Duke(36)
Cassie and Sam groaned at the same time, and the rest of the room laughed. Sam stood and said, “If ya’ll are going to start talking classic cars, I think the women should all convene in Cassie’s room for girl talk.”
Gen kissed Duke’s cheek before she left, and Frisco led the men out to the garage.
Chapter Sixteen
“So,” Duke asked Gen as they climbed the steps to her bedroom. “What did you girls talk about while we went to the garage?”
“They wanted the scoop on what you’re like in bed, and were pretty surprised I didn’t know yet. I told them you’d been the perfect gentleman, but you were an awesome kisser.”
Gen noted he brought a bag in this time, and figured it was a change of clothes for tomorrow. She’d given him a toothbrush the first morning, and now had to look at it in her toothbrush drawer, sitting alongside her travel toothbrush. Her electric toothbrush stayed on her vanity, and she wondered if he’d eventually have one up there, too.
“You kicked ass on the course today,” she told him. “No one’s ever beat Tyler before.”
“Not even Isaac?”
“Isaac never participates, since he creates the courses.”
“If I set up a paintball battle tomorrow night, you and I against Brain and Dawg, would you be interested?”
Gen sat on the sofa in her bedroom and looked out at her view. The sun would set soon and she didn’t want to miss it. “Maybe another night, I have a full day tomorrow.”
“Is there a way you can share your calendar with me, so I can try to plan our time better?”
She glanced at him, back to the wall of windows. “Yeah, I’ll get Thomas to open it up for you tomorrow, give you a login so you can see it.”
“Any reason why you have a male assistant?”
“I don’t deal well with petty jealousy, Duke. Come sit with me and watch the sunset.”
“Once the sun’s gone down, you have a problem with me taking a shower?”
She shook her head. “Make yourself at home. I should probably take one, too. I worked up a sweat on Isaac’s course.”
“I’m not sure if you know how big of a compliment I’m giving you, but after watching you today, I’d feel comfortable knowing you had my back in any situation, Beautiful.”
The sky blossomed into pinks and yellows, and Gen pointed to it to keep from having to respond. He sat with her tucked into his side as they silently watched the sky light up with brilliant colors, and then slowly go dark.
Duke stood, kissed her cheek, and said, “I’ll just take a quick shower.”
Gen got in when Duke got out, and this time chose to wear a pajama short set, with a cute little top that showed a little cleavage.
Duke was in her bed watching a TV show about a motorcycle club when she got out, and she asked, “Ya’ll don’t do any of that stuff, right? It’s just the bar and bike shop, you don’t have other, ummm, sources of income?”
“I once told you I’d never lie to you, and you asked me not to tell you anything incriminating. The best I can tell you is at the present time it’s just the bar and bike shop, but once we get our numbers built up it may be something else. We come from a chapter that did more, and we’re debating on whether to go the same route, but nothing’s set in stone.”
“The kind of thing that involves shootouts and people dying?”
Duke shook his head. “No, nothing like the body count here. Plus, these guys can’t shoot for shit.” He pulled her into bed, saying, “I like this outfit. So sexy.”
“Is it too much?”
Duke laughed and said, “No such thing as too sexy, Beautiful. Especially not when you’re climbing into bed with me. Now, tell me about your day tomorrow.”
“Ten o’clock appointment with a mortgage company who wants to work a deal with me. I doubt we’ll find common ground, but I’m willing to hear them out. Eleven o’clock closing down the street, a one o’clock lunch with a construction company looking for someone to manage their rental properties, and then I pick up a gentleman at the airport somewhere around three so I can show him a few condos downtown. I’m having dinner with him and then I drop him off at The Chattanoogan, and if you like I can drop by the compound when I finish with him.”
“Not liking the fact you’re gonna have two meals with men tomorrow, but I get that this is my problem and I’m gonna have to deal with it.”
“It’s my job, Duke. I wine and dine them as part of the service. I have to judge the best restaurant for each person, decide what they’ll like. I did okay taking ya’ll to Sticky Fingers, right? Of course, you’re hardheaded and decided you had to pay, but I still think I did a good job of taking the group where you’d be most comfortable.”