Shadowing Me(3)

“You think you could schedule a meeting with your friend?” he asks as he looks back up from his notes.

“Yeah, when?”

He pauses to think about it for a moment.

“A few weeks from now, because I want to get this shit handled with the Chinese. I want the less stressful shit first.”

“Yep, I’ll make a meetin’ after all that’s settled.”

He reaches for the gavel and slams it down. It means he’s satisfied and we’re free to go.





***





Chapter Two

Tatiana





I smack at Storm’s hand as she tries to change my answers on my homework again. Ever since we started doing our business management schooling together, she has always tried to fix my work. When she huffs at me, I smile. I have never cared about the women in my dad’s life until now. He never really had a steady girlfriend until Storm, so I rarely ever paid attention to them. But Storm is different. She snagged a hold of my dad and is not letting go. He doesn’t want her to either. She is good to me and my twin brother, Mason, who we didn’t even know existed until a little over three months ago.

At first, I was hesitant about their relationship. I am his little girl after all, but when Storm lost my dad’s baby in a car accident, it entirely changed the way I felt.

When my brother came traipsing into Club Sated, Storm could’ve been angry about my dad having another child after she had lost her unborn baby, but she wasn’t. And that is the moment I fell in love with her. She is barely a few years older than me, and maybe it is what makes it so much easier to get along with her. I do not know. Either way, I am more than accepting when it comes to her relationship with my dad.

Like right now as we sit at the bar of Club Sated doing our homework for one of our classes, she is acting like a mother would be when it comes to homework. What is not to love about that?

The sound of glass shattering echoes all around the club.

“Dammit! This damn pregnant stomach of mine is getting all up in my way!” Winter cries.

You can’t even tell she is with child. She is only four months along. Hell, you can’t even call it a stomach. It is like a small kangaroo pouch.

“You’re barely showing, Win. Shut up.” Piper snickers.

“Barely showing my ass. I’ve already gone up two pant sizes. My ass has its own zip code!”

Own zip code. I snort. She is still so tiny. After a few moments, I look over at Storm and frown. She is dazed, staring at nothing. I know she is thinking about the child she lost and it breaks my heart.

I reach over and place my hand on hers. I don’t say anything because words aren’t needed. Nothing I can say will ever make this okay. She handled it well when it happened, but I think as Winter’s pregnancy furthers, Storm’s pain is surfacing. She talks a big game, but I know she is hurting and hell, my dad still hurts, too.

Storm nods her head for me to get back to work, letting me know she is okay and that is when he enters.

I sense Shadow even before my eyes land on him. The club isn’t open yet so I don’t know why he is here, but he is, and now I want to get up and leave.

Shadow has a way of making me feel like I am still a child and I don’t matter. And yet, I still find myself incredibly attracted to him. It plays hell on my emotions. How can you want to be with someone who makes you feel like that?

“Oh, hey, Shadow. Give me a minute and I’ll be ready to go.” Winter tells him.

“Where’re ya going, Win,” Piper asks as she stocks some more beer bottles.

Yes, I would love to know.

“Shadow has the ungodly task of taking me to the OBGYN.”

I giggle. Shadow in an OBGYN office. That shit is hilarious.

“I’m not staying there,” he murmurs, irritated.

“What? You don’t want to see them squirt cold shit on my stomach?”

All right, so maybe not running away was the smart thing to do. It is super fun to watch an uncomfortable Shadow squirm.

“No, ma’am.”

Ah, hell.

“Shadow!” Winter whines.

He said it on purpose to irritate her. Everyone knows all the women hate being called ma’am. The only one that allows it is Grandma Berry and that is only because she is getting older.

As Winter scrambles around to gather her things to leave, I take the opportunity to look at Shadow. I don’t get many chances to do this. He is the watcher, not the watched.

He looks as good as he always does. Tall, dark, and handsome, all wrapped in a leather cut. Shadow’s dark black hair spiked at the tips, his cologne smelling fresh, his black club bracelets tugging tightly against his wrists. His light blue jeans hang off his body enough that you can still see his thigh muscles through them. His lips stretch in a dark scowl and yet it still looks incredibly sexy on him. His whole demeanor screams ‘fuck me hard’, and hell if I don’t want to jump on him and do that.