Page 14 of Finish Line
“Yes, Goddess?”
“Can you . . .” she pauses, “Can you hold me?”
I smile from ear to fuckin’ ear. “Sure, darlin’.”
I roll to my side and slide my arm over her hip, pulling her close to me. Her arm comes over mine and she holds me close.
There’s no way I’m ever lettin’ this woman go. She doesn’t know it yet, but she’smine.
Chapter Eleven
Athena
The next morning, I wake in a panic. For a split second, I don’t remember where I am. Jase’s cologne wafts around me, calming me immediately. I roll over to find his spot is empty and cold, but there’s a note on his pillow.
Goddess,
I had Church this mornin’ and didn’t want to wake you. Your clothes are in the bathroom. Feel free to shower and find some breakfast in the kitchen.
Bull
Who knew bikers went to Church? And on a Monday morning? That’s weird. I climb out of bed and make my way into the bathroom. Sure enough, my clothes are folded and sitting on the counter. There’s a towel in the pile with them. Before I decide if I’m going to shower, I peek in there to see what kind of soaps he has. To my surprise, he has the Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special shampoo and conditioner. It’s my favorite shampoo, but I haven’t had the luxury of buying it since I’ve been trying to save as much money as I can.
I turn the shower on, waiting a couple minutes for it to warm up before I get in. I move the towel to the drying rack so I can reach it when I’m done. Once the water is ready, I slip out of the clothes I’m wearing. Leaving Bull’s shirt on the counter next to my clothes and hop in the shower. I use the tea tree shampoo and conditioner to wash my hair. Then I lather my body with his body wash that smells of sage and citrus. I quickly rinse off, not wanting to spend too much time in the shower. Turning the water off, I grab the towel off the rack. I scrunch my hair dry, then dry my body.
I step out of the shower, make sure I’m dried off enough for clothes, then hang the towel up. I slip into my bra and panties first. Then I slide my shorts on. I hold up my shirt, contemplating if I actually want to wear it or not. It’s my work shirt and shows off a little more than I might want to when being around a bunch of biker guys. I opt for Bull’s shirt that I’d slept in, tucking it into my shorts in the front, so it doesn’t look like it’s all I’m wearing.
I don’t have a brush for my hair, which is okay since I like to let it air dry anyway. I grab my shirt and Bull’s boxers that I’d slept in. Going back into the bedroom I toss my shirt on the bed and find his dirty clothes hamper in the closet for his boxers.
My stomach rumbles and I remember Bull mentioning finding the kitchen in his letter. I hesitate to leave the room, not wanting to run into anyone. Surely no one will be out in the main room since it’s Monday. My stomach growls again, helping me decide to suck it up and leave the room. Maybe I’ll get lucky and run into Bull while I’m out there.
Shit,I think to myself. The closer I get to the main room, the louder the voices get. There aren’t any male voices, just women.Double shit.
I slow my steps as I walk into the main room. A woman with pink hair is staring right at me. The woman she’s talking to turns around. Her eyes go wide when they land on me.
“Who the hell are you?” She takes a couple steps toward me. “Who let you in here and where did you get that shirt?”
“I, uh . . .” I cough to clear my throat. “My name is Athena. I’m a friend of Bull’s.”
“What?” She screeches. The third woman who is sitting next to the one with pink hair stands.
“Minx, chill. I’m sure there’s a reason he didn’t tell you,” she says to her.
“Minx?” I ask. “You’re Bull’s daughter, right?”
“Yeah, I am. What the fuck are you doin’ here? You screwin’ my dad?” She moves toward me until she’s a foot away from me.
“What? No! We just met a couple nights ago,” I tell her.
“Then why are you here?” Her eyes narrow at me.
“Minx! Back the fuck down,” Bull’s voice booms from behind me. He’s by my side within seconds.
“You have some explaining to do,” Minx says to Bull before storming away.
Bull turns to me. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I tell him. “I was coming to look for some breakfast. I didn’t mean to upset her.”
