being here has opened my eyes. You said I charmed everyone today, but really they charmed me. I haven’t been treated like a ‘normal’ person for ages. It’s amazing. You did that for me.”
She huffed a half-laugh. “Glad I could help.”
“You know, I could do something for you, too.”
An adorable blush crept from her chest, up her neck, to her face. “You already did,” she said.
He laughed. “Well, besides the sex. That was for both of us. You showed me what it means to have some depth. I should show you how to lighten up and enjoy life a little.”
Her brows scrunched together. “I enjoy life just fine.”
“Mm-hmm. You have to admit, you’re very intense. When was the last time you went out and had fun?”
“Well, I don’t know. Summer and I had dinner and drinks a while ago.”
He raised a skeptical brow at her. “At her restaurant?”
“No. It was a different restaurant.”
He chuckled. “That’s not going out and having fun. Tonight, you and I are going out and I’m going to show you how to let loose and enjoy life.”
“That’s not really necessary.”
“Yeah, actually, it is. Trust me.”
That evening, after spending the day out in the garden and then sorting, cleaning, packaging, and labeling the rest of the food from the dumpster raid, Jaxon escorted Lily out to his car. She wore a bohemian summer dress in white and red floral print. Although it fell below her knees, it buttoned from bottom to top and she’d left the buttons open to her knees, like a slit. The thin straps and plunging neck of the fitted bodice had him jazzed for an evening of watching her dance and imagining her beautiful body under his. It was like carrying a holiday gift around with him and savoring the anticipation of opening it later.
“So where are we going?” Lily asked as she belted into her seat.
“A place called The Outpost. It’s owned by the Huntsmen motorcycle club.”
Her raised brows projected her skepticism. “We’re going to a biker bar?”
He reached over and patted her knee as he drove. “Don’t worry. My brother’s their president. They’re all about issues like women’s shelters and domestic violence. Anything that has to do with protecting women and kids. Trust me, you’ll like them.”
“Okay, but you said we were going out to have fun?”
“It’s not just a dark, dirty biker bar. They have the best cheeseburgers in Houston, and there’s a live band tonight, so we can dance and hear some good music.”
“Well, if they have the best cheeseburgers. By all means.”
She grinned and he laughed and they drove in companionable silence the rest of the way. He’d called the bar to ask about music and if there were any other events going on. He’d toyed with calling Xander and letting him know they were coming, but the last thing he needed was his older brother hanging over his shoulder gloating about Jaxon out on a date. That shit would spread like wildfire among the rest of his brothers and before he knew what had happened they’d all be there giving him crap. So he hadn’t called. If Xander showed up, fine, if not, even better. As a husband and father, hopefully he’d stay home with his family.
Jaxon pulled into the full parking lot and counted himself lucky to get a parking space. A lot of the spaces were filled with bikes, but cars and pickups filled over half.
“Popular place,” Lily said.
Inside, people filled the space. The band hadn’t taken the stage yet, but music played from the sound system. Most of all, the air smelled so good it made his stomach rumble—something between burger, bacon, fries, and ribs.
“Oh my God, that smells good,” Lily said.
“Right?”
They selected a table and a waitress with a perky smile and bouncy ponytail showed up with menus. “Can I get drinks for you?”
“I’ll take a Shiner,” Jaxon said.
“Riesling, please,” Lily said.
While the waitress went off to get drinks, they looked at the menu. “I
She huffed a half-laugh. “Glad I could help.”
“You know, I could do something for you, too.”
An adorable blush crept from her chest, up her neck, to her face. “You already did,” she said.
He laughed. “Well, besides the sex. That was for both of us. You showed me what it means to have some depth. I should show you how to lighten up and enjoy life a little.”
Her brows scrunched together. “I enjoy life just fine.”
“Mm-hmm. You have to admit, you’re very intense. When was the last time you went out and had fun?”
“Well, I don’t know. Summer and I had dinner and drinks a while ago.”
He raised a skeptical brow at her. “At her restaurant?”
“No. It was a different restaurant.”
He chuckled. “That’s not going out and having fun. Tonight, you and I are going out and I’m going to show you how to let loose and enjoy life.”
“That’s not really necessary.”
“Yeah, actually, it is. Trust me.”
That evening, after spending the day out in the garden and then sorting, cleaning, packaging, and labeling the rest of the food from the dumpster raid, Jaxon escorted Lily out to his car. She wore a bohemian summer dress in white and red floral print. Although it fell below her knees, it buttoned from bottom to top and she’d left the buttons open to her knees, like a slit. The thin straps and plunging neck of the fitted bodice had him jazzed for an evening of watching her dance and imagining her beautiful body under his. It was like carrying a holiday gift around with him and savoring the anticipation of opening it later.
“So where are we going?” Lily asked as she belted into her seat.
“A place called The Outpost. It’s owned by the Huntsmen motorcycle club.”
Her raised brows projected her skepticism. “We’re going to a biker bar?”
He reached over and patted her knee as he drove. “Don’t worry. My brother’s their president. They’re all about issues like women’s shelters and domestic violence. Anything that has to do with protecting women and kids. Trust me, you’ll like them.”
“Okay, but you said we were going out to have fun?”
“It’s not just a dark, dirty biker bar. They have the best cheeseburgers in Houston, and there’s a live band tonight, so we can dance and hear some good music.”
“Well, if they have the best cheeseburgers. By all means.”
She grinned and he laughed and they drove in companionable silence the rest of the way. He’d called the bar to ask about music and if there were any other events going on. He’d toyed with calling Xander and letting him know they were coming, but the last thing he needed was his older brother hanging over his shoulder gloating about Jaxon out on a date. That shit would spread like wildfire among the rest of his brothers and before he knew what had happened they’d all be there giving him crap. So he hadn’t called. If Xander showed up, fine, if not, even better. As a husband and father, hopefully he’d stay home with his family.
Jaxon pulled into the full parking lot and counted himself lucky to get a parking space. A lot of the spaces were filled with bikes, but cars and pickups filled over half.
“Popular place,” Lily said.
Inside, people filled the space. The band hadn’t taken the stage yet, but music played from the sound system. Most of all, the air smelled so good it made his stomach rumble—something between burger, bacon, fries, and ribs.
“Oh my God, that smells good,” Lily said.
“Right?”
They selected a table and a waitress with a perky smile and bouncy ponytail showed up with menus. “Can I get drinks for you?”
“I’ll take a Shiner,” Jaxon said.
“Riesling, please,” Lily said.
While the waitress went off to get drinks, they looked at the menu. “I
Similar Books
