"Earth to Jolene."
I blinked and focused my gaze on Raven, who was wide awake now and staring at me over the rim of her cup.
She laughed. "I was talking to you for five minutes before I realized that you were off somewhere else." There was amusement in her tone.
A low laugh escaped me. "I guess I zoned out."
"I'll say. Who were you crushing on?"
"Crushing on?" I laughed a little too loudly. "I'm too old to crush on anyone."
"You're never too old to have a crush," Raven argued, refilling her cup. "I've known you almost a year, and I don't think I've ever seen you with anyone."
I released a breath. "Men are intimidated by me." She gave me a smirk. "I'm serious! Look at me. I'm almost six-feet-tall. I'm not a cute little peanut like you." We both laughed at that. "If it's not my height, it's my beauty," I joked.
She stared at me seriously for a minute. "You don't really believe that crap, do you? I mean, don't get me wrong, honey. You are definitely beautiful, but not all men want a tiny little woman in their bed. You may be taller than all of us old ladies, but you are still way shorter than most of our men."
That was true, and only because the men were beasts.
"I'm really not worried about it. The right man will come along some day. I've just been so busy at the store and trying to deal with my wayward brother. I really haven't had time to think about men." Well, that was a flat out lie, because I thought about LD all the time.
"Maybe we can match you up with someone at the club. They may all look rough around the edges and have unfiltered speech, but they're good men, honey. I've seen how some look at you when you're around."
I laughed, wondering how we’d even got on this subject. "Raven, you're a sweetheart, but please do not try and hook me up with anyone at your club." Unless it’s LD. But I wasn't going to tell her that. "I'm only thirty-two. Hardly an old maid."
"No one interest you at the club?"
I turned to rinse out my cup so she couldn't see the lie in my eyes. "No one at your club interests me," I insisted, turning back around to see the one man who did as he stepped into the room with Cole and Sax. They'd been right outside the door. I held my breath as my gaze was caught and held by LD. The intensity in his eyes sent a chill down my spine and turned my nipples hard. Shit!
I was suddenly aware of my attire. Raven was wearing a robe, she must have been expecting the men to return, but I was wearing a tiny pair of lacy boy shorts and a cropped top that exposed the thin gold chain hanging low on my hips. When LD’s eyes took that in I swear his nostrils flared and his jaw tightened. Maybe I had imagined his response, but I wasn't imaging the fisted hands hanging at his sides.
It suddenly felt as if he and I were the only two people in the room.
With my heart in my throat I pulled my eyes away, meeting the twinkle of humor in Raven's. "Shit! I'll be right back!" I spun on my heel, face on fire when I realized that my shorts had ridden up between my butt cheeks. I rushed from the room and down the hallway, hearing the men's chuckles and Raven's muttering as she scolded them.
When I reached my bedroom I closed the door and leaned against it for a moment, trying to stop my racing heart. The look on LD's face had been frightening. Then why did it excite me? I ran my arm over my hard nipples, feeling the tingle, and then rushed to the bathroom. I looked in the mirror, sighing at the woman who looked back at me. I could always blame my flushed cheeks on embarrassment, but I knew the truth.
I was attracted to LD.
Even though he'd come right out and said that he didn't like me, it hadn’t changed what I felt about him. There was just something about him, and there had been from the very beginning when I'd met him for the first time when he and his brothers had showed up outside of their business. They'd reminded me of warriors, sitting on their huge bikes, dressed all in black, and reeking of testosterone and danger.
The others had been friendly, but LD had looked on without emotion or acknowledgement of any kind. He'd just sat there on his bike, arms crossed, with the coldest expression I'd ever seen on his rugged face. He hadn't cared to introduce himself as his brothers had. Hadn't returned my welcoming smile.
His attitude hadn't improved over the months that had followed. The few times that he'd come around, he'd remained just as standoffish. Especially the time that he'd walked in to find me and Holly having lunch together. He'd dropped off a few invoices, picked up a zippered bag, and left with barely a word to Holly. I remember giving Holly a confused look at the time, and she'd just shrugged and mumbled, "That's LD."
After that I hadn't questioned his abrupt comings and goings, deciding that was just his way. But I did watch him, covertly, when I didn't think he'd notice, and I couldn't deny that the big brute got my blood hot. It bothered me more than I was willing to admit that he didn't like me. I was a very likable person. Maybe I reminded him of someone else who he didn't like. Who knew?
All I knew was that I'd spent enough time thinking about him.
I shook my head and went back into the bedroom where my bag was. I pulled out my red bikini, a pair of shorts, and tee and quickly dressed, and then slipped my feet into sandals. Raven and I were meeting everyone at Bobbie's to spend a day tanning poolside, and then later we were going to the Desert Rebels’ clubhouse.
Holly was the reason I was now friends with Raven, Annie, JoJo, Bobbie, Ellie, and Demon's sister, Annabelle. Working side-by-side, Holly and I had become close friends, and I missed her terribly. Three months after opening the construction office she'd taken off. I knew why she'd left and where she was, and I lived with the guilt of that knowledge every day, but I'd promised her that I would keep her secret and her whereabouts to myself. My only condition had been that she stay in touch with me.
I brushed my long hair and twisted it up into a messy knot on top of my head. I was pretty low maintenance when I wasn't working, and today was no different. No makeup, no perfume, no freaking heels. I'd forgotten what a casual day off felt like. Not that Illuminations was open twenty-four-seven, but it was six days out of the week, and I was there most of the time, even when Teresa worked. Sundays were a fog because I usually slept in till noon and then spent the rest of the day doing housework, laundry, and grocery shopping.
I left my room and hesitated halfway down the hallway. I could still hear voices downstairs, which meant that the men hadn't gone. I chastised myself for being a coward and took a deep breath before continuing down. As soon as I entered the kitchen I wished that I hadn't, because Raven was nowhere in sight. Neither was Cole. God, don't tell me they were off doing the dirty again.
Sax and LD were sitting at the island, each holding a cup of coffee and talking low. When they noticed me their conversation halted abruptly. I smiled at the serious expressions on their faces. "Where's Raven?"
"Talking to Cole in the bedroom."
Sure they are, I thought to myself. They'd "talked" their way through half the night. I kept my eyes on Sax. "Can I fix either of you something to eat while you wait?" I'd stayed with Raven and Cole a few times now and felt confident enough to give their food away. If I'd learned one thing with my association with the club, it was that they were all one, big, happy family.