She looked back at him, and just staring at him had Alexis’s heart racing. There wasn’t a girl in Steel Corner, and maybe even as far as River Run that didn’t want Nico Landon, but here he was, saying he wanted her. “It’s hard to ignore them when I can feel them staring at us.” She laughed this almost nervous one, and then she felt her cheeks heat again from being embarrassed over the sound. Being around Nico seemed to cause the wires in her brain to malfunction all at once.
He tipped his chin toward the lake, and they both turned toward it. The sun was so bright, and she lifted her hand to shield her eyes. She could see Tarren on Lucas’s shoulders, and Odin was trying to pull her off.
“One day we won’t have to worry about anyone’s rules, Alexis. We will be free to live our lives the way we want.”
She turned and looked at him, but he kept his focus on the water. He tightened his hold on her hand and pulled her closer to his side.
“You ready, Alexis?” He turned and grinned down at her.
She knew he wasn’t just speaking about jumping in, but about all the shit they would probably go through if they did give this forbidden relationship a chance. She squeezed his hand and took a deep breath. “You’re by my side, so I am ready for anything.” She smiled, and before she knew what he was doing he leaned down and kissed her hard and passionately. There was a round of catcalls from Odin and Lucas, and she broke the kiss and felt her cheeks become hot as fire.
“Come on, babe.” And then he pulled her off the deck, and they crashed into the water together, still holding hands.
****
Brick stared off as his baby girl and Jagger’s son splashed together in the water. He had come back here to make sure they were okay because he had seen Lucas carting off a cooler. Brick wasn’t born yesterday, and knew enough about the teenage years from his own reckless ones that the cooler had not been filled with only pop. But he had seen them only drink one each, and he didn’t have a stick up his ass to go and stop them from experimenting with a little harmless beer. But he did watch them to make sure they were safe. And then he saw Nico kissing his little girl—and even at sixteen she was still his little girl—and it took everything inside of him not to go smack Nico around for touching her. It didn’t matter that this was Jagger’s kid, because any boy that touched Brick’s daughter would have to deal with him. Hell, he wasn’t even against the idea of cleaning his guns in front of a guy she brought home. He wanted anyone that wanted to date Alexis to be afraid, because if she were hurt because of some little asshole he’d turn into the bad motherfucker that everyone knew him to be. He’d tear shit up without thinking about the consequences.
“You stare at them any longer and you might have an aneurism,” Jagger said in his deep, take-no-shit voice from behind him. Jagger stopped beside him and tipped his beer back to his mouth for a long swallow.
“Your kid kissed my girl.” Brick growled low in his throat.
Jagger looked over at the kids in the lake. “Which kid?”
Brick glared at his President. “You know which fucking kid I’m talking about.”
Jagger started chuckling, which had Brick glaring harder and curling his fingers harder into his palms. “You and I both knew that this was bound to happen. I mean they have been giving each other the googly eyes since they could walk.”
“Googly eyes? Did the president of The Grizzly MC actually just say googly-fucking-eyes?” Brick would have laughed if he weren’t so damn worried about Alexis getting involved with Nico.
“Brick, you need to chill. Alexis is a smart girl, and wouldn’t take shit from anyone, least of all one of my sons.”
Brick grunted and looked at his daughter again. She was laughing as she splashed water at Tarren. “Jagger, your kids are just like you when you were that age, and have one thing on their minds, just like every fucking asshole boy out there.”
Jagger stayed silent for a moment. “I can’t argue you on that. Shit, we were like that, man.”
Brick didn’t even respond to that. That still didn’t ease the parental side of him that wanted to protect and shelter Alexis.
“It’ll work out for the best, because whereas I don’t think Nico would ever break Alexis’s heart, if things did end up being sour between them she’d be the first to kick his ass.” Jagger grinned at Brick. “Besides, there is a slew of big brothers and bikers that are like her uncles to her and will put anyone that hurts Alexis in his place.” Jagger clapped him on the back. “But I trust my boys, and I trust your girl. I know that those two are meant to be together.”