“Sure.” I spooned some into a bowl and handed it to her.

  I knew Steffy was hungry. She’d skipped lunch because we’d gotten up early and made a huge breakfast. It wasn’t unusual for her to skip a meal. She was obsessed with keeping her weight at what she considered ideal for her five-foot-nothing frame. Val and I believed that it was her snotty, lawyer boyfriend Jimmy who was the real culprit behind her obsession. He wanted to make sure that he had arm candy hanging on his arm anytime they went somewhere.

  I chuckled as I watched Steffy take a bite, roll her eyes back in her head, and moan as if in the throes of an orgasm. She was cute today with her auburn hair braided and wrapped around like a crown on top of her head. Her usually made-up face was bare, showing her freckles. She’d replaced her contacts with her glasses, which for some reason made the hazel color of her eyes even more beautiful.

  “Ohmygod, this is sooooo good!” Steffy cooed, scooping up another spoonful. “You could make money off this stuff.”

  “Feel free to leave some on the counter if it will make you feel better,” I teased. “So how is Jimmy?” I didn’t like him, but she didn’t know that.

  The spoon paused halfway to her mouth, the gleam of joy in her eyes momentarily dimmed. “Okay.” In went the spoon.

  I decided to wait for her to elaborate on her own, because I could sense she had more to say.

  She swallowed and took a deep breath. “He’s the same, and I’m starting to wonder if he’s the right one for me. It’s finally dawned on me that he expects me to change, but he doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with him.” Her laughter held little humor.

  “What’s to change? He’s a handsome, successful, arrogant narcissist,” I joked sarcastically while pretending that I was kidding.

  Steffy laughed mockingly. “Exactly, El. But can we talk about it tomorrow and just focus on fun tonight?”

  “Of course, honey! You want to holler to the men that dinner is ready while I cut the cornbread?”

  She set her bowl down with a nod. “Save me some.”

  On her way outside, I heard her tell the girls on the porch that dinner was ready. As I began to slice the cornbread, they all came scrambling in.

  “We decided we’d better get ours before the guys come in,” Delta quipped, meeting my eyes. “I know how my brother and those boys can chow down.”

  “That’s probably a good idea.” I’d already set out the disposable bowls and spoons I’d bought. No need to have to do a lot of cleaning up afterwards. “Eat wherever you want.” I couldn’t help but notice that the sweet tarts were missing. “Where are the ’other girls’?” My eyes went to Delta.

  “Outside with the men. They don’t usually stray too far from them.”

  “Desperate much?” I laughed. I heard the back porch door open, indicating that the men had come inside.

  She made a face. “As long as there’s an unclaimed man he’s fair game. They’ll do anything to get a spot as an old lady. Watch your back with Ginger. She’s set her sights on Wolfe, and she’s a sneaky bitch.”

  I released a breath. “Wolfe and I aren’t a couple, Delta.” I winced at the disappointment in my voice.

  She huffed out her disbelief. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you, Ella. He might be in denial right now, but he’s smitten with you.”

  “’Smitten?’” Jillian snorted, catching our conversation on her way toward the dining table. “What are we, in the eighteen-hundreds?”

  “What’s wrong with ‘smitten?’” Val asked, following Jillian to the table.

  “I was trying to be funny.” Delta rolled her eyes, but gave me a wink and then disappeared back out onto the porch.

  “Just in time, guys, we saved you some,” Lola said as she passed the guys on her way out to join Delta.

  “Smells fuckin’ good, sweetheart.” Eagle filled his bowl to the rim.

  “Thank you.” I held out a piece of bread to him, but both his hands were cradling the overfilled bowl of beans. “Open,” I ordered, bringing the square cornbread up to his mouth. Like a baby bird he opened wide, and I stuffed it in just far enough for him to clamp down on to with his teeth.

  “Look how cute!”

  Eagle cut his eyes to Jillian. A look passed between them before he winked and turned to go back outside. Huh. I recalled what Jillian had told me earlier, that since the night the Soldiers had broken up the dog fight in China, Eagle had shown up a couple of times at Second Chances. He’d asked her out. She found him interesting, but with everything she had going on, including with her mother, she didn’t have time for him.

  As more of the Soldiers and sweet tarts crowded into my kitchen, I couldn’t help but wonder where Daisy was. “Where is my baby?”

  “Right here.”

  I turned at the sound of amusement in Wolfe’s voice. He poked his thumb into his chest as he indicated himself, his pearly whites gleaming in his handsome face.

  There were snickers as I rolled my eyes. “My four-legged baby.” I gave him a light shove.

  “I brought her and Demo over to my house to settle down. They’ve been running around and playing all afternoon.”

  He’d removed his cut and was only wearing a wife-beater that was stretched tight over his muscles and showcased his bulging biceps. He reached down for the hem and brought his shirt up to wipe the sweat off his face.

  I couldn’t take my eyes off his washboard abs and that interesting V-shaped muscle that ran diagonally from his hip bones to the hidden treasure in his jeans. I bit my bottom lip, suddenly speechless.

  “Oh, honey!”

  Before I knew what was happening, Ginger had stepped in between us and ran her hand down Wolfe’s exposed body. She curled her nails just enough to leave superficial lines against his skin. Instant, blinding, jealousy reared its ugly head inside me, so fast that it made my head spin. I turned to fix myself a bowl of beans before I did something stupid, like dump the pot over her head.

  I turned from the stove to meet Wolfe’s eyes. He’d lowered his shirt and took Ginger by the wrist, muttering, “enough.” I gave him an I don’t give a shit grin and headed for the table to sit with Val, Jillian, and Steffy. Val was bumbed out because Bear wasn’t there.

  I could feel Wolfe’s eyes staring at me from where he was standing. I could sense that he was questioning why I was suddenly acting like he wasn’t there. He couldn’t be that stupid. Or maybe I was the stupid one. Letting Ginger get to me. I needed to put on the brakes and remind myself of the words I’d uttered to Delta a few minutes ago.

  Wolfe and I aren’t a couple.

  Chapter 36

  Wolfe

  I knew when I was getting the cold shoulder, and the chill rolling off Ella was colder than fucking ice. I knew where it stemmed from. That fucking Ginger. I’d been fending off the sweet tart since she’d arrived at my house with Hannah and Jezzie. Sure, I’d fucked her a few times before, but I hadn’t touched her in months, and she couldn’t get it through her head that I wasn’t interested in her in the way she wanted me to be.

  She was becoming a nuisance. But my brothers liked her, they liked what she provided to them, and that was why she was a sweet tart. It was almost funny that while she was pursuing me, she was still fucking them. That fact alone told me that she would do anything to become an old lady, anyone’s old lady, and it was one of the reasons why sweet tarts rarely stepped into an old lady position. None of us wanted a woman who had been with all of our brothers.

  It struck me that Ella might have been jealous when she’d seen Ginger run her hand over me with such familiarity. But she knew what the sweet tarts were there for, and friends with benefits didn’t have the right to question what happened when they weren’t together. We were exclusive only in the bedroom, and it had to remain that way. Anything beyond that screamed relationship. Even though we’d spent most of the day together doing relationship-type stuff.

  Shit! I’d messed up. But it was so easy to do with Ella. I genuinely liked being with the woman. Besides being hot and curvy as hell, she was sweet and funny and full of life. I felt protective and possessive of her, and I knew that I needed to watch myself to make sure I didn’t get too involved. I didn’t want to mislead Ella, and I sure as shit didn’t want to hurt her.

  “Coming outside, Prez?”

  Lynx had just filled his bowl and turned from the stove to face me. I looked over at Ella. She seemed content and in conversation with her friends. Maybe it was best if I distanced myself right now. “Yeah, Brother. Be right out.” I loved homemade cornbread, and I grabbed a couple of pieces and followed him out back.

  We’d dragged some of my lawn chairs over so that those of us who wanted to be outside had a place to sit. Tank and Eagle were already there chowing down on their beans as if it were the last supper. I snorted as I sank down into a chair. “You brothers that hungry?”

  “This is some good shit,” Eagle said around a mouthful. “Ella can cook. Big chunks of ham, bacon, good stuff.”

  Tank followed up with, “Best damn beans I’ve ever eaten!”

  “Damn, you aren’t kidding,” Lynx said after his first bite.

  “Hey, Prez, why aren’t you inside eating with your woman?”

  “I don’t have a woman.” I glared at Eagle for a minute. “Why aren’t you inside eating with yours?” I knew that he had a hard-on for Jillian, but the woman wouldn’t give him the time of day.

  He laughed. “I have to convince her that we’d be good together. Gonna take some time.”

  “All that just to get some pussy?” Tank smirked. “You just have to crook your finger at the sweet tarts.” He crammed a whole piece of cornbread into his mouth.

  “Fuck you, Brother.” A scowl spread across Eagle’s face. “It’s not just pussy. Something special about Jillian. She’s different from the women I usually go for, but something hit me that night at Collins’ farm when I met her eyes for the first time. Something I want to explore.”

  “The same kind of something special that Mandy had?” Lynx probed.

  Bringing up Eagle’s ex wasn’t a smart move. I wouldn’t have been shocked if Eagle jumped Lynx for that question. I was surprised when Eagle’s only response was flipping Lynx off and then reaching for his beer. A muscle twitched in his jaw, and the sideview I had of him revealed that Lynx’s comment had hit more of a nerve than he was showing. I felt for the brother.

  Tank shot up from his chair, his cheeks filled out like a chipmunk. “Going for a second bowl before it’s gone.”

  Eagle squirmed out of his chair too. “Wait for me.”

  When they were out of ear shot I cut my eyes to Lynx. “You’re lucky Eagle didn’t deck you for bringing up Mandy.”

  He shrugged his big shoulders and looked out at the lake. It was beginning to look like it might rain. “Nah. Eagle and I confide in each other. He knows when I bring up Mandy’s name that it’s just to remind him how things went down. He needs to think with his head and not his dick.”

  I agreed with Lynx, but what he was suggesting was easier said than done. We were all horny bastards. “Okay, then I’m reminding you of that with regard to Lola.” I knew that he liked her, but for whatever reasons he wasn’t willing to make a move on her. They kind of tiptoed around each other.

  Hannah had come outside, and for a minute we watched her walk toward the water. She was a tall, thin redhead with green eyes, who spoke with a slight New Orleans accent. It didn’t surprise me when she stripped off her clothes at the water’s edge to reveal a tiny bikini.

  Lynx was quick to change the subject. “So you and Ella, huh?”

  I threw back my head and let out a loud laugh, scaring Jezzie, who was walking past with Knuckles. It looked like they were going swimming too. “I’m not Eagle, Brother.”

  “Oh, come on. We all need someone to unload to.”

  I shook my head at Lynx’s reasoning. “Ella and I are friends. I want to keep it that way.”

  “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free, right?” he snickered without looking at me.

  I didn’t like Lynx’s comparison; I didn’t think of Ella that way, but I wanted to put an end to any further conversation about me and her. “Exactly.”

  A sharp gasp sounded out behind me.

  I froze, praying that it wasn’t who I suspected it was.

  Chapter 37

  Ella

  My steps had faltered at the sound of Wolfe’s words. Did Wolfe actually feel that way? Had I given myself too easily to him? His flippant response to Lynx had hurt. I wondered what else they’d said about me behind my back.

  “Wow.” I’d watched Wolfe’s shoulders tense up. “I’ve never been compared to a cow before.” I’d stepped in front of him and handed him a bowl of beans. I’d noticed that he hadn’t gotten any before. “Thought you might like a bowl before they’re all gone.” I gave Lynx a weak smile and turned to leave, unable to look at Wolfe right now.

  “Ella—”

  There was regret in his tone. Too bad. “Not interested in hearing what you have to say right now,” I’d said as I continued to walk away. “And just for the record--” I’d raised my voice to make sure he heard me. “Get your damn milk from someone else now!”

  That had been a week ago. And since then I’d done everything I could to avoid the impossible man. I missed him like crazy. I liked spending time with Wolfe, once he’d gotten over his dislike of me. I still wasn’t sure what that had been about, but I suspected he didn’t make women friends very easily. When I’d walked up on the conversation between him and Lynx and realized that friends with benefits meant the same thing as getting the milk for free, it had opened my eyes to what he was really doing.

  Wolfe was using me. All he wanted was sex, and that was all I was going to get from him. Well, he had warned me, hadn’t he? And I’d been a fool to think I could live with that kind of arrangement. Deep down I’d hoped that we would become more. I mean, what woman wouldn’t? And while my feelings for him had developed into something deeper, he’d kept his under lock and key.

  So I’d walked away that day, feeling embarrassed, and, if I were being honest, pissed.

  With a sigh I reached for my coffee, sat back in my chair, and looked out at the lake. I loved working in this quiet, natural setting. Loved the mature surrounding trees and bunches of hydrangea bushes growing along the porch wall. Every so often my concentration was interrupted by Demo, and then Daisy would get excited and I’d have to let her out. I didn’t mind though. It was fun watching them play.

  The edits for my book had come back from Babs, and I’d been focusing on that. I had a deadline to make, and once I made her recommendations, she would look it over one last time. I was so lucky that I got to work from home. I could live anywhere I wanted.

  Val was all settled in, and right now she was off somewhere with Bear. They were spending a lot of time together, and I’d never seen her so happy. It was highly unusual for her to break the rigid work routine she’d set up for herself, but I guess when you had a hot biker for a boyfriend work took a backseat, especially when you were your own boss. I had a feeling that she worked a lot of evenings to make up for it.

  Daisy suddenly sat up and let out a bark. A second later there was a knock at my front door. I gave her head a pat as I got up and headed to the door with her right on my heels. For the past week I’d been working with her to see how well she was trained, pleasantly surprised to find out that she knew a few commands, and was eager to follow them. “Sit,” I said firmly upon reaching the door.

  I opened it to see Tyler on the other side. His presence told me that Wolfe wasn’t home. Until Cory was found, Wolfe was making sure that someone was watching my house at all times. “Hi, Tyler, when did you get here?”

  “Around one.”

  I returned his smile. I liked Tyler. He was even-tempered and smiled easily. Close to six-feet tall, he kept his long, brown hair in a loose man bun that suited the sharp angles of his handsome face. Brown eyes, no tattoos that I could see, he was lean and muscular. He walked with a slight limp.

  “Is there a problem?”

  He shook his head. “Just got a call from Prez, your ex is no longer a threat. I’ll—”

  I felt my shoulders relax, not realizing until then just how tense I’d been knowing that Cory was running around loose. “Mac and Buck found him? Where?”

  His friendly smile immediately disappeared, and I knew that something was up. “All I know is he’s no longer a threat.”

  He was lying. I felt it in my bones. He knew what had happened and had probably been told by Wolfe not to share it with me. “Club business?” I smirked, crossing my arms.

  His grin returned, but he didn’t confirm or deny anything. “I’m leaving now, just wanted to let you to know.”

 

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