by Jessie Cooke
“What are you doing traveling around with a club girl and a baby?”
Zack felt his jaw tighten. “She’s not a club girl.”
Mona rolled her eyes and said, “Whatever. What are you doing with her?”
He was on the verge of reminding his mother where she came from. He had heard all the stories. He knew she’d been a club girl once upon a time; she had just been that rare one that managed to get her hooks into the president of the club. Instead he said, “Since I’m thirty years old, I’d say that’s not your business, Mona.”
She narrowed her eyes at him and sighed. “I don’t know when you became so disrespectful. First, you don’t kill the man that took your father away from us…”
“If he hadn’t killed Dad, he would be the one dead right now and maybe so would I.”
“Your father would have never let anyone hurt you.”
“My father was on a mission and he wasn’t going to let anyone stand in his way, not even me. Dad was willing to ally with the likes of Eddie Martini and sacrifice relationships that he’d had for years. He was working against his own club, behind Randall’s back, and when those loyal to Randall started figuring it out and Randall confronted him, he became a liability. Dad needed Randall out of the picture, but he couldn’t kill him outright without a lot of backlash, so he tried to destroy him by attacking his family. What kind of monster does that? Women and kids are off limits even between clubs. Between best friends it shouldn’t even come up. Dad knew Tommy and Tammy their entire lives. He should have been like an uncle to them and yet he was willing to let them be kidnapped, sold into slavery, and even killed because Randall was about to get in his way. You see, Mona, things like that are what caused me to leave this club and this so-called family years ago. Dad got what he deserved, and I’m still not sure what I’m even doing back here for this sham of a service.”
His mother’s eyes filled with tears and when she spoke there was a tremor in her voice. Zack wasn’t affected by it in the least; he knew that she could turn them off and on at will. “I lost the love of my life. I don’t know anything about club business. All I know is that the man I loved and the man that led this club and made it so successful for the past thirty-five years is dead. All I’m asking of my son is to be there for me.”
Zack knew she was full of shit. Mona probably knew more about club business than anyone in the club. He also knew she didn’t beg him to come because she needed his support. She wanted more; he just hadn’t figured out what that was yet. For now, he was tired and he wanted to be rid of her so he said, “I’m here, Mona, for no other reason than that you asked me to be here. But I’m tired now so I will see you in the morning, okay?” She looked like she was about to argue more, and Zack was about to get pissed, but the sounds of a pair of bikes coming up the long lane distracted them both. As they got closer, Zack could see that it was his friend Skeeter and another man that he didn’t recognize. Mona didn’t like Skeeter. Skeeter’s mother had been one of Swinger’s favorite club girls once upon a time, and Mona took her hate for the woman out on her son. She rolled her blue eyes and said:
“I should go make sure things are going smoothly with the preparations. Be there early tomorrow, okay?”
Zack didn’t want to encourage her to say anything else or stay any longer so he said, “Okay. I’ll see you in the morning,” As the men drove up, Mona slammed her door and backed out of the driveway. Skeeter was grinning as he climbed off is bike. He waved at her. Mona ignored him.
“Your mom loves me,” Skeeter said, laughing, as he pulled off his gloves. Skeeter was not a very tall man, only about five foot seven, but he was built like a Mack truck otherwise. He and Zack had been inseparable back in the day and they’d raised a lot of hell. Those times and his times with Tammy were the only things he missed about “home.”
“Yeah, she was just telling me what a great guy you are,” Zack said with a grin.
“Lying fucker.” Skeet tapped knuckles with him and said, “This is Chris. He’s our newest prospect.”
Zack and Chris greeted each other and Zack said, “I appreciate you bringing the bike out. I wasn’t planning on showing up for this shit, so I waited too late to ride out. I don’t know what the hell Mona expects from me.” Skeeter raised an eyebrow and Zack said, “What?”
“Nothing, man. We have to get back. Are you coming out to party with us later?”
“Not tonight, but before you leave you’re going to tell me what the fuck that look was for. What do you know?”
“Your mom already hates me.”
“So who gives a fuck? She’s not your president’s wife any longer, so who cares what she thinks?”
Skeeter sighed. “She still has a pretty good following, you know; a lot of people are still loyal to her and no one wants to believe Swinger was working against the club. She’s been telling people that Randall and the group of brothers that have stayed loyal to him are just trying to make Randall look like a martyr so he’ll be voted in as president.”
“That’s bullshit, and as far as prez goes, Randall’s the only choice – even I know that. She’s cutting her own throat by pissing him off before that happens.”
“Dude, she’s convinced that it’s not going to happen. The past two weeks, she’s been working overtime to make sure that it doesn’t, bringing everyone she can around to her side.”
“She won’t even be there when they vote, much less have a say. Why would she possibly think she could sway anyone’s vote?”
“She thinks she as an ace in the hole, man.”
“What’s that?”
Skeeter slapped him on the back. “Not what, man, who. You’re her ace in the hole. Your mother’s minions are going to nominate you.”
Zack was still pissed off about Mona and her ridiculous plans when Skeeter and the prospect finally left, but those feelings and pretty much everything else on his mind disappeared, as soon as he walked in the door. Almost every one of his senses were engaged so quickly that it almost made him dizzy. There was music playing, Nicole had found the CD player on the kitchen counter, and soft rock met his ears. Something was sizzling on the stove and the smell of it reached his nose and made his mouth water and his stomach growl. But the sense that was assaulted without mercy was his sight. She looked like she’d showered. Her long brown hair was wet and hung in twisty waves down her back and she was wearing a long t-shirt…his t-shirt. It was longer than the shorts she’d had on earlier, reaching the tops of her thighs, but the idea of something he’d worn touching her skin and the fantasy that there was nothing underneath it combined to give him an instant hard-on. She didn’t hear him come in and she was shaking her hips slowly to the beat of the music as she used the spatula to stir whatever she had in the pan on the stove. Zack sat his overnight bag down and then he had to fist his hands and press them into his jeans to keep from going over and grabbing those hips from behind. He wanted to use them to turn her around to face him and then he wanted to shove his tongue in her mouth. After he kissed her lips he wanted to explore the rest of that gorgeous body before finally shoving his aching cock up inside of her. Fuck. She was killing him.
She turned slightly to grab the salt and caught sight of him. She had an embarrassed look on her face when she looked at him, likely from being caught enjoying the music. “Oh hey, I didn’t hear you come in.”
Zack smiled. “You looked like you were enjoying yourself. I didn’t want to interrupt.” Now he was having visions of her enjoying herself in ways that he wanted to enjoy her. Zack loved to watch. Nothing got him off faster than watching a beautiful woman bringing herself to orgasm while he lay close by, whispering dirty, sexy things in her ear.
“I hope you don’t mind that I borrowed your shirt,” she said. “I felt like I really needed a shower and I forgot to bring a night-shirt.”
Zack resisted the urge to lick his lips as his eyes drank in those long, tan legs reaching out from underneath a t-shirt that in any other situation would be an
ything but sexy. “I don’t mind at all. Make yourself at home. What are you cooking?”
“Oh!” she exclaimed, turning back to the pan. “I almost burned it. I found some shredded pork in the refrigerator. I was going to throw some barbecue sauce on it and make pulled-pork sandwiches. Is that okay?”
“It sounds great, and smells damned good too. Where’s Liam?”
“He ate and had his bath and he’s down for the count. He’s had a long day with the plane ride and all. I doubt that he’ll wake up before morning.” Another reason for Zack to not quell the thoughts that had his cock dancing in his pants.
“Oh…good. Do I have time to shower before that’s ready?”
“Yes, of course. I’ll keep it warm.”
Zack almost had trouble walking with the front of his jeans suddenly so tight. She was going to just about kill him before this was over. If she were any other woman, he would have had her pinned against the refrigerator in the kitchen by now…but he got the feeling any touch that she didn’t initiate would only scare her away…so, he had to figure out how to get her to initiate it.
He walked through the bedroom to get to the bathroom and saw Liam lying in the center of the bed. Nicole had piled pillows around the edges so that he didn’t roll off, and he lay with his legs underneath him and his bottom in the air. One of his hands was underneath his little head and he had the thumb of the other one in his mouth. Zack watched him curiously for a few seconds. His little mouth would occasionally begin to suck wildly on that thumb and his long, pale eyelashes would flutter, and then he’d relax again and the only visible movement was the gentle rise and fall of his back. Zack was confused by the tug he felt in his chest when he looked at the little guy. He was a part of Spider, and Zack had a list of things he’d like to do to that guy, none of them good. But Liam had the opposite effect on him; he was almost compelled to go over and pick up the sleeping baby and feel him in his arms. Weird. At least while he was looking at the baby, the painful erection he’d had for his mother had gone down. Zack laughed as he turned and headed into the bathroom. The little booger was a cock-block.
6
Zack looked and smelled better than Nicole’s dinner when he came back out. She didn’t know how she would be able to eat, sitting across from him. He had combed his long, dark hair away from his face and it was still wet. She couldn’t stop imagining running her fingers through it. He’d shaved, and his face without stubble was a thing of beauty that her fingers itched to touch. He was wearing an A-line “wife-beater” shirt and a pair of gray sweats that he had tied low on his waist. Nicole thought of herself as strong when it came to desires. Spider was the only man she’d ever been with and while they were together, no matter how much of an asshole he’d been to her, she’d never given in to the desires she’d felt for other men when they were offering her the opportunity. But what she felt for Zack was ten times stronger than any attraction she’d felt to any other man…except maybe Spider when she first met him, and that was what scared her most.
Zack ate half his sandwich in two bites and tossed in a few of the homemade fries that she’d baked along with them, before washing it all down with a cold beer. He looked at her and smiled. She felt like there was a flock of birds in her belly ready to take flight. “Damn good,” he told her with a wink. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Your beignets at the bakery were some of the best things I ever tasted. I’m going to miss those.”
“Armand will still make them.”
“Did you talk to him?”
“Yeah. I called him before we left home.”
“You didn’t tell him where you were going, did you?”
“No. Not that I was worried he’d ever tell, because he wouldn’t. He doesn’t like Spider much.”
Zack smiled again and said, “I’ll bet I can count the people who do like Spider on one finger…my middle one.”
She couldn’t help but smile back at him. “I won’t argue that one with you. He’s not a very likeable guy.”
“Can I ask what you saw in him in the first place?”
“I guess it was the thrill of the bad boy thing,” she admitted. She could feel her face go hot with embarrassment as she did. “I was raised by super-conservative parents and I always did what I was told, and then I met Spider. At first he was just fun and he treated me good and…told me things, like I was pretty and there was a whole big world out there that I was missing out on. I was so young and impressionable – stupid, I guess.”
“No, not stupid,” he said. “Some people are masters of manipulation. It sounds like Spider may be one of those people. I have plenty of experience with those kinds of people myself.” He finished his sandwich and was picking at his fries as she asked:
“Girlfriends?”
He smiled again. The twinkle he got in his blue eyes when he smiled made her think of a mischievous little boy who was up to something. He laughed and said, “No…but you just made me realize that I have my parents to thank for that – my mother, especially. My father was a controlling…man.” He didn’t look like “man” was the word he wanted to call him. He was being polite for her sake. “But my mother, she is the queen of manipulation. I can spot a manipulator from a mile away because of growing up with her…so no, I can honestly say that as far as I know I’ve never been manipulated by a woman, besides Mona.”
“My mother is not manipulative,” Nicole said, searching for the word to describe the woman that raised her. She finally smiled and said, “If she were to be crowned queen of something, it would have to be histrionics. She still ‘gets faint’ as if maybe she lives in the 1950s.”
Zack lifted his beer and held it out in her direction. She picked up the bottle of water she was drinking and held it up. Zack tapped it with his beer and said, “To survivors of dysfunctional parents.”
She laughed. “Hear, hear.” After taking a drink of her water, a sudden feeling of sadness came over her. She sighed and got up to clear away the dishes.
“What?” Zack asked. “Did I say something wrong?”
She picked up his empty plate. “No, not at all. I was just thinking…my poor baby is going to be in that club someday, a survivor of dysfunctional parents.” She hadn’t meant to, but as soon as the words were out of her mouth, the tears began to flow down her cheeks. She wiped them away with her free hand and said, “I’m sorry.” Zack pushed his chair back and stood up, taking the dirty dishes out of her hand as he did.
“I’ll do these. Why don’t you go rest?” His kindness only made her cry harder. She’d spent the afternoon trying to convince herself that people, men especially, aren’t nice for no reason. She was sure he wanted or would want something from her in return. Every time she looked at him though, she was reminded of how gorgeous and desirable he was. There was no way he’d have to trade favors with a woman for sex. She’d be willing to bet that they were lining up and fighting for it for free. She was torn between being grateful to him and confused about what he wanted from her, and the torrent of tears was only making things worse, but she couldn’t stop. Zack sat the plates back down on the table and took her face in his hands. The touch of his fingers on her skin was like a jolt of electricity through her system. He brought up his thumbs and gently wiped the tears off her cheeks. “What can I do, Nicole? How can I help?”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Zack shook his head and brought his lips toward hers. She could feel a vibration between them, an energy that was invisible, but as real as the table they stood in front of. Her mind was screaming at her to push him away and run…but her body had different ideas. He was so incredibly male that something primal deep inside of her was awakened by the swipe of his lips. He kissed her softly and gently and like he was waiting for her consent. She gave it to him in the next second by rising on her toes and pressing her lips back into his even harder. He let out a sexy groan, and her traitorous body gave in completely and molded into his. He pulled her in tightly and ran his hands up and down her bac
k. The explosions of pleasure completely blocked out the voice in her head that was yelling at her to stop, and her palms were itching to touch him back, but she held them tightly at her sides instead, afraid that if she crossed that next line, there would be no going back.
Zack was the one to pull back first. He stared down into her eyes with an intensity she felt as they panted for breath. When she could speak, she said, “We shouldn’t do that.”
A slow, sexy grin spread across his face and he licked his bottom lip. “Why not?”
“Because…I’m uprooting myself and my son to get out of this horrible relationship and…” She stopped there. She wasn’t sure what the “and” was. Her head still felt foggy and her thoughts were confused. She had no idea what she was even doing there.
“And you almost forgot about all of those shitty things while you got lost in that kiss.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she said, taking another step back. “Forgetting them for a few minutes doesn’t make them any less real.”
He took a step toward her. Again, her head and body were at war. “Of course it doesn’t, but there’s nothing wrong with taking a time-out from the stress.”
She raised an eyebrow and said, “And during this time-out I should kiss you…?”
He grinned again. “Sure. If it would help you, you could even touch me…you know, squeeze me like one of those stress ball things.”
She was trying hard not to laugh at that point, but she had to bite down on the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. “You’re full of self-sacrifice, aren’t you?”