiya, boys!” The pretty woman smiled. “Did ya miss me? Where’s the boss? I’ve got to show him the new edible panties I’m wearing before they melt off me. I think they are going to be his new favorite flavor.”

No one moved as I slowly sat up.

The air thickened with tension, disbelief mingling with amusement. Juju cleared his throat, clearly at a loss, while Braveheart exchanged a stunned glance with Thore. Worm, always quick with a quip, let out a low whistle. “Well, this just got interesting,” he muttered under his breath.

I tried to maintain my composure, though the absurdity of the situation was rapidly eroding my calm and cool resolve. Donut, who stood petrified, couldn’t seem to stop shaking his head as Juju reached for his cell phone.

Raising an eyebrow at the scaredy cat, I couldn’t help but smirk.

“Oh, hi there!” the redhead chimed in, her voice saccharine sweet and dripping with natural oblivion. “You must be new here. I’m Jolly. Gator’s favorite. I just got back from vacation in Minnesota. I got family that still lives down there.”

“Up.”

“What?” The clearly ignorant woman smiled.

“Up. Minnesota is north of Louisiana; therefore you should have said, I’ve got family that still lives up there .”

“Wow, you must be really smart. I ain’t made it passed the sixth grade.”

“Clearly,” I deadpanned.

Jolly’s grin widened. “Anyway,” she cooed, “I suppose introductions are in order. I’m Jolly, as you heard. And you are...?”

My eyes flicked to Juju, who had finally managed to dial a number, his face taut with worry. But before I could respond, Juju’s phone call connected. “Boss,” he muttered quickly, turning his back on the both of us before whispering loudly, “We’ve got a situation.”