Page 28 of Devil's Own: Roughneck

“’Night,” I call out as he passes us.

He lifts his chin.

“’Night,” Horace calls. The kid’s getting shaggy. He appears to be going for that old-school biker look, the way his straggly hair reaches his neck. He needs to wash that brown mop and trim that ugly-ass beard. If he ever wants to get a woman as sweet, smart, and sexy as Gee, he can’t look like he’s been raised by wolves. And right now, he does.

“’Night,” Vlad calls back to the man before disappearing out the door.

“Where do you want to sleep tonight? Here or at home?” I ask Gee.

“Your mattress here is lumpy. Let’s go back to your house.”

“Bzzz,” I say, making the sound of a buzzer. “Wrong answer.”

“You want to sleep here?”

“No. We can gohome.”

“That’s what I said.”

I shake my head as she’s just not getting it. “You said ‘myhouse.’ Seeing as your ass sleeps in my bed and you’re moving in with me, it’sourhouse. Notmyhouse.”

Her face softens with warmth and a bit of trepidation. “Before I agree to any of this, I have to ask one thing of you.”

With her body pressed against mine from her tits to her toes, I’d agree to just about anything. “Shoot.”

“If this ends, please help me find a place to stay. Don’t just kick me out.”

“I will never just kick you out.”

“I know Daniel and Nic would probably let me—”

“Gee,” I say her name sternly to catch her attention. Once I have it, she gets what I’m telling her. “Iwill neverjust kick you out.”

She nods. “Okay,” she whispers. “Can you promise you won’t run me down to your new woman or your brothers?”

My new woman? Just the thought guts me. I don’t want a damn new woman. I want Gee. I want Gee in my home, in my bed, until I take my last breath. If we’re lucky, we’ll fall in love. Even if we don’t, I know down to my bones that I won’t want another woman to share my life with.

“Baby, I won’t run you down. You won’t give me a reason to, and it’s just not in me to be that big of a bastard.”

She smiles. Fucking breathtaking. Linking our fingers, I lead her out of the clubhouse back up to Vlad’s place, where we’d parked the truck, and I open the door for her to climb in.

On the drive back to Middlesboro, she continues to hold my hand pressed to her thigh as she stares out the window.

I hit the button on the garage door opener and drive in, switching off the engine and closing the door behind us. Then I let us into the house, turning the key to unlock the door, but it won’t move. I try the knob. It’s already unlocked. Did I forget to lock the damn door when we left for dinner today?

Shit.I always lock the door.

“Something wrong?” Gee asks.

I shake my head. “I don’t think so.” I don’t want to scare her, but still, I walk down the stairs first, checking out the empty bedrooms, the bathroom, and the laundry. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. I jog back up to where Gee still stands on the landing looking concerned.

“Give me a sec.” I jog upstairs to check the kitchen, living room, dining area, and the master.

Again, I don’t see anything to worry about.

Maybe I’m just being paranoid.

“Rough?” she asks.

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