“What are you laughin’ at?” Bash snaps. “From what I’m seein’, you could be in the same boat as the rest of us quick as that.” He snaps his fingers.
Sly’s warm hand closes over the nape of my neck and squeezes affectionately. His eyes meet mine, but his answer is for Bash. “Brother, if you’re tryin’ to warn me off, I got news for ya, it ain’t gonna work. That kind of shit doesn’t scare me in the least.”
“You say that now, but wait until you’re lookin down the barrel of a gun called diaper duty.”
“Chaos looked a little distracted the other night.”
“A little? He’s losing his mind worryin’ about Cambri’s delivery.”
“So, we ridin’ the tail today, or not?”
“Don’t get your panties in a wad, little girl. Jeez,” Sly snaps and jerks his chin to the refrigerator. “Help yourself to a beer while we get dressed.”
He slides me off his lap, thankfully without flashing everyone in the room, although I can see they’re all hoping for a glimpse. I move quickly before him, darting down the hall with the men’s chuckles echoing after me.
When the bedroom door closes behind us, I whirl on Sly. Before I can hiss out a litany of curses, he scoops me up in his arms, and my legs go around his waist as he places me on my back upon his bed.
“What are you doing?” I hiss.
His hand moves to the fastening on his jeans, and before I know it, he’s got his dick out and is thrusting it inside me.
I stutter in a breath at the feeling of Sly filling me so perfectly. He grinds against me, engaging all my over-sensitized nerve endings. My inner thighs are still sore, and I moan as his mouth comes down on mine.
As he begins to rock against me, he pulls his head back to look down at my face, and I can see that bad-boy devilment in his eyes. He loves the fact that his brothers are right down the hall, probably listening to every sound. He thrusts harder until the headboard starts banging against the wall.
He grins down at me, loving that I can’t stop him from broadcasting our hot-as-hell fuck to all of his brothers.
“Sly, stop. What are you doing?” I hiss again, really meaning it this time.
“Letting ’em all know you’re mine, babe. Letting ’em all know I can’t keep my hands off your sexy, fucking body.”
I’m turning pink with embarrassment, and what does the man do? He pours gasoline on the fire.
“Oh, yeah, baby. Fuck, yeah,” he growls so loudly, I’m sure they hear every word.
Eighteen
Michaela—
Sly takes me with him on the ride with his brothers. I’m not sure if they’re too pleased about it, but he doesn’t seem to care. We ride three hours up to a place called Deal’s Gap, Tennessee. It’s a beautiful ride and I’m having a blast. The roads are crazy scary with a bunch of hairpin turns, but Sly handles his bike like a pro, which he kind of is. They call it the Dragon’s Tail.
The guys inform me this is only a small portion of the trail.
The day is beautiful. When we arrive, we eat lunch in a small diner and then lounge in the grass outside. I’m sitting Indian-style while Sly stretches out next to me, resting on one elbow with his boots crossed.
He points out a tree where they’ve nailed up a bunch of motorcycle parts from all the wrecks they have up here. He tells me they call it the Tree of Shame.
His brothers run into several guys they know and wander off to chat.
I tickle Sly’s face with a long piece of grass. He grabs at my hand, and the next thing I know, I’m lying flat on my back, pinned to the ground, staring up into his smiling face.
“Told you, babe, I’m an ex-wrestling champ. You can not win this game.”
I cock a brow and wiggle my pelvis.
“Now you’re playin’ dirty.”
I nod and laugh.
He leans down and kisses me, then let’s me up.
I brush the stray grass off me. “I really need to be back by four.”
He frowns. “Why? I thought you said the bar was always closed the day before Easter?”
“Yes, because we’re always busy. We have a family tradition. I can’t let my mother down now, not the very first holiday Da is gone.”
“What’s the family tradition?”
“We deliver Easter baskets and food boxes to needy families so they’ll have essentials and goodies for a nice Easter tomorrow. We’ve been doing it since I was old enough to remember. I always went with my father as a child, but I guess this year it’ll be my brother and me.”
“All right. Let’s go. I can help you with that.”
“You?”
“Yeah, why not? Or does it have to be family only?”
“No, you’re welcome to come, but I’m surprised you’d want to spend your time doing this. I just thought you’d be busy with the club or something.”
“Michaela, I’ve got time, and I want to do this with you. Say the word if you don’t want me around.”
“I want you around.”
“Then let’s head back. We can use my truck to haul the boxes.”
“You’re sure?”
He stands, pulling me to my feet. “I said so, didn’t I? If I didn’t want to help, I wouldn’t offer. Told you, I don’t say shit I don’t mean.”
“Okay. I’d appreciate your help, and I’d love to spend more time with you.”
“Let me go tell the guys we’re cutting out. I think they had plans to keep goin’, maybe spend the night up here somewhere.”
“Oh? Were you planning on that?”
“Babe, I’d rather spend time with you than my sweaty, drunken brothers.”
“They’re not drunk.”
“They will be. Give ’em a few hours.”
“You ride drunk?”
“Not on this road. They’ll hole-up somewhere and booze it up.”
“So now I feel bad, like I’m encroaching on your fun.”
“Michaela, been there, done that, and some other day, I’ll probably do it again, but you and me—this is new.”
I smile at his explanation, pleased he’s choosing time with me over the club. I’m sure, if whatever this is between us continues, that won’t always be the case. But for today, I decide to shut up and enjoy it.
I nod. “Thank you, Sly.”
“For what?”
I shrug, smiling. I press my lips to his. “For being you.”
He shakes his head, hooks me around the neck, and we move off to tell his brothers goodbye.
By five o’clock we’re loading the last of the boxes with the food Ma and Aunt Kathleen collected.
“When did your family start this tradition?” Sly asks my mother.
“Cullen started doing this when he was a teenager. We were dating when he was asked to do some type of community service. It didn’t have to be big, just some way to help. At the time, he had a car and a little money from cutting lawns, so he decided he was going to gift two families with food for a nice Easter dinner and baskets for their kids. He asked the church for the names of two families who would be too proud to ask for help. Then he attached a note that said: This is a gift from a friend. If you can, someday pay it forward.