But there’s no damn way my feet are moving.
I see those plump lips move but don’t hear the words that come out.
I see the look of surprise cross over her beautiful face, but still don’t move to give her the privacy she deserves.
No, I goddamn absorb every inch of her nakedness into my lust-filled brain until my senses came back with a sudden rush of conscience, and I finally decide to get the fuck out of there.
“Fuck, Bronte, I’m so sorry,” I say, shielding my eyes as I finally make my escape.
To my bedroom, where I pace.
Don’t think about it.
Dear God.
Just. Don’t. Think. About. It.
I feel like I need to pour acid over my brain to kill any memory of her luscious body and her perfect perky breasts with pert nipples. And the slope of her tiny waist. The curve of her hips. The thin strip of hair between her legs.
I’m going to hell.
For all the bad shit I’ve done, this is what’s sending me there.
Lust and shame combust inside me.
I’m too old for her.
A weather-beaten biker with long hair and ink-covered arms has no business with an angel like Bronte.
BRONTE
So he saw me naked.
So what?
I didn’t exactly rush to cover myself when he walked in.
Because you liked his eyes on you.
“Okay, fine!” I say to my reflection in the mirror. “Yes, I did. I liked his eyes on me very much.
But clearly Jack didn’t.
Because I’ve never seen him move as quick as he did to get out of the house after walking in on me. I don’t know where he went. He made some weak excuse about having to deal with some club business before the party and disappeared out the door like he was being chased by a serial killer.
Right now, though, I don’t have time to dwell on the bathroom incident and the awkwardness growing between us because I have to get to the clubhouse to help Faith with the decorations.
Five minutes after Jack disappeared out the door, Loki rocks up, and I can only assume it’s because he is the one on babysitting duty.
“Okay, what did you do to upset Jack so bad?” he asks, walking into the house. His long hair is pulled back into a ponytail, and he’s wearing a vintage Led Zeppelin shirt under his cut. Tattoos crawl up both arms and silver rings gleam on his fingers as he drums them against the kitchen counter. He looks more like a rock god than a biker.
“What do you mean?”
“He yelled at me to get over here quick. Sounded pissed. Lucky I was only around the corner visiting a friend.”
“A friend?” I question, hoping to change the subject. “That friend wouldn’t happen to be the Fenway cousins, would it?”
I know they live just around the corner, and Loki likes women.
He likes women a lot.
Especially when they come in twos.
And the Fenway cousins are notorious for coming in twos. So to speak.
“No comment.” He grins, then asks, “Is there something happening between you and my father?”
The question catches me off guard.
“No!”
However, I can tell by the look on his face he doesn’t believe me. “Are you sure because I’m picking up on some pretty strong vibes between the two of you?”
“What do you mean?”
“The way you guys act around each other. The way he watches you.”
“He’s just being protective.”
“The way you watch him.”
“I don’t watch him!”
“You might not think you do, but I’ve seen the look on your face. Like when the Fenway cousins hit him up at the poker night. You looked like you wanted to scratch their eyes out of their sockets.”
“I did no such thing.”
“You so did.” He smiles again. And it’s dimpled. Just like Jack’s. “You want to tell me something?”
“There’s nothing to tell.” I nervously roll up the magazine I’d been reading in front of me. “And there’s no vibe either. Your daddy is simply looking out for me.”
“Nah, I know my old man. There’s something else.”
“That something is all in your head.” I pause. “Oh my God, does Bam think this, too?”
“My brother is too busy with the harvest to notice anything but marijuana buds. But if he was around more, he’d be saying the same thing as me.”
“Then he’d be barking up the same wrong tree as you.”
“Fine!” He shrugs, deciding to let it go as he picks his keys up off the counter. “You ready to go to the clubhouse?”
“Sure. Just let me get my overnight bag.” Before I move, I glance at him. “Out of curiosity, say there was something… how would you feel about it?”
Loki takes a moment, and his eyes sparkle with mischief as he studies my face. Slowly, he grins. “That I’ve got the hottest stepmom in town.”
I relax but bash him softly with the rolled-up magazine. “You’re so funny. You should do stand- up.”