Brooklyn laughed and rested her hand on Carter’s cheek. “If you’re with my son, you’re safe. Don’t you worry about a thing, just enjoy.” She turned to Nina approaching with two plates of pancakes loaded with berries and syrup. “Start enjoying.”
“Thank you,” Leah said.
“I’ll leave you to eat, but then I must steal my son for a few minutes. There’s a small business opportunity Hudson wants to discuss with him.”
“Sure thing.” Carter picked up his fork and stabbed a pancake. “Soon as I’m done with this.”
****
Leah had never combined beer and pancakes before but was pleasantly surprised it went quite well.
Carter told her about Rambo and how Razor had found him as a pup stuck down a drain. He’d been half dead but once warmed and fed, he’d mustered the strength to fight for life. He’d lived on the compound ever since and been loyal to everyone but especially Razor. His gratitude for being saved by him unending, it seemed.
“So, Razor has a soft side,” she said.
Carter laughed and set down his fork on his empty plate. “I don’t know about soft. Perhaps a small weakness in his armor is all.”
She pierced her last berry with her fork. “Does it get busy in here?”
“Yeah, evenings, weekends. Brothers and their families who don’t live on the compound come in.” He glanced around. “This is about as quiet as it gets.” He leaned closer. “Which suits me because I only want to be with you. Everyone else can go to hell.”
“You.” She smiled and stared into his eyes—eyes that mesmerized her the more she studied them. “Definitely have a soft side.”
“I’ve never been accused of that before. Perhaps you’re to blame.” He kissed her, a gentle press of his lips.
She fluttered her eyes closed. It was as if everything else drifted away. There was only her and Carter in the room. A memory of him sliding his cock into her flashed in her brain, and instantly, her body responded. She wanted him again. Naked, in her bed, doing all the things to her he was so skilled at.
He pulled back and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I gotta go have that convo with Hudson.”
“Sure. I’ll wait here.”
He glanced at Nina, who was wiping down a shelf that held spirits, and then at Taff, who was now talking on his cell. “I won’t be long.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Get another beer. Put it on my tab.”
“Perhaps a coffee.”
He stood, kissed her brow, then strode to the corner where Hudson sat with a laptop in front of him.
“Coffee?” Nina asked.
Leah smiled. She got the feeling Nina didn’t miss a thing. She was the eyes and ears of the place. “Sure, thanks.”
Nina slung the cloth over her shoulder and wandered to the far left of the bar.
Movement to Leah’s right caught her attention.
It was Taff standing as he dropped his cell into the pocket of his leather pants.
Her heart sank when he connected his gaze with hers and grinned. She knew exactly what was coming next.
He walked toward her and sat on the stool Carter had vacated. “Leah, right?”
“Yes.” She glanced at the shut door Carter had gone through. There was a window next to it with a closed horizontal blind. She guessed it was an office of sorts.
“Pretty name for a pretty lady.” Taff swigged his beer. “How’d you meet Carter?”