“Feel like breakfast?”
“Yes,” she mumbles.
“Well, do you want to get up and get dressed? We’ll go to the clubhouse and eat?”
“Does that mean I get to go for another ride on your bike?”
“We ain’t walkin’ to the clubhouse.”
She sits up, stretching her arms, her hair a fuckin’ mess. “I’ll shower and you can do whatever it is you do. Do you shower or hose down? Maybe lick yourself clean?”
She rolls off the bed quickly so I can’t get my hands on her. “You’re a smartass, sweetheart.”
She sticks her tongue out at me. “Duh.”
An hour later, we are walking into the clubhouse. The smell of bacon, eggs, biscuits and gravy lingers in the air, filling my nostrils. My stomach grumbles as I head to the kitchen with Max following closely behind me.
Jude sees me first. “Mornin’ ass wipe.”
I flip him the bird and go to the coffee pot. “Max, you want coffee?”
“Yes, please,” she says sweetly.
“Black?” I ask.
“Do you have creamer?”
Jude pulls the fridge door opens and peers inside. “Cinnamon?”
“Yes, that sounds perfect.” Max smiles so innocently and damn if that doesn’t do something to my cock.
Jude pulls the creamer from the fridge, shutting the door with his foot. He sets it on the counter in front of Max the same time I put her coffee in front of her. “I’ll be at the bar.”
He leaves and I turn to Max. She stares at the cup for a moment and then jerks her head up, her eyes glassy with unshed tears.
“What’s the matter?” I ask, leaning across the counter toward her.
“I’m remembering the last cup of coffee I had at home. I was looking out the window over my kitchen sink, admiring the mountains. My kitchen was my favorite place to be in the house because the mountains always felt like they were right there.”
My heart breaks for her. I don’t know what I’d do if had to leave Texas, behind. “I’m sorry, Max.”
She swipes at her tears, reaches for the creamer and pours it into her cup. “Spoon?” she asks, looking up at me.
“Oh right.” I open the drawer by the fridge and turn, handing her a spoon.
She mixes her coffee in silence, closes her eyes, and blows across the surface of the liquid. She takes a cautious sip and lets out a deep sigh. My cock responds to the sound, stiffening and pressing against the zipper of my jeans.
I try to distract myself with something else because if I get my hands on her, I just might throw her over the countertop and really make her cry; only she’d be shedding tears of fucking joy. I’d spread those pretty thighs apart and fill her with eight inches of my pleasure stick.
I hear Ridge yelling my name cutting into the dirty visions scrolling through my mind like a film strip. “Salvation!”
I look at Max. “I’ll be back.”
I leave the kitchen, running for the bar. “What’s up?” I look at Ridge, confused and sprawled out on the floor, broken glass and utensils scattered around him.
“Something is wrong with Andi,” Ridge answers.
“You think!” Lux says, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
I follow Lux’s line of vision and almost jump back. There, pacing behind the kitchen island, is a beautiful black panther with familiar eyes—Andi’s eyes.
Holy shit, she’s a panther, too!
Andi growls.
“I don’t think she likes your humor, Boss,” Jude jokes.
Ridge ignores them and looks at me. “My leopard says something is wrong.”
I look between Andi and Ridge, the tension in the room is so thick you could cut it with a fucking chainsaw. “Your leopard?”
“Yeah.”
“Hmmm.” I smile but don’t say anything else about it. Instead, I look around the room and back to Ridge. “Why don’t we get her out of here, yeah? Maybe the crowd is making her nervous?”
“Everyone, get this shit cleaned up!” Lux shouts. He turns back to Ridge, holding out a hand to help him stand, but as Ridge reaches for it, Andi growls again. “Fucking, hell, girl, I’m not trying to steal your man. Just helping him up. Calm down.”
Andi looks to Ridge and then to Lux. Slowly, she steps away from him, but she doesn’t go too far. Sitting on her haunches, she waits and watches.
“Take her to the back,” Lux orders turning back towards those watching. “I want to know exactly what happened. Now!”
We don’t stick around to hear the explanation; Ridge would get the story later and then fill me in. We walk to the back of the warehouse with Andi following close behind. She’s seeing everything for the first time, and Ridge is probably wondering what the world around her looks like from her point of view. At first, it’s a little disorienting and scary because you really have been, for the lack of a better term, like a caged animal.
“Can you help her?” Ridge asks.
“Is that something you really want me to do?” I toss back. “Because you know once I’m in there – I’m in. Unless she learns to build mental blocks to keep me out. I will always be inside her head.”
Ridge looks down at the panther next to him. He’s torn and I know that feeling, uncertainty rolling off him in waves. What kind of long-term effects would my intrusion of her thoughts have, the jealousy Ridge was feeling would have to be overlooked if he really wanted me to help Andi regain her control over her animal.
“Do it,” he says quickly.
“I’ll teach her,” I say as I crouch down beside Andi. “I’ll teach her how to build the walls.” This would more than likely explain the strong bond I’ve always had with Andi, and now she needs me.
Ridge nods, seemingly still unsure of the situation, and how it will play out. Grabbing a chair, he sits and waits, resting his elbows on his knees. I know he’s rabidly pissed off that at the moment, I understand the needs of his mate better than he is. “Calm down, bro. I know your beast wants me dead right
