“I can be ready in ten minutes if that’s okay. I’ll just have a quick shower and throw my stuff in my bag.”
Her concern and readiness to leave at the drop of a hat warmed my cold heart. Pulling her to me, I murmured, “Ten minutes, huh?”
She placed her hands against my chest, gently pushing me away. “What? You don’t think I can get ready that fast?” I loved the look of indignation that crossed her face. She could be feisty as fuck and that shit turned me on.
“Well, for a woman who can take forever in the bathroom—”
She cut me off as she moved out of my hold. “I wouldn’t continue that sentence. Not if you want my body again.”
I snagged her around the waist and yanked her back to me. “Babe, if you think I can’t find a way to have what I want, you are underestimating my abilities.”
“And if you think your abilities are any match for mine, you are fooling yourself.”
Christ, my dick was hard as hell. Groaning, I let her go and muttered, “Go. You’ve got ten minutes.”
She stepped close again and ran her hand over my crotch. “I think we’d better take care of this first. No way in hell can you ride for as long as we have to with a hard-on.”
A woman after my own heart.
I wasn’t sure what I’d ever done to deserve an angel. She’d been right when she’d said we all needed connection. I’d just forgotten that somewhere along the way. Who knew where this would all end up, but I was gonna take everything she wanted to give me.
20
Carla
I stepped through the front door to my home with some disappointment. The last few days away with Havoc had been an escape from my life. Being back home meant I had to begin dealing with the fallout of my job loss and subject failure. It also signalled another fork in my journey with Havoc. He’d just begun opening up to me. Coming back to Brisbane and going our separate ways could mean the end of that.
“Carla!” My mother greeted me when I entered the kitchen.
Havoc was right behind me, his hand on the small of my back, and I saw my mother’s gaze move swiftly from me to him. As she hugged me, she murmured, “So this is the man causing Nash to go off the deep end.”
I pulled out of her hold and stepped back into Havoc’s space. When his hand slid around my waist, I smiled. I loved his need for touch. I had that same need. Placing my hand over his, I replied, “Mum, this is Havoc. Havoc, my mother, Linda.”
He reached his free hand out to Mum and she shook it. “Good to meet you, Linda.”
Although my mother was a woman who treated everyone equally, I wasn’t sure how she’d react to Havoc considering he’d stirred Nash’s anger. However, I needn’t have worried. A brilliant smile touched her lips. “Come in, sit down. You must be so tired after that long trip.”
“Mum, Havoc probably just wants to get home to his f—”
His hand tightened around my waist as he cut me off, “I’m not in a rush. Yvette has everything under control at the moment.”
Well, shit.
I hadn’t expected that.
Mum made coffee while we sat at the kitchen table. Havoc appeared calm, while I sat bouncing my leg, more nervous than I’d ever been when Mum met a guy I was seeing.
“So Nash tells me you’re a club member,” she said as she placed mugs in front of us.
He nodded. “Thank you, and yes. I grew up around the club and have been a member for thirteen years.”
“But you don’t stick to the Brisbane club?”
“Two years ago I chose to become a nomad. I tend to go wherever I’m needed now.”
Frown lines wrinkled her forehead. I loved that she was trying to get to know him and understand how the club worked. “So you travel all over Australia? What do you do to help?”
I almost choked on my drink.
In true Havoc form, her questions didn’t ruffle him. “Yeah, all over the country. The clubs call on me to help sort out membership issues or supplier issues for their businesses. Things like that mostly.”
Catching his eye, I attempted to cover my smirk.
He ignored me.
“Oh, okay, so you must be good at your job then, if they call on you from all over,” Mum said.
I coughed. Needing to change the subject, I said, “Have you heard any more from Dad?”
Sadness clouded her eyes. “Not since he dropped by the other day.”
What?
“He dropped by? I thought he phoned you.”
“No, he came here to talk to me. I told you that on the phone.”
Anger bubbled up and I was helpless to control it. “No! He can’t come here! I hope you told him to never come back.”
She reached across the table to place her hand gently on my arm. “I did. I told him we would contact him if and when we were ready.”
Havoc’s hand landed on my knee under the table and he squeezed my leg. I turned and found him watching me with eyes full of concern. Taking a deep breath, I took hold of his hand on my leg and squeezed it back. His support calmed me.