by Amelia Shea
Kase approached Caden with an offer to buy into his trucking company. It was no secret Caden was struggling financially, which would mean a win-win for both the club and Caden. But Caden held out for as long as possible. It was a matter of pride which Rourke understood. This was Caden’s company, he started from nothing, and Rourke knew he worked his ass off to keep. But times were tough for him. The club got word a few months ago they would be partnering up with Reilly Trucking.
“You get Drake to check out the plans I sent ya?” Kase asked.
Caden nodded. “Yeah. I’m pricing out cages and seeing how quickly we can get them. D says it should take a few weeks to modify one.”
“Gonna need more than fucking one, Cade. Got some big orders with multiple stops on each. Need as many of my guys doing deliveries and pick-ups as we can get.”
Rourke glanced over to catch Caden’s hardening scowl. “How many ya think you’ll need, cause ya know, I still got my own fucking jobs I gotta handle.”
Rourke didn’t miss the bitter tone when Caden mentioned his own jobs. He understood it, and from the silence from Kase, he did too.
“Four. That work?”
Caden clenched his jaw. “Yeah.”
The table sat in silence with the tension rising. Rourke had a feeling this was just the beginning of Kase and Caden going head to head. He sighed, knowing he’d probably be breaking up quite a few fights between these two in the near future.
Gage burst out laughing, which gained the attention of not only all the men but a few customers. He slammed his hand on the table and then pointed at Caden. “We got ya, brother. You may not want in the club, but us being partners, ya know what that shit means?” Gage grinned. “Weekly business meeting. I suggest we do this at the strip club. I think better when I’m surrounded by tits and ass.”
And just like that, the tension disappeared. All the guys, including Caden, started laughing. Rourke had to give Gage credit. Sometimes his timing was perfect.
They continued their bullshitting for the next hour. Caden had offered for the guys to stay at his place which was equipped with a few apartments for their stay. With the Ghosttown clubhouse still in need of a lot of work, they all took him up on it.
They all headed back to Caden’s place in Turnersville. It was good to be with his brothers on the road, but Rourke was eager to get back to Blacksburg. Sunday night couldn’t come quick enough.
Chapter Five
She sat on her breakfast bar, swinging her legs. This was a first. Usually, she would be running around trying and failing to be ready before her date actually showed up. This was different. She had started to get ready hours ago, and now she was waiting on him with the nerves wreaking havoc in her stomach. She refused to get up to check her outfit again. A whole hour spent coordinating a cute outfit that could be misconstrued as casual. Same went for her hair. Thirty minutes curling it just to shake the curls out for a beachy wave.
She glanced over her shoulder at the microwave. 8:07. Was seven minutes enough time to assume he was standing her up? She groaned, and her shoulders hunched. She didn’t really think he wouldn’t show up, she was just on edge wondering what would happen when he finally did. This is nuts. Why was she so nervous and unsure of herself? ’Cause it’s Rourke. Her lips puckered, and she scanned the room, searching for a distraction. She wiped her palms down her thighs and inhaled deeply. She considered doing a quick shot of tequila to loosen her nerves.
Yes, do it.
She hopped off the counter and hurried to the cabinet just as she heard the knock on the door. She whipped her head and froze.
Fuck! She chewed on her lip, calculating how much time it would take to down a shot before answering the door. Grab the glass, tequila, open, pour, and drink. Ten seconds?
Her nerves spiked as she moved closer to the door. She glanced around for some type of mirror or even something to show her reflection. When he knocked again, she jumped away. This was ridiculous. She was a grown woman who had plenty of dating experience. She was the one who asked him over. Open the damn door.
She grabbed the knob and pulled it open with too much force, and it slammed against her foot. Well, there goes my big toenail. She clamped her lips, biting back a painful yelp.
“You all right?”
Macy nodded with a smile as she glanced up. “Yeah, the door sticks sometimes.” Liar.
Rourke lifted his brows and walked in. He had texted her earlier, asking what she liked but didn’t expect him to show up with a bag full of food. Jason never did that; he always expected her to grab the food or make plans.
The next ten minutes were slightly awkward. She grabbed plates and utensils while he unloaded the bags. After making their plates in silence, they moved to the living room to eat. She knew going into this, Rourke was not a bigger talker, but the silence was making her increasingly anxious. What was wrong with her? It was a hang- out date with a man she’d already slept with.
She rolled her neck to relieve some tension and drew in a deep breath.
“So how was your trip?”
Rourke was seated on the couch next to her, but there was a deliberate space between them.
“Long.”
She sucked the noodle between her lips. “Sounds like your weekend was the opposite of mine. It just flew by.”
“What did you do?”
“Oh um, well, I worked. I’m up for a promotion.” She smiled. “I find out next week if I got it. Just doing some last-minute overtime, ya know, kissing a little ass.”
Rourke snorted. “Thought you sold candles and shit.”
She narrowed her gaze playfully. “Product. And I do, with Chey. Our side business, which will hopefully become full time. It just takes a lot of start-up cash, so this promotion will really help.” Macy wiped her mouth, angling her body to face him. “We’ve done really well, especially in the last few months. We’ve doubled the traffic on our website and did a vendor show last month and made mad cash.” She winked and the corner of his mouth curled.
The small movement of his lips set her nerves at ease. If anything, at least she amused him. She took a mouthful of her beer and settled into the couch with her plate. While it started about a bit shaky, being with him in her place felt normal. More so than she expected. She’d trained her mind to remember this was strictly sexual, but something about it felt very couple-like. Settle down. He’s only been here fifteen minutes.
“Can I ask ya something?”
He nodded.
“Do you take a lot of girls on your bike?”
“Why?”
“Just curious.” She shrugged. “I’ve never been on a motorcycle.” It was lame. She could have just asked him, but for some reason, she wanted him to ask her.
He stopped in mid-bite and turned his head. His face was almost comical. “You wanna go for a ride?”
Yes!
“Yeah, but with a helmet.” She smirked, scooping her noodles on her fork and taking a bite. She leaned across the coffee table, grabbing a napkin and quickly wiping her mouth. “So?” She chewed and cocked her brow.
He stopped in mid-chew, and side glanced her. “So, what?”
“How come you never asked me to go on a ride? ’Cause we’re just fuck buddies?”
She was fishing. There was a part of her that needed him to say it—that this thing between them was nothing more than sex and a good time. She needed to hear the words and confirm this wasn’t going anywhere.
She drew in a breath. Waiting on Rourke? They could be here awhile. The guy never gave more than necessary, as she was learning. She raised her brows and smiled. “Well? How come? Or is putting a woman on the back of your bike some sacred thing, like a commitment? I’ve kinda seen that on TV.”
With a man like Rourke, she had to watch closely. He rarely showed emotion, and when he did, it was small, a blink and she’d miss it. She noticed the jolt of his jaw and his temple pulsed. His lips tightened together. There was a reaction.
He set the cont
ainer on the table and sat back in the couch. “You never asked.”
Again, man of few words. “Oh.”
She grabbed the egg roll and aimed her attention back at the television. I never asked? Not exactly the response she was hoping for. She wasn’t expecting an in-depth explanation, but a little more would have been nice.
“We’ll go after we eat,” he said.
She turned, angling her head in an awkward position. “It’s too late now. It’s dark out.”
He furrowed his brows. “How the hell ya think I’m getting home?” His lips twitched. He was amused. “I ride in the dark, Macy.”
“I know, but I’ve never been on a bike, and daylight is my preference. I mean, if I’m gonna die, I wanna see it coming.”
The corners of his mouth curled just before he chuckled. Yes, she amused him. She leaned forward dropping her plate on the table and sat back.
“Besides, I was planning on talking you into spending the night, so you won’t have to drive in the dark.” She peeked over at him to see him lean forward and rest his plate on the table. “I mean if you wanna stay.” She barely finished her sentence.
Rourke moved quickly, pinning her against the couch and driving his hand into the back of her head. His lips grazed over hers as his body pressed against her. She didn’t have much room, but she wiggled her hands up and gripped his shirt, pulling him even closer. This man could kiss.
Her phone pinged, and he pulled away. No. She grabbed his neck, pulling him down. “They’ll call back if it’s important.” She leaned forward, licking his bottom lip. She sunk deeper into the couch, tugging on his shirt to take him with her. She and Cheyenne had a “no sex in the living room” rule which she fully intended to break.
His hand slipped under her back and gripped her waist. The pads of his fingers dug into her side. With his body pressed against hers, she could distinctly feel his arousal poking into her stomach. She angled her head and deepened the kiss while yanking at the back of his t-shirt. His tongue swirled against hers in a slow circular motion sending a tingling shiver over her skin.
Then, her phone rang again. Go away. She had fully intended to ignore it, but Rourke wasn’t on the same page. He pulled himself off her and out of her reach when he sat back on the other end of the couch. She peeked over, and his jaw squared while he wiped his mouth.
“Answer the phone,” he said with a shallow growl and jerked his chin to the coffee table.
Macy lunged closer and grasped his thigh. “No, they’ll call back.”
He snorted and drove his hand through his hair in what she assumed was frustration. “Yeah, they will, every five fucking minutes, so take the call or turn it off.”
He had a point.
Macy righted herself and grabbed her phone. She planned on hitting ignore and then silencing her phone. When she glanced down at the screen, she groaned. Why? Why now? She slumped into the couch. This was the one call she couldn’t ignore.
She hit the call back and listened as it rang. She glanced up to see Rourke watching her through hooded lids. The heat of desire remained, which only pissed her off more. I can’t believe my own mother is cockblocking right now.
“My mother.” She rolled her eyes. “If I don’t call her back in five minutes, she assumes I’m dead in a ditch.”
Rourke scowled.
Macy snickered. Of course, he wouldn’t understand, he’d never met her. “Seriously, I’ve had the cops here three times for a wellness check all because I didn’t respond quick enough.” Macy shrugged. “She watches a lot of those crime shows, so she’s a little paranoid.” She shook her head and whispered. “Blacksburg PD loathe my mom.”
She jerked up when she her heard her mother’s voice.
“What’s up?”
“Hey, beautiful. You around next Sunday? Your brothers are coming in, and I want to do a big dinner.”
Macy drew in a deep breath and clamped her lips with a long nod.
She was an only child, and up until five years ago, it had been just her and her mom. Then her mom met Jerry, got married, and suddenly, Macy had brothers. Stepbrothers.
“Yeah, of course, what time?”
“Noon sound good?”
“Sure does, Mom. See ya then. Love you.”
“Love you too, baby.”
She tossed the phone on the couch and eyed Rourke who remained staring at her.
“What?”
The corner of his mouth curled, and he shook his head. “Your voice changed when you talked to her.”
Macy laughed. “Yeah, well, she panics if I don’t sound enthusiastic.” She shrugged. “Ya know moms.”
“You close?”
Macy smiled. It was a jerk reaction every time she thought of her mom. “Yeah.” She tucked her legs under her butt and curled into the curve of the couch facing him. “Up until five years ago, it was just the two of us. Then she met Jerry, fell in love, got married, and now she enjoys Sunday dinners when,” she lifted up her hands and gestured finger quotes, “my brothers come to town.”
He gave a sharp nod, but she could read his confusion.
“I’m an only child. My brothers, as she loves to refer to them as, are her husband’s sons. Ryan and Nick are awesome guys, but technically, we’re not siblings. But I’d never mention it to my mom. She lives for the big family dinner thing.” Macy drew her hands to her lap and bowed her head. “We don’t have a lot of extended family, so we didn’t do big Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners. I didn’t realize it when I was a kid, but I think my mom wanted that.” She glanced up. “But she has it now.”
“What’s she like?” he asked.
The question caught her completely off guard. She couldn’t ever recall a time when a date asked about her mom, but Rourke seemed genuinely interested. She bit back her urge to lean over and kiss him.
Macy inched closer to him. “She’s amazing, and not in the obligatory my mom is amazing bs line all daughters have to say.” Macy chuckled when he smirked. “Not a person on the planet better than her. She’s loving and sweet, really smart, and she’s a bit of a hardass, but in the best way, ya know? She gave up a lot for me, though she’d never admit it. Even to this day.” She snorted. “Growing up, she worked two jobs and crazy hours just to make ends meet. Yet, every award I received, every play I was in,” she paused with a smile, “she was there. Front row. Every time I got sick at school, she picked me up. She’d go without new clothes for work or anything for herself before making sure I had everything I needed. She was the definition of selfless.” Macy pursed her lips, biting back her emotion. “Then, when I got accepted into the University, she worked three jobs just to pay for it.” Macy bit back the tears threatening her eyes. “Said she didn’t want me to come out of college with debt.” Macy sighed. “And I didn’t. I worked too, but it was my mom who paid most of it.” She shook her head. “And she never complained. Not once.”
Her mom was her weakness. Macy turned toward the television, trying to gather herself. Showing emotion was never her thing, but it couldn’t be helped when she spoke of her mom. She swallowed the lump in her throat.
“Then she got married?”
Macy turned with a smile and nodded. Partially, because she loved her mom finding someone who made her happy, and because Rourke was taking a continued interest.
“Yeah, she met Jerry five years ago. It’s funny. She never dated when I was a kid. I think deep down, she worried getting involved with a man would rob me of her attention, and with all the work she was doing, she didn’t want to do that to me.” Macy waved her hand, getting back on track. “Anyway, they married, moved to the Hill section, bought a house, and she absolutely loves him.” Macy smiled, leaning her head against the couch. “And he loves her.” She couldn’t think of anyone more deserving of a happily ever after more than her mom.
“You like him?”
Macy laughed. “Jerry?” She raised her bows and grinned. “Yeah, I like him. A lot. He’s, umm…” She glanced up at the ceili
ng holding back her laugh.
“What?”
Macy turned to find Rourke waiting on her answer. “Ugh,” she groaned. “I feel bad for saying it, but he’s a dork.” Macy laughed. “But the sweetest dork ever.” She righted herself and inched closer to Rourke with her knee pressed against his thigh. “He has the lamest jokes and tells them as if I’m some ten-year-old he’s trying to win over. It’s funny as hell. Oh, and every year, he insists on buying me a Christmas present he picks out himself. He doesn’t have a daughter, so he prides himself on going out and getting me something on his own.” Macy twisted her lips. “They’re awful. Last year, he got me a pea green sweater with daisies embroidered on the front because he remembered it was my favorite flower.” She laughed and planted her hands on his leg. “It’s hideous. But on Sunday? I’ll wear it.”
His brows furrowed in confusion. “Why?”
Macy tilted her head. “’He got it for me with the kindest intentions. He remembered how much I loved daisies. My real dad? He probably wouldn’t recognize me if we passed on the street. The man has no clue who I am. But Jerry? He saw this god-awful sweater with daisies and thought ‘Macy loves daisies’ so he bought it. And every time I put that dreadful sweater on, I remember that.” Macy dropped her chin to her chest. She shouldn’t have brought up her own father, who had left them when she was a baby. Twenty-six years later, it still hit her hard. She rarely shared the past with anyone which struck her as odd she could say it to him without hesitation.
His hand brushed against her face, cupping her chin, and forcing her to look up. “Jerry sounds like a solid guy.”
Macy nodded.
“He is. And he loves her. She deserves it.”
Rourke moved his hand over her neck, down her back, and tugged her closer into his side. Macy went willingly and curled up against him. Being so close, it gave her a perfect view of his left arm.