by Jamie Begley
“Like a fish,” she answered.
Chapter 50
Shade smiled as Lily stifled her yawn while she looked at her cards. They had been playing several games of poker with Winter and Viper.
“It’s time for bed if you’re going to start back at the factory tomorrow,” Shade told Lily when Winter reached forward to claim her winnings, which were mainly IOUs for punishments.
Lily had been told they usually played for money, but Winter preferred to play for IOUs. That way, when she got in trouble and had to pull a punishment, she could cash in on one of the debts.
“I haven’t had to do a punishment in six months,” she bragged.
Viper ruffled his wife’s hair. “Unless it was the ones you wanted.”
Winter slapped his hands away.
Lily got to her feet, smiling down at the couple. “I’ll probably have to find another way to pay you back for my IOUs. I probably won’t be around long enough to pay all those back.”
Winter looked doubtfully up at Lily, but replied, “I’m sure we’ll work out an arrangement.”
Shade thought about warning Lily that Winter was a card shark, but decided to let her find out on her own like everyone else in the club had. He wasn’t worried that Lily would get in over her head, because he could bail her out of trouble if he needed to. He would always be the bigger shark in their pool.
“Goodnight,” Lily told everyone sitting at the table before following him to the basement door.
Shade flicked on the light switch, and then they went down the steps together.
She went into his room, going to get her pajamas which were already sitting on the chair for her, and stiffened when he closed the bedroom door.
Shade went to one side of the bed, pulling off his T-shirt as he crossed the floor.
“What are you doing?” Lily asked, shocked.
“Going to bed.”
“Oh, where am I sleeping?”
He had known she thought she would be sleeping in his room alone. However, she was about to find out exactly how things were going to change between them.
“In the bed next to me.”
“No, I’m not.” Lily shook her head.
“Yes, you are.” He made his voice firm, not harsh.
“No, Shade, I’m not.”
“I don’t sleep on couches.”
“Then I will,” Lily said firmly.
“What are you going to do if one of the brothers stumbles downstairs drunk?”
Lily looked at the door fearfully as Shade continued mercilessly, using her greatest fear against her. “This room is off-limits, but the other rooms, not so much. We have an open-bedroom policy.”
“Even Winter and Viper?”
“You think you’re going to put Viper out of his bed?” Shade asked with a raised brow.
No one was going to make Viper do anything he didn’t want to do, and Lily had been around him long enough to form that conclusion without any help from Shade.
“No, but maybe Evie?”
“Evie doesn’t sleep alone; none of the women do.” Which was the truth. “Go get changed, Lily. I’m tired. It’s not like it’s the first time we’ve shared a room,” he reminded her.
Lily went into the bathroom, carrying her pajamas while Shade took off his boots and jeans before putting on a pair of shorts. He slid under the covers on the bed just before Lily came out of the bathroom, stopping in the middle of the floor.
Sighing, Shade got out of bed, moving the chair out of the corner. Taking her arm, he then led her to the corner the chair had been in, the one facing the bed. She would have to look at him while he could easily check on her.
“This is your safe place in the bedroom. Any time anything scares you or makes you feel uncomfortable, you can come here. I won’t come near you here.” Shade turned and walked away, feeling her gaze slide over him.
He climbed back into bed, pulling the thin blanket over him.
“Can I have a blanket?”
“No,” he said, turning out the light. However, he kept the light in the bathroom on to avoid the room being completely dark.
He wanted her to be comfortable, but not too comfortable. He didn’t want to make it a place she wanted to stay when he wanted her next to him in bed. She needed to get used to being close to him, learn she could touch him whenever she wanted or needed him, and she couldn’t do that sitting a couple of feet away.
Shade restrained himself from getting out of the bed and tossing her onto it. It was a decision she had to make on her own.
She stood there for several moments before reaching out to pull the large chair toward her.
“Leave the chair where it is.”
Eventually, she quietly slid down the wall, sitting on the floor. It was several minutes before she closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the wall.
Shade rolled to his side, watching as Lily dozed off. She woke several times during the night, trying to make herself more comfortable. Each time, Shade gripped the side of the bed, wanting to go to her. When he saw she was waking up, he closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep.
Stiffly getting to her feet without trying to be quiet in the least, she looked in the drawers, slamming each one closed until she found what she was looking for. She then went to the closet, opening the door.
“Wear the purple one.”
Lily jumped, startled, and turned to see him watching her from the bed. She closed the closet with a snap then went to the bathroom, her bare feet stomping on the carpet.
Shade lay back on the bed, folding his arms behind his head, smiling as he stared up at the ceiling. He missed having the mirror up there. He wondered how long it was going to take him to talk Lily into putting one up after they became intimate.
Before his cock could get hard from where his thoughts were taking him, he went to the bathroom and knocked on the door.
“Unless you want to share, you need to hurry up.”
It took her another ten minutes, and Shade was sure she was doing it just to aggravate him, just like when she had slammed the drawers. He’d had less sleep than she had, though, and he wasn’t in the mood to placate her. He loved the woman, but he was determined not to become pussy-whipped like Razer, Viper, and Knox.
After she finally unlocked the door, Shade refused to move to the side, pressing her against the bathroom door when she tried to sidle past him.
“Lily, I’m coming to the conclusion that you’re a little spoiled, and while I won’t mind doing so occasionally after you’ve earned such rewards from me, now is not the time to piss me off.” His hips pressed harder against her mound with just the material of the shorts and her dress between them.
When he saw the beginning of panic hit her, he stepped away, going into the bathroom. He walked to the toilet to take a piss, not caring that she was still standing in the doorway. Shade heard the bathroom door slam as he was about to relieve himself. He was still grinning when he stepped into the shower.
Shade opened the bathroom door five minutes later, coming out with only a towel wrapped around his lean waist.
Lily ran to the corner, obviously not appreciating his mocking laughter as he removed his clothes from the drawers. She turned to the wall when he started to drop the towel and get dressed in his jeans and boots, pulling on a T-shirt.
“Let’s go eat breakfast, unless you want to stand there longer.”
Lily moved to follow him but he stopped her with his hand going to her jaw, making her look him in the face. She didn’t try to hide her resentment.
“That’s two for slamming the drawers.”
“Two what?” Lily asked in confusion.
“Two smacks on your ass. I’ll keep a total, and Friday will be the day we clean the slate and start over,” Shade said, ushering her out of the door.
“You have lost your mind if you think I’m going to stand still and let you spank me.”
“You won’t be standing; your ass will be turned over my knee.”
“Sure, Shade. Anything you say, Shade,” Lily said mockingly, too angry to be scared.
His eyes narrowed on her face. She believed it wasn’t going to happen, that she would probably be gone before it could. Shade almost disabused her then decided to wait. Let her build her punishments up. It would give him something to look forward to on Fridays since he wasn’t taking part in any of the parties anymore. Lily, on the other hand, could look forward to trying to escape him all she wanted to. She wasn’t going anywhere. Her ass would be over his knee just like he had promised her.
* * *
Shade spent the day setting a routine for Lily to get her emotions back to normal. She was extremely sensitive; as a result, anything that upset the balance sent her mental stability into turmoil.
After dinner, he offered her an excuse not to hang out in the clubhouse like the previous night, understanding too much might overload her if thrown at her all at once.
“I need to check on some work going on at my house. Do you want to come with me?” he asked.
“Sure.” Lily walked out the back door with him into the huge backyard.
He led her up the new walkway, which had been laid a couple of weeks before. His house was being built behind Beth and Razer’s. The new walkway led to Razer’s house before splitting, each path going to a house.
His was nestled up higher than the main house and Razer’s, with a wraparound porch that gave a view of the mountains from all sides, except the back which had the mountain behind it.
From his house, he could see the clubhouse, Razer’s house, the factory, the parking lot, and even both sides of the road leading to them. It was a strategic stronghold which, if he had to, could hold off an army without worrying about anyone coming at him from behind. Once it was built, no one would be able to get near Lily without him knowing it.
Shade opened the door, coming into the living room and dining room combo. It was an open-concept house where you could see through the whole downstairs. The walls were all dry-walled, and the subfloors had been laid.
He walked into the kitchen where none of the cabinets or anything had been placed yet. There was a small, fold-up table and two metal chairs sitting in the room with several books lying on top. He had gone as far as he could without her input. He could have asked Beth for her opinions, but he was building the house for Lily. He was determined it was going to be her home, and he wanted her to pick her own preferences.
Shade looked around the room, moving from one area to the other.
Lily looked at him curiously. “What are you doing?”
“Trying to figure out where I want the island to go and which wall for the appliances.”
“Start with where you want the sink, which is obviously by the window.” She pointed toward said window.
“Why by the window?” he asked.
“So you can look out while you do the dishes,” Lily explained.
Shade had to turn away, not wanting her to see his face. She had seen herself doing the dishes in his home.
“What about the stove?” He turned back around when he was able to regain his composure.
Lily looked around the room and pointed to the wall on the right. “That way, you can keep an eye on the room while you’re cooking. The other wall you would have your back to the room.”
“That’s true, but the exhaust fan would break the line of sight.”
Lily agreed, and Shade finally decided to place it against the wall she had pointed out. Then he sat down at the table, pretending to go through floor samples, and Lily indicated her preference for hardwood then the type of wood. Next, he randomly picked out cabinets. When Lily made a face, he turned over several more pages until she found one she thought would suit the style of the house.
“I’m surprised. I thought you would try to talk me into a country-looking kitchen, but you’re guiding me into a more modern look.” Shade had thought he would have to tolerate an old-fashioned house; instead, he actually would have picked many of the same options she had.
Lily smiled. “I’m surprised you know the difference. I like the modern look for the clean lines and angles.”
“I do, too.” Shade closed the books. “That’s enough for today. It will take a couple of weeks to get it done; then I can pick out the fixtures for the bathrooms.”
“Make sure you have one put in like you do now. Your shower is amazing.”
“I like it, too, but I was thinking of going a little bigger here.”
Shade was proud of that shower. He had designed it himself to be big enough for several members to shower in after they had a fuck session.
“How much bigger do you need? It’s already big enough for several people.” From her expression, Lily had figured out exactly what the shower had been used for. She closed the book she was looking at with a snap, getting to her feet without looking at him.
“Ready?” she asked. “If you need to stay, I can go back by myself.”
“I’m finished,” Shade replied, going to the door while turning off the lights on the way.
He didn’t try to deny her assumptions; they were the truth. He wasn’t going to blow smoke up her ass to keep her happy then have one of the women saying something to her later that would bite him in the ass for lying. He would live with the memory of her face when she had run away after finding out about the clubhouse for the rest of his life, and he never wanted to see her that hurt again.
They walked back to the house, and instead of going through the kitchen, he led her through the basement door.
Lily went to Shade’s room, getting a fresh pair of flannel pajamas before she went into the bathroom to get changed. He was taking off his shoes when she returned. He had already removed his T-shirt, and his jeans were unsnapped.
He got up from the side of the bed then went inside the bathroom, closing the door. When he came out, Shade was disappointed to find her already standing in her corner. Hiding his displeasure, he got into bed, turning out the lamp.
Lily stood there several moments before she sank down onto the floor.
Shade placed his arm over his eyes, unable to watch while she was still awake. He waited until he heard her deep breathing before rolling over to gaze at her sleeping face. When her head fell forward then jerked back up and she didn’t wake up, he knew she was exhausted.
Silently, he threw the covers back before slipping out of bed. He sat down next to her, pulling her into his arms and situating her until she could sleep more comfortably. Then he leaned his head back against the wall, running his fingers through her hair.
When the clock read six a.m., he gently slid out from under her. Standing up, he stretched before going into the bathroom to shower. He ran the cold water over his head, letting it wake him up. After two nights with no sleep, he would have to catch a nap in his office.
He leaned his forehead on the shower wall. It felt so hopeless with her sometimes, like she was never going to return any of his feelings.
A song came over his speakers, which he knew damn well he hadn’t programmed in, shaking him out of his reverie. He listened to it as he finished showering and dressing. Then he went back into the bedroom to find Lily still sleeping. He decided to go upstairs and fix them some breakfast, hoping the woman who had dared to put the “Rose” on his playlist would be awake so he could give her Hell.
Shade opened the kitchen door, seeing the woman drinking her coffee while leaning on the counter. He walked to her, and as she looked at him curiously, he placed an arm over her shoulders and gave her a brief hug.
“Thanks.”
“What for?” Evie asked.
“For being a pain in my ass.”
Chapter 51
He was cleaning off his desk when Jewell walked in his office. His cell phone rang, and he motioned for her to close the door. As he answered the call, he sat down on the side of his desk.
“Did you find anything out?” Shade asked Cash.
“Nothing new. After I tracked t
he vehicle’s movement to a hotel a few cities away, I checked in with Knox about the photocopy of the license the man used to check in. It’s the same one the car that tried to run Lily down is registered to, but the driver’s license was in the name of a man who died two months ago.”
“Fuck. Anything else?”
“The picture on the license doesn’t match the face of the man he stole the ID from, which means he changed out photographs. So I called in a few favors, and they’re running it through some computer programs. We may get a hit. I don’t know. It’s a shot in the dark. I’ll give you a call when I find out anything else.”
“Thanks, Cash.”
“Anytime, brother.” Cash hung up.
Shade returned his attention to Jewell who had laid paperwork down on his desk. Shade picked it up and set it in the appropriate tray.
Jewell laughed. “You don’t want to take a look at it?”
“No,” Shade said wearily.
Jewell raised a brow, sitting down on the edge of his desk. “You look tired.”
“No shit,” he snapped.
Jewell lifted her hands in the air. “Don’t blame me because you’re tired. Hell, when you fucked me, you always had energy to spare. Lily must be doing something right to wear you out,” she teased.
Shade’s face went hard. “She’s sleeping on the floor rather than sleeping with me.” Shade tossed his pen onto the desk.
“She’ll come around, Shade. Who could resist you?” Jewell mocked.
“Plenty,” he stated, standing up.
Jewell’s face went mischievous. “I could talk to her and tell her you fuck like a dream, that she’ll have an orgasm which will rock her fucking world. Then I could tell her there’s more where that comes from. She’ll be yours like that.” Jewell snapped her fingers.
Shade couldn’t help laughing at Jewell’s antics. “If I tell her all that, she’ll lock me out of my own bedroom.”