Road to Desire (9 page)

I frowned up at him. “Yeah. She’s here and really good at giving the stink eye.”

“Ignore her. She’s no one.”

“She seemed pretty friendly with Mack.”

“Mack’s friendly with everyone.” Austin cupped my cheek. “Hang in with me, yeah?”

“I feel totally out of place,” I admitted. “Everyone’s looking at me weird.”

“What the fuck? They’re being rude?”

I shook my head. “No, they just keep looking at me like I’m an alien or something.”

Austin laughed. “Babe.” He grabbed my hand and turned back toward the bathroom. “Come with me.”

He led me past the bathroom, up a set of stairs, then another, down a wide hallway with doors every few feet, and into the last door on the left. Flipping on the light, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me. He slipped my purse from my shoulder and I let it fall as Austin guided me to a bed and laid me down on top of it, stretching out beside me. He continued to kiss me until I came to my senses and pulled away from him, flopping onto my back and taking several deep breaths.

Austin leaned over me and smiled, his hand settling in the middle of my chest. “You are the prettiest girl in the room, baby. That’s probably why they’re all looking at you. But no one will disrespect you, because they will answer to me, so you tell me if you run into a problem.”

I stroked his cheek. “I’m a big girl, honey, I can deal. I just don’t want to do this without you. I appreciate you sending Mack to help, but I don’t want Mack. I want you.”

He kissed me again, and then sat up and pulled me from the bed. “Glue.”

“Yes, glue,” I repeated. “If I have to put a leash on you, I will.”

He wrapped his arms around me and slid his hands under my cami. “Don’t make promises you’re not willing to keep, baby.”

I giggled. “Being leashed is a turn on for you?”

“If it means you’re naked and I get more of what I did earlier, then fuck yeah.”

Heat pooled between my legs. “You’re killing me.”

He straightened my shirt and cupped my cheeks. “Soon, baby. I’m not gonna be able to wait much longer.”

“It’ll be good for you,” I quipped.

Austin groaned, but he did smile while he was doing it. “Leave your purse, babe. It’ll be safe in here. I’m gonna take a leak.”

While he headed through the door to the left of the bed, I took a minute to take in the room. The bed was nothing more than a mattress and box-spring on a low platform, but it was made, and the comforter and sheets looked clean. A very masculine gray, but clean.

A six-drawer black bureau sat against the wall, under the only window in the room, and a wooden door was partially open to reveal a closet with a few shirts hanging inside. If this was his room, he wasn’t here often.

I heard the toilet flush and then the faucet turn on. Austin returned to the bedroom and smiled. “Ready?”

I grabbed my phone and slipped it into my pocket before taking his hand and following out of the bedroom.

“How often to you stay here?” I asked.

“On average, about once a week.”

“Where’s your home?”

“I have a condo on Naito.” He squeezed my hand. “I’ll show you next week.”

I grinned. “Sounds good.”

We walked down the hallway, past the gross bathroom again, but before we reached the common room, Austin pulled us to a stop. “You good?”

“Glue, right?”

He smiled, leaning down to kiss me quickly. “Yeah, baby.”

“Then I’m good.”

The rest of the night flashed by so quickly, I wasn’t entirely sure it had happened. I met everyone there, tried to remember everyone’s names’, but only managed a few. It helped that most of them had their names on their cuts. I got a lot less weird looks being in the presence of Austin, and I started to relax as the night went on. Could have been the wine as well, which was all I was drinking. I’d brought two bottles of my favorite red, and I was pretty sure I was the only one drinking it, as I never saw anyone else with anything other than beer in their hands.

I was leaning heavily against Austin, half listening to him talk to a couple of his brothers, my fourth glass of wine partially gone, when a little hand patted my thigh. I glanced down to see a little girl about four, her hair in haphazard ponytail, her jeans on backwards, and her tiny little leather vest covering a pink shirt with roses on it. “Hi, wady.”

I hunkered down beside her. “Well, hi. What’s your name?”

“Lily.”

“Hi, Lily. I’m Dani.”

“My pants don’t fit. Can you hewp me, pwease?”

I giggled. “They’re just on backwards, honey. Where’s your mom?”

“I don’t have a mommy. My daddy’s in his room.”

I glanced up at Austin and raised an eyebrow. He shook his head and gave me an “I’ll explain later” look. I took Lily’s hand and rose to my feet. “How about we find somewhere a little more private to fix your jeans, hmm?” She gripped my hand and I handed Austin my wine as I narrowed my eyes at him. “Glue.”

He smiled and gave me a chin lift in response.

I walked Lily to a little alcove behind the pool table where computers were set up along the window, and helped her with her tiny little motorcycle boots (seriously adorable) then I removed her jeans and helped her put them on the right way. “How did they get off you, baby?”

“I was going potty and I took them off,” she said, as though it was obvious.

“Good job,” I said. “Did you go potty by yourself?”

She nodded her head. “I can go like a big girl.”

“I bet you can. But if you need to go potty again, how about you come find me if you can’t find your daddy, okay?” I smiled. “That way we can make sure your jeans fit right.”

I led her back out in the common area, just in time to see Tiff walking into the room, her body wrapped around a really good-looking man who looked to be in his early thirties. He was tall and lean, had dark blond hair, deep green eyes, and a handlebar moustache that covered full lips. I had never been one to find the meth dealer look appealing, but these bikers rocked it.

“Daddy!” Lily squealed, and pulled away from me to make a run for him.

Tiff looked somewhat put out as the man caught his daughter, scooping her up in his arms and kissing her, but she schooled her features and made a good show of looking interested in the little girl.

“Where have you been, little girl?”

“The pwetty wady helped me,” Lily squeaked, pointing at me.

The man followed her hand and raised an eyebrow at me. “Did she?”

“I had to go potty, daddy, and I went all by myself, but my pants didn’t fit.”

His eyes swept the room. “Where’s Sally?”

“I don’t know, daddy. She leff.”

I heard the exchange as I made my way back to Austin. He slid his hand around my waist and kissed my temple. “That’s Hawk,” Austin whispered. “His old lady bailed on him three years ago, leaving him with Lily.”

I frowned. “Seriously?”

He nodded and gave me a gentle squeeze. I focused back on the conversation, but found my hand gripped again by a familiar little one. I hunkered down beside Lily again. “Hi, honey.”

“Hi, wady. I fugot you name.”

I smiled. “Dani.”

“Fank you for hepping me, Dani.”

“You’re welcome, honey.”

“That goes for me, too,” a deep voice said, and I looked up… way up, to see Hawk standing in front of me.

I stood and smiled. “No problem.”

I was pulled tightly against Austin again and I had to grab his waist to keep from falling into him.

“Hawk,” he said.

“Booker.” Hawk gave him a chin lift and then turned to me again. “What’s your name, babe?”

“She’s with me,” Booker said.

I reached out my hand. “I’m Dani.”

“Dani.” Hawk took my hand and gave me a sexy smile. “You’re good with kids.”

“Thanks. I love kids.”

“What’s your story?” he asked.

“I don’t have a story.” I smiled. “I’m pretty boring.”

“I doubt that,” he said, still holding my hand.

Austin stepped in front of me, effectively forcing me to step back.

Hawk dropped my hand and Austin scowled. “What are you doin’, Hawk?”

“Just makin’ conversation, Book.”

“Fuck off.”

“Austin,” I hissed, glancing down at Lily. “Language.”

“Yeah,
Austin
,” Hawk droned with a shit-eating grin. “Watch your language.”

“Daddy, can I have a cookie?” Lily asked, and Hawk scooped her up.

“What kind ya want?”

“Tocket Tip.”

“One chocolate chip cookie comin’ up,” he said, and carried her toward the kitchen.

Austin grabbed my hand and tugged me away from the group, pulling me into the alcove I’d been with Lily just minutes before. Pushing me against the wall, he covered my mouth with his and kissed me like his life depended on it. I kissed him back, but didn’t let myself lose focus.

“Hey, what was that all about?” I asked after I broke the connection.

“Hawk can be an asshole.”

“Okay. But he wasn’t being one just then, honey.”

“He was.” Austin took a deep breath. “In his own way.”

“There’s obviously a story there.”

He nodded. “Later.”

“Are we going to hide here for a while?”

Austin chuckled. “I’d rather take you upstairs.”

“Me too, honey… but it’s not gonna happen tonight.”

“Dani, Dani,” Lily squealed as she rushed into the alcove, chocolate covering her face.

“Someone has a shadow,” Austin grumbled.

I grinned and knelt in front of Lily. “How was your cookie?”

“I got you one.”

“You did?”

She nodded and slipped her hand into her pocket, pulling out the crushed remnants of a cookie and holding out her palm. “Oops.”

I laughed. “It’s okay, baby. Let’s get you cleaned up and find your dad, okay?”

“Glue, babe,” Austin said as I stood.

I rose up on my tiptoes and kissed him quickly. “Glue, honey.”

Walking Lily to the kitchen, I lifted her onto the counter next to the sink and turned on the water. The room was empty, so I found soap and paper towels in a cabinet above the sink. At least whoever stocked the kitchen had the forethought to keep things like this out of reach of little hands.

“Let’s wash those hands.” I helped her with the water and then wiped down her face, before setting her on the ground again. Her jeans would need to wait for the washing machine, but for now, she was good to go.