Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 77106 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77106 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
“Think they deserved to keep all that shit in their past,” I said, not wanting to upset these adults and teens who just wanted to focus on the present and future, not hard times in their past.”
“Okay,” Zoe agreed, reaching across me to place her hand on her daughter’s back. “Thank you for telling me all that.”
My head turned, resting on the side of hers.
“Can I ask one more thing?”
“Sure.”
“What happened to your parents?”
“My old man shacked up with one of his mistresses. Never came back to my mother, who spent a few years in my grandfather’s house, but eventually she lost it when she didn’t pay the taxes.”
“Oh, that’s a shame.”
This part, this I never told anyone.
But, somehow, I wanted to tell Zoe.
“I bought it.”
“What?”
“The house. I saw it go up for auction and I bought it. About half a year after I joined the club.”
“You still own it?”
“Yeah. I’ve never stepped foot in it. Have kept it rented out. But it’s mine.”
“Did your mother know it was you?”
“Doubt it. She was so fucked up at the time. Still is, from what I can gather.”
“You’ve never wanted to go back?”
“Never really even thought about it.” I just knew I wanted it, that it was a part of my past that I needed to, I dunno, have control over now that I was an adult.
“Well, you always have the option, which is nice,” Zoe said.
“Yeah,” I agreed.
“I knew you had to have some kind of history with babies. You’ve been so good with Lainey.”
“She’s an easy baby.”
“She adores you.”
“The feeling is mutual,” I admitted.
And whether or not I was ready to admit it, I fucking felt the same way about Zoe.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Zoe
That first day had been emotionally intense but also light and fun.
Coast and I talked for over two hours while Lainey took a nap. Then, when she was up again, we took her around the property, letting her see the tortoise and the trucks across the street, dipping her feet into the pool, letting everyone steal and entertain her for a while.
That night, there was no talking about it.
Coast and I just changed for sleep, then climbed in bed together.
And sometime in the darkest part of the night, I woke up to his hands sliding up my belly, his body crooked into mine, his hardness pressed against my ass.
His hands teased under my shirt, getting my desire to a fever pitch.
And then, under the sheets, he was lowering my shorts and panties down, then sliding into me from behind. A long, fluid movement.
There was nothing hard or impatient then.
It was all soft sighs and gentle touches.
Our bodies moved together, our need grew, but it was more than that.
It was sweet and passionate, full of the deeper connection we’d forged since letting each other in on our pasts.
We seemed to move together for hours before coming together.
Then, afterward, we fell back to sleep with our bodies entwined until Lainey eventually demanded we wake up.
The next day, some part of me wanted to just hang around the clubhouse, enjoying the new company, making sneaking away for more alone time with Coast.
But half of the guys discreetly disappeared in the middle of the day.
“Work,” Coast answered when I asked where they’d gone.
And then he informed me that when they got back, the club was going to have “church.” Which was, apparently, what a biker club called a mandatory meeting.
About, it seemed, my situation and presence in the club.
Coast had suggested I hang out upstairs or take a dip in the pool with Lainey while they went through with it.
I’d been the one to say I was going to go and get a few jobs done, so they didn’t have to worry about being overheard.
I felt squirrely at the idea of them all discussing me and my baby while we were in the house. Besides, I needed to not get caught up in the vacation of it all. I needed to work, to save, to have a nest egg to fall back on.
“You don’t need to do this,” Coast said, standing next to my car as I slipped Lainey into her seat.
“I might as well get a little work done while you guys are busy,” I said, shrugging it off. “Oh, who taped up my window?” I asked when I noticed.
“Eddie. He said he is gonna replace it for you, but he wanted it to have a temporary fix just in case you needed to drive it in the meantime.”
“That was really sweet of him. But he doesn’t have to fix it. I can—”
“He’s not gonna let you take it anywhere else. He loves working on cars. He wants to do it. Let him.”
“Okay,” I agreed, opening my door.
“Don’t work too late,” Coast said, following me and giving me a quick, hard kiss.
“I won’t,” I assured him. “Text me when church is done, so if I want to head back then, I know I can.”