The girls wander into the kitchen to get snacks and drinks and as I grab the other deck of cards and start shuffling them together, Storm slaps Lincoln on the back and whispers, “She’s a keeper, brother.”
His eyes meet mine and he smiles. “I know.”
Chapter Sixteen
Tatum
“I brought you donuts!” Mia yells as I open the door and grab the bakery bag off the seat before I climb into the car. Opening the bag, the scent of sugar and bread hits my nose and I moan, my stomach grumbling.
“Thank you. I’m starving.” Pulling out a maple bacon donut, I take a bite and my eyes roll back in my head as I let out another moan. “It’s so yummy.”
She laughs as she pulls away from the curb. “What was that? I couldn’t understand what you said around half the donut in your mouth.”
“It’s not half,” I mutter with a scowl as I glance down at the two thirds left in my hand. “Besides, I’m hungry. I didn’t get breakfast this morning.”
A mischievous grin stretches across her face. “And why is that? A little too busy with a certain biker to worry about sustenance?”
“No,” I shoot back, a blush staining my cheeks. That’s a lie. Ever since Sunday night when he took me over to his house, Lincoln and I haven’t been able to keep our hands off each other. We still haven’t had sex but I’ve experienced more orgasms in the last four days than I did for the two years I was having sex in high school.
“You are such a little liar,” she teases, her gaze flicking between my face and the road. “Lincoln’s been giving it to you good, huh?”
I shake my head. “We, uh… we haven’t had sex yet.”
“What?” she shrieks, her eyes wide. “How the hell have you not jumped that man? And what the fuck are you waiting for?”
“I don’t want to be just another girl to him.”
She pulls up to a stoplight and turns to me. “Sweetie, you’re not. He made things official with you after you tased his ass. That man is yours.”
I laugh as she turns back to the steering wheel and the light turns green. “I’m just not ready yet.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.” I shrug. “I guess I’m just nervous. It’s been a really long time for me.”
“Yeah,” she sighs, nodding. “I get that. Just don’t wait too long, okay? ‘Cause you’ll keep building it up in your head and making it harder than it needs to be.”
“I thought being hard was the whole point,” I say with a mock scowl and her mouth drops open as her gaze flicks in my direction. I smile.
“Oh my god, for such a prude, you’re a little pervert.”
I bark out a laugh as we pull into the store’s parking lot.
“What are we looking for in here?”
Mia blushes. “Well, I need a dress.”
“For?” I ask, polishing off my donut as she pulls into a space and parks the car.
“I kind of have a date.”
My eyes widen and I smile. “That’s great, Mia. Anyone I know?”
“Uh…” she hums and I arch a brow. Oh, this just got interesting. “Shaun.”
“Shaun? From work?”
She nods and I beam as I picture it in my head. It’s not all that far fetched and she looks really happy about it.
“Yeah. We’ve been dancing around each other for the better part of a year and I finally had enough and asked him out.”
We climb out of the car. “Wow. I’m impressed. Where is he taking you?”
“I have no idea. He just grinned and told me to wear something cute when I asked him what his plans were.”
I hook my arm through hers as we walk toward the store. “We are going to find you something to knock his freaking socks off.”
She’s bristling with nervous energy and I smile to myself as we walk into the store and we’re blasted with air-conditioned air. Mia had a pretty steady boyfriend until six months ago when he left her without much of an explanation. She was absolutely heartbroken so I’m glad to finally see her moving on. And Shaun is a good guy so no worries there.
“So,” she says, releasing my arm to grab a shirt and hold it up. “Besides never leaving the bedroom, how are things with Lincoln?”
It’s my turn to blush as I glance down at a shirt to hide my face. “Good. Really good, actually.”
“Look at you. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy.”
I meet her eyes. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy. He’s… incredible.”
“Oh my god, your face right now… are you in love with him?”
I suck in a breath and fight back a smile. “I think I am.”
“Tate,” she whispers, grabbing my shoulder and pulling me into a hug. “I’m so fucking happy for you.”
“Me, too,” I mumble, tears stinging my eyes but for maybe the first time in my life, they’re happy tears instead of sad ones. I don’t know if it was timing or the desperate situation I found myself in when Lincoln and I first met but all the stars lined up perfectly for us and I’m head over heels in love with him. He stole a piece of me the moment he glanced up from that booth and our eyes met. In that moment, I was his even if neither one of us knew it yet.
“Let’s find you something to wear to knock him on his ass, too,” she says, pulling away and turning toward the racks. “And don’t worry about paying. I’ve got it.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that.”
She glances over her shoulder and rolls her eyes. “Why do you always have to argue with me? I want to do this for you.”
“It’s just… I can afford to pay for it myself now.”
Turning to me, she scowls. “How?”
“After my mom died, a lawyer showed up to the house with a check for Theo and me. Apparently, she had money tucked away for us.”
“How much money?” she asks, her brow arching as she crosses her arms over her chest.
“A lot.” When she motions for me to continue, I sigh. “Almost half a million each.”
“What?” she shrieks, drawing the attention of everyone else in the store. I paste a smile on my face and wave them off before glaring at her.
“Shh.”
“Sorry,” she whispers. “But, what the fuck? Where did she get that kind of money?”
I shake my head. “I don’t have a clue.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“How the hell do I just drop that into conversation one day? Oh, hey, by the way, my mom was loaded and left her money to me.”
She nods. “Exactly like that would have worked.”
“I’m sorry, Mia. It’s all been a lot to process.”
After studying me, she sighs. “Any other secrets you’ve been keeping from me?”
Pursing my lips, I look away from her and she slaps my arm with the back of her hand.
“Spill now.”
“It’s just these prank calls I’ve been getting. I’m almost sure that it’s just Reed being a dumbass but they’re starting to get to me.” Relief washes over me as soon as the words leave my mouth. I don’t like to admit it but the calls are really starting to bother me, especially since they just keep coming. I’ve lost count of how many times my mystery caller has sung my name over the answering machine in the past week.