Page 74 of Rooster

He sent her away, but there was something about her that didn’t sit well with me. I leaned over to Jules and whispered, “Who’s the girl at the bar?”

“Oh, that’s just Addison,” she answered nonchalantly. “She’s one of the hang-arounds.”

“A hang-around?”

“Rooster didn’t tell you about them?”

“Afraid not.”

“Well, they’re relatively harmless. They just hang around the club and help out with parties and stuff.”

“And stuff?”

“They ah... They take up the slack whenever needed,” Londyn answered.

“So, they hook up with the guys.”

“From time to time, but that stops when an ol’ lady comes into play.” Jules glanced over at the girls as she added, “They respect our boundaries, and we respect theirs.”

“You do that knowing they’ve been with your guys.”

“That was before us.”

I understood what they were saying. It made sense and all that, but it did little to help the growing knot in my stomach. Ronin must’ve noticed that something was up because he was watching me like a hawk. I needed a breath of air, so I stood and asked, “Where are the restrooms?”

“Right around the corner.”

“Thanks.”

I quickly skirted around the table and made my way to the bathroom. I went in and looked at myself in the mirror, then fussed at myself for getting so worked up. I tried to convince myself that it was nothing, but I’d been in this situation before. Chad’s indiscretions destroyed us, destroyed me, and I wasn’t going to let it happen again. I couldn’t.

With a newfound resolve, I stepped out of the bathroom and plowed right into Ronin’s chest. Concern marked his face as he asked, “You okay?”

“Hang arounds?”

“I thought you might be upset about that.” He grimaced. “I should’ve told you about them earlier.”

“Yes, you should have.” I felt a mix of hurt and frustration as I said, “I thought we had an understanding.”

“We did. We do.” Ronin sighed. “I just wasn’t thinking. Those girls don’t mean anything to me. They’re just here, and...”

“So, you’ve never been with any of them?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Oh, God.”

“Come on, Maggie. You know that was before you.” He placed his hands on my hips, easing me closer. “You’re the one I want. You gotta know that.”

I didn’t want it to bother me that he’d been with those girls, but it did. In fact, it bothered me a lot. I knew it was ridiculous. I was a grown woman with a past of my own. I’d even had children with another man, and yet, I had the audacity to be jealous of some hookup that didn’t mean anything to either of them.

My eyes drifted to the floor as I whispered, “I know it’s crazy for me to be jealous over something that happened in your past, but...”

“Jealous, hmmm...” Ronin smirked. “That means you like me.”

“Maybe just a little.”

His eyes locked on mine as his mouth crashed down on mine, kissing me with a passion like I’d never known. My entire body tingled with desire, and it was clear he was feeling the same sensation when his fingers dug into my hips, pulling me closer to him. The bristles of his beard lightly scratched against my skin as he took complete control. A light moan vibrated through my chest as my hands began to roam over his chest, gliding over the bulging muscles of his abdomen. I wanted to touch his bare skin and feel his body pressed against mine, but this wasn’t the time or the place.

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