Page 17 of The Devil's Reward
My father scoffs. “Never too early, if you ask me, Quinnie. But fine, I’ll keep my advice to myself from now on.”
I sigh. “Not everything, Dad. Just when it comes to boys and Macy. When she’s older and noticing boys, I’ll happily send her to you for advice.”
“Deal,” he replies cheerfully.
“Speaking of boys,” my mother purrs, making me groan. I know exactly what’s coming. “When are you going to see some boys, Quinn? Well, preferably not boys, but men that could help you, you know, dust off those cobwebs.”
I let my head fall back on my shoulders and stare at the ceiling as if it’s going to give me the answers I desperately seek. “Mom,” I reply patiently, “I don’t need a man. I’m perfectly happy.”
Mom snorts. “Honey, a hunk of silicone can only do so much. Trust me, I know.” My face flames and I briefly think about hanging up, especially when my father calls out his thoughts on the subject.
“Your mother’s right, honey. I mean, I know she likes that one she has upstairs, but she’s always telling me how much she loves my—”
“Dad!” I shriek, stopping him, though my mother just laughs.
“You know, Quinn, you wouldn’t be so embarrassed if you were getting some yourself,” my mother points out.
“I’m going to hang up,” I warn her.
“Alright, alright, no need to be so touchy. Now, how about we discuss our plans for our visit next week? We would love to keep Macy for a night by ourselves, so that means you’ll be free to go out and spend time with friends, and who knows, maybe you’ll meet a handsome stranger you can go home with.”
“Mom,” I warn.
“Fine, fine,” she grumbles.
“If you want a night alone with Macy, I’m sure I can find something to occupy my time,” I assure her. “Is Peyton coming too?”
“As far as we know,” Mom replies. “You know your sister. She’s always busy and getting pulled into all kinds of things at work.”
She’s right on that. Peyton is an architect, and she’s in high demand back home. Her firm is constantly giving her bigger and bigger projects to work on, but I can tell she’s getting pissed about it. She rarely gets time off, though she’ll be off for the two weeks she’s here with my parents for their annual visit.
“I tell her she should put her phone on silent and ignore it. Or put an alert on that says not to bother her.”
“She’d never do that. It’d be like if you put your phone on silent for any of the people you deal with,” Mom points out.
“Yes, but mine can be life or death. Hers is her asshole bosses trying to squeeze every drop out of her before they finally give her the partnership she deserves.” Personally, if I thought Peyton would listen, I’d tell her to find another place to work or start her own firm. Most of her work is by request or commission, it would hardly be a hardship.
“You know Peyton is stubborn,” Mom sighs. “She’ll see it eventually and walk away, but not before she’s ready. Now, what are we doing while we’re up there?”
By the time we’re done talking fifteen minutes later, our entire two weeks are planned out. Most of it consists of my parents spending time with Macy and taking her places, leaving Peyton and me on our own. Which probably means lots of shopping and a few nights out. All things I’m okay with. My sister is fun to be around, though going to a club or bar really isn’t what I normally do.
It’s not like I have any friends around here. My job is in an office by myself, and I spend most of my time with Macy, or watching Parker, so it’s not like I have a lot of opportunities to socialize. I tried one of those mom groups, but they were far too judgemental and catty for me. So I slipped away, and I doubt any of them noticed. None of them reached out to me either. Probably for the best.
I get Macy into the tub for bath time and then ready for bed. When she’s finally asleep and I can slip into my room with its small ensuite bathroom, I’m desperate to relax. It’s been a busy, and stressful, day. I draw my bath and pour in some of my favorite bubble bath before I head downstairs to grab a glass of wine. I rarely drink, but it’s the end of the work week, which means I’ve earned it.
When I’m finally laying in the hot water, I let all the stress drain away. The heat of the bath, and the smell of the bubbles relax me, and I let my mind drift. Only, instead of creating some fantasy, my thoughts return to Shadow. My mind conjures up the memory of him grinning down at Macy, looking far too handsome for his own good.
Who knew that a man that good looking would give a little girl the time of day? Or allow himself to be conned out of some chips? It doesn’t exactly fit the biker stereotype, but from what I’ve heard, The Devil’s Soldiers MC aren’t stereotypical at all. They do all kinds of things for charity, and I think I read something in the news the other day that they teamed up with Lincoln Technologies for some causes in the past. I highly doubt a family as affluent and influential as the Lincolns would team up with a group they didn’t support or agree with.
I probably shouldn’t be thinking about him at all. It’s obvious he would never be interested in a woman like me. Not to mention the professional side of things. I want him to hire people I send him, so I need to consider him a colleague, and nothing more.
But he’s so hot, my brain taunts.He’s spank bank material, even with his clothes on.
No, no, I need to forget about that.
My phone rings on the edge of the tub and I groan. Looking at the display, I see it’s my sister video calling me. I glance at myself quickly. I’m hidden under the bubbles, so I grab it and swipe my finger across the screen.
Eyes exactly like mine look back at me, and she grins. “Well, at least you’re covered,” Peyton drawls. “Hope I’m not interrupting anything.” She wiggles her eyebrows at me suggestively.
