Maybe I’m being a hypocrite, and maybe I’m holding him to a higher standard than I am holding everyone else to.
“When did things get so damn difficult?” I groan, burying my face in his chest. “I’m just going to stay here forever and never move again. I’m done with being an adult.”
His chest moves as he laughs. “It will be fine; the worst of it is over. You told your mom you’re moving, which was the hardest part. Tomorrow I’ll help you pack so you don’t have too much to do, and then I’ll head home. You spend a week with your family, and then I’ll come back to pick you up.”
“I can just drive there. I need to bring my car anyway,” I say, raising my eyes to his. “There’s no point you driving all the way back here.”
“You sure?” he asks, frowning. “Nah, I want to come and get you. After not seeing you for a whole week, I’m going to be going crazy.”
“You’ll survive,” I tease, pushing off his body, and sit on the edge of the bed. The hotel room is identical to the one we had our first date in, which is pretty cute, and brings back those memories. “Have you spoken to Saint? Anything happened back home?”
“Back home, hey?” he murmurs, smile in his voice.
“You know what I mean,” I say, laughing as he pulls me back down on top of him. I guess I have already started seeing the clubhouse as my new home, without even realizing it.
“I like that you’re already thinking of it as your home,” he whispers in my ear, sending goose bumps all over my skin. “The thought of you living there makes me so happy, you have no idea.”
“Good,” I say, and moan as he places a soft, tingling kiss on the side of my neck.
“And everything is fine back home. No drama,” he assures me, kissing me again. “Life is probably waiting for us to return before it throws some more shit at us.”
“You know what they say, you’re only given what you can handle,” I breathe, arching my neck as he continues to torture me.
“Well then, we can handle anything.”
I feel like we’re definitely going to test that theory.
* * *
After packing up everything I want to take back with me and loading some of it into Temper’s car, we go sightseeing, and do a hike together up one of the mountains.
“This is our first time doing exercise together,” I say, turning back to point at him. “Besides boxing and sex.”
“I was about to say.” He smirks, placing his hands on my hips. “I don’t know, though—we’ve done a lot of running into cars to get away from being shot.”
“That’s true,” I admit, panting as we make it to the top. “How are you not dying right now? Your stamina is insane.” I cover his mouth with my hand. “Don’t even say anything.”
Resting on my knees, I catch my breath before looking out at the beautiful view, the reason why I had to walk for over two hours. “I forgot how amazing it is up here.”
The area is unusual and gorgeous, especially amidst the desert. Temper looks out over all the greenery, the lush forest, the green sky and the large lake. “Definitely worth the trek.”
He wraps his arm around me and pulls me closer to his side, and we just take in the view, and the moment. It’s nice to think that this is just the beginning, we have so much to experience together, so many firsts, and many more adventures.
“I’m glad we decided to do this,” he admits, taking a picture of the view on his phone. “I don’t know why you thought staying in bed naked together instead was a better idea.”
“That was you,” I say with narrowed eyes. “You’re the fiend here.”
“Can you blame me? Have you seen you? Keeping my hands off you is a hard task, and sometimes I seem to fail at it. Plus, a week, remember.”
“How can I forget? We should take a selfie,” I tell him, pulling out my phone. “Can you take it? You’re so tall I probably won’t even be able to get your head into the shot.” He takes the camera from me, and takes not one, but a few photos, which I appreciate. “Thanks. We look cute together.”
“You’re only realizing that now?” he asks.
We have some water and a snack then head back down the mountain. The closer we get to the end, the sooner it means he’ll be leaving without me. I will miss him, but I’ll see him soon enough. I only have one thing on my mind right now, and that’s getting him back for the prank he pulled on me in the car.
He’s not going to know what hit him.
* * *
In the middle of the night, dressed in all black, armed with a flashlight and my sidekick sister, I drive to the hotel and park next to Temper’s car.
“This is going to take a long time,” I admit, wincing. “But going to be so worth it. He’s going to flip out. I wish I was going to be here in the morning to see his face.”
“Definitely going to be worth it,” she responds, handing me a huge pack of Post-its. We both get out of the car and start to cover his entire car in little multicolored Post-its.
“Okay, this is going to take longer than I thought.” I groan, but smirk when I see how it’s starting to look. “I’d be so pissed if someone did this to my car.”
“It’s pretty funny,” my sister says, laughing to herself.
Once we’re all done, on the one that covers his door handle, I write:
Checkmate.
Giggling, we get back into our car and speed home.
* * *
Before I even wake up properly, I can hear my mom’s and Temper’s voices. Groaning, I roll out of bed and head downstairs. They haven’t had a chance to have a conversation without me, so I don’t know if I should intervene and save him or let them just have it out once and for all.
“You know, you could tell her this isn’t a good idea,” my meddling mother says to him. “She’s safest here, with her family.”
“She’s old enough to make her own decisions,” Temper says to her respectfully. “And I’d love to have her near L.A. with me, so I’m not going to talk her out of that. If she told me that she wanted to stay here, then I’d respect her decision either way. It’s whatever she wants and whatever will make her happy. I know you’re sad that she’s leaving, but you aren’t losing her. She’ll visit and stay in contact, and it’s only a few hours away. It’s not like she’s moving to a different country.”
“She’s blinded,” Mom replies, and it’s then I realize that she’s not actually listening to what we’re saying. She can’t see out of her own views and feelings, and she doesn’t actually care how I feel about anything.
Stepping down the rest of the stairs, I walk into the kitchen, where they’re both sitting, having coffee. “Good morning.”
“Morning,” Temper says.
“Coffee?” they both ask me at the same time.
“Yes, please,” I say, lip twitching as Mom quickly goes to make me one. Temper opens his arms and gives me a big hug. “You all packed and ready to go?” I ask, squeezing him tightly.
“Yeah. Is there anything else of yours you want me to fit into the car? I have lots of space.”
I nod. “Yeah, I have a few boxes that I’ve left in my room. If you could take them, that would be awesome.”
“I’ll go and get them now,” he murmurs, kissing my temple.
While he heads up and down the stairs, retrieving the boxes, I have my coffee and then follow him to his car. “I’m going to miss you,” I say. “Call me when you get home safely?”
“I will,” he promises, looking down at me and scanning my eyes. “And let me know if you want me to come and pick you up, all right? I don’t love the idea of you driving there all alone.”
“I’ll be fine,” I say, rolling my eyes. I know he doesn’t like it, but I like that he flat out doesn’t try to tell me no, you can’t do that. He lets me make my own decisions, and I know that it’s hard for someone like him, w
ho is used to deciding everyone’s fate and having the last word on all decisions.
He kisses me, cupping my face, his mouth telling me without words how much he truly is going to miss me. My eyes flutter back open as he pulls away, and I reach out for him as he gets into his car.
“I love you,” he says.
“I love you, too,” I reply, watching as he drives away.
I’m going to miss him, but I know that the next time I see him, I’m going to be living with him, and that is huge. I’m also excited to spend some quality time with my family before I move away.
Sighing, I head back into my room, only to find a huge spider, the size of my fist, on my bed.
I start screaming loudly, running out of my room and into my sister’s, who was fast asleep but is now awake and standing on her bed in nothing but her underwear.
“What is it? What is it?” she asks, putting her hands up like she’s about to fight someone.
“There’s a spider on my bed. It’s huge. Can you catch it and put it outside?” I ask, covering my cheeks with my palms.
She throws on her robe and grabs a container, then steps into my room. “Holy fuck, that thing is massive. It’s basically Aragog.”
She makes a little sound of hesitation, then steps closer to the bed and places the container on the spider.
“Wait a minute,” she says, tilting her head to the side. Lifting the container, she takes the spider in her hand, and throws it on me.
Screaming, I run out of the room, ignoring her high-pitched laughter.
“It’s plastic,” she calls out to me, still laughing.
“What?” I ask, coming back into the room. “It’s fake?” She nods. “Fuck,” I say out loud.
And then it all hits me.
The Post-its.
He must have placed the spider on my bed when he went up to get the boxes.
“The bastard got the last word in the end,” I say.
She laughs some more.
Chapter Thirty
My mom spends the next few days trying to get in my head and make me change my mind about leaving. It doesn’t work, and I think she realizes that, because she starts to give up.
“I’m going to miss you,” she says one morning, still in her pajamas, her hair mussed from sleep. “I’ve been thinking about everything that you’ve said to me, and you’re right. You’re old enough to do your own thing, and I shouldn’t project my worries on you. You’re just so fearless, Abbie, and it scares me. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.”
“I’m going to be fine, Mom,” I promise, taken aback by her admission. I truly wasn’t sure if she was going to come around and make this easier on me, or if she was going to let me leave without us on good terms, which would have made me feel really bad. “I have a man who will do anything for me, and wonderful new friends, and I’m finally going to follow my dreams of finishing my degree.”
“I’m proud of you,” she admits, smiling sadly. “I don’t think I’m ever going to stop worrying about you, but I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I say, giving her a big hug. “It means a lot to me. I’ll still call you all the time, and come see you when I can. Or you can come and see me. Okay?”
“Okay,” she breathes, rubbing my back.
It’s nice for her to finally see things from my perspective, and not just from her own, and I really appreciate her doing that because I know how hard it must have been for her to let go of her own worries and insecurities.
I finish packing my room, and I spend most of my time with Ivy. I’m really going to miss her, but I know that we will still see each other, and it’s exciting to think of her coming out to visit me. We even plan to do a trip to New York together. I have enough money saved that it will last me a few months, and it gives me plenty of time to find a job, which saves me a lot of stress. Perks of living at home for so long, I was able to put away a good-sized chunk of money to use for whatever I please.
Temper calls me every night, and sends me good morning messages every morning. I look forward to them every day, but it’s also nice that during the day we do our own thing and aren’t spending all of our time constantly chatting and ignoring everyone else around us.
When it’s time for me to drive back, Ivy sits on the hood of my car, her cute little sad face breaking my heart. “This is the end of an era,” she says, wrapping her arms around herself.
“When can you come and visit me? Next week?” I ask, giving her a big hug.
“When I have my college break,” she says, resting her cheek on my shoulder. “I think Mom would have a heart attack if I left right away.”
“You’re probably right.”
Mom rushes outside, containers of food in her hands. “I packed something for you to eat on the drive over, and some extras for Temper.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I say, taking the food from her, and I put it in the passenger’s seat. “I’ll call you both when I get there.”
Mom gives me a long hug, and when she lets me go, there are tears in her eyes. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I say to her, giving Ivy another hug, and then get into my car. I’m moving to a town near L.A.
To live in a clubhouse full of bikers.
And I’m going to love every second of it.
Chapter Thirty-One
One Month Later
Glancing around our bedroom, I smile at the final touches: the potted plants in the corner adding a little greenery, the bookshelf, the chair and the framed canvas photo of Temper and me above the bed.
“Looks beautiful,” Temper says, standing behind me. “More homey than it’s ever been. But I think that’s just because you’re here, not because of all the fancy shit you’ve put in.”
I rest my hands on his as they come around my waist. “I think it feels homey, too.”
Sometimes, home is a person instead of a place.
I’ve loved my first few weeks of officially living in the clubhouse. I’ve started my new job at Grapevine, a cool bar that I love, even if Temper usually sends someone in to check on me if he can’t do it himself. I love hanging with Skylar, Izzy and Ariel, and I love coming home to Temper every night. I took a gamble moving out here, but I don’t regret it, not one bit. I’ve made sure to call my mom and keep in touch, and Ivy is going to be visiting for a week very soon.
Temper pulls me down on the fresh mustard-yellow bedding. It’s late, and I can’t think of anything better than undressing and crawling under these sheets. He assists in undressing me, then himself, and pulls the sheets down.
As soon as I’m under the covers, naked, Temper presses his body against mine, and starts to kiss me, massage my back and have as much skin on skin contact as possible. He kisses all over my body, teasing me for what feels like ages until he finally goes down on me, licking my clit how he knows I like it, sliding his tongue and hitting just the right spot. Just when I’m about to come, though, he stops, pulling back, leaving me wanting.
“Temper,” I grumble, spreading my thighs, arching my back, begging for more, but he continues to take his time, now licking and kissing my inner thighs, which have started quivering.
Instead of going where I want him to, he moves back up to my breasts, dragging his teeth over my nipples before sucking them deep into his mouth. Moaning, I let my head fall back, my toes curling, my fingers digging into the mattress.
When he moves back down, I’m so wet and turned on that I think that even a look from him is going to push me over the edge. He slides a finger inside my sex first, then another, before finally lowering his mouth on me.
As the tip of his tongue touches my clit, I come instantly, speaking in tongues, saying God knows what. All I know is that I’m pretty loud, but I couldn’t stop myself if I tried, each wave of pleasure more delicious than the last.
He rings every ounce of the orgasm out of me, until there’s no way I can take anymore, and only then does he lazily slide into me, kissing my lips and slowly making love to me.
“I love you,” he says against my lips.
“I love you too,” I whisper back, smiling.
* * *
When I get a text message from Grayson, I reply instantly. He’s been wanting to see me for a while now, but I’ve always been busy at work, or spending time with the MC.
Grayson: Your mom called me again. She said you seem happy, which is good. Do you want to have coffee sometime this week? It’s hard knowing you’re so close now, but we still haven’t seen each other again.
Why is Mom still calling him?
Abbie: Mom told me that you never knew about me until recently. I’m sorry about the whole situation. I assumed that you knew and just didn’t care. Sure, I guess we could have coffee. Next week, though?
I may not have been intentionally avoiding him, but I know too much time has passed without me getting a few things off my chest. There are things that I’ve been thinking about ever since I learned the truth about him.
Grayson: I understand if you’re wary about getting to know me. Yes, I only just found out about you. I don’t have any other children, and if I knew about you I would have liked to be involved in your life. It’s a shame I wasn’t given that option, but it’s all in the past now and we can’t change that. We can only control where we go from here. Next week sounds perfect.
“What are you going to do?” Skylar asks when I tell her about it. “Just get to know him? The whole thing is so weird.”
“I don’t know. What do you think I should do?” I ask.
“I think you should talk to him, and ask him, ‘What the fuck, Daddy?’” she says. “Get some answers from him. Find out who he really is, because right now, we have no idea.”
“Okay, never call him Daddy again,” I say, wrinkling my nose.
“Yeah, no,” Crow concurs, shaking his head as he steps into the room. “A woman did call me that in the bedroom last week, though. It was hot.”
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