Page 44 of Magnetic Temptations

“Again, they’re replaceable,” Mav scolds me. “These kids don’t have a lot of things and Manny and Consuella work their asses off but still can’t afford certain luxuries for the boys.”

“I’m not getting onto you for it. If anything, it’s admirable and I’m happy you’re thinking of them,” I address.

“What do they need?” Mane asks. “What can we donate to the families here?”

“God, beauty,” I say, pulling her into my arms. “So much. They all have hand stitched clothes, hand me downs that have been patched so many times that the original material hardly exists. The parents refuse handouts any time we offer them so we buy yards of fabric and ask for bandanas and such but tell them to keep what’s leftover. It’s the only way they accept anything from us.”

“You buy over what you need for what you ask them to make for you, don’t you?” Mane asks, knowing damn good and well that’s exactly what we do.

“How close is the fabric store and shopping center?” Hydro inquires, and my heart triples in size because I know that our workers aren’t going to be able to say no to this man.

“The closest one is an hour away,” I divulge.

“We have time to do some shopping don’t we?” he asks, his eyes locked onto Mane and Ella.

“There’s always time for shopping,” Mane answers.

“Especially if it’s for kids,” Ella adds.

“I’ll hand you my credit card and let you do your worst,” Hydro offers. None of us men are shoppers, but we won’t let them go without a few extra sets of hands to hold the bags.

“I’ll go with you,” I tell her. “I know what the kids need.”

“We’ll go too,” Maverick states. “Myles and I have spent time with the kiddos and we know their wish list.”

“Hell, yeah!” Myles shouts. “I can’t thank you enough for doing this for them. They’re good people who have made it through some tough times. We’ve done what we can by housing them and giving them jobs, but other than that, they don’t let us do anything else.”

“It’s the least we can do,” Gunner says. “It’ll be because of them that you two can come with us.”

“We’ll tell them it’s an incentive for their sacrifice,” Mane inserts.” We’re going to look in the kitchen and see if there are any gadgets y’all don’t have that Consuela might like.” I snicker at the look of glee that crosses my woman’s face as she practically runs into the kitchen with Ella close behind, their phones open to the notes app so they can make sure they give Consuela everything she could possibly need to take care of her family.

“Good idea. Okay, let's get the show on the road,” I announce as we all gather our wallets. Since our trucks are loaded down with Myles and Maverick’s possessions, we grab the ranch’s SUVs from the barn and head toward Nashville.

Shopping was fun. We came back to the Triple M with both SUVs loaded down with toys, games, clothes, shoes, kitchen gadgets, and television sets. When we met with the workers, they tried to shoo the stuff away, but the way Hydro presented it to them had them accepting the gifts. I think the keywords of it being an incentive and promotion package had them feeling as if it wasn’t charity but well-earned for all of their years of loyalty and sacrifice.

CHAPTER

TWENTY-FIVE

MANE

We’ve been home for several weeks now from our Tennessee adventure. Mason and I have spent more time together than I thought we’d be able to. I wholeheartedly believed he’d be boggled down with his prospect and Kings duties and wouldn’t have much free time for us. But Hydro, he stepped in and made sure that Mason had more freedom than most prospects are afforded.

Hydro lives, breathes, and sets his foundation around the club, but he also has other obligations. Namely, Ella. He believes firm family ties and club involvement makes the institution of the MC a stronger and more cohesive unit.

Cotton has called me three to four times per week since our departure from the ranch, not only is he lonely but he’s been plagued by ghosts any time he steps foot in his house. I think I have him convinced to either rent out his farm or sell it and move here where his support system is now living.

Maverick has been encouraging the move, wanting his best friend here where he can help him heal from the betrayal of his wife, amping up club life for him. He has his fingers crossed that Cotton will want to join our patchwork family. The parents went home but Dad still makes his presence known even if he isn’t here in person.

Mom made him confess to me that Judd, who will be getting payback at some point in time, told him about Mason before I did and he flew to where Mason was so he could introduce himself. I think it’s because he needed to assert his dominance and show Mason that he was the alpha of the pack. They became fast friends during his various visits. I’ll admit, only to myself, that it makes me elated that he decided to make that trip and form a bond with the man I’d slowly fallen in love with over many late night, get to know you, conversations.

It explains why Dad didn’t do the entire chest beating thing when Mason arrived. When I went to my man about it, he didn’t deny it and by the end of our chat, I understood his reasoning for not telling me. He needed to build trust with my dad and didn’t want to lose it before he gained it. It’s important to him that Dad and he get along since in his words, “I’m not going anywhere, Charmane Hope Alvarez. You’re stuck with me for life, beauty,” which he expressed to me vehemently before we had a panty-melting makeout session. I always smile when I recall those heart-clenching words, it also gives my battery operated boyfriend a workout when I think about the outcome of that discussion.

Mason has let go of a lot of his religious convictions, but sex before marrying me isn’t one he’s brushed off as easily. Which is okay with me because the buildup is going to make the act itself explosive.

After all, we’ve had many months of foreplay.

“I can’t believe we’re here,” I say to Mason as I excitedly bounce on my toes.

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