Darien
"What the fuck, Darien?" Mack demanded as he pulled off of Kearney.
"What the fuck what?" I challenged.
"What the hell do you think we’re doing here?"
"I think we’re driving away from my favorite restaurant," I snapped.
"Seriously, Darien? Snarky isn’t the way to go here."
"I don’t even know what we’re fighting about."
"How about the bullshit of not defining the relationship?" he said. "I defined it the day you brought the book."
"You said we would get to know each other and while we were doing that, you wouldn’t sleep with anyone else."
"Yeah."
"How does that translate into us being into sothing enough for to go to a club get-together as your date?"
"Fuck ," he ground out. "You’re fuckin’ clueless."
"Lovely. So now I’m stupid?"
We pulled up in front of Mack’s house and he faced . "I never said you were stupid, Darien. I said you were clueless."
"What’s the difference?"
He dragged his hands down his face and sighed. "Let’s take this inside."
"Fine," I snapped, and pushed open my door.
Mack grabbed the food and led into the house, dropping everything on the counter and facing . "When I said we’re exclusive, I ant we’re exclusive."
"That’s not in question, Logan."
"Yeah, it is... for you."
"I just don’t want to back you into a corner."
He pulled to him and stroked my neck. "I think I just figured out the problem."
"Oh, yeah?" I said, sarcastically.
"Yeah." Mack smiled. "I haven’t been clear enough, so I’m gonna make myself clear now, yeah?"
"Knock yourself out."
"I’m with you, Darien. With you. Not just getting to know you, but in it for the long haul. Official-like. Yes, bringing you on Saturday is a statent, but it’s a statent I wanna make, because you’re my woman. You’re beautiful and funny and I want to show you off."
I bit my lip. "Really?"
"Yeah, baby, really. We would have talked about the club party, it just ca up a little differently than I expected."
I settled against him with a sigh. "It’s just that sotis I still feel like the chubby kid who no one likes. I’m half-expecting you to figure out I’m not only overweight, but a dork as well, and run far and fast away from ."
"You’re beautiful, and even if you gained a hundred pounds that wouldn’t change."
I let out an inelegant snort. "Yeah, right. No one likes the fat girl."
"Hey." He gave a squeeze. "First off, you’re not fat, second off, I like won with so at on their bones. It’s sexy."
I stared up at him. "You really an that, don’t you?"
"Yeah, I really an that." He leaned down and kissed gently. "Now, you gonna eat?"
"Yes. I’ve got a hundred pounds to gain."
Mack laughed, kissing quickly before we grabbed our food and spent the rest of the night on his sofa watching a movie (and making out). It was aweso.
Saturday night rolled around and I was a bundle of nerves. I’d changed outfits three tis. I pulled my hair up, hated it, so styled it down, hated that, and now it was sowhere in between. I almost bailed completely, but Millie talked down off the ledge. I wish she was coming with , but she worked early on Sunday mornings, so I was destined to go it alone.
Mack arrived at six and I was in the middle of changing my earrings (again), so I had only one in when I opened the door. "You ready?" he asked.
"Do I look ready?" I snapped. I secured my earring and focused on him. "Is this okay?"
"Are you gonna wear two different shoes?"
I glanced at my feet. "Shit!" I’d put one black and one brown on.
Before I could make a rush for my room, he grabbed my arm. "Hey. You look beautiful, Darien."
"I feel totally out of your league."
And I was. Gone was his suit, replaced with jeans that fit him entirely too well, a tight, white T-shirt, black motorcycle boots, and a leather jacket with the Dogs of Fire logo on the back. He was illegally gorgeous.
He grinned and leaned down to kiss . "You’re being clueless again."
"Am I?"
"Yeah, you are. You’re perfect just the way you are. Trust ?"
I nodded.
"Then trust to tell you the truth."
I sighed. "Fair enough."
He smiled. "Good girl. Change your shoe and we’ll go."
"We’re in the car, right?"
He laughed. "Yeah, baby, we’re in the car."
"Thank you." I smiled and kissed him quickly. "Be right back."
I opted for the other black shoe and then followed him to the car.
"Will you get in trouble?" I asked once buckled.
"For?"
"Us being in the car and not on your bike."
Mack raised an eyebrow. "Honey, what kind of club do you think I’m part of?"
I shrugged, feeling the heat crawl into my cheeks. "I just know how important motorcycles are to motorcycle club mbers and I don’t want you to be looked down on because your girlfriend is afraid of them."
He chuckled. "You’ve been watching too much television."
"Maybe," I said. "But I can try again if it’ll help."
We stopped at a red light and Mack took my hand. "Baby, we will try again, but not on a wet day. It’ll happen in a place that has next to no traffic so you feel safer."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Darien, I’m sure."
I squeezed his hand. "Thanks, honey."
He smiled. "Don’t ntion it."
We drove to the club compound and I was a little awed by the bikes on display. Even though I was terrified of them, I still loved them.
Mack parked the car under the Big Ernie’s Body Shop sign and faced . "You ready?"
"Not in the least."
"Dani and Kim’ll be here and you’ll et Payton and Cassidy, so you’ll be in good hands. Promise."
"Am I like your old lady now?"
He laughed. "Yeah, babe."
"Am I being clueless again?" I challenged.
"No, honey, you’re askin’ questions, there’s a difference." He climbed out of the car and collected , kissing gently before taking my hand, and leading through an unmarked door to the left of what looked like the actual shop.
A dimly lit hallway led to another unmarked door into a small foyer with a few easy chairs and a desk with a television sat in the space. Through another door we entered a large common room milling with people. The space was filled with sofas, overstuffed chairs, a pool table, large flat-screen television, several smaller tables that kids gathered around for board gas, and three outdoor picnic tables.
"Mack," Kim squealed and threw her arms around him so hard, he had to let go of my hand to catch her.
"Hey, babe."
Kim released him and then pulled in for a hug. "I’m so glad you made it."
I smiled and hugged her back. " too. Pauley’s pissed she’s missing the fun, but she also had the choice to work or not tonight."
Kim laughed. "I did too. This is better, plus I needed ti with my horse. He’s missing ."
"Oh, is he here?" I joked.
"Ohmigod, I wish. But he’s not potty trained, so..."
I giggled. "Well, if you could potty train a horse, I think you’d make a hell of a lot more money than working at the bar."
"Yeah, I’d have to agree. Co and et everyone."
I grabbed Mack’s hand (just in case he had any thoughts of deserting ) and we followed Kim to the small group huddled around the pool table. I t Ace and his wife, Cassidy, then Hawk and Payton. Ace was a tower of a man who looked like his brother, Knight, and Cassidy was half his size with curly blonde hair and a quick smile. I noticed Ace hovered around his wife, but later found out she’d been shot less than six months before by a crazed stalker, so it was understandable.
Hawk was blond and muscular, and had a kick-ass handlebar moustache. He adored Payton who, with her long, brunette hair and lithe body, looked more like a movie star than a teacher.
"You got a minute?" Booker asked Mack.
"Honey, no," Dani whined. "You promised no business."
"Won’t take long," he said.
Mack released my hand, kissed quickly, and followed Booker down a back hallway.
"I hate it when they do that," Dani confessed, albeit in a whisper. "Sotis club business sucks."
I smiled. "It must be important."
"Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of." She sighed. "Co on, we’ll grab so wine."
"Sounds good."
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