“Thank you. Believe it or not, we’ll go easy on you tonight. But, when you’re officially cut loose, do not come back. Are we clear?”
“Yeah,” she said, hanging her head.
For the first time all night, he felt her disappointment. Part of him felt sorry for her, but he couldn’t give into that.
When he opened the door, a dark-haired prospect, named Finn, stood in front of him. “You’re good. I’ll have someone relieve you in an hour. Maybe less.”
Chapter 19 Not Supposed to Be Sappy
Stephanie
FOUR MEN JOINED HAR when he returned from whatever he had to do. I fixed one plate and handed it off to Brute, but he shook his head. “No, Stephie. The rest of us will fix our own. You eat.”
Ten minutes later, I had eaten all but one bite and I watched the men milling around, eating.
“Why are we eating in the President’s room?” a dark-haired man with a well-groomed beard asked Roman.
Roman swallowed. “Fuck if I know, but I know I don’t care if it’s home cooking like this.”
Har sidled up to me. “You sure you like dealing cards? Thinkin’ as much as my brothers like your dinner, you could open a restaurant.”
I shook my head, a small grin pulling my lips. “No. I worked for Turk at the Flat Iron Bar and Grill. Things get way too crazy for me.”
He nodded and took my plate from me. I grabbed the empty pot and followed him to the kitchen.
He looked over his shoulder at me. “What are you doing?”
“Dishes don’t do themselves, Har.”
He put the plates in the sink. “No, prospects do them. Put that next to the sink. It’ll be clean in the morning.”
“Well, I could get used to that.”
He slung an arm around my neck. “One of the few upsides to staying here. Believe me, privacy outweighs dish-duty every day.”
He was not wrong, since I was a huge fan of my privacy.
I wrapped my arm around his waist, leaning into his hold, smelling the faint scent of his cologne and his leather cut. “Do you have things to do tonight? You don’t have to keep watch over me.”
A low grumble came from his chest. “Funny, you keep saying shit like that, and every time I like it less. It isn’t that I want to keep watch over you, it’s that I like having you around to watch.”
I exhaled and turned my head to the side. “Not sure you’re allowed to be so sweet in your position.”
His brow lowered. “‘My position?’ What position is that?”
“President of a motorcycle club, you’re not supposed to be sappy.”
“Fuck that, I don’t adhere to anybody’s rules, babe.”
We reached his room and he let me go so I could walk ahead of him.
“All right. You’re all my brothers, but it’s time you take your plates and get the fuck out of my room.”
The man with the well-groomed beard laughed knowingly as he sauntered by us.
Brute looked at me shaking his head, but said, “I’m glad to know you can cook better than your mother.”
“You’re welcome,” I joked.
He grinned as he left the room, a curly-haired prospect following close on his heels.
Roman sauntered by while Har had his back turned, and he winked at me before he left. I couldn’t ignore the thrill that gave me, even though I knew he was a player. Still, it oozed sex appeal and would pique any woman’s curiosity. He closed the door behind him loudly.
“Guess I owe you some meals later in the week,” Har said, while he sat on the bed to tug off his boots and socks.
I shook my head. “No. It’s fine. Hell, it was more enjoyable getting those conversational nuggets from your brothers.”
His eyes narrowed. “What nuggets?”
I tilted my head and smiled playfully. “A girl can’t give away all of her secrets, you know.”
He stalked my way. “You can give your secrets to me, but you want to hold on to that idea, go ahead. I’ll be more than happy to teach you otherwise.”
My hands pushed along his t-shirt and under the lapels of his cut. “Is that so? You’d be happy to teach me otherwise?”
His green eyes flared. “Damn right. Are you trying to rile me up?”
I shrugged. “Not really.”
He wrapped his arms around me. “That’s too bad. I love to thwart your best intentions. But, can you keep it down tonight?”
I pulled my head away. “Pardon me?”
He chuckled. “Can you keep your volume down? I plan to do things to you which might... make you scream. So, are you a screamer?”
My eyes widened. “Don’t think so, but I guess we’ll find out.”
I WOKE UP EARLIER THAN normal, probably because sunlight filtered in through the high windows. Har’s arm rested on my ribs. I shifted away and he stirred, but fell back to sleep as I moved into the bathroom.
After a I did my business and washed my hands, I stood in the bathroom doorway for a moment watching Har. My stomach growled at the same time he let out a small snore and I decided to let him sleep.
Last night, I’d learned Sandy kept the kitchen well supplied. There were at least three dozen eggs in the fridge and some sausage, so I figured I could make breakfast.
Pulling Har’s door closed behind me, I froze.
Roman was wearing a skin-tight black tank-top and it didn’t take much for me to imagine that dip between his pecs. His bronze, sculpted shoulders were inked beneath a sheen of sweat. He’d been working out was my guess, but seeing more of him, I knew he wasn’t hot, he was seriously hot. Bonus, his eyes weren’t looking through me now, they were looking at me.
His lips spread into a huge smile. “Wouldn’t look at me like that if I were you.”
My eyes rounded. “Why?”
His eyes heated. “You cook, you ride, and you look at me like that, looking like you do, it’s an explosive combination. Especially
