"You’re shittin’ ."
"Yes, I am. You won’t et the queen," I confird.
I heard so unintelligible muttering as I headed into the bathroom and brushed my teeth.
Cricket arrived just before eleven. Hatch and I were at a stand-off, and Cricket gave her brother a pretty forceful glare when she walked into the condo. "What did you do to Maisie?"
"I’m headin’ to the club," Hatch said not answering her question. "Am I takin’ Little Fucker?"
"Yes," I said, my tone clipped.
Hatch scooped the puppy off of my lap, turned on his heel, and left the apartnt, barely managing not to slam the door.
"You okay?" Cricket asked.
"Yep." I opened my laptop and pulled up my email.
"Whatever he said or did, let it roll off your back," she instructed. "My brother can be a dick. He’ll calm down. He probably won’t say he’s sorry, but he’ll realize he’s wrong and apologize another way."
I sighed. "We co from two completely different worlds, Cricket. I don’t know if he’ll be able to get past that."
"Well, there is that."
"It’s hard when he won’t talk to about his past. Your past," I confessed. "He just shuts out."
"What do you want to know?" Cricket asked.
"Nothing." I grimaced. "I don’t want to betray his confidence."
"You aren’t. It’s my life. I can share my life."
This was true. "It’s not even so much that I need to know, to be honest. I just want him to want to tell , you know?"
Cricket chuckled. "Well, don’t hold your breath. He won’t talk about it to anyone."
"That’s sad."
She shrugged. "It’s the biker way."
"Which is sad," I reiterated.
"Then you’re going to have to adjust your expectations. If you want a man who’ll share his thoughts and feelings, you need to hook up with Cullen. Connor’s not that guy."
I smiled. "Oh, I don’t doubt Connor’s my guy. We just have to figure out how to communicate with each other."
"Good luck with that."
"Tell about your brothers," I said. "I know their nas, but that’s about it."
Cricket filled in on Cade, Cullen, and Caron, but I got sidetracked by Cullen’s story. "Wait. So, Cullen was only married for two years?"
Cricket nodded. "Ohmigod, Maisie, Elizabeth was so beautiful. Inside and out. They totally fell in love fast and hard. She got cancer. A brain tumor. It was devastating. As much as Jana totally fucked with Connor and as bitter as he is, Cullen is still so happy and sweet and sees the good in humanity. But he swears he’ll never date or marry again."
"Never?"
"Nope. Says he’ll be celibate until the day he dies."
"Wow," I breathed out. "What about Cade?"
"Cade’s dealing with a crazy ex. She likes money and Devon’s in the way right now, so he’s staying with Cade, who’s staying with Hatch. Cade’s going to try and get him permanently."
"Is that why Hatch is so anti money?"
"It’s probably one of the reasons." Cricket grimaced. "We’ve never really known a whole lot of people with money who weren’t assholes. Except Kim. But everyone else in her family are total dicks, so it’s kind of a miracle she’s not."
"Well, I’m not a dick, so either your brother pulls his head out or he needs to keep his opinions to himself." I sighed. "What’s with all the ’C’ nas?"
"Mom’s thing, I think." Cricket smiled. "Dad said he’d give her anything she wanted, and she wanted all her kids to have ’C’ nas, so that’s what we had."
"Sweet," I said. "How did your brother end up raising you?"
"My dad lost his mind when Mom died. He killed so guy at an underground, illegal open fist fight. He got caught. They used him as an example and we didn’t have the money for a decent defense, so he got the max. Dad died in jail a couple of years ago. When Dad got locked up, CPS was gonna farm us out to foster hos, but Connor fought for us. He made it work."
I forced back tears. "See? This is why he’s totally my guy."
Cricket opened her mouth to say sothing... just as Hatch walked back in.
He didn’t say a word. Just dropped Little Fucker next to his sister, lifted my laptop off my lap, and pulled gently from my chair. "Be back, Cricket."
He wrapped an arm around my waist and guided into my bedroom, closing the door behind us. I faced him, but didn’t speak, figuring he had sothing he needed to get off his chest, so I’d let him do it in his own ti.
He studied for a few seconds and then sighed.
"Spit it out, Hatch."
"Just thinkin’, while we’re in London, maybe you should hang with your family and I should stick with the Dogs."
I felt like I’d been slapped. "aning, you’re not going to co with ?"
"We got a Chapter in London, Sunshine."
I scowled. "So you’re going to co with , but you’re going to "stick" with your friends while I "hang" with my family?"
"You can co hang at the club, babe."
"And you can co hang with my family."
He snorted and I realized pretty quickly what this was all about.
"No," I snapped. "Unless you are going to co with us and stay with and my family, Connor, then you’re uninvited."
"I’m not staying with your family, Maisie."
"Then you’re uninvited."
His head dropped back and he stared at the ceiling. "Fuck ."
"I would have done that in London, Connor. Several tis. But you’re uninvited," I said. "A whole month, darling... without ." I bit my lip. "I guess you could partake of that club whore pussy I read about, but then I’d have to kill you."
"Maisie." His voice sounded irritated.
I forced a smile. "My family’s going to love you and if they don’t, then we’ll leave and never speak to them again."
"I don’t really care one way or another what they think of , but I don’t want them thinkin’ differently of you."
"They won’t think differently of . Don’t judge my family on what you saw of Beckett. Please," I begged. "His overprotective ter’s broken, and that’s sothing even my father says."
Hatch slid his hand to my neck. "Unfamiliar territory here, baby."
" too, baby," I pointed out, and I dropped my head to his chest. "Will you just apologize already so we can make out a little and I can get back to work?" He stared down at and I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him. "You know I see you, Connor Wallace."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," I whispered. "You’re a good man. Even when you bury it under that thick skin of yours, your eyes show what you’re feeling, and I will always honor that."
"God, you’re beautiful."
"So are you."
His arms clamped around and he lifted enough, so I could wrap my legs around his waist. He carried to my bed and settled gently on the mattress.
"We don’t have ti, darling," I whispered.
He slid off his cut and unbuckled his belt. "We’ll be quick."
Tugging off my yoga pants, undies and all, he buried his face between my thighs and I imdiately lost my ability to breathe, let alone worry about ti constraints. I slid my ankles over his shoulders and arched my hips as he sucked my clit and slid two fingers inside of , but I lost my control when he was suddenly slamming into and his mouth covered mine to stifle my scream.
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