“I really hope she likes chocolate cake,” I say as we get out of the car.
“It’s universal” is his reply.
“What are we doing for the rest of the day?”
“I have to go into Rift to do some work, along with a few other errands. Tracker and Rake are here, so you’ll be safe.”
“I know,” I reply. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever felt safer than since I’ve been at the clubhouse. “I’m going to do some training with Colt. He already knows sit; next I’m going to teach him how to lie down.”
“Where are the other two?”
“Faye took them back to her house,” I say, grabbing the balloons and banners out of the car while Vinnie takes the large box full of alcohol and plastic utensils.
“I can’t believe you got a piñata.”
“The kids will enjoy it,” I say.
Vinnie opens the door for me, following me inside. “Faye will probably enjoy it too, who are we kidding.”
We hide everything away where she won’t stumble upon it, which ends up being in Vinnie’s room. Vinnie heads off to work while I spend the rest of the day outside, chatting with Tracker and Rake and training Colt. Tracker shows me some techniques he used to train Lana’s dog, Evie, who was here last week before the pups came. I cook dinner for us, and some extra for Vinnie or anyone else who happens to be stopping by. I’ve noticed that I never know who will be here on any given night, but that someone is always here. After a long, hot shower, I read in bed. Vinnie gets back to the clubhouse at around ten, smiling when he sees that I’m still awake.
“Tracker said you cooked dinner,” he says, removing his clothes and jumping into bed with me.
“Yeah, steaks, potatoes, and asparagus. How was work?” I bury my face in his neck. “And why the fuck do you smell like cheap perfume?”
I lift my head to glare at him and I catch his grimace. “Shay—”
It hits me right now that we’ve never actually had “the talk.” We’ve never spoken about his not being with other women; I just assumed he wouldn’t. But he is a biker, so I probably shouldn’t have. Although the other men in the clubhouse seem to be nothing but loyal, I’m not Vinnie’s old lady, and we haven’t even been together long. Or whatever we are. Another issue, we have no idea what the fuck we are. If he slept with someone else, however, I’ll take my chances with the Mafia. I’m not sitting around here and putting up with that, no way, no how.
“Tell me what you did tonight, and think very carefully before you try and lie,” I say slowly, the threat clear.
“I have no reason to lie,” he says, staying calm. He sits up and looks me directly in the eye. “I told you I had to go check on a few of the businesses, and one of those happens to be a strip club.”
I grind my teeth together. “You were at a strip club? So what, were you out testing the merchandise, or something?”
His jaw goes tight. I don’t know why he’s suddenly getting angry. It’s not like I spent the night around a bunch of naked men thrusting their bits and pieces in my face.
“I didn’t sit there and enjoy a free lap dance, if that’s what you’re asking. I was mainly in the office, looking over some figures, chatting with the bouncers—we just hired three new ones, and a few of the women came and said hello, and gave me a hug, that’s it.”
“Really?” I say, dragging the word out, the disbelief in my voice palpable. “Just an innocent little hug? That’s it? They didn’t try and proposition you in any way? Or rub their tits against you? Is that what you’re saying?”
I knew I was acting like a psycho girlfriend, but I was feeling a lot of emotions, none of them good, and didn’t know how to control them.
He grabs me and pins me underneath him. “Of course they rubbed their tits on me, but I didn’t give a fuck because I knew the only tits I wanted to see would be waiting for me in my bed. Did I look onstage? Yes. I’m a man. Did I do anything wrong? No. I didn’t, and I wouldn’t. You think I’d bring you here to be with my family, to be with me in my bed, in my world, and then go out and cheat on you? If I wanted other pussy, then I wouldn’t have stepped up and claimed you as mine.”
We’re both breathing heavily at this point, eyes locked. His say that I should’ve known better, and mine say that he didn’t even tell me they owned a strip club, so his visit was kind of sprung on me. If he explained it beforehand, I wouldn’t have freaked out like this. His lips slam down on mine before I can finish processing my last thought, and his hands are touching me all over my body. Our clothes land on the floor, and I soon find out one thing.