Page 6

CHAPTER 5

C aroline glared at her computer and tried to see anything other than the adorable kitten pancakes Wraith had created for her. She still had a few carefully wrapped in plastic and stowed in her freezer. She’d saved them when he was busy loading her sink full of dirty dishes into the dishwasher along with their breakfast things.

He did dishes. Automatically. Like without her even asking. Who was this man?

He’d also made it crystal clear that they were now a thing, and he planned to see her often. According to Wraith, a Daddy didn’t walk away from a Little who enchanted them. She’d repeated that phrase to herself several times and even typed it into her document by mistake.

The kiss he’d given her on the way out the door had sizzled so much she’d had to squash the temptation to head back to the bedroom to use her vibrator—but that had felt like cheating on him. Caroline sensed he wouldn’t like that. She might have earned another spanking.

Crap! She was going to have to change her panties.

“Think of anything else,” she told herself sternly. “Write something.”

Putting her fingers on the keys, she started outlining a story. Using the research she’d gathered at the bar last night, Caroline created biker characters for her fictional club. She searched for tough names, and Google gave her some excellent suggestions. None seemed as sexy as Wraith, but she liked several. Those would do.

When she was straining her eyes to see, Caroline glanced away from her computer and discovered the room was full of shadows. She’d written the entire day. Stretching, she groaned. Her already sore body was now stiff from sitting in one spot for hours. Time to stop.

After carefully saving her document in three places, Caroline stood. She grabbed the insulated tumbler she had drained hours ago and headed to get something to eat with a satisfied smile. This book, hell, this series was going to be amazing.

Caroline poured herself a glass of tea from her refrigerator and grabbed her phone. She never took it into her office while she was writing. It was too distracting. Besides, no one other than scam artists called her, anyway.

She opened it and saw a message. Driveway. Mailbox.

Walking to the front window, she spotted her car parked in her driveway. She’d totally forgotten about it in the parking lot at Inferno. Wraith had delivered it to her without a word. Hurrying down her stairs, she zipped out the front door and checked the mailbox affixed to the siding. Her keys.

Caroline hugged them to her chest as she turned and walked back inside. Closing the door, she leaned against it as her mind whirled a million miles a minute. She didn’t want this to be a one-night stand. Had he really meant it when he’d said that earlier? How did she tell him that’s what she wanted now too?

Grabbing her phone from the stretchy pocket on her leggings, Caroline sent him a message. It only took about fifteen minutes and lots of revisions to figure out what to say. In the end, she went with a simple message.

Thank you.

Immediately, her phone buzzed with a response.

I wanted you to have wheels to come see me.

Tonight?

Caroline’s pulse increased at the thought of seeing him so quickly.

Good idea. See you soon, Precious. I’m at the back bar. Drive carefully.

Caroline flew into the closet, searching for something special to wear. She pushed the hangers across the rod, rejecting almost everything as too tight, too ugly, too outdated, or too uptight. She settled on a fitted dress with a moderate neckline and a denim vest. It would have to do.

Tossing those on the bed, she ran to the bathroom to put on makeup. Caroline never wore very much. She considered intensifying her look but was afraid to transform herself into a clown. Wraith had pursued her last night without all that gunk. She crossed her fingers, hoping he hadn’t changed his mind.

While she’d worked late for her, Caroline suspected that Inferno would just be starting to rock now. When she was dressed, Caroline grabbed her purse and keys. She was so nervous she almost forgot to put down the garage door. After forcing herself to stop and take a couple of deep breaths, Caroline got on the road.

So many motorcycles filled the lot tonight. Every time she thought she’d found an empty parking space, Caroline discovered a bike backed into it. She finally drove to the back of the lot and grabbed a spot there.

Wraith wasn’t on door duty when she walked in. The guy’s cut reminded Caroline she’d heard the name before. “Oh, Scythe, you helped with my ex last night. Thank you.”

He gave her a strange look before glancing at her ID. “Caroline. No problem. He’s a jerk. Wraith’s working at the back bar.” He pointed toward the far wall. “Go that way and circle the room to the far wall. It will take you to the right place.”

“Thank you, Scythe.” Darting inside, she followed Scythe’s directions. The slightly younger man was definitely handsome. They all had muscles on top of muscles. Was that a requirement to join the Devil Daddies MC?

“Devil Daddies.” Caroline repeated that name to herself, and pieces of a puzzle clicked together. They couldn’t all be Daddies, could they?

“Whoa, Precious. You almost wiped out that server.” Wraith caught her with one arm and steadied the tray for the employee as well.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Caroline said to the server, feeling embarrassed that her distraction had almost caused a disaster.

“My dodge game must be off today. No problem,” the relieved waitress answered and darted away to deliver the drinks.

“I am such a klutz,” Caroline admitted and then stared at Wraith when the memory of his punishment crossed her mind. Heat flared under her fitted dress. “You can’t spank me here!” she hissed.

“Don’t speak poorly about yourself, then.”

Studying his stern face, Caroline guessed she didn’t have a chance in hell to change his mind. So, she changed tactics and wrapped her arms around his neck. Bouncing up on her tiptoes, she kissed him hard.

Caroline’s mind was fuzzy when he let her go. Wraith had taken immediate control of that kiss, and it had almost gotten out of hand. His touch made her forget where she was. Her urge to climb him in public wouldn’t be acceptable even at Inferno. She appreciated his steady hands at her waist.

“Wow,” she whispered.

“Hi, Precious. I’ve missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

“Wraith! We need you, brother!” a biker called him from behind the bar.

“On it,” Wraith answered back and urged Caroline to an occupied stool at the counter.

“Out,” he ordered. The man got up without question and ambled off into the crowd.

“That was rude,” Caroline hissed as he helped her onto the warm stool.

“Bad biker dude, right?” he reminded her before moving behind the bar.

In a few minutes, he’d pulled enough beers to catch the bartenders up and was concocting fancy shots for a rowdy bridal shower party. When he pushed one toward Caroline, she shook her head.

“I’m a total wimp.”

Wraith poured the shot into a glass and added something from a dispenser behind the bar. “Sip on that.” With his eyes on her, he loaded the order onto a tray as the women cheered him on.

“Wraith’s yours?” a flashy blonde demanded.

Without hesitating, Caroline answered, “Yes. I’m in my bad boy era.” As she suspected, that was the perfect way to change the more than slightly intoxicated celebrators’ attitudes.

“Hell, yeah! I need to dive into my own bad boy,” a brunette chimed in.

“Or have him dive into you,” the bride suggested, drawing peals of laughter and hoots from the women.

To Caroline’s relief, they dashed to the dance floor when a popular song filled the bar. She glanced back at Wraith, who hummed the bad boy jingle under his breath as he worked on the next order.

“What was I supposed to say?” Caroline raised her shoulders and shrugged.

“I liked your answer, Little girl.”

Oh! She’d claimed him. “We suck at one-night stands,” she pointed out lightly.

“We do. I’m good with that.” Wraith told her.

“It’s a boy!” rang through the PA system.

“Did someone just have a baby? Here?” Caroline asked.

“Belinda.” A server with Amy on her nametag appeared next to her. “Her water broke behind the bar. Razor drove her to the hospital while Wraith and Toxin jumped in to clean before taking her spot.”

“She worked until her water broke?” Caroline said in amazement. That was tough.

“Yeah. She wanted all her maternity leave with her baby,” Amy answered as she maneuvered the tray of drinks onto her shoulder.

“Introduce me, Wraith,” a raspy voice demanded.

“Lucien, this is my girl, Caroline. Caroline, this is the President of the Devil Daddies MC, Inferno’s owner, and my boss.” Wraith easily listed off his positions.

“Hi. It’s nice to meet you,” Caroline said politely to the hard-looking man with a ton of tattoos. Did that cross mean Lucien had been in prison or maybe he’d killed someone? She hoped she didn’t move when a shiver ran down her spine. He looked lethal.

“That’s the first time anyone has called me nice,” Lucien said with a skeptical expression. He stared at Caroline, frightening her.

“Mine, Lucien. She meant nothing by it.” Wraith stood up for her as he continued to pour drinks. He didn’t seem bothered by Lucien’s attitude.

“Got it. Enjoy your time at Inferno, Caroline.”

She slumped with relief when the scary man walked away. Okay, she was wrong. They couldn’t all be Daddies.

“Lucien is a shrewd businessman, Caroline,” Wraith said before changing the subject. “Tell me what you did today.”

“I got a lot done at work,” she answered. For some reason, she hesitated to tell him she was an author. Caroline didn’t want him to think she was hanging around to gather information.

A small voice in the back of her mind reminded her that was exactly what she was doing. Caroline pushed that from her thoughts and concentrated on Wraith.

“How long have you been a bartender? I thought you manned the door.”

“The club members pitch in here when they want to. This is our MC’s hangout place. Lucien opens it up to the public as a community outreach. Many people come here because it feels thrilling.”

Caroline nodded. She could understand that. She controlled her expression as she dared to ask, “What’s your MC position? Vice-President?”

“I’m the Enforcer.”

“That sounds mean. You’re the one who beats people up?” she asked, appalled.

“Only when they deserve it,” Wraith answered as if it were a joke. “I need to run to the back for some vodka. Stay there for me, okay?”

Caroline struggled to find something to say, so she nodded. No one in her life used physical violence to solve problems. Suddenly, she didn’t think she could do this. They were from two entirely different worlds.

When Wraith’s broad shoulders disappeared through a swinging door, Caroline scrambled off the stool.

“Hey, Caroline, isn’t it? Wraith will be right back. He wants you to stay there,” the other bartender reminded her.

Frantically, she came up with an excuse. “I... I’m just going to the bathroom.”

“I’ll keep your seat available.” Immediately, a man tried to claim it as Caroline stepped away, and the other bartender interjected. “Hey, that seat’s taken. Go sit somewhere else.”

“She got up,” the man argued.

“That’s Wraith’s girl. Do you want to mess with him?”

The color leached out of the would-be chair thief’s face. He faded into the crowd.

Quickly, Caroline executed her own disappearing act. When she neared the door, she saw Scythe answer his phone. Sure that Wraith knew what she was doing, Caroline turned to dart down a hallway. She didn’t really understand why this felt so wrong suddenly. How could she explain it to Wraith? Reaching a door at the end, she rattled the doorknob. Locked.

“Caroline?”

Slowly, she turned to see the leader of the MC and panicked inside. “Lucien. I was going to get a breath of fresh air.”

“Wraith will be here in a minute,” he told her. Did he look disappointed in Caroline?

Wraith’s voice came from her right. “I’m here, Lucien. Thanks, brother.”

Lucien faded away, leaving them alone.

“I’ll walk you out to your car if that’s your destination,” Wraith told her.

“I was just going to get some fresh….”

“Don’t lie to me, Caroline. I’ll see you safely to your ride.”

He knew. She swallowed hard, feeling terrible. “You don’t have to.”

“I do. Come on.”

Wraith pulled a loaded keyring from his pocket and deftly located the key. Unlocking the door she’d tried to open, he ushered Caroline through. Once outside, he locked it behind them. “Where’d you park?”

Caroline waved a hand in the general direction.

“Lead the way,” he instructed. Wraith fell in step next to her as she walked.

Searching for anything to say, Caroline’s heart broke. His face was expressionless. For the first time, she couldn’t read him at all. She couldn’t see any trace of the playful Daddy who’d made her pancakes or the intense lover who’d rocked her world. “I’m sorry….”

He cut her off. “That’s too easy to say. You’re running away from something that could be magical, and I have to watch you do it.”

“Wraith,” she tried when they reached her car.

“I won’t bother you, Caroline. Have a great life.” Wraith stepped back and waited a car distance from her as she slid into her car and started it.

How she maneuvered her car out of the parking spot, Caroline didn’t have a clue. She drove by instinct. Her brain whirled with the argument of whether she’d done the smartest or stupidest thing in the world.

Walking into her house, Caroline gave into the tears that had threatened since she’d seen Wraith’s deadpan face in the hall. He’d hidden his emotions from her for the first time. She’d hurt him badly. She wrapped her arms around her torso and threw herself on the couch. Tears coursed down her cheeks until she was completely empty inside.

Adam had ripped her heart to shreds by not caring about her. She couldn’t risk giving her heart to someone from the wrong side of the law. Violence made her ill. It went against every value her parents had drilled into her. Caroline knew without asking Wraith couldn’t change who he was. How could she think she could fall in love with a bad boy?