“See, we told you not to worry.” Cat flung her arm around my shoulder as we followed Breaker into the clubhouse while the two prospects who’d tagged along with us to the mall headed toward the front gate.
My cheeks filled with heat when he muttered, “Pretty damn sure you won’t need more than one pair of pajamas, though. Not when you’re sleeping with Patriot.”
“True story,” Cat agreed with a grin.
“I’m not sleeping with him,” I yelped, my cheeks turning beet red. “I mean, I slept in his bed last night, but nothing happened. All we did was sleep.”
“I remember my first night in Mac’s room.” Bridget let out a soft sigh and fanned herself. “But mostly the next morning.”
“You guys have it all wrong. Patriot was already gone when I woke up,” I insisted, shaking my head.
“Only because he had stuff to take care of this morning and you were sound asleep,” Cat explained as Breaker made his way into Patriot’s room and dumped all the bags on the still-rumpled bed. “Or at least that’s what he told me when he stopped by the kitchen to grab a quick bite to eat this morning. I was chomping at the bit to get our shopping trip started, and he made it clear how pissed he’d be if I didn’t let you eat before we left. All I did was ask where you were, and he practically jumped down my throat.”
Breaker walked past us and snorted. “No way in hell did it go down like that. Scout would’ve been all over Patriot if he yelled at you.”
I didn’t understand how two motorcycle clubs could be so different. In the Devil’s Jesters, the guys treated old ladies like crap all the time, and nobody cared. Not even if it was a prospect who hadn’t earned their place yet. But here, one patched member would go after another for disrespecting his woman, and everybody acted like that was only to be expected. They also had no problem with cooking. Or apparently spending money on a woman they just met. Lots and lots of money.
No matter what they said, I still felt guilty about all the things I’d bought. There was only one person who could convince me it really was okay. “Where’s Patriot?”
“He tried to get out of it, but he was booked solid with clients today, and he has a long waiting list. So he’s at Silver Ink,” Breaker answered, jerking his chin toward the stairs. “Want me to walk you over there?”
Although Patriot had given me a tour last night, the compound was sprawling, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to find my way back to the tattoo parlor on my own. “Yeah, thanks. That would be great.”
I regretted the decision when he led me into Patriot’s booth without knocking and announced, “Yo, you need to calm your woman down before she blows a gasket.”
“What’s wrong, Cherry? Did someone fuck with you at the mall?” Patriot set his tattoo gun down and rushed over to me, his blue eyes scanning me from head to toe before he looked over my shoulder at Breaker. “Where are the prospects who went with them?”
I pressed my hands against his chest and whispered, “I’m totally fine. Nothing happened while I was shopping except that I spent way too much money.”
“Cat took control of your credit card because Erin was cheaping out,” Breaker explained with a grin and a wink in my direction before he strode out of the booth.
“I knew there was a reason I liked Scout’s old lady other than the killer food she makes.” Patriot pulled me in for a quick hug before turning to his customer. “You cool with my girl hanging out while I finish your session?”
The bearded guy with a beer belly in Patriot’s chair nodded and smiled at me. “Sure, I’m not going to complain about the hot-as-fuck scenery while you’re inking me.”
“You’ll keep your eyes to yourself,” Patriot growled. Then he glared as he led me over to a chair in the corner. When he returned to his client, he picked up the tattoo gun and pointed it at the guy. “Unless you want me to do a fuck of a lot worse than adding a giant dick to your design.”
I bit my bottom lip to keep myself from laughing while his customer shook his head and dropped his gaze to the floor. “Nah, man. Message received loud and clear.”
Patriot’s possessiveness was sexy, and so was his confidence as he worked on the tattoo. I watched the muscles in his forearms and biceps bunch, his tattoos flexing as he inked his art onto someone, squeezing my thighs together to ease the ache in my core. I’d never been turned on by a guy before, but Patriot had brought my dormant libido roaring to life. It seemed as though everything he did pushed my buttons, and without being exhausted like I’d been last night, I wasn’t sure how I was going to be able to fall asleep knowing his hot body was right next to me.