Chapter Twenty-Three
Trig hadn’t laid eyes on her yet, but she was there. He felt it inside him. Sitting on the couch, nursing a beer, he forced his muscles to relax. His gaze gravitated to the threshold, knowing with every breath in his body she would appear.
Allie, so fucking beautiful, wearing a pair of tight jeans and a black blouse. One look and his heart started pounding so loud he swore it could be heard over the blaring music. His fist tightened around his beer, fighting the urge to close the distance between them, wrap his arms around her, and kiss her until she was weak in the knees.
That morning, he’d made love to her and came staring into her beautiful eyes. She made him pancakes. They ate together, and then he kissed her before she left for work. But it didn’t feel like hours ago, it felt like days. Right then, seeing her, and not being able to do everything he wanted to do, stung.
For him, nothing ever came easy. This was more of the same. He’d finally found a woman he wanted for keeps, and she was his brother’s sister, off limits. For the time being, they had to keep quiet.
He’d be a fool not to be worried. He’d admitted too much, too soon. She hadn’t run, but no doubt it was too much for her. She’d recently gotten out of a nasty relationship. She needed time, time he wished would drift by in the blink of an eye. He wasn’t sure if he could go a single day without her, not after he’d had her to himself for seven full days.
Her gaze met his, and she quickly looked away.
Like they hadn’t spent the last week living and breathing together, making love, and playing house.
Like she didn’t fucking know him.
It killed. His chest tightened. An ache took hold; he fought to keep it at bay.
She looked at Lynn, smiled, and greeted her. Her voice, another reminder of how much he wanted her, sitting on his lap with her tongue in his mouth.
Cuss strode up to her, smiling. “Miracle.”
Trig clenched his jaw hard, battling the urge to punch Cuss in the face. He didn’t like Cuss calling her “Miracle,” and he wanted to know why. Not that he didn’t agree, she was a miracle. She changed him, made him want shit he didn’t deserve, made him laugh and smile, forget the past, and live for the moment, but she was his miracle, no one else’s.
She smiled at Cuss. “Hi, Cuss.”
All he wanted from her, a simple fucking greeting, and he never got it. It boiled his blood Cuss got it though he hadn’t spent the week with her.
Pulse racing, ears pounding, he missed what Lynn said to her. Before he could do something he would regret, Lynn dragged her out of sight. He was left staring at the threshold leading into the kitchen, feeling nothing but a searing ache in his chest.
He didn’t know what he expected, but it hadn’t been to be completely ignored. They agreed to keep quiet about them, but he thought she’d at least fucking say hi. He’d been hopeful she’d find a way to sit by him or, damn, find a way to be alone together.
Tilting his head down, he glared at his beer contemplating whether he should take out his frustration on it and pitch it across to room. He chugged it instead.
Army took a seat beside him. “Brother, what up?”
He shrugged. “Nothin’ much.”
“Tina and Della okay?”
“Yeah, talked to Tina three times this week. Haven’t seen them though.”
“Sorry about that, Trig. I owe you.”
Army was wrong. If anyone owed anyone, he owed Army for bringing Allie into his life, even if she’d since had a change of heart, even if she got wise and dumped his ass. The pain of losing her would kill. He knew this because it stung when she’d looked right through him, but it would be worth it. He’d gotten a glimpse of happiness even if it’d been for a fleeting week.
He met his stare, fighting the guilt rising. “Naw, you don’t. You would’ve done the same for me.”
Army shrugged. “Yeah, but still…Know you missed out here last Friday and seeing Della and Tina. Know Tina needs all the help she can get though she won’t admit that shit and know you love seeing them and checking on them, so thanks.”
He nodded.
“All you’re having is beer tonight?”
“Yeah, gotta get Della in the morning, not so much fun when I’m hung over.”
“You never were much of a drinker. Though as of late, seems you’ve slowed down on everything.”
He looked away from his empty bottle and met Army’s stare, unsure what he implied.
Army smiled, lifting a brow. “Haven’t seen you with a tap for months, Trig. Looks like it’s affecting your temper. We all need a little release some time.”
He’d gotten plenty as of late, and he wanted more, but from only one woman.
“I’m good.”
“You sure?” He nodded in the direction of the bar. “Tap’s been lookin’ at you since I got here.”
He spared a glance and realized the tap Army referred to was the same tap he’d used to try to get his mind off Allie. She wore a denim skirt so short if she bent over a tad, he could see her ass. She also had a crop top, exposing her stomach, and six-inch stripper heels. He didn’t even know her name, and he didn’t fucking care to know.
“Not interested.”
“She’s good, Trig.”
He had no plans to find out. He did know she’d fucked her way around the club at least thirty times already, except for Stone, Wild, and him. Probably the reason why she was giving him the look. She wanted to get fucked by the only biker she hadn’t fucked yet. She was better suited for him than Allie with all her class, but he’d had Allie for a week, and there was no one like her. Even being as pissed as he was because Allie ignored him, he wasn’t tempted.
“Don’t fuckin’ care.”
Army shrugged. “Suit yourself.” He took a deep drink of whiskey.
He’d been sitting there for close to two hours, talking senseless shit with Army and Blaze when he felt it. The pang in his chest deepened, and he knew Allie was back in the room. He heard her laugh and nearly doubled over with yearning. Fighting the urge to look her way, he glared at the empty beer bottle in his hand, wrapping his fist around it until his knuckles were white.
“Lucky son of a bitch,” Bud said.
He snapped his head up. The tap stood in front of him bent over. She had no underwear on, so not only did he have a clear view of her ass but her pussy, too.
Bile rose in the back of his throat. “Fuckin’ shit.” His gaze gravitated to Allie. Her eyes were wide, a mask of hurt marring her ashen face.
Fuck.
He hurt her. It hadn’t been his fault. He hadn’t asked the skank to bend over in his face, but she had, and it hurt his beautiful Allie.
He bolted off the couch, throwing his beer against the wall. It shattered and fell to the floor. The voices around him deadened. The tap straightened and turned to face him.
“Get you want me to fuck you ’cause you’ve fucked every one of my brothers, but I’m not fuckin’ interested. Thought I’d made it clear last time.”
She flinched, her face paling.
He felt the heat of his brothers’ eyes on him. Beyond livid, he didn’t care. “Apparently I didn’t, so I’ll fuckin’ repeat. Don’t want to fuck you. Don’t want you bending over in my fuckin’ face. Don’t want you lookin’ at me. Not fuckin’ interested, so don’t fuckin’ come near me again.”
“Fuck, bro, that was fuckin’ harsh.”
His gaze shot to Rake. He glared. “I’m sure she’d be down for you making it up to her.”
Blaze stepped in front of him. “Brother, chill.”
“You fuckin’ chill. You wanna fuckin’ tap chasing you when you aren’t fuckin’ interested?” Blaze’s absent response was response enough. “Didn’t fuckin’ think so.”
With those last words, he walked out of the room and into the kitchen, not sparing a glance in Allie’s direction.
“Brother, you okay?”
Army. In a mood, no one else would follow.
He wasn’t okay. He was fucking pissed at that fuckin’ tap, livid with himself for even suggesting he and Allie meet here.
This was torture. Seeing her and not being able to hold her, touch her in any way, having her fucking ignore him, and then she’d seen the tap bend over, and he’d seen the look on her face.
Guilt for hurting her choking him, he lied, “Fine.”
“Trig, don’t know what the fuck’s wrong with you, man, but you gotta see what you said was fucked. You humiliated her in front of the club and the women.”
He turned and met Army’s gaze. “She humiliated herself by bending over in my face. She humiliates herself every fuckin’ night when she’s fuckin’ one of us.”
“Brother, there’s nothing wrong with that. She’s a woman, and there’s fucked double standards, but if she were a man would it fuckin’ matter?”
No, it wouldn’t, not to him. He’d just used it as an excuse to explain why he’d lashed out without saying the truth.
“Get you been burned by a tap before, but it was a long time ago, and that woman out there had nothing to do with it, so what you did was fucked.”
It was much more than being burned by a tap before. His woman had been sitting across the room watching. He’d seen Allie’s face blanch, seen that deep pain shine through her eyes. He had a point to make, not only to the tap, but to Allie too. The point was he didn’t want a tap. He wanted Allie, only Allie.
Allie walked into the kitchen. Holding his breath, his gaze shot to hers.
“Ty?”
Army turned. “Yeah?”
“I’m going to call a cab.”
“What? Why?”
“Mia and Lynn are busy with their men and well, I’d like to sleep in my own bed. I’ll be fine.”
Army shook his head. “No, I’ll take you home, stay there for the night. Gotta keep an eye on you.”
“I’ll take her home. Don’t mind,” he volunteered.
Army faced him. “Appreciate it, man, but can’t let you. You watched her the whole week—”
“I gotta get up early and pick up Della anyway. Don’t mind. You stay here. You been gone all week. Deserve to get drunk and relax.”
Army quirked a brow. “I’d say you need it more than me.”
God, if he only knew. To relax, he needed Allie. With her, he was a different man, one who smiled, laughed, and enjoyed life. “Like I said, don’t mind, gotta wake up early and get Della.”
Army smiled. “If you insist.” He then turned to Allie. “I’ll be at your place early.”
She smiled. “Or you can sleep in. I wouldn’t mind spending some time with Della.”
Army’s gaze hit his.
He shrugged, playing it off like he didn’t care either way. “Fine by me.”
“Right then, I’ll call you when I get up tomorrow.” Army kissed Allie on the cheek, then walked away.
He looked to her, but she didn’t meet his gaze.