Page 6

Ten days old, and Hadrian was at his first club party, Reaper joked. It had the rest of us laughing. Reaper was still on cloud nine. He adored his son as much as his daughter, just in a slightly different way. There was something about having a son, those with them said. I’d take their word for it.

The party was a combination celebration of Hadrian’s birth and the Memorial Day holiday. The club always had a party in observance, and this year was no different. We decided to wait for all the other clubs to meet him since the stress of so many people might be too much on Cheyenne. His birth was hard on her. I heard Reaper say that this was it. They wouldn’t have anymore. Chey was saying something else. Unbeknownst to us, she’d had some scares while carrying Hadrian. My money was on Reaper getting his way. There was no way he’d jeopardize Chey’s life or health.

Her man ordered her to take it easy and let others do the prep work. In addition to Alisse, Lark, Troian, and Kimera helping with the cooking and baking that didn’t involve barbequing, Annie chipped in with help from Gareth and Haven—just thinking her name had me taking another deep swig of my beer.

I’d been impressed with how she jumped in to help Becca with the kids that day. The following day, I sent her the quote and estimate on how long it would take to complete the renovation. The day afterward, she called me to tell me she wanted to move forward if I was willing. I assured her I was, even if it was far from the truth.

My hesitancy had nothing to do with doubting we could do it. It was due to my inability to stamp out my attraction to her. No matter what I did, it wouldn’t go away. I persuaded myself that the way over her was to be around her more, not less. My logic was that when I got to know her better, I’d find things to dislike about her, negating my attraction.

The sale was official this past Monday. Work had already begun. I’d seen her the first day but not since. However, that would change today. She’d be here with her uncle and aunt. Hence, my fortification with beer. The dislike needed to kick the hell in. Maybe it would today.

The bulk of us were gathered behind the clubhouse. The weather was warm, which meant the pool was officially open. We’d gone all out when we had it added. The thing had a heater, so we didn’t have to rely on the sun to warm it, which could take days, if not weeks. We didn’t plan to eat until later, so we were hanging out there for now. We did invite those employees we were friendly with to join us. Some people were swimming while others stood around and talked.

“Here they are,” someone shouted and pointed toward the gate.

My heart skipped when I saw Annie’s car coming through it. Shit, Haven was here. As I fought to get myself not to care, I noted something. My nervousness about today was all about being around Haven. I hadn’t thought of Annie once. Over the last couple of weeks, my unease with her was gone. It had been entirely overshadowed by how Haven made me think and feel. I was happy about that, at least.

I meandered the back area between the pool and the playground nearby. I thought I had myself under control until I caught sight of Haven coming out the backdoor of the clubhouse ten minutes later. My mouth went dry. She had her hair down and wore a summery dress that conformed to her body. It ended mid-thigh and showed off her incredible shape. I was devouring her with my eyes, fighting my body’s reaction, and trying to hide both.

My dumbfoundedness and arousal were swept away, and ire took its place when I heard the remarks some of my brothers were saying. And they weren’t alone. So were the single guys who were our guests.

“Shit, look at her.”

“Goddamn, it’s gotten hotter out here.”

“I’m going to see if I can get a piece of that.”

“Fuck it, Annie will have to kill me.”

There was such a roaring in my head that it made it impossible to know who said what. If I’d been able to pinpoint who, I probably would’ve punched their asses out. Trailing behind her were Gareth and Annie. Other than noticing they were here, I paid no attention to them. My focus was on the woman coming toward us.

“Damn, from the looks and sounds of it, we might have to throw cold water on some of our brothers. She’s causing a stir. Better watch out,” Maniac said as he came to stand beside me.

I grunted to acknowledge I heard him. It would’ve been suspicious if I said or did nothing. The drooling fuckers swarmed her like bees to a flower. They were giving her compliments left and right. She blushed and waved their remarks away, but I saw she was pleased with them. My mind flipped to wondering if she liked any of them. If she did, was it more than for sex? And if it was, what would it mean? I edged closer so I could hear what was said.

“If you guys don’t stop, we’re taking her home. I don’t want any of you playing your games with her,” Annie warned them.

I was pleased to hear her say it, but it was short-lived when Ratchet chimed in. “Who said it was a game? I’d gladly give up my bachelor ways for a woman like her.” He smirked and winked at Haven.

“Oh, you would, would you? I bet you’d run if I took you seriously,” Haven shot back.

“If he did, know I wouldn’t,” Crusher responded.

Those remarks kicked off a debate. It was loud and lively as they argued. I didn’t know how long they would’ve kept it up if it hadn’t been for Dare. He gave a loud, piercing whistle to gain everyone’s attention. Once he had it, Maniac put them on notice.

“Enough with the antics. If any of you want to ask Haven on a date, do it privately. If she says no, then leave her be. Reaper, Chey, and the baby are coming. I expect you to all be on your best behavior. Carrying on like this will terrify the kid,” he grumbled. As VP, his word was second only to Reaper’s.

They immediately quieted down. Troian and Kimera were talking to Annie and Haven. Gareth had broken away from them and was at one of the coolers. I ended up gravitating over to him. I wasn’t sure why or how, but I had to say something when I stopped beside him. He watched his niece and wife smiling.

“How long did Annie keep you slaving over the stove and oven yesterday?” I asked. It was the first thing that came to mind.

He grinned. “It was a while, but I have a confession to make. It was more me doing it than her making me. I love to cook. I have since I was a kid. My grandma passed her love of it and food on to me. She did the same with Haven. Only in her case, my niece prefers to bake more than cook. I’m the opposite. I had lots of help from both of them, so doing it wasn’t a hardship. Hopefully, everyone will like what we made.”

“I gotta say, I can’t recall anything Annie ever made not being liked, so I highly doubt it’ll happen with the three of you.”

“Hope not. Hey, I wanted to say thank you.”

“For what?” I asked.

“For taking on Haven’s renovation. This means the world to her. I hate for anything to slow her down. She’s had her life on hold long enough. No one deserves it more than her.” His smile had changed to a frown.

“We’re happy to help.” As much as I tried to stop myself, I asked, “Mind if I ask why her life has been on hold? Or is that personal?”

“Because the rest of our goddamn family is a bunch of selfish assholes who left her to carry the burden herself, even though Haven will deny it was ever a burden. I’m guilty as well. At least my excuse is I lived thousands of miles away and had no clue it was happening. It wasn’t until I moved back that I found out,” he muttered darkly.

Chey, Reaper, and the kids had joined the group. As everyone was making over Hadrian, I raised my eyebrow and waited to see if he’d spill more information.

“My brother, his wife, my sister, who, by the way, is Haven’s mom, and another niece left it up to that girl to take care of my grandmother. She didn’t need a lot at first, but no one wanted her living alone. What if she needed help or fell? I was living in California. I offered to move back, but Grandma told me she’d never forgive me if I did. I was assured that they would take care of Grandma. Since I wasn’t there, I took care of some of her costs, although she had money. It was my way of helping.

“Every time I came for a visit, they were in and out and seemed to pay attention to her. It wasn’t until she got sick and I moved back about two years ago that I discovered the lie. They rarely came to visit, didn’t do anything for Grandma, nor did they help Haven. The older Grandma got, the more care she needed. Haven could’ve gone to college, gotten her degree, and started her design business years ago, but she didn’t. Instead, she became a caretaker, worked odd jobs, and took classes one at a time. I was so pissed when I found out.”

He was glaring at the thought. Anger began to fill me. “What was their excuse?”

He snorted. “They were too busy with school in Jubilee’s case. For the others, it was their careers and social obligations. Judd and his wife are lawyers. Jubilee, their daughter, went to law school but never took the bar exam. It was so intense on her that she had to take an extended break. She still doesn’t have a full-time job. My sister Carrie, Haven’s mom, is a trustee for a few charities. Their lives and careers were more important than silly drawing and designing people’s spaces. Their words, not mine.”

“Is that why she moved here?”

“A big part of it, yeah. When Grandma passed away last year, she paid them back for their neglect and hatefulness toward Haven. She left me a portion of her wealth, which I didn’t deserve, and the rest went to Haven. At the reading of her will, Grandma left a letter detailing how disappointed she was with the rest of the family. Each was given a piece of jewelry and a few keepsakes, but the bulk of it went to Haven. It was so she’d be able to open her studio.”

“Bet that pissed them off.”

“You bet it did. I tried to give my share to Haven, but she refused to take it. The others have bugged her to death about how unfair it is. They claim she poisoned Grandma’s mind against them. Utter bullshit. They tried to make her feel that she was cheating them out of their rightful inheritance. They wouldn’t stop, so after Annie and I got married, we persuaded her to leave them behind and make a fresh start.”

“Since she’s been here, have they continued to bug her?” I needed to know the answer.

“If they have, she denies it. I made it clear to them that I wanted nothing to do with them. They know better than to call or email me. Annie tore them new assholes, so they stay clear of her.” He grinned.

I chuckled. “Annie has the balls to do it and isn’t afraid to say it how it is. She has even scared us a few times.”

He laughed. Before we were able to say anything more, Annie and Haven walked up to us. I had to steel myself not to reach out and put an arm around her. Knowing what her family did made me want to protect her.

“What’re you two whispering and laughing about over here?” Annie asked as Gareth put his arm around her.

“I was telling Tinker about our oh-so-loving family and how they’re total shitheads.”

Annie snickered while Haven looked uncomfortable as she said, “Gareth, you know, talking about them just makes you angry. Don’t. They’re not worth the aggravation. We’re supposed to be celebrating and having fun today.”

He snagged her hand and pulled her gently to him. He stared hard into her eyes. “And we’re going to do both, but I’m not forgetting or forgiving them for what they did to you and Grandma. If they’re smart, they’ll stay far away and forget they ever knew us.”

“Amen,” Annie cheered. Haven nodded.

“Let’s talk about the important stuff. Tell me what you brought to eat. I need to decide if I’ll share any with the others or if it’s all mine,” I interjected to take the focus off a topic that clearly made Haven uneasy. She gave me a grateful look before the three of them launched into their list.

The day had been long, but a ton of fun and relaxation had occurred. I was more than thankful that when the guys were urging Haven to get in the pool, she declined. Even though she was offered a loan of a swimming suit, she said no. While a huge part of me wanted to see her in one, the rest hated the thought of the others ogling her.

We set off fireworks and built a huge bonfire when it got dark. Marshmallows were roasted, and we kept the festivities going. It wasn’t until after eleven that we changed up the tune. Reaper had made it clear that there would be no female companions until after our regular guests, old ladies, and kids went home. Annie, Gareth, and Haven were the last three to go. Less than twenty minutes later, the bunnies showed up, and ten minutes after them came the hang arounds.

Ever since that fateful night weeks ago when I tried to fuck that one hang around, I’d avoided the common room scene on party nights most of the time. Some nights, it was due to not wanting to put up with them. The few times I did go, I’d tried to break the slump I was in, but I couldn’t do it. I tried, but my cock wouldn’t cooperate. He stayed limp. The only time he perked up was when I thought of Haven. And I’d be damned if I’d imagine myself with her so I could get it up to fuck someone else.

Tonight, I hoped if I sat in a dark corner, I could finish enjoying my last beer and sneak out—no such luck. Pepper was the woman to find me. She sat down on the arm of the couch I sat on.

“What’re you doing over here all by your lonesome, Tinker? Come party with us. The weekend is still young. I haven’t seen you much lately. Where have you been?”

Pepper was a decent enough woman. We’d hooked up more than a few times, but she wasn’t any better than the others. “I’m all partied out, Pepper. I’m gonna head home.”

She caught me off guard when she slid off the couch arm onto my lap. Her arms came up around my neck. “Don’t do that. It’s a party, and the night is still young. Stay. I bet I can make you smile if you let me,” she offered seductively. To emphasize her words, she wiggled her bottom on my lap, making sure to rub across my cock.

Now, any heterosexual man, when a woman did that, would get an erection. I began to stiffen. Maybe I should stay, and she could be the one to break this streak I’d been on. I put my hands on her hips. “Just how do you propose to make me smile?” I asked.

She smirked as she slid off my lap and onto her knees. Her hands came up to my belt. I didn’t know what made me do it, but I looked up and over toward the door at that exact moment. My eyes met the startled ones of Haven. Instantly, my cock began to deflate.

Her expression was quickly altered to show a passive look. Before it was, I could’ve sworn she was upset. She turned her back and said something to Dravin, who walked up and handed her a purse. I could no longer see her face, but I saw his. He was flirting with her, and whatever he said made her throw back her head and laugh. Abruptly, he took her arm, and they walked outside.

Pepper had my belt undone by the time I tuned back into her. I grabbed her hands, pushed her away, and stood up. “Stop. I’m not in the mood. Go. I’ve got things to do.”

I tried stepping around her, but when I let go of her hands, she wrapped her arms around my legs and clung to me. She gave me a pouty lip. “Please, don’t. It’s been too long.”

“Enough,” I snapped.

My tone must’ve made it clear that I was serious because she let go as if burned. I left her kneeling there as I rushed for the door. I didn’t think it had taken me long, but it must’ve because all I saw were the red taillights of a car exiting the gate. It had to be Haven. I didn’t see Dravin.

My mood soured. I didn’t bother returning to the common room. Instead, I took off walking to my house. I’d had enough for today. My bed was calling me. An hour later, I was drifting off. The fact I’d ended up having to pleasure myself, and I did it to thoughts of Haven, was my secret.

Two goddamn weeks and I wasn’t an inch closer to forgetting about Haven or disliking her. She hadn’t been back to the compound, and her visits to the worksite were few and hurried. I wasn’t there every day, but I was there most days since I was the one doing the work to restore the wainscoting and molding. It was one of my skills and something I loved to do.

The few times I did run into her, she was polite and didn’t mention what she saw that night. As for me, I kept my mouth shut, although it still bothered me. I didn’t know why. In the past, I had never cared who saw me with a woman. The fact that it did with her was a mystery.

My fantasies and dreams about her had grown worse, not better. I was having them daily, and the only way to get to sleep at night was to relieve myself while thinking of her. I didn’t make the mistake of attempting to have someone help me, either. My hand was my partner. Pathetic.

Today was Friday. I was returning from picking up supplies that I intended to drop off at Haven’s building, and then I’d head to the office to do paperwork before going home. She hadn’t been there earlier when I was, so I didn’t expect her to be now.

As I parked on the street, I glanced over and saw Haven standing there. She always got my attention. However, at the moment, she was standing there with two other people—a man and a woman around her age. I couldn’t see their faces, but I saw hers, and the scowl told me she wasn’t happy. She was waving her hands and saying something animatedly. I got out and headed toward them without bothering to unload what I bought. When I got close enough to overhear what was being said, I unashamedly eavesdropped.

“You have no reason to be here, either of you,” Haven snapped.

“It’s a free country. We can go anywhere we want. We thought we’d see what all the fuss is about. From what we’ve seen, there’s nothing here worth visiting, let alone living here for. You and Gareth must be crazy,” the woman said back acidly.

“Well, it might not be for everyone, but it’s perfect for us. You can return home and never return,” Haven told her.

“You just moved here to be spiteful, and we’re not going to allow you to cheat Jubilee or the rest of the family out of their rightful inheritance,” the man roared.

I’d heard enough. I had no idea who he was, but I recognized the woman’s name. It was her cousin. They were so into what they were talking about that they didn’t see me until I swooped in next to Haven. She gave me a startled look. Before she could say anything, I put my arm around her shoulders and hugged her close. I gave her a big smile.

“Hey, baby, what seems to be the problem here? I’ve been waiting for you to get back to me. Who are these people?” I scanned them up and down.

The guy stood taller, but he’d have to grow a lot and bulk up a shitload to reach my size. The woman changed her pissed look to a sweet one. She checked me out, too, but her face was filled with suspicion. “Who’s this, Haven? I thought you only knew Gareth and that woman he married,” she said snidely.

I knew they saw how I was dressed and thought I was automatically beneath them. Even on the job, I wore my cut. I might take it off if I were worried it would get torn or dirty, but that was it.

“Tell me your name, and I’ll tell you mine,” I taunted. They frowned harder.

Her cousin answered me while the guy tried to stare me down. He could eat his Wheaties three meals a day until he was a hundred and still not be able to intimidate me. I smirked at him.

“I’m Jubilee Hamilton. I’m Haven’s cousin.”

I didn’t acknowledge I heard her. I waited for him to answer. It was several tense seconds before he grudgingly muttered, “I’m Warrick Yates, Jubilee’s fiancé.”

I felt Haven tense more. I tried to convey comfort by squeezing her gently. Both of them upset her, but I got the feeling the man upset her more. Why?

“Now, it’s your turn. How do you know my cousin?” Jubilee asked.

“I’m Tinker. Haven, Annie, and Gareth are close friends of my club, the Iron Punishers. Haven and I have a closer connection. Isn’t that right, babe?”

I had no idea why I tacked that last bit on, but it seemed the way to go. If they were here to cause trouble, the more people on Haven’s side, the better. And if they thought we were closer than just friends, even better. Or that was what I told myself.

As Haven turned to look at me, I shielded her face by putting my hand on her cheek. It obscured her puzzled look and made it appear that it was a comforting and affectionate one. I tried to send her a mental message to go with it. Her eyes widened, then she smiled as she looked back at them. Her hand behind my back patted my spine. Too bad it wasn’t my ass. Wait, stop it—none of that.

“You’re in a motorcycle gang? Really, Haven, what is wrong with you? I know you’re still upset over what happened, but this is ridiculous. We were having a private conversation. So if you don’t mind, leave. This doesn’t concern you,” Warrick dismissively said as he curled his lip more.

“I’m in a motorcycle club, not a gang. The last I checked, I don’t fucking answer to you, so I’m staying. It’s clear from what I overheard Haven say that it’s the two of you who need to leave. Haven, we have work to do. Let’s get inside.”

Without another word, I swung her around to head back into her building. We made it a couple of steps before her bitch of a cousin called after us. “This isn’t over, Haven. We’ll talk when your guard mutt isn’t around.”

I glanced back, growled, and then barked at her before I said, “Good luck with that.”

Both their eyes widened, and then I was facing forward and moving again. Nothing was said until we reached the safety of the building. Not wanting to give those assholes an opportunity to come in and continue harassing her, I flipped the lock on the door. During the day, while workers were in and out, we left it unlocked. Sweeping my gaze over Haven, I noted she was frowning and had her phone out. She was tapping away on it. I waited until she was done before I said anything more.

When she met my eyes, I had to ask, “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Thank you for what you did, but it wasn’t necessary. I’m used to how hateful they are. They’re unhappy if they’re not making me or someone else miserable.”

“Do you want to talk about it? I could tell it made you very uncomfortable.”

Before she could answer me, her phone chimed. She quickly read whatever text she received and then focused on me.

“Thanks, but there’s no need. I won’t hold you up any longer. I know you have work to do, and so do I. I need to speak to Gareth and Annie. That was them. They want me to meet them at home. I hate to run, but you understand.”

I didn’t want her to leave. I was uneasy about what happened, and the whole debacle at the clubhouse weighed on me, too, but it seemed I had no choice.

“Let me at least walk you out to your car in case they’re lurking around. I won’t take no for an answer.”

She studied me for a few moments, then nodded. “Thank you. If you’re ready, I am.”

I felt bereft or something as I walked her outside. I had to consciously prevent myself from touching her. I did open the car door for her. As she got in, I put a suggestion in her ear.

“You three should come to the clubhouse tonight or over the weekend. We can kick back and relax. You and I can talk about how the renovation is going. Plus, it’s supposed to be hot as hell, so the pool is there, too.”

She hesitated before saying, “I’ll have to see if we’re available. If not, you and I can meet here one day next week.”

Not pushing her, I gave her a chin lift. I closed the door and watched her drive away until she was out of sight. As soon as she was, I took out my phone and sent a text message to Annie. I was stacking the deck because I didn’t trust Haven to mention it. It would take a lot for Haven to convince Annie not to come. I was confident that Annie would win the battle.

Feeling better about my chances that she’d come, I went to my truck to unload the supplies. Hopefully, I will have answers to the questions raised today. A big one was what that prick Warrick meant by her being upset over what happened. It didn’t sound like he was referring to the money. I wanted, no need, to know what went on.