Page 25 of Tempt Me

“You’re tellin’ me that my baby girl was gettin’ bullied every fuckin’ day and she never once said anythin’?” Tank interjects as he glares at us all.

“I didn’t know until the day she took her finals and I saw it firsthand. The only reason I didn’t tell you is because it’s her secret to share, Tank. I have a feelin’ this isn’t the first time she’s gotten bullied and no one knows at all. The three of you were in high school when she was and I’m sure she managed to hide it from all of you,” I tell them honestly as I look at the triplets who finally lose their blank masks and look at me with pure rage radiating from them.

“We didn’t know a damn thing,” Hawkeye speaks up, his voice hard and cold as he looks at his family and then me.

“It’s okay, son. Your sister is very good at hidin’ what’s goin’ on in her life and there’s no way in hell for you to know somethin’ if she doesn’t want you to know. None of us know the bad shit when it comes to her because she thinks she’s protectin’ us. She doesn’t understand that it’s our job to protect her and not the other way around,” Tank speaks up, his voice filled with pain because he couldn’t protect his baby girl from something he didn’t realize was happening. “That’s not why we’re here today though. Jameson talk to us about why you wanted to meet with us.”

“You’re right. Tank, I’m comin’ to you with this because Zoey is your baby girl. You’re the man who’s owned her heart from the second she met you. Everythin’ she does in her life is to make you happy and proud of her. However, you’re not the only important man in her life. Each of you hold a piece of her heart because you’re her family and she’s loyal to you above everyone else. She loves you all more than anyone else in this world. So, I’m here today to ask each of you for your blessin’ to not only make Zoey my ol’ lady, but for her hand in marriage as well. I want to spend the rest of my days lovin’ Zoey and makin’ sure she’s treated like the queen she is.

“I will fix the mistakes I’ve made when it comes to her over the years and show her every fuckin’ day I wake up that she’s the only one I’ve ever really wanted. Every single day I spend with her. We talk and get to know who we are today and not as the boy and girl who grew up in the Wild Kings clubhouse. We’re both different people now so that’s who we’re focusin’ on gettin’ to know. I’m goin’ to buy us a house so she’s not at the clubhouse and I will spend every day of my life protectin’ her from everyone who wants to cause her a second of pain,” I promise the men in front of me, sitting back in my seat as I wait for them to process my words and then give me their answer because this can only go one of two ways.

Tank keeps his eyes locked on me as he remains silent. No one says a damn word as I finally start to get nervous about the situation and what these men will say to me.

“Jameson, you’re a good man. You’ve always been a good man. The things you’ve done to Zoey to hurt her piss me the fuck off. But, I know you had your reasons. I know you’re the man who will love her and treat her like the queen she is. That’s never been a question in my mind. It’s only been in your mind. As long as you’ve pulled your head out of your ass and don’t continue to hurt my girl, I give you my blessin’ to make her your ol’ lady and ask her to marry you,” Tank finally says, a large smile on his face as Slim and Playboy also start smiling at me.

“We knew this is why you wanted to meet with us, Jameson. It takes a lot of balls and shows how much you love Zoey to come in front of us as a group since we know what the fuck has happened between the two of you over the years. You’ll always have my blessin’,” Slim says as Playboy nods in my direction to let me know he also gives his blessing.

“On behalf of my brothers and me, we give you our blessin’. Your relationship with our sister is your own. That doesn’t mean we won’t hesitate to get our hands dirty and fuckin’ beat your ass if she comes cryin’ to us, Jameson. Make her happy and love her. That’s all we’ll ever ask,” Hawkeye says, finally showing me another emotion besides anger.

I release the breath I was holding and smile. This was harder than I fucking thought it would be. However, I have their blessing and I can continue to move forward with my girl. That’s all I wanted to leave here with. Tank and the rest of us order something to eat when the waitress comes back over to the table. We talk and I answer questions about Zoey and how she’s adjusting to life in Clinton City the entire time. It’s a good day and I’m happy I made the trip to get this taken care of. I miss this part of my family and vow to spend more time with them when possible.

It's late by the time I get back to the clubhouse. The first place I go is to our room and check on my girl. She’s fast asleep with the blankets pulled up to her chin. The air conditioning is on full blast to keep the room cool instead of hot as fuck. Zoey’s always hot now and the air conditioner doesn’t ever shut off. She can’t stand coming into our room being hot. The second she’s in here, she strips out of her clothes and sits around in her bra and a pair of booty shorts. While I love seeing all of her skin on display, I don’t want anyone else to see my girl like that. Not even Reagan. Zoey’s body is mine and I’m the only one who gets to look or touch her.

Heading back down to the common room, I find Trax sitting at a table alone. Reagan and him stayed at the clubhouse tonight because he knew what I was planning on doing and didn’t want Zoey to be left here without me all night long. My best friend simply told me what they were gonna do without me having to ask him or my sister. That’s just who they are and I love that I have them in my life because they’re both great people who deserve all the happiness in the world. I get to watch them live that shit daily and now they’re here for my girl as we work our shit out.

“What are you doin’ up so late?” I ask, accepting a beer from the Prospect and taking a seat with my best friend.

“Waitin’ for you. How did things go today?” he returns, taking a long pull of his own beer.

“It was good. They all gave me their blessin’ to move forward with my kitten. Then we had a late lunch and spent a long time simply talkin’ and spendin’ time together. I honestly didn’t realize how nervous I was until they made me wait for their response. It was probably only a minute before Tank gave me his blessin’, but it felt like a fuckin’ lifetime,” I answer him, leaning back in my chair.

“I bet. So, I wanted to talk about somethin’ with ya. We kind of all agreed without agreein’ that no one’s gonna take Pound’s house since his death. Rightfully, it belongs to you since you now have his spot in the club. I know you’re not gonna take it and have plans to meet with my realtor. However, I have a house that’s sittin’ empty here at the compound. It’s yours, Jameson. Move into my house with Zoey and make it your home. It’s just sittin’ there empty. Reagan and I will never use it because we have our dream home. If we get put on lockdown, we can use our room here. So, take the house and make it yours. This is our gift to you,” Trax says, pulling out a set of keys and sliding them across the table toward me as I stare silently down at them.

“Are you sure? Reagan and you talked about this?” I question him as I reluctantly take the keys from the table and hold them in front of me.

“Yeah. It was her idea. She wants the two of you in a home so you can start gettin’ ready for the twins. Take Zoey to the house tomorrow and see if she likes it. If she does, make it yours. We’ll help you furnish it and get it all set up,” he says, once again leaning back in his seat as we both remain quiet and drink our beer.

I don’t spend much longer down in the common room with Trax. Today has been a long day and I’m more than ready to get upstairs and hold my kitten in my arms. Telling Trax good night, I thank him again for the house and head upstairs. I strip out of my clothes and climb in bed with Zoey. She doesn’t move as I pull her into my arms and hold her warm body against mine. Sleep claims me immediately as I realize for the first time in my life, my sense of peace is because of Zoey. She’s my home and the only person I need in my life to feel whole. If I’d only pulled my head out of my ass sooner, I could’ve had this for years instead of just finding it.

Chapter Nineteen

Zoey

SUNDAY IS HERE and I’ve vowed to rest and not do any schoolwork or much of anything else. I’ve got classes early tomorrow and I need to rest after spending so many hours studying and getting ahead in all of my classes. Right now, I’m already three weeks in on my syllabus. All of my work is ready to be turned in when it’s due and in folders I have for each class so it doesn’t get lost or mixed in with anything else. All of my notes and everything are done for all the chapters I’ve read and the ones I’ve taken in class. It’s honestly a great feeling to know I’m ahead already. Hopefully I can get even further ahead in the coming weeks. It shouldn’t be hard with the help of Alicia and everyone else I’ve been studying with at school. Every chance we get, we’re finding spots around campus to meet up and go over work for the classes we share. So far, I’m ahead of everyone else and they all look to me for guidance when it comes to getting so far ahead in my classes. Honestly, I don’t know how to be any other way so it’s easy for me.

I’ve been spending time with Reagan at the clubhouse on a daily basis. She is always here these days with Xavier so she can see me. I really don’t have anything against going to her house, but I hate using the club’s SUV more than I have to. My dad hasn’t been able to get my car here yet and it sucks. So, for now I’m stuck accepting the help of the club so I can get to school and work. Reagan is always bringing me the thing I’m craving most each day because it's always changing. What I can eat today, I more than likely won’t be able to eat tomorrow. I still have morning sickness and it’s bad, but I’m able to eat more. I’ve also been making sure I keep my juice and some of those sports drinks on me at all times so I can stay hydrated. The last thing I want to do is spend time in the hospital because I didn’t listen to Dr. Morris. So, I’m doing everything in my power to ensure that doesn’t happen.

I love helping Alex out at Rhythm and Grace. The students she teaches are so precious and listen to her with rapt attention. She has the most patience I’ve ever seen from an adult when it comes to teaching even her youngest students. When they want to run amok and not listen to her, she brings them back on task and they manage to get through each lesson. What I really love the most is when we have free time and she teaches me new dance moves. It gets harder every single day, but I still make an attempt. If Jameson is there watching us, he usually steps up and dances with me. I never believed I’d ever see him dance with me on a regular basis. Still, every single day he manages to find a few minutes to dance. Even if it’s just holding me in his arms and swaying back and forth like we’re in middle school.

Jameson has stuck true to his word and he shows me on a daily basis exactly how he feels about me. There are no other women for him and he comes to me the second he steps foot in the clubhouse unless they call an emergency church or something. He sits with me in the room when I’m studying and doesn’t interrupt me. Since getting pregnant, I can say I’m honestly always ready for him to ravish my body. Jameson is more than prepared to satisfy me every time I give him the look. I don’t even have to say a word to him and he’s ready to give me whatever it takes to make me happy. What makes it even better is he’s no longer holding back when it comes to sex. Jameson gives me everything he has and then some. He’s honestly brought out a side of me I didn’t know existed. We never do the same thing twice and he gives me those hand necklaces I’ve come to love so fucking much.

Today, he’s taking me somewhere new. Because of Jameson, the club has started a program to help those in domestic violence situations. I don’t know the details of it yet, but I have a feeling I’ll be finding out today. He knows I’m going for my degree to become a social worker and I might end up being a perfect fit for the program depending on how they run it. I’ll have to talk to Jameson and Reaper once I see what they have going on. I just hope they go for it so I know now. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a problem working as a social worker for the county or whatever. I just know there’s a lot of tape you have to cut through and things you’re restricted from doing because of the rules and regulations you have to follow. If I were to work for the club, it wouldn’t be an issue because I wouldn’t have all the tape to cut through with them.

“Kitten, are you ready to head out?” Jameson asks me, walking back in our room at the clubhouse after going down to talk to Hawk for a few minutes.

“I’m ready when you are. I just finished my hair. I think I might need to get a few more pairs of sandals and flip flops to wear. It’s gonna be too hard to put sneakers or boots on soon. It’s already hard. I feel like a damn whale and still have so long in the pregnancy to get through,” I tell him, holding on to the edge of the dresser as I slide my feet into my black flip flops.

“You’re not as big as a whale, kitten. You’re carryin’ our babies and there are two of them growin’ in there,” he says, stepping up and placing his hand on the small belly I now have. “We can get you as many pairs of flip flops and sandals as you want. If I’m here, I’ll always help you put on your sneakers or boots. You can’t wear sandals and shit when it starts to get colder outside.”

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