“Lots of restaurants. It has a decent downtown plus the suburbs. Not too far from Galveston. We can disappear there or be as friendly as we want. There's no disappearing in Ellsberg.”
“No one ever notices me,” Harlow muttered, even knowing I stood out in the college town.
“I’m on vacation for the time being, so let’s not worry about Houston.”
Harlow gave me a thankful grin. Both edgy, we finished our meal in silence. I assumed she worried about leaving town. Imagining her unhappy thoughts, I flinched when she laughed behind her hand.
“What?” I asked.
“I was thinking about tonight with us at the cabin.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Me naked makes you laugh, huh?”
When Harlow blushed, I knew me naked was exactly what she had on her mind.
“I’m excited,” she said, flushing more. “Aren’t you excited?”
Grunting, I finished up my food. “Don’t get me hard before I walk into enemy territory.”
Once breakfast settled and we enjoyed a mild workout, Harlow and I prepared to drive to Vaughn and Raven's house. We walked out to the SUV, but her thoughts remained on my view of her friends.
“They’re not your enemies.”
“Maybe, but they’re club guys. Men like them put out vibes. Even if they're your friends, I refuse to bow down to a bunch of little boys.”
“I’m fairly sure Judd and Vaughn are your age.”
“Whatever.”
“You just like being top dog.”
I gave her a grin. “Wouldn’t you?”
Harlow gave me a big smile. I sensed she was thinking of me on top of her tonight. The girl had sex on the brain. In fact, she smiled lazily the entire ride to Vaughn's house.
We arrived to find Harleys and SUVs parked along the driveway. I wasn't sure how many people were included in the crew. I kept on my guard, just in case.
A blonde and sunburned Raven opened the door with one hand on her belly. Harlow glanced at the hand placement and rolled her eyes. Raven gave her friend the once over then shook her head.
“Did you get laid?”
Harlow balked. “No.”
“So that’s why you look that way. Hmm… I haven’t looked that way since meeting Vaughn.”
“And this is where you mention you’re carrying his spawn.”
Raven frowned. “I like being pregnant.”
“So you’ve said only a million times.”
The women glared at one another and I wasn't sure if they were playing. Tawny opened the door wider, took in the sight of the angry women, and focused on me.
“Women, huh?” she asked, waving me inside.
Following Tawny, I left Harlow and Raven to their contest. We walked through a long hallway, past the living room and kitchen until we reached the sliding glass doors off of the family room. I took a moment to imagine living as a domesticated man like Vaughn Majors.
On the back deck, Vaughn and Cooper battled over the grill. Judd sat nearby with his feet up and a cold beer in his hand. Tawny joined her husband while I stepped onto the deck and tried to relax.
“Need a beer?” Lark asked, wearing a baby on her chest.
I shook my head. “It's a little early for me.”
“Wuss,” Harlow said, wrapping her arms around me. “Do you need me to stay close or can I go play with the girls?”
“Stay close.”
Staring up at me, she smiled. “If you ever want to lose your tat virginity, Aaron is the best.”
Lark’s face lit up. “Cooper, show Saint your tats, so he can see Aaron’s talent.”
The men quickly took turns showing me their crosses, hearts, skulls, pirate ships, kids’ names, and an angel with Tawny’s face. By the time I finished looking at way too much male flesh, Harlow was no longer at my side. She’d distracted me long enough to run off and gossip with the girls. I knew they were chatting about me when they all looked at me and laughed. It was awkward.
A text jingle from one of my burner phones allowed me to break away from the men. My gift for Harlow had arrived in Ellsberg. The timing was perfect too. Tonight, she needed to trust me. Today, she’d learn I was always thinking about how to make her happy.
My happy vibe ended when Vaughn appeared on the side of the house. He crossed his arms and frowned at me.
“I’m giving you the keys to my place, but I’m not happy about it.”
“If this is where you threaten me if I hurt her, I already got the speech from her dad.”
Cooper came up behind me. “We want what’s best for Harlow.”
“You two are making aggressive moves. Didn’t Kirk teach you how to play with killers?”
“Excuse me?” Cooper grumbled.
“You’re standing behind me. He’s in front of me. That’s attack mode. A guy like me will feel threatened and kick your asses or more likely pull a weapon. You should be more aware of the signals you send out, just in case the next guy isn’t a gentle giant like me.”
“What would be the proper way to stand?” Vaughn asked, sounding genuinely curious.
“You both in front of me, but not lined up. One a little farther back than the other, so it doesn’t look like you’re ganging up on me. Gives the person you’re talking to a false sense of security.”