We kiss like teenagers, hands touching and squeezing, mouths locked, tongues twisted…
“It’s too early to see your naked ass, Grinder.”
The voice coming from down the corridor makes that switch flip back on again and I raise my head, breaking our kiss so I can breathe real air again, and my hands slide down to his chest to push him away. He doesn’t get the hint…he’s kissing and suckingon my neck, biting at my collar bone, all while still rolling my balls, and if I don’t stop this now, I never will.
“I can’t do this.” Finding some strength from my reserves, I break away from him and shake myself out of it.
Grinder’s deep-blue gaze connects with mine and his brows furrow in confusion, then hurt, then a sadness that makes me feel things I can’t with him. He’s usually really good at taking rejection, happy to move straight along to the next person in his little fuck train, so this look isn’t one I have seen often.
I don’t like it.
“Okay, but I promise you, you’ll give in to me eventually, Doc. And I don’t make promises I can’t keep.” The brief sadness and hurt is quickly transformed into a mischievous grin that I am much more familiar with, and now I don’t feel so bad about walking away.
Because Ihaveto walk away.
Having Grinder’s naked body grinding against me is not something I can ever get used to.
“Fucking cock block, Boner!” The rest of Grinder’s rant at his best friend is lost to my own inner thoughts because, damn, that felt so good.
I head down the corridor and toward the stairs in a lusty daze. Would I have allowed that to go any further if Boner didn’t interrupt? Even if he wasn’t the biggest cum slut in history, could I truly see myself with a man that crazy? I mean, my best friend captured, tortured, and eventually killed her own brother while I made her sandwiches…in my inherited old cabin. And I wouldn’t change her for the world, so yeah, I could absolutely see myself with a man like Grinder.
But would it last? Could I really tread the line of justice with my job, with my training to be a full-on doctor, alongside a lawbreaker who finds killing fun?
Since Steve was murdered, over a year ago now, this place has become more of a home to me than my actual house. These people have become my family. So, again, yeah, I could and am easily treading the line.
“What’s eating your ass, Holt?”
I snap my gaze toward Kincaid, one of the club prospects, sitting at the bottom of the stairs. She’s another wild one and, at this point, I’m basically building my own collection of crazies because I love her as much as I love Mac. There’s never any bullshit with this woman, always complete and total honesty, and she’s got a voice worthy of the greats. Duetting with her at karaoke last New Year’s Eve solidified our friendship.
“More like whatisn’teating it.” I sigh and give her a tight smile.
“Grinder?” She leans back against the wall and blows a stray blue hair from her face.
“Am I that obvious?” I sit down beside her as she nods knowingly. “What’re you sitting here for, anyway? Breakfast is ready.” I gesture with my head toward the clubhouse area before my gaze lands on a piece of paper sitting at her feet. “Something to do with that?”
For the first time since I’ve known her, Kincaid is at a loss for words as she just stares at me, her black pupils barely discernable with how dark her brown eyes are. She lifts her chin and clenches her jaw, her chest rising and falling so heavily it’s visible.
“Caidy, what’s wrong?”
This beautiful woman covered in tattoos and piercings, fierce beyond compare, who would scare away the toughest of men, is not okay.
If this were Mac, I would have her in my arms already, squeezing her, holding her, and demanding she share her pain with me, but this isn’t Mac.
Kincaid Ford does not show emotion. She does not hug, and she definitely does not share her pain.
I watch as she swallows before clearing her throat, trying my best to keep the concern from my face and not offer her physical support. It’s not her love language and I respect that.
“I have a date for my surgery.” Picking up the letter, she waves it around like a prize before handing it to me.
“Did you have an accident and break a bone or something?” Only, as I’m saying the words, I know it can’t be true because that wouldn’t affect her like this.
Dipping her chin, she glares at me as if to tell me that was a dumb question. There she is.
I open up the letter and bring my eyes down to read it, understanding washing over me immediately. I really want to hug her right now. It takes me a few moments before I can look at her again because I need to gather myself and I know for a fact that she doesn’t want my pity.
Nodding, I bring my eyes back to hers. “Okay. I’ll make sure I have the day off. I’ll take you and bring you back again afterward. Who else knows?”
For a brief moment, a very small smile tips the corners of her lips and I can see the words “Thank you” are on the tip of her tongue. Instead, she exhales deeply, as if she had been holding her breath.