Page 42 of Riding Free

Before I can voice any more concerns, his mouth is on mine again. He tastes me thoroughly. Completely and totally consuming every inch of me. I’m ready to jump over my center console and ride him, not giving a fuck that it’s the middle of the day in a big box department store parking lot.

He breaks the kiss, nibbling on my bottom lip when he does, then shifts back slightly, our connection never breaking. I watch as he slides his tongue across his bottom lip. God, I want to be that bottom lip, maybe even that tongue. All I know is that I want all of him all over all of me.

“We’re going to make this work, babe. I fucking swear that shit deep down to my goddamn soul. We are going to make this work. I am going to make this work. You and Thea are my everything.”

“How?” He hardly knows us. How could he know that we’re his everything? I feel like he very much could be that for me, but how does he know that we’re that for him?

“Over forty, babe. I know what works and what doesn’t. Trust me, you fuckin’ work for me. I’m ready for a family. I want this. I didn’t know I wanted it, but now that it’s here and right in front of me, fuck me, do I want this. You, me, and Thea.”

My heart slams against my chest as I think about his words, as I let them sink into my skin, seeping down to every single fiber of my being. “I want this, too,” I exhale. “Every damn second of it.”

CHAPTER

THIRTY-TWO

HOUND

We don’t head straight back to the clubhouse with all our shit, and when I say all our shit, I mean I bought a hell of a lot for Thea. And I didn’t give a single fuck, either. I would spend quadruple that and not even bat an eye. In fact, I probably will when the house is ready to move into.

And that’s exactly where we go, to check on the progression. I’m thankful and grateful to have the help, because tomorrow I have to leave for that run and I don’t know exactly when I’ll be back. Hopefully, it’ll only take a few days, but I’ve got no clue when I’ll really be back.

Pulling up to the house, I shift the car into Park and look over. A roll-away trash bin is half-filled with debris—flooring, carpeting, and no telling what else. “Wow, when you said you would have it ready in a week, you weren’t kidding,” Keely murmurs beside me.

“I don’t fuck around, and thankfully, I’ve got enough guys I can count on that promises can be kept. Let’s go check it out.”

I don’t wait for her response. I probably should. Instead, I open the car door, then walk around the back and get Thea out with her seat. I don’t know what babies are like in general. I’ve never been around any, but Thea seems to be the quietest baby on earth. She hardly makes a noise, and when she does, it’s for a good reason. She’s either hungry or needs a change.

“When we get inside, I want to take her out of her carrier. She’s been in there too much today,” Keely says as she rounds the front of the car to join my side.

Turning my head, I look down at her and smile. “Yeah, babe.” I can’t help but stare at her for a moment in awe. I don’t know how it happened this way, how we ended up like this, in this situation, but I’m fucking grateful for it—every piece of it.

Leading the way, I walk through the open front door, then set the baby carrier down next to me as Keely slides past and immediately sinks down to take Thea out of the seat. I watch, unable to take my eyes off my two girls.

Thea stretches as Keely lifts her out and makes the cutest fucking noises. I can’t take my eyes off them. I couldn’t give a fuck less what the house looks like, what the progress is, because they’re right here next to me.

“Hound,” a voice calls out.

Lifting my head, I look over to the hallway where Blast steps through. I’m surprised to see him here. He’s a full-fledged brother. He moves into the living room, wiping his hands on a towel.

I watch as he flicks his gaze from Keely and Thea to me, then arches a brow in question. I haven’t told him shit, and obviously, news hasn’t traveled yet, which makes me smirk. I introduce my old lady and my baby. Just saying that, announcing them as such, fills me with pride.

Blast’s eyes widen, then he smirks before he clears his throat. “Nice to meet you both,” he says. Keely agrees before he continues. “Want to see what we did? You wanted the main bathroom and bedrooms done first, right?”

“Yeah,” I mutter.

I start to ask him why he’s here, because I’m still confused as to why he’s here working. But before I can, he continues speaking and tells me exactly how he found out I had prospects working this job.

“My brother is prospecting,” he states.

Which I knew.

He’s only been hanging around for a few weeks. He’s just graduated high school and wants to be an Iron Flame like his brother. I don’t blame him. I prospected because I wanted to be like my dad.

“Our grandfather was a contractor. We worked for him during the summers when we were teenagers, but I worked longer for him. My brother called me with a couple of questions, so I came down here and started helping. Just call me the foreman,” he mutters. “I think we’ll smash your timeline.”

He turns his back to me and begins walking toward the bedrooms. I don’t look in the guest room. I want to see that after I’ve seen the primary and en suite. When I step into the room, I look down and grunt at the sight of the vinyl flooring. I know for fucking sure I didn’t buy this shit.

“Don’t get mad. I got a great deal,” Blast begins. I look up at him. He’s holding his hands out in what I assume is a mercy or something of that sort. “I got enough to do the whole house. What you had was only enough to finish the bedrooms, and I talked to Loot, who said he would buy what you had for a rental property he just closed on. They don’t make that color anymore, so I couldn’t even get more if I wanted to. This will have some extra boxes in case of damage.”