He shook his head. “No.”
“Fix that. Even better, if you can, get a ring on her finger. Courts like nuclear families.”
“And they wouldn’t find it odd we just tied the knot now?”
“Not with her back story. God, they’d eat it up. From tragedy to married bliss in under a year because you were the one. It’d be a good move for you.”
“I’ll think about it,” Snake said, feeling ill at the thought of using their love for his gain. Could I do that to her? I’ll only bring it up if things take a turn for the worse. Being married wasn’t an issue—he saw that for them down the road—but it needed to be for the right reasons, or she’d never forgive him. I’ll focus on moving her in.
“See that you do. If this thing gets ugly, you’ll want the tables stacked in your favor. I’ll give you a call when we have an eta on the DNA test.”
“All right, man. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow then.”
He walked out of the office hoping for the best and fearing the worst. What had they told Jocelyn about him and Jade? Clearly she knew she was adopted. Both of her parents were Caucasian. Feeling the weight of the club who wanted to plan a patch in party, his journey to get his daughter back, and the unsettled feeling between him and Es, he did the one thing he knew would clear his head: hit the open road.
He ended up at Rain just before closing. I’m officially whipped. Part of him worried that she’d come to her senses any minute. She was an ex-school teacher. He knew she had no business being with a man like him. After parking, he walked inside scanning the mostly empty floor. He spotted her at the bar closing out tabs. He nodded to Chuck, the bouncer, and walked over to sit in Es’ section. She lifted an eyebrow.
“Can I get you something?” she asked.
He leaned in. “Hey, do you think your boss would let you leave early?”
“Not funny,” she replied, shaking her head. The twitch of her lips betrayed her amusement.
He mentally wiped his brow. “I was serious. How was your night?”
“Busy, but good. How did the meeting go?”
“Good. They want a DNA test.”
“Makes sense.”
“I told him I’d take the test as long as they agreed to tell me something about Jocelyn. I don’t know a damn thing about her anymore.” He glanced down at his hand on the bar, ashamed.
“Hey, none of that’s your fault. You’re going to make it right.”
“If they accept, the test will be given by an impartial third party company.”
“Sounds fair.”
“I hate this whole civilized act we’re putting on. I want to go down there, get my daughter, and bring her home yesterday.”
“Except it’d be horrible for her. She wouldn’t know what was going on, who you were, or why you took her. You’d be the enemy who stole her from the parents who’ve loved and cared for her all this time. You don’t want that.”
He clenched his fists. “Only reason I’m doing this.”
She patted his hand. “You’re doing it right. It’ll take longer, but in the end it’ll be worth it. Kids are smarter than we give them credit for, but their brains are still developing. You have to break it to her little by little and ease her into this. You’ll get where you want to be.”
“And you’ll be there to help me.”
“I said I would.”
“Are we okay?” he asked.
She looked startled, which caused his stomach to sour. He cleared his throat and swallowed. He wasn’t used to being unsure where he stood, or dealing with all the emotional work that came with relationships. He’d been alone for a while, and giving orders that were carried out without question for nearly the same length of time. It had colored his personality in ways he hadn’t anticipated. She was new to his world in so many ways. Another girl would’ve folded and accepted what he gave. Es never would. It was part of why he loved her so much. She would always speak her mind, demand the respect she deserved, and love him because he was Xavier Kolton. With the biker bunnies there was always a question mark when it came to relationship. Were they with you because of the cut, your position, or the bad boy image you personified in their eyes?
“We’re okay, Snake. This was our first fight, but I’m sure it won’t be our last. It’s the way of things,” she said with a smile and a shrug.
Reassured, he relaxed on his stool.
“How about I wait here until you get off?”
“Shouldn’t you be working?” she teased.
“Perks of being the boss. I don’t have work unless I want to.”
“Ass.”
“You just now figuring that out, Sprite?”
“Less flirting and more working,” Kali called from the other end of the bar.
Es huffed. “Look, you’re getting me into trouble,” she said, walking away from him to start the closing policies as the last of the patrons made their way outside. Eager to reconnect after the brief rift, he focused in on the prospect, Stealth.
“Stealth, come here.”
He strode over. “Yeah, V.P?”
“Finish cleaning up behind the bar and give Kali the register to count out.”
“Yes, sir,” Stealth replied.
He liked the boy. He’d be a good fit for the club. He followed directions down to the letter, never asked more questions than necessary, and held his alcohol and knowledge well. One of the main reasons they let people go was over inflated egos that lead to wagging tongues.
“Come here, sweet girl,” he said, crooking his fingers.
“I’m not finished yet.”
“Yes you are.” Snake grew hard as he took in the formfitting tank top and black pants. Not long ago he’d been inside of her and all had been right with the world. He needed to get back to that. He stared her down; her eyes dilated, and her chest heaved. When she walked around the bar, he opened his legs and guided her to stand between them. Gripping the back of her neck, he pulled her to him. He kissed her hard, intent on leaving his mark behind. They broke apart, and he stood, pulling her through the quiet club. Rain had a special room with a two-way glass and plush furniture. Normally used for private meetings, the space would facilitate a more recreational purpose tonight.
“Where are we going?” Es asked breathlessly.
“A place where I can remind you who you belong to.”
She gasped. He glanced back and chuckled at her scandalized expression.
“Here?”
“Anytime, anyplace. And I promise you, you’ll love every second of it.”
She bit her bottom lip, and he groaned and walked faster, pulling her along behind him. She was intoxicating. They’d danced around one another, put in the work to build a strong foundation, and now he wanted to learn her body as well as he knew her soul. They climbed the stairs, and he paused at the door to enter the code. The door clicked, and he turned the handle, allowing her to step inside the spacious room. Flicking on the light, he revealed the large wooden table lined with chairs by the door, and comfortable, black leather couches in the back of the room against the wall. A table rested between them and a bar sat a few feet away against the back wall.
He walked them to the back, sank onto the couch, and patted his lap. With her pink cheeks, she looked like a maiden waiting to be spoiled.
“Come here, sweet girl.” He grasped her hand and tugged her until she complied, straddling his legs. Gripping her hips, he pressed her down onto his hard-on. “See what you do to me? I can’t get enough of you.”
“You’ve only had me once,” she whispered.
“That’s just your body. Your soul has been mine for months. That’s why this is so good between us. You know that, right?”
She peered up from beneath a fringe of blonde hair.
“When I claimed you as my old lady, it wasn’t a decision I made on a whim. I did it because I’m in this with you for the long haul.”
She rested a hand on his chest, over his heart, and smiled bashfully. “Xavier, I feel the same way and it scares the hell out of me.”
“Don’t be scared. I’m not perfect. I’ll screw up, piss you off, and frustrate you to no end at times. That’s the way it is between an old lady and her man. But I will never let you down, abandon you, or leave you unprotected. I come with an entire family that’s embraced you. While we may be rowdy and unconventional, we’re also there for each other.” He laughed. “I guess what I’m saying is I pledge myself to you, sweet girl. You deserve flowers, poems, and a number of other things I can’t give you.”
“You just did,” she whispered.
His lips twitched upward. “Are you ready for the commitment that comes along with me? ’Cause I’m past the point of being able to let you go, and this life is an all in or out thing.”
“Don’t you know by now I’m with you, always? I love you. I never thought I would say those words to another man. Then you came along, and I couldn’t maintain all the walls I’d buried myself behind. You showed me how to live again. No, you gave me the courage to thaw out and experience life the way it was meant to be lived. After losing my family the way I did, there will always be a part of me that’s terrified by love this deep. There will be times when I retreat, try to push you away, and shut you out. I’m not perfect. I’m broken, but breathing and fighting like hell to keep what we have untarnished by my—”