Foreplay: A Bad Boy's Baby Romance

by Rye Hart

  “If I'm being honest though,” I said. “I'm attracted to you, Knox. I've kind of felt this growing attachment to you.”

  His smile was small, but sincere. “I feel the same way,” he said. “You're not like anybody I've ever met before.”

  “And you're a lot better man than you let on,” I said. “Or give yourself credit for.”

  “That remains to be seen,” he said and laughed, clearly not comfortable with somebody giving him praise.

  “Not by me,” I said, catching his gaze and holding it, trying to convey the intensity of my emotions through my eyes. “I've seen who you really are, Knox. I know your heart. You're a good man. Don't ever doubt that.”

  When I saw his cheeks flare with color, I had to stifle the laugh that rose up within me. He looked like a shy, awkward teenaged boy who'd just been paid a compliment by the hottest girl in school. It made my heart flutter and drew a smile across my face. It was adorable. Beyond adorable.

  He cleared his throat and when he'd composed himself again, he looked at me. “You're pretty amazing,” he said. “I mean that.”

  “Thank you,” I said, giving his hand another squeeze, this one a little tighter.

  “So, what are we going to do about all of this stuff between us?”

  I shrugged. “I know what I want,” I said. “But you need to decide what it is you want?”

  “And what is it you want, Grace?”

  “You,” I said flatly.

  He let out a long breath, an expression of pure relief on his face. “Good,” he said.

  “That's just beautiful,” Dean said, returning to his position between us again. “I'm so glad you both finally pulled your heads out of your asses. Now, unless you want to stay here and share some more feelings, let's get rollin'. We have some Dawgs to put down and a kid to save.”

  Dean walked away and began to rally his troops. I looked over at Knox and found him staring at me, a look of absolute adoration on his face.

  “Maybe we can talk about this later,” he said. “After we get Liam back.”

  “I'd like that,” I replied.

  He leaned over and gave me a quick peck on the lips, drawing catcalls and a round of sarcastic lovey-dovey jokes from his guys. I felt the heat flare in my cheeks and looked away. But my heart swelled and my head was swimming – I couldn't believe that in all this craziness, Knox and I had found something in each other that drew us together.

  Yes, we were from two different worlds – and I knew I still had a lot to learn about his, just as he had a lot to learn about mine – but the fact that we were both willing to explore those differences made me insanely happy.

  Chapter Nine

  Knox

  “No, absolutely not,” I said. “You're not coming.”

  “Like hell I'm not.”

  We were standing in the clubhouse parking lot and time was ticking away. We had to get out to the warehouse Merle ordered me to be at. We didn't have time to stand around arguing.

  “Grace,” I said. “It's going to be dangerous out there, and I –”

  “Knox, Liam is my responsibility,” she said. “I have to be there.”

  The truth of the matter was that I didn't want her out there to see what was going to go down. It wasn't just because I was worried about keeping her safe – although, that was a big factor. I knew it was going to get messy. Knowing who we were dealing with and knowing that Merle Rusket was a backstabbing son of a bitch, I knew there was a strong likelihood of a gun battle out there. And I knew the chances of people dying was also pretty high.

  I didn't want Grace to see that. I didn't want her to see me take a life. The feelings I was developing for her were real. And they were growing. And if I wanted to continue exploring those feelings with her, I knew that letting her see me kill somebody probably wasn't going to win me any points.

  Her opinion of me mattered. It mattered a lot. And I knew that she wasn't accustomed to my world. Exposing her to the worst aspects of our lifestyle would only serve to drive a wedge between us. She'd look at me differently. I had no doubts that she would be repulsed by me.

  And I couldn't let that happen. “Grace, please, I can't –”

  “I don't need you to protect me,” she said. “I'm very capable of taking care of myself.”

  “Not out there,” I said. “Not with the Dawgs. Believe me, you've never encountered anybody like them before. They're dangerous.”

  She looked at me evenly. “So are you,” she said. “And you're putting yourself at risk for Liam. I can't let you take that risk and not share in it as well. I owe him – and you – that much.”

  “You don't owe me anything, Grace.”

  “You can't keep me from going.”

  “Like hell I can't.”

  “Knox,” Dean called. “Tick tock, kid.”

  I sighed and felt my frustration growing. One of the things I admired about Grace was her tenacity and ferocity. At the moment though, those qualities were a pain in my ass.

  “Grace, we have to go.”

  “Great, then let's go.”

  “Knox –”

  “I know,” I cut Dean off. “I know.”

  I turned my attention to Grace and let out a breath of frustration. Her jaw was set and the look of grim determination in her eyes was only deepening.

  “Fine,” I grumbled. “But you're staying in the van. Do you understand me?”

  “Fine. Okay,” she said. “I'll stay in the van.”

  I gave her a long look and then shook my head. “You're a pain in the ass.”

  “Yes I am,” she said.

  I turned and walked over to the vans where Dean and the others were waiting, armed to the teeth. Everybody was strapped with sidearms and AR-15's. I watched Grace's eyes widen slightly as she took in the small army gathered around. The look of unease on her face was palpable.

  “Dean,” I said. “Grace is rolling with you guys. Make sure she stays in the van.”

  Dean smirked at me as if he expected no less. Clearly, he figured out that she was a bulldog long before I realized it. Grace looked at me, an expression of satisfaction on her face.

  “And Dean?”

  “Yeah, boss?”

  “Tie her up if you need to,” I said. “Just to make sure she doesn't go anywhere.”

  Grace's eyes widened and she looked at me with disbelief on her face.

  “Knox –” she started.

  “I'm serious, Grace,” I said. “I'm not going to let you get hurt. And I won't be as sharp as I need to be if I'm having to split my attention between Liam and you.”

  She looked at me for a long moment and then nodded. “Fine,” she said, resignation in her voice.

  I looked over at Dean again. “Serious, brother,” I said. “Cuff her if you need to. She does not leave that van.”

  “You got it, boss,” he said. “Now, can we get this fuckin' show on the road?”

  “Please,” I said. “I'd rather get shot at than stand here and let Grace hand my ass to me all night.”

  I heard her laughing as she climbed into the van. Dean just chuckled and shook his head. For all of my worry and concern about her, Grace was handling riding in a van with half a dozen men who were armed like they were going to war a lot better than I thought she would have.

  Maybe there was even more to that girl than I thought.

  Chapter Ten

  Grace

  I sat on a bench against the wall of the van. Dean sat across from me, his face growing tighter as the driver started the van and pulled out of the clubhouse lot. He leaned back and seemed to be studying my face. I looked away, uncomfortable beneath his scrutiny.

  Truth be told, I was uncomfortable in general. I wasn't used to being around weapons, and didn't particularly like them. But I had to act cool with it all to show Knox that I could handle it; that I could exist in his world and not freak out. If I were being honest with myself, I actually was freaking out – but I managed to hold it in. For that, I was pretty
proud of myself.

  “You okay?”

  I looked up, pulled out of my reverie by the sound of Dean's voice. He was looking at me the way a father might look at his child. “Yeah, I'm fine,” I replied. “Why? Don't I look fine.”

  Dean shrugged and gave me a small smile. “Mostly,” he said. “But I can see the cracks around the edges. Just a small tell here and there that let me know you're holding your emotions in check – but just barely.”

  I laughed softly. “You're an observant man,” I said. “But I'm doing okay. I promise.”

  His gaze was direct and penetrating. “Are you worried about Liam?” he asked. “Or about Knox?”

  “Both,” I said. “Though, I honestly hadn't expected to ever be worried about Knox.”

  “Emotions are funny things, my dear,” he said. “They can sneak up on us when we least expect them.”

  I nodded. “They certainly can.”

  We rode on in silence for a little while and I let my mind wander. I really hadn't ever expected to develop feelings for Knox. Dean was right – my emotions snuck up on me when I least expected it. But I couldn't deny that I felt for him, and that those feelings were growing stronger.

  As much as I feared for Liam's safety, I realized that I was feeling just as much fear for Knox's. And the presence so many heavily armed men weren't allaying my fears.

  “I think you're good for him,” Dean said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Knox has always been – different,” he said. “Don't get me wrong, he's one hundred percent ride or die with the Outlaws. But he's smart. A hell of a lot smarter than most of us. I think he dumbs himself down, and I think somebody like you –”

  “Somebody like me?” I asked, laughing softly.

  Dean nodded. “Somebody obviously classy. Educated. Sophisticated,” he said. “You make him a better person. You make him want to be a better man. I can see it in him. He's less feral already.”

  I couldn't deny that hearing Dean's words made my heart turn somersaults in my chest. I was thankful for the murky light inside the van because judging by the heat in my cheeks, my face was probably a neon shade of red.

  I looked around at the men and their guns, a feeling of unease stealing over me once more. And following the unease was another fresh wave of fear for the safety of Liam and Knox.

  “Do you think those are going to be necessary?” I asked. “All those guns?”

  Dean's face turned a little grim. “I really hope not,” he said. “If I had my way, this will all go smooth and we'll all be back in our beds before too long.”

  “And the likelihood of that happening?”

  He shrugged. “Given the size of the hard-on Merle Rusket has for Knox,” he said. “I wouldn't count on it.”

  “Which means, blood is going to be spilled,” I said. “And people are going to die.”

  Dean shrugged again. “That's a possibility,” he said, his voice grim. “Which is why Knox wants you to stay in the van. He doesn't want you caught up in any of that.”

  “Yeah, but –”

  “No, you can't,” he said. “I know you think you can help out there. But believe me when I say you can't.”

  “I'm tough,” she said. “I can handle myself.”

  “It's not a question of your toughness,” he said. “I know you're plenty tough. It's a matter of you not being exposed to people like Merle and the Dawgs before. They're cold-blooded killers. They're ruthless.”

  “Yeah, if you're trying to make me feel any better about Liam and Knox's safety,” I said, “you're not doing a very good job of it.”

  “I'm just trying to say that maybe you're not quite equipped to handle something like this, Grace,” he said. “This is a side of our world that you're not ready for.”

  The more I listened to him speak, the more nervous I was getting about it all.

  I had no idea what the rest of the night held in store. But it felt like there were storm clouds gathering on the horizon and were swiftly rolling in over us. And when the storm broke, I feared that we'd all be washed away.

  Chapter Eleven

  Knox

  I rode down the highway, the wind whipping through my hair and a knot the size of a football in my gut. I knew that this meet with Merle was going to go bad. The only question was, how bad? Merle and the Dawgs had been looking to kill me ever since we ran them out of town. They'd tried to take me out a couple of times already and had almost succeeded once.

  Taking shots at me was one thing. But taking a child – my nephew at that – was something else entirely. It crossed a line that should never be crossed. Ever.

  I rumbled down the dirt road that led to the old abandoned warehouse where Merle had called the meet. The moon was high overhead, swift moving clouds crossing its face, casting the world around us in alternating patterns of light and shadow.

  When I pulled into the lot, I found Merle standing there next to his bike. One of his men stood behind him, holding Liam by the scruff of his neck. I shut off my engine and climbed off my bike, looking around the lot – casting a wary eye at the darkened and broken out windows of the warehouse. I couldn't see them, but I knew his men were there – some in the warehouse, others in the woods that pressed close to the edge of the parking lot.

  “Take off the cut, Knox,” Merle yelled. “Let me see that you're unarmed.”

  I dropped my cut onto the back of my bike and untucked my shirt, holding my arms out and turning in a slow circle, showing him that I was in fact, without a weapon.

  “As requested,” I said.

  “Damn, boy,” Merle said. “I didn't think you had the stones to show up here alone and unarmed. Are you stupid or somethin'?”

  “I'm here to talk deal, Merle,” I said. “I held up my end. Now, let the boy go.”

  Merle grinned and shook his head. “Not quite yet,” he said. “We need to talk some business first.”

  “Fine,” I snapped. “What the hell do you want?”

  Merle smiled. “Oh, you know, not much,” he said. “Cut the shit, Merle,” I said. “What do you want?”

  “It's just all business with you now, isn't it? You know,” he said. “I remember when you used to have a sense of humor. I remember when you and I used to be able to kick back, have a beer, and a few laughs together. Whatever happened to that guy?”

  “Oh, that guy?” I said. “I found out you were dealing dope in my town. That shit doesn't fly here, Merle.”

  “Well, call me crazy, but I just have a feeling it'll be making a comeback.”

  And that was the crux of the issue. I'd expected it. He wanted me to allow the Dawgs back into Blackburn – and give them the freedom to operate with impunity.

  “Not going to happen,” I said, my voice cold. “I'm not going to let you poison this town.”

  “Then the kid dies.”

  The man holding Liam produced a gun and put it to the top of his head. The boy stared at me, his eyes wide, saying nothing. He didn't even look all that scared. Grace was right, he was different. He processed things and acted very differently than other kids.

  I held up my hand. “Wait,” I said. “Just stop. Talk to me, Merle, what do you want?”

  “Fine. All work, no play,” he said. “What I want is for your Outlaws to get the fuck out of Blackburn. Permanently. You all are done here.”

  “Is that all?” I asked.

  “No,” he said. “And I want your head.” He shrugged. “Only seems fair,” he said. “I can't exactly just let you off scot free. Being soft on a punk ass little bitch like you wouldn't look good for my rep, you know?”

  My eyes drifted to the boy again and he continued to look straight at me. He wasn't moving. Wasn't speaking. He was so damn still, I wasn't even sure he was breathing. My life for his. That's what it all boiled down to. I had to die so that my nephew could live.

  There were a lot of regrets I had about my life, things I maybe would have done differently. And a lot of things I never got arou
nd to doing that I wish I would have. But Liam was just starting out in life and I'd had a few decades behind me already. I couldn't, in good conscience, let his life be snuffed out before he had a chance.

  Who knew, the kid might be the one to cure cancer.

  “Fine,” I said. “You have a deal. Now, why don't you bring your guys out from hiding and stop being such a pussy.”

  “Excellent,” Merle crowed and then pushed a button on his cell phone. “You can come out now.”

  Out of the darkness of the warehouse and the woods came a dozen of his men – all about as heavily armed as my guys were. I resisted the urge to look at the woods. I just had to trust they were out there, and they were coming for me.

  “I want you to call your VP,” Merle said. “I want you to tell him to pack up your clubhouse and be out of Blackburn before dawn.”

  “Dawn? Are you serious?”

  “As a fuckin' heart attack, Knox,” he said, his expression darkening. “Now, do it.”

  I sighed and slipped my phone out of my pocket, punching in Dean's number. Merle walked over and stood close to me, his body odor and bad breath completely repellent.

  “Speaker, please,” he said. “Not that I don't trust you – I just don't trust you.”

  Dean's line rang and he picked it up on the second ring. “Boss, what's up?”

  “Dean, Merle's here with me,” I said. “He's given us his demands.”

  “This should be priceless,” he said.

  “No need for the snark, Dean,” Merle said. “Go fuck yourself,” Dean snapped, drawing a guffaw of laughter from Merle.

  “You need to pack up the clubhouse,” I said. “Get the guys out of here. By dawn.”

  Dean laughed. “Seriously?” he scoffed. “You're not asking for much, are you asshole?”

  “Only want what's rightfully ours,” he said. “The Dawgs were here before the Outlaws. And yet, you pricks think you run the place.”

  “Dean,” I said. “My nephew's life is at stake. Do what he says.”

  “What about you?”

  Merle looked at me, giving me a predatory grin.

  “I'll catch up with you guys,” he said. “Just get the guys out of there.”