Grady’s jaw ticks, and, in an instant, he’s pushed himself off of the wall. Several long strides and he’s got one knee on the edge of the bed and the other is thrown over my hips. His broad torso blocks the light from the hallway, and he rests his left forearm on the pillows beside me. He reaches out with his right arm and grasps me by my neck and jerks my head in close to his face. He breathes heavily on my skin, dampening my face in his scent.
“I’m being nice. Do not think that means I’m going to put up with your mouth. My brothers and I are going to count on you to keep quiet about the shit that went down. You cannot go off half-cocked like you just did. If you don’t keep your mouth shut, I’m going to let one of my brothers enjoy the pleasure of your company.”
“Are you threatening me?” I ask. My voice is so steady and cold that I don’t even know how I’m doing it. Inside I’m freaking the hell out. Maybe it’s the trauma of the situation that’s driving me, or maybe I’m just stupid.
“I don’t make threats. I make promises.”
We continue to stare at each other with neither of us moving a single muscle. His eyes are hard and unwavering as he glares at me. His full lips and strong jaw invade my space and demand attention. I know I shouldn’t be thinking these things, but I can’t help it. I’ve always secretly loved bad boys with their “devil may care” attitudes. Even when I was younger and Uncle Harry made sure I knew damn well that the club was off limits, I still looked. And now, here I am, with one of them hovering over me. And while he’s gorgeous and built, and dangerous in a thousand sexy ways, all I really want to do is to knee him in the balls. Repeatedly.
How dare he…
“Oh God,” a perky young voice shouts from the other side of the room. “What the hell? Gross!”
Grady jumps back and stands awkwardly, like he’s just been caught doing something he shouldn’t have by his mom. Only, it’s worse. He’s been caught by his teenage daughter. I freeze for a moment and then pull the blankets up further over me just as my cheeks redden. I don’t know why I’m embarrassed. I should be asking her to call the cops to get me out of here. I’m fully clothed but, somehow, it’s my first reaction and likely one that only solidifies the image that Cheyenne thinks she’s seen.
Chapter 8
“WHAT THE FUCK are you doing home?” Grady snaps and turns to his daughter. Cheyenne takes two tentative steps inside the room and crosses her arms over her chest. Her nose is turned up, and her mouth is turned down. She looks positively grossed out, and truth be told, I can’t blame her. Teenagers don’t expect their parents to be human.
“Half day, Dad. God,” she says in exasperation. I think for a moment and realize that she’s lying. I tilt my head to the side and watch as she delivers a beautifully crafted lie that, if I didn’t know our school schedule, I’d think was the honest-to-God truth. I could kick her ass for ditching, especially after how much work I’ve been putting into keeping her in school. Oh, we’re going to talk about this.
She blows out a breath and bounces from foot to foot. “I told you this like last week. You never listen to me.”
Cheyenne looks down at me, and her eyes bug out. She gives me a questioning glare before her wrath finds its target: her dad. “Holly, really? Oh my God. What the hell! You totally lied to me when I asked if you two were together!”
Her voice rises into a scream. Unlike the last time he was being screamed at, he doesn’t lunge across the room and scare the crap out of her. His shoulders fall, and he rubs the back of his neck. He may be a big badass when he’s with his club, and he may be an even bigger ass when he’s around me, but he looks like a totally different person in his daughter’s presence.
“What is your point?” he snaps. “What I do on my time is my business.” And just like that, the big, bad, scary dude is back and in full force. Only, Cheyenne doesn’t wither under his stare. She rolls her eyes and huffs. In a near mimic, he lets out a heavy breath and grunts. If this situation wasn’t so ridiculous and so uncomfortable, I might even find the similarities between the two to be humorous.
“We have a deal, Dad,” she grumbles. “You promised you wouldn’t do...do…do that.” She points her finger at me then finishes with, “with anybody who works at my school. I mean, is no place sacred? I gave you a pass because I like Holly, but you totally freaking lied to me about it!”
“Chill out,” he grumbles. “It’s not what you think. And cool it with the attitude, Cheyenne. Do not forget who you’re speaking to.” Cheyenne smashes her lips together and shakes her head.
“Well,” she says in a slightly less heated manner, “This explains all the sexual tension.”