Before Hastie had come up, all I did was toss and turn, thinking about him lying just a few feet away. The sheets on my bed felt cold to the touch, and I desperately needed someone else to warm them.
It took me a while to muster up the courage to ask him, but as I walked to the top of the stairs and called his name out, I knew he’d come. That was the thing about Hastie. He was always there when I needed him.
Just as I knew it, he appeared at the bottom of the stairs in his jeans and a T-shirt. He was barefoot and something about that made me smile.
In repose, Hastie looked less like a threatening animal and more like a resting tiger. Up close, I could see the shadow of a beard growing on his strong jaw. It was undeniably sexy. This big, dangerous man was in my bed because I asked him to be and not once through the night did he reach over to cop a feel. Having this man in my bed comforted me more than any drug could.
The sun was out, signaling a new day and I was determined to make it another good one. Moving carefully so I wouldn’t wake Hastie, I climbed out of bed and dressed quickly. I had a bra on and was pulling on my jeans when Hastie’s rumbling voice scared the shit out of me. “Morning.”
I yelped in surprise but seeing that grin from my bed doused any irritation I had away. “Morning,” I said, dipping in for a kiss.
Hastie pulled me down, flipping me over onto my back. He grinned as he pinned my wrists to the bed. “I’m starving.”
“I could make you breakfast.”
Hastie shook his head and dropped his mouth to mine. “Not for that.” His mouth claimed mine in a scorching kiss. I curled my arms around his neck, doing the same with my legs around his waist. If we weren’t careful, this could get out of hand really quickly. Laughing, I pushed at his chest. “Let me up. I’ll make breakfast while you shower.”
“Sayin’ I stink, babe?”
My eyebrow rose up at his teasing tone. I wouldn’t have pegged him as a morning person. “You saying badass bikers don’t shower?”
Hastie nipped my bottom lip. “We like being dirty.” Hearing those words come from his mouth had my tummy doing a cartwheel.
“Dirty, huh? I wouldn’t have guessed that.”
“You haven’t been dirty with a badass biker yet,” he informed me.
“Hmm, you seem to be right. Closest thing I’ve had is a cowboy.”
His brows flew to his hairline. “A cowboy?”
“Yeah, you know those men who ride on horseback and—”
“I know what a cowboy is! No worries, babe. I’ll have my fill of you. You can bet on that.” That promise left no uncertainly about the state of my panties now. Definitely wet. When he straightened to his full height, I shuffled to the edge of the bed and got up.
“Giddy up,” he said, right before he swatted my ass hard enough to sting.
I glared over my shoulder at him, rubbing at the sore spot as Hastie grinned.
* * *
Within ten minutes I had breakfast ready. Omelets were the dish of the day. I made enough so that when Lucky and Seven woke, they could have some too.
When Hastie entered the kitchen, he was dressed in a plain white wife beater. The tank showed off his arms in full display, the beautiful tattoos running along one sleeve catching my attention immediately. How did I not notice that he wore a pair of dog tags around his neck?
“Smells good,” he said as he settled into the nearest chair. I handed him a glass of juice, not knowing what he preferred in the mornings. Did bikers even drink juice? Hastie mumbled a “thanks” and drank half of it in one gulp. Guess that answered that question.
I served him an omelet before settling into the chair opposite him. His eyes lit up as he looked down at the food. “Wow, eggs. I can’t remember the last time I had some.”
“Seven has a real talent with finding them. She won’t tell me where though.” Hastie took a bite, groaning as he chewed.
I nodded towards his dog tags. “Mind if I ask what it says?”
Hastie looked down at himself, leaning back so that the two metal discs were on full display. “You are not your failures,” he quoted.
“Good words to live by.”
He nodded. “Yeah, they’re good reminders.” He then brought another piece of the omelet to his mouth and chewed.
I sipped on my juice. “Hope it’s okay.” I’d never made breakfast for anyone else but for myself and Seven.
“More than. It’s delicious. Thank you.”
“There’s more of that if you want seconds.” His green eyes darted to the plates I saved for Lucky and Seven.
“I can cook my own. That won’t be enough for Lucky. He eats like he’s never seen food.”
I moved to hit the kitchen again but Hastie’s hand on my shoulder pushed me back down. “Sit, I’ll do it. You’ve done enough.”
“You’re going to cook?” He didn’t seem like the type of guy who knew how to.
Hastie simply shrugged. “I didn’t have a mother around to do it for me so I had to learn to be self-sufficient.”
My heart stuttered a beat. Hastie had never mentioned personal details about himself unless asked. “What happened to her?”
“She died when I was ten. Cancer.”
That was a young age for a kid to lose their mother. “I’m sorry.”
Hastie started making quick work in the kitchen, showing me that he indeed knew his way around. I was impressed, but it also showed me how little I knew of him. “It’s okay. It was a long time ago.” He opened the fridge and grabbed some eggs before gesturing at my plate. “Finish your food,” he ordered.
I sliced off a piece of my omelet and brought it to my mouth, chewing thoughtfully. But I couldn’t stop thinking about what he had just revealed. “Do you miss her?”
Hastie’s movements were fluid as he moved around the kitchen, only occasionally pausing to ask where I kept things. “All the damn time.” Though his body seemed relaxed, it was his eyes that showed his pain. The intense green was now muted, as if darkness had diluted some of his soul. “What about your parents?”
If Hastie was anyone else, my automatic response would be to change the subject, but I felt willing to answer him, especially since he had shared some of his past with me. “They’re dead.”
His eyes flipped up to meet mine, surprise registering there. “Sorry, I didn’t know.”
Yeah, most didn’t. And I hoped to keep it that way for a while longer. Except I found myself saying, “They died of sun fever.”
Hastie set the spatula down, placing his hands on the edge of the table. “Oh hell, baby.” I was glad I didn’t have to elaborate. It had been fairly recent. Still a few years ago but the cut was still fresh.
“We weren’t exactly a tight-knit family,” I continued, even though I didn’t know why. “The loss shouldn’t have hit me so hard, but they’re still family, you know? It still hurts.”
“I know.” Hastie nodded. “Must miss them, huh?”
“Every day. What about your dad? How did he take your mother’s death?”
Hastie exhaled a long breath before speaking. “I didn’t think anything worse could happen to us. And then the flares hit and I realized that yeah, shittier things could happen. After my mom died, he got a Harley, joined Glory MC, and rode his way to the top. The flares hit and people just sort of looked to him for answers. You’re prez and suddenly, people look to you for everything.”
“When did you join the club?”
“Four years ago, the day I turned eighteen.”
“And Lucky? He’s not part of the club, is he?”
Hastie slid the omelet from the pan onto the plate and shook his head. “Lucky’s special. He’s the only one we allow to ride with us who isn’t an official member.”
“Why’s that?”
He shook his head again. “Not my story to tell.” Cooking done, Hastie came to sit before me again, chowing down on his Hastie-made omelet. I settled back into my seat and watched him eat, awed by this new knowledge of him. Instead of the badass biker before me covered in tattoos and sporting a lip ring, I saw the young ten-year-old kid who lost his mother too soon.
Hastie’s eyes shot to mine. The clouds of grief had passed. “So what’s your plan for today?”
I leaned my elbows on the edge of the table, forcing the images back. “I work today. You?”
“Got Glory biz to take care of. So me and Lucky actually need to get going.”
I nodded despite the disappointment that ached within me. “Okay. Wake up Lucky, will you? I’d like to feed him before you guys leave.”
A smile appeared. “You’re real sweet, you know that?” I blinked, surprised by the compliment. “Thank you for breakfast.” Still grinning, Hastie stood and yelled for Lucky as he left the kitchen. Shamelessly, I watched his smooth gait as he crossed the foyer and entered the living room.
Then I stared down at his empty plate. Hastie could cook, but I should’ve figured that badass bikers didn’t do the dishes.
Sighing, I piled up the dirty dishes and headed over the sink. As the water ran, I couldn’t help but think about the life Hastie had lived. It seemed to be filled with chaos, a constant riot of emotions, never to stay level for long.
How did he manage it? One glance at the man and you could see he was steady. I almost envied that hardy quality to him.
A moment later, I heard the grumbling. That could only mean one thing. Seven was up and that was reason enough to stay clear of her. She was
not
a morning person.
Lucky strode into the kitchen then, wearing nothing but a pair of jeans. My eyes trailed over his torso and noted the corded muscles of his arms. He shot me a grin when he caught me looking. “Morning.”
“Morning,” I returned with a blush.
Not needing an invitation, he dropped his ass into the chair and started chowing down on the omelet. A second later, Seven walked in, stopping abruptly when she saw Lucky at the table. “Ugh, I really hoped it was a dream,” she muttered. Grabbing her plate, she chose the seat furthest away from him.
“This is great,” Lucky said, mouth full of eggs. “Thanks, Indy.”
I smiled. “No problem.”
“So good.” He shoved another forkful into his mouth, chewing and groaning. “Best. Day. Ever.”
“You’ll be late for your big day if you don’t hurry it up,” Hastie said where he leaned against the doorway, arms folded over his massive chest.
“What’s happening today?” Seven inquired as she sipped her juice.
Hastie glanced at Lucky.
The blond’s grin was infectious. “You’re looking at Glory’s newest member!” He glanced at the clock. “Or I will be by tonight.”
“That’s amazing, Lucky! Congrats!”
“Thanks, Indy. You should come.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I thought only Glory members were allowed for these things.” I looked at Hastie for confirmation.
“They are,” he agreed.
Lucky shrugged. “I want you to be there anyway. You’ll come, right?”
What would it be like to be there? I was dying to know what Glory MC was really like. There was no doubt that curiosity was demanding I take the opportunity. But on the other side, did I really want to put myself in that kind of danger?
As my mind warred between the two options, my eyes caught Seven’s. In the bright orbs, I saw a flicker of excitement. This was what she has been wanting for as long as I could remember, the chance to see Glory MC through an unfiltered lens. “I’ll go if you go,” I said to her.
Lucky whooped with excitement. “It’s settled then. You’re going!” He shot to his feet and left the kitchen, calling out, “Later!” before Hastie nodded once to me and followed him out.
Left alone in our house, Seven sidled up to me as I went back to cleaning the dishes. “What a night.”
“Crazy,” I agreed.
“But admit it, you thought it was fun too, right?”
A reluctant smile pulled up the corners of my mouth. “Yeah, it was all right.”
Snorting, Seven bumped her hip playfully with mine, reaching over to grab the cloth to dry the cleaned dishes. “So you and Hastie, huh? Is it serious?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t bullshit me. I’m your best friend.”
My eyes met hers. “I don’t know.” I didn’t want to look too far into his actions. “We’re just taking it easy.” I wasn’t even sure if this was the right thing to do given the way my moods were at the moment. One wrong decision could tip me over the edge.
“You sure? Because I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
“Like what?”
“Like you’re more important than his next breath.”
“Oh, come on.” I rolled my eyes. When had Seven become all poetic? The girl only cared about partying most days. “So do you really want to go tonight?”
“Of course I do. Especially since they won’t give me a tour of the clubhouse. You’re so lucky you work there. It’d be so easy just to sneak me in.”
“Oh no.” I shook my head. “Not going to happen.”
“Come on!” Seven slapped her palms together. “Just let me in before Neptune’s opens. No one will ever know.”
“I won’t risk my job just so you can snoop around.”
“Oh fine.” She pouted. “But that means we’re going tonight. I won’t pass up a chance to see what it’s like to be in Glory MC.”
“Deal.”
“By the way,” Seven said as she turned to leave. “I know you spent the night with Hastie. So it seems to me you’re into him way more than you’re letting on.”
I wished I could stop the flood of redness that crested my cheeks. The truth was, I was falling deep. Hastie had managed to get under my skin, impacting me so much that thoughts of him constantly ran through my mind. I had never felt this way before, with anyone. Falling wasn’t in my plans of surviving.
In fact, it could be the very opposite. Falling for Hastie could mean losing my grasp completely. I just hadn’t decided if that was a good or bad thing yet.
NINE
Shit Fit
Indy
T
he smoke-spitting generators had long worn out. Neptune’s was illuminated in a wash of soft light from a collection of candles. I dished out two Miller Lites, a vodka rocks, and a Jack and Coke in record time, gaining the approving nods of familiar patrons. By now, I had fallen into a comfortable rhythm at Neptune’s, had made new friends with a few regulars and had even found the time to help the waitresses with their empties. Life was good.