Page 53 of Tripp

“If another came up, would you go?” She crossed her arms in front of her and kept her gaze on me the entire time. The heat of her stare fueled me. She was tryin’ to lay claim on me and I found it exciting. I wanted to test her, to see how far she’d go, either with her words, her expression or her body language.

“Yeah, I’d go.” I ran my hand through my hair, gripping the back of my neck as if I weren’t giving much thought to her line of questions about my club. I’d told her the truth. I would attend the next ruckus the club had. I just wouldn’t participate in the free pussy that was offered.

“Why?” Reece attempted to mask her anger.

“Because it’s a club party. Why not?”

“Would you sleep with one of the women who came?”

“Do you care if I sleep with one of them?” I knew how irritating it was to answer a question with one, but I wanted to see what she’d say.

“Yes, I would care. A lot.”

It was all I needed to affirm that she felt something deeper for me than just the byproduct of our rushed circumstances. I’d come to develop strong feelings for Reece, no matter how annoying I felt they were. After all, feelings equated to possible hurt and agony in the future.

“Then you have my word that I won’t sleep with anyone else. But you have to promise the same. I meant what I told Breck. You’re mine.”

A look of what I could only describe as happiness fluttered across her gorgeous face when I verbally staked my claim on her. “So does that mean that we’re . . . ?” Her eyes darted from me to the ground then back again.

“Together?” She nodded. “Yes. That’s what it means.”

She smiled, which made me smile, the thud of my heart relaxing into a steady rhythm, a calm spreading through me I’d never experienced before. In truth, it terrified me.

We stood there staring at each other, allowing the brief silence stretching between us to comfort us. There were so many things I wanted to say, but if I rambled on right then I’d come across as some crazy man. And after everything she’d been through, not only with Rick but since I’d met her, the last thing I needed to add to her list was an all-consuming man who wanted to possess her. My emotions were a lot for me to handle, and I could only imagine how she’d feel if I tried to express them.

Reece

“Relax,” Tripp soothed, kissing my temple in an attempt to calm me. His touch soothed me, but not enough to stop the fluttering anxiousness in my belly as we approached some of the people already gathered.

“I’m trying,” I answered, grasping his hand tighter. There were a group of women huddled together at one of the tables, laughing and having a great time together. It was then that I longed for someone, other than Carla, who I could let loose with and confide in. Don’t get me wrong; I was beyond grateful that Carla was in my life, but sometimes I wish I just had a couple more girlfriends. Rick had kept me so secluded that the few friends I had back home had eventually stopped trying to reach out to me.

“You’ll have fun. I promise,” Tripp said, raising his free hand to someone who’d acknowledged his arrival. Our arrival.

“Well, look who decided to show up,” a dark-haired man called out, quickly walking toward Tripp to greet him. He was handsome. Very handsome, in fact.

“Prez. How are ya?” They shook hands and did that half-hug thingy guys do. Since I had nowhere else to look, I studied both men, hoping to God I wasn’t being obvious. The interaction between them was intriguing. They passed a silent message back and forth with the flick of their eyes and a subtle nod. Their body language was even heightened, elongating their coded communication.

“I’m good. Better.”

“How’s Sully?” Tripp’s question caused his friend to tense, but only for a second. Had I not been paying such close attention I would’ve missed it for sure.

“She’s good. We’re gettin’ there.” Finally looking away from Tripp, the handsome stranger looked in my direction. “Who did ya bring with you?”

“This is Reece.” Tripp looked at me for the other part of his introduction. “Reece, this is Marek, our club’s president.” It was then that my eye caught the ‘President’ patch on the front of his leather vest.

“Nice to meet you,” I greeted, flashing a small smile before looking toward the ground. Bad habit after years of being with Rick. If I looked at another man for two seconds too long he became angry.

“Glad you could come today. Someone’s gotta keep this guy in line.”

I looked back up at the both of them and found two pairs of eyes on me. Marek’s comment was one made in jest, but his expression remained stoic. Something told me the guy was more on the serious side, which I guess made sense seeing as how he was in charge of the entire club. But there was something hidden beneath the blue of his eyes that indicated there was more to him than what he revealed to others. Mainly strangers.

Tripp leaned away from me and spoke in a low voice, Marek acknowledging what he’d said with a jerk of his chin and a slight twitch of his lips. After they parted, Marek stood straight, glancing back at me one more time before turning around and walking toward a building to the left of where we were standing.

We continued to walk forward, and it was only then, as I scoured the expansive area, that I came to realize there was no baby present. I wasn’t Catholic, but I knew enough that the child was usually clothed in a white gown of sorts for the ceremony, which would have made her easily detectable. Then again, maybe these people did their own thing, had their own traditions.

“I wonder where Stone and Adelaide are,” he mused, as if he’d read my mind.

“I was just thinking the same thing.”

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