He reaches up and cuffs my forearm gently, his thumb brushing softly over my skin. “I was, too.”
“I’m scared,” I whisper in his ear.
“Of me?”
“No. Of us.”
He turns his head, and I press my forehead to his cheek.
“Why?”
“All my life I’ve sworn I wanted nothing to do with my father’s MC. And then you come along.”
He squeezes my arm. “I know the feeling.”
CHAPTER TEN
Tess—
It’s late Sunday afternoon when Gypsy pulls up a long gravel driveway. But it isn’t the place I remember. This is a ranch style house out in the country.
“You moved.”
“Yup. About a year ago.”
“You have a lot more land around you. It’s pretty out here.”
He stops the truck and jams the gearshift in park, then looks over at me. “I like it. Neighbors aren’t right on top of me, but it isn’t as convenient as the other place.”
“Still. It’s got to be worth the drive.”
He pulls on his door handle. “Come on. I’ll show you the rest of it.”
I climb out and follow him toward the door.
There’s a pond behind the house and a split rail fence to the right with some horses grazing in a pasture. I point. “Are those yours?”
“No. That’s the neighbor’s property. I just have this small tract of land. Those woods on the other side are state land.”
“Means you won’t have to worry about it being developed.”
“Exactly.”
I follow him up onto a porch and then inside. There’s a living room to the left with a fireplace, a kitchen on the right and a dining table in between.
“Wow.” He’s decorated in a masculine style with some nice motorcycle art and leather furniture. I don’t know what I was expecting, but not this. “Someone help you do all this?”
“What do you mean? Like move my shit in?”
“No, silly. The decorating.”
“Oh, yeah. My sister did most of that.”
“I like it.”
“Thanks, I’ll tell her.”
“So, you have a sister.”
“Yeah.”
“I’ve always wanted a sister.”
He nods but doesn’t say anything. And suddenly I’m pretty sure we’re both thinking the same thing. World doesn’t need anymore of Growler’s spawn.
“Were you close?”
“What, me and Jenna? Yeah, I guess. She’s younger by two years, so it wasn’t like she was a pain in the ass or anything, us being so close in age.”
I nod.
“How come Belle never had more kids?”
I roll my eyes. “She could barely take care of me. I think I was only conceived because she thought it would get Growler to marry her.”
He stares at me a moment, and I can tell he doesn’t want to continue this conversation. He jerks his head toward a backdoor. “Want to see the back?”
“Sure.”
I follow him out onto a porch that runs the length of the house. There are odds and ends and mismatched furniture out here, but it’s the view that grabs my attention. The pond is idyllic. “It’s lovely.”
“I like the quiet. Sometimes I just come out here to sit and get my head together, ya know?”
I instantly picture him out on the deck, kicked back in a chair with his feet up and a beer in his hand, just gazing at the view. “Yes, it’s a perfect place for that.”
“You want a beer?”
“Sure,” I reply and follow him inside. He grabs two longnecks out of the fridge, twists the cap on one, and hands it to me. “Thanks.”
I glance at the fireplace. “Is that wood burning?”
“Is there any other kind?” he teases with a grin.
“Build me a fire,” I plead. “I love the sound of the crackling wood and the smell of it.”
“Now? It’s not even cold outside.”
“Please? Just a small one.”
He rolls his eyes but sets his beer down and pushes his sleeves up as he squats down by the hearth. He opens the screen, and I see there are already a few split logs stacked. He grabs a piece of old newspaper he has in a pile and wads it up and stuffs it in between them, then pulls his lighter out and lights the paper. He tosses some small kindling on top, and soon there’s a nice fire.
He stands and leans a hand on the mantle, his eyes on the fire. They gleam with the light, and my gaze sweeps over his muscular body with his broad shoulders and lean hips. He looks so masculine standing there, and the sight of him mesmerizes me.
The sound of motorcycles carries to us, and he straightens, dropping his arm and turning. Both of us freeze for a second. I’m not sure he’s told anyone in his club about what he’s been doing with me. I doubt they’d be thrilled he’s driving me down to visit their old president. “Are you expecting anyone?”
“Nope.” He moves to a window and dips his head, parting the blinds with two fingers. “Fuck.”
“What’s wrong? Who is it?”
“My brothers. Looks like Reno, Jammer, and Bandit.” He drops his hand and the blinds snap back into position. His eyes pierce mine. “Haven’t told ‘em about you. Rather they don’t know about this deal we got goin’.”
“Is it a problem?”
“Could be. I’d just rather avoid explaining it all.”
My eyes dart to the window as the bikes roll up to the house and park. “So… what do we do?”
He jerks his head toward a door down the hall. “Mind waiting in the bedroom while I get rid of ‘em? Though, not sure how long it will take. I don’t want them to get suspicious.”
“Okay.” I look around for a place to set my beer, then think better of it and take it with me. I hurry down the hall and slip through the door as I hear booted feet on the porch.
“Hey, Gypsy!” one of them calls out.
I shut the door and turn. There’s still enough dusky light to see. There’s a bed with two nightstands and a high dresser. The bed’s unmade as if he just crawled out of it. The room isn’t messy, but there are a few shirts tossed over a chair. I think about turning a lamp on but decide against it. I don’t want to draw any attention to this room. I turn and press my head to the door and listen. I can hear voices but can’t make out what they’re saying. I know I shouldn’t, but curiosity gets the best of me and I open the door a fraction of an inch, just enough to hear.
“You got any beer?” someone asks.
“He better, I’m thirsty as hell,” another replies. I can hear someone walk across the floor and the refrigerator door open. “Craft beer? What the fuck is this shit. Where’s the Budweiser?”
“Got something against broadening your horizons? You don’t like it, then don’t fucking have one,” Gypsy responds, and I can’t stop my grin.
You tell ‘em, babe.
“What’d you guys want, anyway?” Gypsy snaps.
“What, we can’t stop by to see a brother?”