“This isn’t the first time, and it certainly won’t be the last.” He gave me a quick kiss before saying, “It’s late. Get some rest.”
And just like that, our conversation was over. Noah closed his eyes, and it wasn’t long before he drifted off to sleep. I, on the other hand, couldn’t sleep for the life of me. With my mind racing, I tossed and turned the entire night, and when morning came, I was tired but eager to get on with my day. Being careful not to wake Noah, I eased out of bed and started to get dressed. I’d just slipped on my shorts when Noah opened one eye and grumbled, “Where do you think you’re running off to?”
“I thought I’d go down to the kitchen and get us some coffee.”
“And what if I wanted you to stay here in this bed?”
“Then, I’d say I’ll get back in bed with you once I go get us some coffee?”
“Alright, then. Hold on,” he said as he threw back the covers. “I’ll go with you.”
“You don’t have to come, Noah. I’m capable of getting it myself.”
“I’m well aware.” He put on his jeans and added, “I need to check in with Viper anyway, and while we’re down there, we can grab a bite of breakfast.”
“Okay, I could make us some eggs or something.”
“Doubt that will be necessary.”
“Why’s that?”
After putting on his boots, he slipped on his cut and said, “You’ll see.”
I followed him out the door and down the long, narrow hallway. I was still trying to get used to the clubhouse. I’d really only been in the infirmary, the room where I’d stayed after the attack, and the bar. Until now, I hadn’t realized that there were so many different bedrooms, or that there was a large family room with an oversized kitchen in the back. It was pretty cool. I could see why Noah liked it here. When we walked into the kitchen, a bunch of the guys were sitting at the table eating breakfast while several scantily dressed women were scurrying around the stove cooking. I looked over to Noah with a curious expression on my face. “Who are they?”
Before he could answer, a beautiful brunette wearing bright purple scrubs came up behind us and answered, “Don’t mind them. They’re just the club girls. They help the guys out with the cooking and the cleaning.”
“Oh.”
“I don’t believe we’ve met.” She extended her hand and said, “I’m Delilah, Hawk’s ol’ lady.”
“Oh, hey. I’m Remington.”
“I thought so.” She glanced over at Noah. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
As we continued towards the table, Widow looked over to us and said, “Perfect timing. Pancakes just came off the griddle.”
“Oh, man. Pancakes are my favorite. I wish I could stay.” Delilah leaned down and kissed one of the men on the cheek, then said, “I’ve gotta get to work.”
“Bye, babe. I’ll see you when you get home.”
Before leaving, Delilah turned back to me and said, “I hate that I have to rush off, but we’ll get together soon. We’ve got lots to talk about.”
“Okay, I’ll look forward to it.”
Once she left, Noah pulled out a chair for me, and after I was seated, he sat down next to me. I glanced around the table, noting all the friendly smiles. I’d met Country, Rafe, and Widow, but there were several I’d never laid eyes on before. Country picked up on the fact that I was feeling a little uneasy, so he leaned towards me and whispered, “Don’t worry. They might look a little rough around the edges, but they don’t bite.”
“Well, thanks for letting me know.”
Country used the end of his fork to point around the table as he said, “Big guy on the end is Ransom. The guy with all the tats? His name’s Menace. Be wary of him. That guy can fuck you over in ways you can’t imagine, and this here”—he patted the shoulder of the man next to him—“is our VP, Axel.”
“Nice to meet you all.”
They each nodded with a smile, then continued eating and talking amongst themselves. Noah and I each made ourselves a plate, and we’d just started to dive in when Viper walked in. I was already feeling a little nervous being around all the guys for the first time, but seeing him brought my anxiety to a whole new level. I watched silently as he strolled over to one of the girls and whispered something in her ear. A bright smile crossed her face as she beamed up at him and nodded. After giving her a quick pat on the rear, he walked over to the table and sat down in front of me. The guys said their good mornings to him, then returned to their idle conversations. Unlike the others, I wasn’t talking or eating. I was too fixated on the man sitting in front of me, hoping he wouldn’t notice me sitting there, but no such luck.