“Who? The president?” I’d figured they might want me involved in some way, but I hadn’t expected that. I’d barely even met the president of the Skulls. But, then again, MCs weren’t exactly all about the bring-your-wife family picnic. And Mike had kept me more and more isolated, telling me it was for my own good.
“Yup. Tonight, they’re having a party and they want us to come.”
“Huh.” I looked down at the T-shirt, feeling suddenly nervous about a great many things but fixing on one. “I don’t have anything to wear.”
“Yeah, Zeke’s having a girlfriend bring some clothes over.”
“That’s nice.”
“You’re nice, Sky. None of the rest of this is.”
I sipped my coffee, waiting for him to tell me more.
“Here’s the deal tonight. They want to size you up. Make sure you’re not screwing with them.”
“But, I wouldn’t—”
“I know that, Sky. And Zeke knows that, which goes a long way. But for a wife of a Skull to come to the Reapers, they need to know you mean it.”
I nodded. Of course, they’d want to make sure they weren’t getting led into a trap. “What do I need to do?”
“Be yourself. Be honest. And I think…” He paused, running his hand along his head. Every time he did it I felt jealous. “I think it would help if it seemed like we were together.”
“What?” I wasn’t sure what he meant. Together, together?
“They trust me. I’m in with Zeke. If you and I are together, they’ll see the whole picture.”
“So, together, like—?”
“Like you left Griller for me.”
I laughed nervously, the truth of those words so damn close to what I’d actually wanted to do. “Sure, OK, we can pretend to be a couple. I bet Nikki won’t like that much, though.” I hadn’t meant to mention his girlfriend. It had just sort of popped out.
“Nikki?” He looked at me like he had no idea what I was talking about.
“You know, your girlfriend?”
“I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“I saw the two of you together. Back a couple of months ago, downtown. And she called last night. I swear, I wasn’t trying to, but I saw your phone.”
“We did date, for a couple months. But it was nothing serious, Sky. And it ended in January.”
I nodded, suddenly feeling too emotional to say anything. I’d built so much up in my head over Jax, attached so much meaning to our every interaction. When I’d thought he had a girlfriend, it had hurt but it had felt like a protective layer, a coat of armor preventing my dreams from coming true. But there he was, standing next to me, completely single.
“So you’re not seeing anyone?” My voice came out a near whisper.
“No, I’m not.” The seconds dragged out between us, the silence gaining significance as it stretched and grew. “Sky.” His voice sounded lower, husky. “I know this is all crazy. You’ve been through so much.” He reached out his hand and touched my shoulder. It could have been a friendly, reassuring pat, nothing more. But it didn’t feel that way to me. And looking up into his eyes as his hand lingered, caressing my arm, hand down against my bare skin, it didn’t feel that way to him either.
The doorbell rang like a shriek, splitting us apart.
“Christ,” Jax muttered as he went to answer it.
“I have a special delivery!” A girl sauntered in with a large shopping bag filled with clothes. She looked around my age but she was wearing much more makeup and much less clothing. And I only had on a T-shirt.
“Thanks.” Jax took the bag from her, sounding gruff.
“You should have stayed out with us longer last night.” She turned her full attention to Jax, trailing a manicured nail up his chest. “We had a lot of fun. But it would have been funner with you.”
“Thanks.” I gave her a quick wave as I headed out of the kitchen, resisting the urge to bitchily inform her that ‘funner’ wasn’t a real word. “I’m going to go wash up.” I didn’t want to stay and see her wrap her tentacles all over Jax.
If what she was wearing was any indication of the kind of clothes she had in that shopping bag, I was going to go to the party dressed like a hooker. And not the expensive kind, the kind with an hourly rate and an angry pimp. Only the man by my side would be Jax. While we pretended to be a couple.
Looked like we were in for an interesting night.
14
Jax
Standing in the kitchen, Zeke let out a low whistle of appreciation. I looked up from my phone and nearly dropped it.
“I think it’s too much.” Sky squirmed and wiggled in a skimpy miniskirt, only succeeding in working it further up her thighs. Any shorter and I’d see exactly what I wanted. “I don’t think I can wear this.”
“It’s perfect,” Zeke told her. I still couldn’t seem to speak. I managed to swallow, with difficulty, but I needed a minute before I stood up from the kitchen stool where I sat. She looked so fucking hot it nearly made me lose my mind. A thin, stretchy, strapless top barely covered her full breasts. No way was she wearing a bra. Her midriff exposed, the skirt clung to her curves, starting low and ending high. To top it all off, she wore fuck-me boots with high, stiletto heels. No, I would not be standing up any time soon.
“It’s the best I could find in the bag. But…” She pulled at her top, bringing it up to cover more cleavage. As she did it, she exposed some of the creamy underside of her breasts. I think I may have drooled onto the counter.
“Aw, you should have given us a fashion show. Modeled all the outfits.”
I growled at him, still locked on Sky but letting him know I didn’t like what he had to say. “Easy there, big guy.” Zeke laughed, but he needed to know I wasn’t playing. “You gonna be all right tonight?” he asked, clapping me on the back. “Some of my boys are going to like what they see.” He jutted his chin toward Sky. My Sky.
“No one touches her,” I barked, ready to fight anyone who tried.
Zeke still chuckled, like he saw something funny. “Then you better keep your hands on her at all times. Or someone else will step right in.”
“Fuck they will.”
“All right. Let’s get a move on.”
Zeke had a couple of sweet bikes, ones he’d worked on with love and talent over the last couple of years. He let me take my pick to ride over to the party. To the uninitiated, that might not sound like much. Imagine a father letting you take one of his babies for the day. That’s what it meant to Zeke.
He gave Sky a spare leather jacket, and damn if it didn’t make her look even hotter. Like she was my woman. Astride one hell of a chrome chopper, I looked over at Sky, waiting for her to climb on behind me. That skirt was going to ride up mighty high once she had a bike between her legs. She’d need to press herself up real close against me.
I thought I heard her mutter, “Fuck it,” as she climbed on, stilettos and all. I reached my hand around, pressing it to her low back. “You hold on tight.”
She nodded and did as I told, parting her thighs and pushing her body against mine. Seeing her bare legs against my thick thighs did things to me. Tentatively, she slipped her hands around my waist. I pulled at them, bringing her arms firmly around me, locking her hands together right at my core. One large palm over them, I pressed her into me, telling her with my touch. There. That was where she belonged.