by Sadie Savage
“I’m sorry, daddy!”
“It’s all right, honey,” Jake said, lifting her from the stool she had been perching on. “We’ll clean it up.”
The doorbell rang suddenly and Jake cursed under his breath. He jogged to open it and greeted Michelle, who was standing awkwardly on the stoop.
“Hi, can you just give me a minute? We had a little accident and-“
“I spilled the milk!” Mary wailed, tears streaming down her face.
“I told you it’s all right, honey,” Jake said, anxiety mounting in his chest. A code blue was urgent. If anything happened because he wasn’t on the way faster, he might lose his rank in the MC. It had been hard enough to keep it after what happened with his wife.
“You spilled the milk?” Michelle asked, her face serious but her voice soft and soothing.
Mary’s lip quivered and she nodded, holding Michelle’s gaze.
“Well I know a secret to cleaning up messes, do you wanna see?”
Mary nodded eagerly and reached out to Michelle.
Jake was shocked when Michelle lifted his daughter and headed toward the kitchen, soothing her gently.
“Do you mind if I teach you my trick while your daddy goes to work?”
“No! Bye daddy!”
“Bye,” Jake said, feeling a mixture of relief and jealousy as Michelle easily won her way into Mary’s heart. Mary had always been a daddy’s girl. She had never gone to other people when she was a baby, and rarely did so even now. The fact that she had so quickly accepted Michelle was frankly bizarre.
But he would have to think more about it later. His job was to get to the docks as quickly as he could. A group of Raptors had been spotted, and if the merchandise and his fellow bikers were going to stay safe, they would need back up.
“Later JJ!” Jake shouted up the stairs. “Remember I told you about Michelle? She’s here now if you need anything.”
“Okay!” JJ shouted back. “Bye!”
His son’s elbow was in a cast now, so it had been very difficult for him over the past few days. Jake could only imagine what it felt like to have independence taken away from you. He had been shot in the shoulder before, so he had some idea, but for a kid as energetic and curious as JJ was, it seemed like it would be a prison sentence. He had been moody and irritable, but Jake couldn’t blame him. Who wasn’t when they were in pain?
It was strange to think that he didn’t have to fight to arrange somebody to watch the kids for him, and Jake mounted his motorcycle, tearing out of the driveway and toward the docks. Maybe this arrangement was going to work out all right after all.
***
“I’m back!” Jake bellowed, limping into the foyer of his house. The Raptors had put up quite a fight, and it had nearly lost them a good man. Thankfully Jake had arrived just in time to take out the guy who had the advantage, and they brawled a good one until finally the other man couldn’t move any longer.
He was hurt but it was nothing serious. It wasn’t as if he had broken a rib or anything. Thank Christ for small miracles.
“Kids?”
“Quiet!” Mary shouted from the living room. “Michelle’s telling us a story!”
Jake raised his eyebrow and moved slowly to the living room, leaning against the doorway to watch as Mary, who was snuggled in Michelle’s lap, turned the pages of a book Jake had bought ages ago that the kids hadn’t shown even the slightest interest in.
Michelle glanced up at Jake, her voice wavering self-consciously from being watched. It was kind of cute, really, how she turned her eyes away from him and started reading faster, hoping to get the painful process over with sooner.
“Don’t mind me,” he said, hoping to put her at ease. “I’m going to have some coffee. Come meet me when you’re done, I’ll pay you.”
He retreated from the room and sat down gingerly in one of his comfortable kitchen chairs. A few minutes later, Michelle walked in. He couldn’t help but notice that she smelled nice, kind of fresh, almost like the beach or something. It was his favorite place to ride.
“You know you don’t have to pay me, my father said – you’re hurt!”
Jake smiled wryly at her and shook his head.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” he said. “And I don’t care what your father said. I’m going to pay you what your time is worth. You can put it away somewhere safe.”
Jake grunted in pain as he dug his wallet from the snug back pocket of his jeans.
“Really, don’t trouble yourself,” Michelle said awkwardly. “I had fun with them.”
“And apparently, they had fun with you, too,” Jake said with a low laugh. “How was JJ? He’s been kind of a pain since he hurt his elbow. Can’t blame the kid though. Did that go all right?”
“Yeah, he was perfect. I showed him some fun things he can do with one hand. I had to wear a cast when I was a kid, too. I fell off my dad’s bike.”
“Yeah, he told me about that,” Jake said, grinning.
“It’s not funny!” Michelle exclaimed, her cheeks flushed a deep red. Jake gazed at her for a moment. Even when she was angry she was sexy.
“Well, maybe if the story was about somebody else you would think it was,” Jake pointed out. “You know kids do some stupid shit sometimes.”
“Well anyway, your son was fine. And your daughter doesn’t want me to go.”
Jake raised his eyebrow. “You sure won her over fast.”
“She’s a sweetheart,” Michelle said, genuine adoration in her voice. Jake’s heart hammered, and he had to tear his eyes away from her and fish out the money from his wallet before he was caught staring.
“Here,” he said. “Don’t have to tell your dad about it if you don’t want to. I’m sure there are things you’d like to do that he’s not involved in. Kids deserve some privacy.”
Michelle gaped at the money in her hand. “This is too much!”
“No, not for the relief you gave me. And look, the milk is cleaned up. You didn’t have to do that.”
“Well, your daughter was really upset about it…”
Jake smiled gently at her, and they held each other’s gaze for a little bit longer than he had meant to. “Thank you.”
“Sure,” Michelle said, a little too cheerfully. “It’s my job, I guess.”
She forced herself to smile at him before heading out the door.
Jake stared after her, willing his eyes to do anything but roam the sensual curves of her body – her ass was snug in those jeans. But he couldn’t help himself, he was a man after all and Michelle had been on his mind for weeks now.
He would have to do his best to keep himself in check. She was the president’s daughter, after all. There would be nothing more taboo than getting involved with her like that. The rest of the Pythons would kick his ass.
Chapter 4
“You’re babysitting for Jake Desmond?!” Callie exclaimed, bouncing beside Michelle on her bed. Michelle rolled her eyes. Why did everybody think that Jake was such hot stuff? Just because he was big and brutal didn’t mean that he was automatically breeding material. Her friends had such low standards.
“It’s really no big deal,” Michelle said, pursing her lips. “It’s not like I see him that much or anything. I just watch his kids when he has stuff to do for my dad.”
“Still, that’s kind of romantic, right? You get to spend time in his house, with his children…”
“Dude, you’re grossing me out,” Michelle said, frowning down at the bed. “He’s just some guy. Besides, he’s old enough to be my dad. Or your dad!”
“That’s still sexy,” Callie said. “I like older men.”
“Well I have my own ideas about how I want to spend my future,” Michelle said, glowering. “And it’s not as Jake Desmond’s housewife. That’s for sure.”
“Whatever,” Callie said with a giggle. “I know you’re into him!”
A deep flush reddened Michelle’s cheeks. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I’ve seen the way you look at him! Whether you like it or not you’ve got it bad!”
“Oh my god,” Michelle said, shaking her head. But there was nothing to do but laugh about it. “You’re too obsessed with boys. That’s all you see. What if I’m just zoning out thinking about when I’ll be able to get the hell out of the Pythons and start my own life? Did you ever think of that?”
“Why would you want out of the MC?” Callie asked, her face puzzled. “It’s great here.”
“It’s great if you’re not the president’s daughter,” Michelle grumbled. “The only quality time I get with my dad is listening to how many people he’s had killed that week. It kind of puts a damper on things.”
“Oh come on, power is a good thing,” Callie said, nudging Michelle playfully. “Especially in the bedroom.”
“Please stop!” Michelle exclaimed. “Before I make you stop!”
“Is that a threat?” Callie said, raising an eyebrow and grinning.
“You know I could take you in a second,” Michelle said, shoving Callie’s shoulder. Callie laughed.
“See? Power can be good.”
“If you say so…”
Callie grinned and buried her nose back in her phone. Michelle gazed out the window. What would give Callie the impression that she liked Jake? There was nothing good about the bikers. She knew it. She would never let herself fall for a guy like her dad. Would she?
Michelle shivered as the memory of the gentle smile Jake had given her the night he came home wounded from the docks. Was it possible there was more to him than met the eye?
“Oh my god!” Callie exclaimed. “Jake just beat the shit out of Horace!”
“What? Why?” Violence between the bikers wasn’t uncommon, but it was still surprising. The Vice President usually wasn’t one to get violent with members of his own club.
“He was talking shit about Janie,” Callie said, a huge grin on her face. “That’s hilarious.”
Michelle cringed at the memory of Jake’s eyes narrowing in pain when she had thrown his wife’s name out carelessly. He hadn’t defended her, exactly, but it was clear that the wound was still deep.
“It’s immature,” Michelle said. “How could I ever like a biker? They’re just little kids who never grow up.”
Callie shrugged and Michelle sighed to herself. Her friend had somehow gotten the wrong impression. But that didn’t matter. She would never love a man like Jake.
Chapter 5
“I don’t know why you bother getting involved, Jake,” Kent said sternly.
Jake glowered. “He was talking about Janie.”
“Everybody talks about Janie, Jake! She was a traitor! It’s not your place to get involved. Especially when you know you’re going to win the fight. Everybody knows it. That’s why you have to be the bigger man and let shit go!”
“If everybody knows that I’m going to win the fight then they should watch their fucking mouths when they talk about my wife. Yeah, she made a mistake. Some big mistakes, in fact. But you know what? They say that addiction is a disease. It’s not like she meant to hurt anybody but herself.”
Kent’s face remained hard. He wasn’t the type to forgive any mistakes. In fact, it had crossed Jake’s mind when he was going crazy with grief that Kent had set up the overdose himself, just to teach her a lesson for going behind his back and giving money to the Raptors.
“I don’t like this side of you, Jake. It’s weak. You’re letting your emotions take control of your logic. Your skin is way too thin. Do you want someone else to sit in the vice president’s chair? Or do you want to take my advice into consideration and come back when you’ve cooled down a bit?”
Jake gritted his teeth. He knew that there was no way Kent would see reason about this.
“You know I want to keep my chair, Kent. I just never took disrespect like that lying down. It’s an old habit. I’m used to defending my wife.”
“I understand,” Kent said, false sympathy dripping in his voice. “Old habits die hard. But that’s exactly where your traitor wife is right now. She’s dead. And that’s got to be the end of it with you. Unless you’d rather VP for the Raptors?”
“Why would you even say that?” Jake growled. “I hate those bastards more than I’ve ever hated anyone on this earth!”
“And that’s exactly why you’re still the vice president. Now start acting like one before I change my mind about that.”
“You got it, boss,” Jake said, still prickling. He stormed out of Kent’s office and mounted his bike. There was nothing left for him to do there. He might as well be at home when his kids got back from school. They were the best thing he and his wife had ever done together, and nothing sounded better than seeing their faces. Especially after being lectured for defending the woman all of them mourned privately and deeply every single day.
***
“Michelle?”
Jake stopped his motorcycle and squinted at the porch where Michelle was standing awkwardly. He turned the loud rumble of his engine off and headed toward her.
“My father told me to come. I hope you don’t mind…”
“He did, huh? Well all he wanted to do was tell me off for beating up one of the MC slime balls. I can take it from here.”
“Oh,” Michelle said, casting her eyes to the porch. Something was wrong.
“What’s the matter?” Jake asked.
“I just don’t have a ride back. The bus doesn’t run this way again for another twenty minutes.”
“You have to take the bus out here?” Jake asked incredulously. “Can’t you drive?”
“Nah,” Michelle said, her beautiful, clear eyes boring into Jake’s. He was lost in them for a moment and nearly forgot his own question. “My dad’s afraid if I drive I will take off.”
“Why would he think that?” Jake asked, still stunned by the way she made him feel.
“Because I would do it in a heartbeat,” Michelle said, fixing a steady, sexy look on him.
“Um…do you want to come inside? I would offer to drive you back myself but the kids are about to get home.”
“Oh, sure,” Michelle said. “It’s kind of hot out here.”
Jake was certainly feeling the heat.
They walked inside together, Jake purposely avoiding Michelle. He hadn’t been able to resist drinking in the delicious image of her curves the last time and if he let himself do it again, he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself. She was just a kid after all. Kent’s kid.
“Mary will be glad to see you,” Jake said, pouring Michelle a cool glass of lemonade. “I appreciate you waiting for the kids like that, were you here long?”
“About two hours,” Michelle said.
“Two hours?! Fuck!”
Jake ran a rag under cool water and pressed it gently against Michelle’s forehead. “Without any water in this kind of heat? Are you all right?”
His gaze must have been more intense than he meant for it to be, because Michelle averted her eyes and her pink cheeks grew red.
“I’m fine,” she said, holding the cloth in place on her forehead so that Jake could let go. “Thanks.”
“That isn’t right. Hey, can you stay with the kids for about half an hour when they get off the bus?”
“Yeah, but why? You said my dad doesn’t need you.”
“This is just personal matters. I won’t be long, I promise.”
Michelle shrugged, and as if on cue, the kids burst through the door, laughing together and shouting about a kid on the bus who was being gross.
“Michelle!” Mary gasped, running toward her and embracing Michelle’s legs. “Hi!”
“Hi Mary!” Michelle said.
Jake was mesmerized by the sight. Michelle was almost like another person when she spoke to his kids. In a way, her nurturing tendencies were kind of sexy.
Fuck. That was not what he should be thinking right now.
“All right, guys. I’m going to go for a little bit, but Michelle will take g
ood care of you, okay?”
Jake was a little bit relieved to hear his children protest his leaving. He was almost afraid they were starting to prefer Michelle. Even JJ had been a lot less whiny and more active since Michelle had been coming over.
“Are you going to be okay?” Jake asked Michelle. “Too much sun can be serious.”
“I’m really okay, but thank you,” Michelle said with a tired smile.
“Listen guys,” Jake said, using his serious voice. His children listened with wide eyes. “Michelle got too much sun, okay, so if she starts to feel sick you know what to do right?”
“Call you and call 911!” the kids shouted in unison.
Michelle smiled at them and Jake felt a small surge of pride. “That’s right. Now give me a hug. I’ll be back soon.”
“Okay!”
Jake could feel Michelle’s eyes on him as he walked out the door, and he sighed to himself. The poor girl had to go far out of her way to get out here. Maybe he should tell Kent not to bother with her anymore. It wasn’t worth it if she was going to suffer like this.
Still, he knew it would break his children’s hearts if he let Michelle off the hook. He would just try to make it worth her while somehow. And all he would have to do was behave himself.
Chapter 6
The kids were extremely hyper after coming home from school and Michelle had a hard time keeping up with their rapid conversation. It was cute in a way, and a little overwhelming. She really wasn’t feeling great. Usually her father was able to arrange for her to get a ride with one of the guys coming out toward the docks. But when he couldn’t, she had to leave early and take public transit.
Not only was it cramped, smelly, and hot on the bus, but waiting out on the porch until somebody arrived wasn’t a huge joy either. She just had to try to hold it together until Jake came back. Maybe then she would be able to take a nap. What kind of guy just disappeared when his babysitter was clearly getting heat stroke? Apparently just Jake. Callie was right. What a charmer.
“Back!” Jake’s masculine voice rang through the house and Michelle felt a thrill despite herself. Yeah, he was attractive, but he was still an ass.