"If I have a phone."
"Then, yeah." He kissed her. "I won't lock you in."
She grinned, loving the changes that were happening. He palmed her ass, lifting her off her feet. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her away from the hotel.
She laughed. "Where are you taking me?"
He set her down on her feet, dug in his pocket, and handed her the keys to her Jeep. "Let's go home, Gracie."
After he got her settled in the vehicle and returned to his Harley with instructions to lead the way, she squeezed the steering wheel in her excitement. Then, she pulled ahead, looking in the rearview mirror.
That was her man following her. She was never going to let him go.
Chapter Thirty Five
The locals spread out in the yard surrounding the clubhouse, filling the picnic tables and catching up with the local gossip. Keenan stood at the gate, standing guard. It was the second time they'd opened the place after canceling all the Friday get-togethers throughout the summer while the club went through the switch.
"Old man Nutter is making his way to the front door. Someone needs to stop him from going inside." Keenan spoke under his breath so as not to be overheard by the locals.
"I'll get him." Prez cut across the grass, weaving between the groups.
Problem taken care of, Keenan scanned the parking area outside the fence, catching sight of Trip bent down beside his motorcycle. Nothing was wrong with his Harley. They had men at every corner of the property and around the field to ensure everyone remained safe and nobody else, but the locals, came to the get-together.
The heightened security would remain for as long as they felt it was needed. None of them knew what the future held. Each day, they learned more about each other. He often found himself contemplating how new information about their past could make him question his loyalty to men he only knew through the Alpha Bio Project.
He searched out Grace, sitting with a group of women. She talked with J.J. while including Laurel in the conversation. Bonnie sat on the other side of the picnic table, listening intently. She bonded quickly with the women, even shrugging off the information he'd given her about being intimate with J.J. in the past. His chest warmed. His woman could overlook a lot because she lived her life one day at a time. Yesterday no longer mattered.
Her outlook on life influenced him. He'd remained sober and drug-free. On hard days when it would be easier to reach for a drink or something to snort to numb the pain of what he'd gone through, or he couldn't shake his nightmares, she was there, showing him how to enjoy the moment.
"Where's Zach and Kenny?" said Trip in Keenan's ear.
He looked out into the field and whispered, "Kenny's riding the trac on his motorcycle, and Zach's getting handsy with Trina."
"Damnit. Johnny, hold my position." Trip walked past Keenan and jogged through the crowd at a normal pace.
Keenan chuckled. Those two kids were never going to make it until they graduated.
"Heads up," whispered Johnny.
Keenan turned, prepared for trouble. "What do you see?"
"Tourists are riding this way on bikes."
Keenan closed the gate and moved over to the line of motorcycles to his right. He stepped up to his Harley, aware of the bicyclists riding past.
A minute later, Johnny said, "All clear."
Trip jogged back, stopping beside Keenan. "Go ahead and get something to eat. I'll take your position while Johnny's out there."
"Thanks, man." He smacked Trip's arm.
Approaching the table, he snuck up behind Grace and nuzzled the side of her neck. She reached up and stroked his jaw through his beard without stopping her conversation with the others. When she finished, she turned and held up her hands. He pulled her to her feet.
"Ready to eat?" she asked.
"I could go for a piece of apple pie." He walked over to the food table with her, holding the plates as she piled stuff on.
A pleasant side effect of the switch was regaining his appetite for sweets. Damn, he loved a good apple pie. He'd bump up his workout tomorrow so the sugary treat wouldn't settle on his body.
"I know you're not going to eat everything I'm giving you." Grace's eyes twinkled. "But Adele Johnson is watching everyone and judging if they eat more of the food she brings or if they pick Paula's dishes. So I'm making sure we get equal amounts to keep them from bickering the next time there's a Friday get-together."
"That's ridiculous," he mumbled.
Grace shrugged. "You never know, when we get old, we might have weird things we bicker about, too."
"I doubt that." He steered her over to an empty table and sat down beside her.
Before she could take a bite, he hooked her neck and brought her mouth toward him. He tasted her, enjoying the way her mouth softened, and her tongue came out to kiss him back. Knowing he couldn't have her until tonight when they went home, he pulled back with quick kisses.
"I'd give up pie for you." He nuzzled her nose with his. "Damn, you taste sweet. Give me another kiss."
She laughed softly. "Bonnie made us girls a drink while we were setting up the tables. It was very sweet and potent."
He slid his hand off her neck and swallowed, wanting to drink her sweetness. Grace placed her hand on his thigh and frowned. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." He turned toward his plate, but the sensation of his heart racing—even though he knew it wasn't, distracted him from eating.
Grace rubbed his leg, glancing at him. He could feel her gaze, wondering what was wrong. But she wouldn't bring it up at the get-together in front of the others.
He rubbed his hand over his face and shoved the plate away from him. Grace leaned her head against his arm, silently supporting him.
He reached down and patted her leg. "I'm okay, Gracie."
"Sure?"
Aware that any Avery Falls Motorcycle Club members could overhear their conversation and he'd already disclosed to Prez about his past, he turned to Grace and lowered his voice.
"I'm an addict."
She frowned. "You mean you were. I've never seen you take any alcohol or even a Tylenol."
"No, I mean I'm an addict. It doesn't go away. I might not have used since I was brought to Avery Falls, but it's there inside of me, alive and reminding me constantly that it would be easy to chase the dragon."
She kissed his arm. "I won't drink anymore."
"I can't ask—"
"You don't have to ask. I have no plans to stop kissing you, so there's that." She picked up a roll and took a big bite. When she finished swallowing, she looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Thank you for telling me."
He stared at her, amazed at her acceptance of everything that came with loving him. She deserved a perfect man, and instead, she wanted him.
He leaned over and kissed her forehead. She squeezed her eyes closed, and when she opened them again, she smiled softly at him.
She wouldn't pressure him to tell her more. For that, he was grateful. Maybe someday, he'd share his nightmarish past with her. But for now, he was only living for the moment.
Grace slid his plate back in front of him. "I talked to Amelia today."