It was only minutes before Donnelly said, “Yeah, I recognize them. Brothers in the Iron Guardian MC. Brock’s MC.”
Well fuck.
It was late when he got to Cedar’s. He didn’t have to knock. She’d been waiting for him. He liked that a fucking lot.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
She’d changed into yoga pants and a tee; her hair was down, her face washed. She was fucking beautiful. He stepped into her, wrapped a hand around her neck, pulled her to him and gave in to the need to taste her. She sighed, her lips parted, her hands fisted his shirt to pull him closer.
One taste was all it took for him to get addicted. He moaned, cradled the back of her head and kissed her deeper, sweeping her mouth with his tongue. Fuck, she was sweet. She pressed against him, all her soft curves pressed against his hard lines. His hand roam down her back to her ass, her arms moved around his neck, her tongue exploring his mouth. She moaned, rubbed against his growing cock and moaned again.
He’d fuck her right there, but then he remembered that fucker in the woods. He walked them inside, closing the door at his back. He didn’t carry her to her bed or the sofa or the fucking kitchen counter like he wanted to. He cradled her face in his hands, brushed his lips over hers a few times then pulled back.
Her cheeks were flush, her lips were swollen, and her eyes were both soft and hot, desire staring back at him. Fuck, now he was cock blocking himself.
“Fuck,” he whispered, resting his forehead on hers. He lifted his head and added, “I have to do a few things. Not going to be around much for the next few days.”
Took her a second, confusion replacing desire.
“And we need to talk.”
Worry chased confusion.
“In the meantime, Cooper and Max are staying here.” During the day, Graham and his crew were there. She was covered.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“Not sure yet. Need to look into a few things.”
“Okay.”
“Just like that?” he asked.
“You’re concerned, which is why you’re leaving your dogs. You want me to be careful, another reason you’re leaving your dogs, but not worried until you know what I need to be worried about.”
“You got all of that from what I said?” he asked, humor in his tone.
“I’m right, aren’t I?”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
“Okay, so I’ll be cautious and wait until you’re ready to share the details.”
His hands moved down her back to her ass. He pulled her close, her eyes went hazy with lust, as he rubbed his cock against her, her legs parted and her hips moved with him. He kissed her hard on the mouth, pulled her lower lip between his teeth and bit down. She moaned. “We’re coming back to this.”
“Damn right we are.”
He grinned, kissed her again then released her, or he wouldn’t be leaving. He opened the door and whistled. Cooper and Max came running and made themselves at home, jumping up on her sofa and getting comfortable. “Lock your door,” he ordered.
“Yes, Sir.”
Hot eyes looked back at her, his hand fisted, so he didn’t yank her to him to explore that sassy mouth again. “Next time I see you, wear your dress.”
Her eyes went soft. “You liked it?”
“Yeah, but I’ll like it even more taking it off you.”
He winked and closed the door, satisfied she was feeling as he was. He waited to hear the lock then strolled to his truck. Lust took a backseat. Trouble was coming, he needed to know from who and why.
Chapter Nineteen
Cedar
The porch was done, no phallic shaped rungs. Graham had hung the planters, and I was filling them, but thoughts of Killian from last night were distracting me. I could still taste him, feel his hands on me. That man, he had crept up on me, burrowed in deep, and now, I was a junkie for him.
His parting words, he’d done it on purpose, leaving me with the thought of him… I hadn’t smiled this much in a long time. The racing of my blood through my veins, I didn’t think I’d ever felt quite like this before. I’d moved out here to find me, and in the process, I found a man who didn’t just stir my blood, he reached in deep and touched a part of me I thought I’d lost.
Cooper and Max sat up seconds before I heard the tires on the gravel. I didn’t recognize the car or the two people who climbed from it. The man reached into the backseat for a cooler, before he came around the car, took the woman’s hand and headed my way. Cooper and Max were already greeting them when I approached.
“Sorry to just pop in. I’m Maureen, Killian’s mom.”
“And I’m Jared.” His dad said, putting the cooler down to offer me his hand.
“Cedar. Hi.”
“I know we’ve surprised you, but Killian said you were interested in my meatball recipe, so I thought the best way to share would be to show you. We’ve brought all the fixings and enough to feed the boys,” she said, gesturing to Graham and his crew. “Besides, you were supposed to come to dinner, but my son is always being called away.”
Dinner? He was going to bring me to meet his parents? When? Warmth moved through me. Maureen was taking my arm and leading me back to my house. “The sauce has to simmer for a bit. Best we get to it.”
Jared put the cooler on the floor in the kitchen, turned to Maureen and kissed her forehead. “I’m going to see what they’re doing out there. See if I can help.”
“Be careful.”
Jared walked past me and grinned. “Always nagging.” But that was said in good humor.
Maureen made herself at home. Unpacking the cooler, getting the pots and pans out. She even poured us each a glass of wine, before the shock of their visit ebbed, and I was able to not just have a thought but voice it.
“This was really nice of you.”
She waved that off. “Killian has never mentioned a girl, so when he mentions one and asked me to share my recipes, I know this is a woman I need to meet.” She took a sip of her wine, studied me from over the rim then smiled. “I’m told I’m like a tornado, but you just hold on Cedar, and you’ll be fine.”
I looked at my counter to all the items she’d unpacked, plum tomatoes, basil, onion and garlic, cheese and red wine, of which we were drinking, anchovies and ribs.
“To start, we need to crush the tomatoes. These are San Marzanos, from my garden.” She didn’t ask, just slid the tomatoes and bowl over to me. “While you do that, I’m going to brown these ribs. I like using pork, but you can use beef.”