It was spotlessly clean with flowers everywhere, from the print on the couch to the pillows on her side chair. She even had fresh-cut ones in a delicate vase, which sat on the large coffee table. She had brought a garden inside her home.
Ice wasn’t crazy about all the flowery stuff, but as long as he didn’t live surrounded by it, it didn’t matter to him how she liked to decorate.
Grace came back into the room, wearing jeans and a sweater large enough for two women to wear. Her feet were covered in bright-pink socks that matched the colors of her fucking flowers. She sat the smaller dog on its feet, ordering him again to behave when he rushed at Ice’s feet, growling.
“Sorry. He’s very protective.”
Ice stared down at the dot now gripping one booted foot between his sharp little teeth. “I can see that.”
The other dog just watched, not moving.
“The kitchen’s over here.” She went through a doorway, and Ice followed with the dog hanging onto his boot. He was tempted to hurl the little monster across the room, but behaved himself, convinced it would destroy any chance he had with Grace if he killed her dog.
He liked the kitchen even less than the living room. The bright yellow almost hurt his eyes.
“What would you like to eat? I can make us some sandwiches and soup, or I have a frozen pizza I can heat up?”
“The pizza is fine.”
She nodded, opening the freezer and taking out the pizza.
“I always keep one for CeCe when she comes over. Sometimes we watch movies together and she’ll sleep over.”
“Sounds good to me.”
She stopped tearing open the pizza, her mouth hanging open.
“I was just joking, Grace. Put the pizza in the oven.”
Ice wandered back into the living room, turning on the television set. Flipping the channel, he found a football game and settled down onto the couch. It might be ugly to him, but he had to admit to himself it was extremely comfortable.
Grace came to the doorway. “What would you like to drink?”
“I don’t suppose you have a beer?”
“You’re in luck. I have some my brother and father weren’t able to finish off before they left.”
She left, and Ice watched the game until she brought him a beer and set one down for herself on the coffee table.
“We can eat in the kitchen.” Ice started to stand up.
“Sit back down. We can eat in here.”
Ice didn’t argue, relaxing back against the soft cushions. The couch was growing on him.
The little shit jumped up onto the couch after several tries, sitting down on its hind legs and staring at him. The bigger one came to investigate and saw where it was sitting then fell across his feet, laying its massive head down on its front paws. Ice determinedly ignored Grace’s pets, losing himself in the game.
It didn’t take long before she was putting their plates on the coffee table.
Ice reached for one of the thick slices.
“Be careful. It’s hot,” she warned.
Ice didn’t care; he was starved since he hadn’t wanted to take the time to eat before he had left Queen City.
The hot pizza warmed him. He finished the first slice then started the second before she was halfway through her first slice.
“What did you miss the most when you were in prison?”
Ice swallowed the bite of pizza he had taken, wondering if she was just curious or if she wanted to build a wall between them.
“Gert’s barbeque ribs,” he answered truthfully.
“Gert?”
“She’s a woman who’s been a part of the club since before I joined.”
“How did you become involved with the Predators?”
Ice debated on how much to tell her then decided to give it all to her.
“I left home when I was fifteen. I lived on the streets of Queen City for a couple of years, working at a few jobs that would pay me enough to keep me in food and clothes, but not enough to pay for a place to live.
“One night, I was tired of sleeping on the ground behind a restaurant, so I walked around until I found a car that was unlocked. It was late, so I thought that whoever’s car it was wouldn’t come out until morning. I crawled into the back seat and fell asleep.
“I was awoken by a woman shaking me. I tried to take off running, but she grabbed me by the hair, pushed me back in the car, and got in with me. I thought she was crazy as shit, and I was a small kid. She told me to calm down, that she wasn’t going to call the cops, and then asked why I was sleeping in her car. I told her. Then she told me she knew where I could stay, and they wouldn’t charge me any money. I was street-smart by then and told her no thanks. She gave me the address anyways and told me that, if ever I needed a place to stay, it was there. I took off.
“About a month later, I got hurt. Another homeless man had stabbed me, trying to take my shoes while I was sleeping. I was sick and hungry enough to go to the address she had given me. It was the Predators’ clubhouse. Gert stitched me up and introduced me to all the brothers. I’ve been there ever since.”
Grace blinked back the tears in her eyes reaching over to touch his arm lightly before reaching down for another slice of pizza, handing it to him. She wished that could offer a sympathetic word but sensed he didn’t want it.
When they finished the pizza, Grace packed their dishes to the kitchen and brought him back another beer. She curled up on the couch at the end, hugging one of the pillows to her stomach. The little shit stayed between them the whole time while the other one hadn’t moved from his now numb feet.
Ice watched the game, slowly drinking his beer. When it was over, he nudged the dog off his feet before standing.
“I better get back before it starts raining again.”
Grace rose, still holding the pillow. “All right.”
“Want to try to go for another ride next Friday?”
“Yes.” Her immediate response made him smile.
He paused as he passed her on the way to the doorway. Lowering his head, he placed a brief kiss on her lips. Ice intended to leave with just a brief taste of her, but her soft pliant lips under his had him catching her mouth under his again. Thrusting his tongue inside her warm mouth, he traced the inside of her bottom lip in invitation. Sensing her hesitation, he broke the kiss. Tonight wasn’t the night to push her; she was still too wary of him.
“See you Friday,” he promised then left, closing the door behind him.
The last thing he saw was the dot staring at him with what he swore was a grin. It was everything he could do to get on his bike and ride the long drive back to his clubhouse.
* * *
His mood didn’t get any better when he got back to the clubhouse. He was horny as hell, and finding one of the bitches he used to regularly fuck had stopped by to party didn’t help his already black mood.
“Hey, Ice.” Brandy climbed off Buzzard’s lap, sashaying across the room to him. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
“Doesn’t look like you were bored.”
Brandy pouted her red lips as she leaned against him, her breasts planted against his chest she ran her hand up his thigh. “I came to party, not sit alone all night.”
“Don’t let me stop you.” He pushed her heavily perfumed body away, remembering Grace’s clean scent when he had kissed her goodnight.
Ice wasn’t crazy about all the flowery stuff, but as long as he didn’t live surrounded by it, it didn’t matter to him how she liked to decorate.
Grace came back into the room, wearing jeans and a sweater large enough for two women to wear. Her feet were covered in bright-pink socks that matched the colors of her fucking flowers. She sat the smaller dog on its feet, ordering him again to behave when he rushed at Ice’s feet, growling.
“Sorry. He’s very protective.”
Ice stared down at the dot now gripping one booted foot between his sharp little teeth. “I can see that.”
The other dog just watched, not moving.
“The kitchen’s over here.” She went through a doorway, and Ice followed with the dog hanging onto his boot. He was tempted to hurl the little monster across the room, but behaved himself, convinced it would destroy any chance he had with Grace if he killed her dog.
He liked the kitchen even less than the living room. The bright yellow almost hurt his eyes.
“What would you like to eat? I can make us some sandwiches and soup, or I have a frozen pizza I can heat up?”
“The pizza is fine.”
She nodded, opening the freezer and taking out the pizza.
“I always keep one for CeCe when she comes over. Sometimes we watch movies together and she’ll sleep over.”
“Sounds good to me.”
She stopped tearing open the pizza, her mouth hanging open.
“I was just joking, Grace. Put the pizza in the oven.”
Ice wandered back into the living room, turning on the television set. Flipping the channel, he found a football game and settled down onto the couch. It might be ugly to him, but he had to admit to himself it was extremely comfortable.
Grace came to the doorway. “What would you like to drink?”
“I don’t suppose you have a beer?”
“You’re in luck. I have some my brother and father weren’t able to finish off before they left.”
She left, and Ice watched the game until she brought him a beer and set one down for herself on the coffee table.
“We can eat in the kitchen.” Ice started to stand up.
“Sit back down. We can eat in here.”
Ice didn’t argue, relaxing back against the soft cushions. The couch was growing on him.
The little shit jumped up onto the couch after several tries, sitting down on its hind legs and staring at him. The bigger one came to investigate and saw where it was sitting then fell across his feet, laying its massive head down on its front paws. Ice determinedly ignored Grace’s pets, losing himself in the game.
It didn’t take long before she was putting their plates on the coffee table.
Ice reached for one of the thick slices.
“Be careful. It’s hot,” she warned.
Ice didn’t care; he was starved since he hadn’t wanted to take the time to eat before he had left Queen City.
The hot pizza warmed him. He finished the first slice then started the second before she was halfway through her first slice.
“What did you miss the most when you were in prison?”
Ice swallowed the bite of pizza he had taken, wondering if she was just curious or if she wanted to build a wall between them.
“Gert’s barbeque ribs,” he answered truthfully.
“Gert?”
“She’s a woman who’s been a part of the club since before I joined.”
“How did you become involved with the Predators?”
Ice debated on how much to tell her then decided to give it all to her.
“I left home when I was fifteen. I lived on the streets of Queen City for a couple of years, working at a few jobs that would pay me enough to keep me in food and clothes, but not enough to pay for a place to live.
“One night, I was tired of sleeping on the ground behind a restaurant, so I walked around until I found a car that was unlocked. It was late, so I thought that whoever’s car it was wouldn’t come out until morning. I crawled into the back seat and fell asleep.
“I was awoken by a woman shaking me. I tried to take off running, but she grabbed me by the hair, pushed me back in the car, and got in with me. I thought she was crazy as shit, and I was a small kid. She told me to calm down, that she wasn’t going to call the cops, and then asked why I was sleeping in her car. I told her. Then she told me she knew where I could stay, and they wouldn’t charge me any money. I was street-smart by then and told her no thanks. She gave me the address anyways and told me that, if ever I needed a place to stay, it was there. I took off.
“About a month later, I got hurt. Another homeless man had stabbed me, trying to take my shoes while I was sleeping. I was sick and hungry enough to go to the address she had given me. It was the Predators’ clubhouse. Gert stitched me up and introduced me to all the brothers. I’ve been there ever since.”
Grace blinked back the tears in her eyes reaching over to touch his arm lightly before reaching down for another slice of pizza, handing it to him. She wished that could offer a sympathetic word but sensed he didn’t want it.
When they finished the pizza, Grace packed their dishes to the kitchen and brought him back another beer. She curled up on the couch at the end, hugging one of the pillows to her stomach. The little shit stayed between them the whole time while the other one hadn’t moved from his now numb feet.
Ice watched the game, slowly drinking his beer. When it was over, he nudged the dog off his feet before standing.
“I better get back before it starts raining again.”
Grace rose, still holding the pillow. “All right.”
“Want to try to go for another ride next Friday?”
“Yes.” Her immediate response made him smile.
He paused as he passed her on the way to the doorway. Lowering his head, he placed a brief kiss on her lips. Ice intended to leave with just a brief taste of her, but her soft pliant lips under his had him catching her mouth under his again. Thrusting his tongue inside her warm mouth, he traced the inside of her bottom lip in invitation. Sensing her hesitation, he broke the kiss. Tonight wasn’t the night to push her; she was still too wary of him.
“See you Friday,” he promised then left, closing the door behind him.
The last thing he saw was the dot staring at him with what he swore was a grin. It was everything he could do to get on his bike and ride the long drive back to his clubhouse.
* * *
His mood didn’t get any better when he got back to the clubhouse. He was horny as hell, and finding one of the bitches he used to regularly fuck had stopped by to party didn’t help his already black mood.
“Hey, Ice.” Brandy climbed off Buzzard’s lap, sashaying across the room to him. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
“Doesn’t look like you were bored.”
Brandy pouted her red lips as she leaned against him, her breasts planted against his chest she ran her hand up his thigh. “I came to party, not sit alone all night.”
“Don’t let me stop you.” He pushed her heavily perfumed body away, remembering Grace’s clean scent when he had kissed her goodnight.
