This man. He made it hard to push him away. Whenever he was near, I found another reason to stop and take notice. Today he proved once again to be a man I could rely on. That my children could trust. Even if he belonged to an outlaw motorcycle club.
Appearances could be deceiving. Not all bikers were bad people. The Tonopah Royal Bastards proved it.
The way to my heart? Loving my kids before me.
“You know what? I think we need a special treat.”
Olivia’s chin lifted, staring up at Diablo. “What kind of treat?”
He turned to me, a devious grin twisting his lips. “Ice cream. If your mom agrees.”
Olivia jumped up and down. “Mama! Say yes!”
Even Rev appeared excited by the idea.
“Okay,” I relented. “Sure.”
Diablo gestured toward the door. “We can ride in my SUV.”
The kids bolted for the door as I laughed, shaking my head. “Sugar never fails to excite them.”
“As it should.” He captured my hand, clasping our palms together as he dragged me out of the kitchen.
“The dishes,” I began.
“Will be taken care of after we return home.”
No other reason to protest, I let him lead me outdoors.
TRUE TO HIS WORD, ONCEwe arrived back home, Diablo headed into the kitchen, clearing the table. He ticked his head at Rev.
“Rev, my man, help me clean this kitchen up for your mom.”
“Sure,” my son replied enthusiastically, gathering trash and dirty dishes.
I marched over to him, placing my hand on his forehead. “You feeling alright?”
“Mom,” he exclaimed, rolling his eyes.
Diablo chuckled.
“Just making sure an alien didn’t swap out my son.”
Rev cracked a smile as I backed away, brewing a fresh pot of coffee for the evening. Diablo seemed to like it late in the day as well as morning, from what I noticed at the Crossroads, and I enjoyed a cup after dinner on occasion.
Rev chatted up Diablo until the kitchen was clean, then left to finish his homework in his room.
“Got quiet fast, didn’t it?”
I spun around, finding Diablo only a foot away. He closed in, hands resting on the countertop behind me. My body caged within his own, and he lowered his head, capturing my attention with those brown eyes that hypnotized me with their depth.
“Yeah. After dinner is when I finally get a few minutes of peace,” I joked, licking my lips.
His gaze focused on my mouth. “Not gonna lie, sweet mama. I want those lips.”
“Why?” I asked breathlessly, indulging the naughty desires forming in my head.
What kind of lover was Diablo? Generous? Passionate? Rough and wild?