Page 68 of The Biker Needs A Nanny

“I heard you.”

My jaw works. “You want to tell me about it?”

“No. I don’t. It’s not your concern. You once told me to stay out of your business. Now I want you to stay out of mine.” She storms off, and I watch her stalk to the end of the dock. She paces for a while, then drops to the edge and dangles her feet over.

I give her a few minutes to cool down, the follow her, dropping down to the dock next to her.

“So, you pawned your grandmother’s ring. The secret’s out,” I say.

She jerks to her feet, but I grab her hand. “Just talk to me, Grace. Please.”

She fights my hold but drops next to me after a losing battle. “I needed money, but I didn’t want to sell it.”

“What’d you use the money for?”

“To live. To come here. To get a little ratty month-to-month studio.”

“I remember you told me you got fired from some diner for giving an old guy a free meal. What was the name of the place again?”

“Nick’s Diner.”

“Nick’s Diner, huh?” My eyes and jaw harden. “He the owner? He the one who fired you?”

“Yes.” She eyes me and must read my thoughts. “Please don’t go burn the place down.”

“Did I say that?”

“No, but you’ve got that look.”

“What’s he drive?”

“You don’t need to slash his tires, either.”

I pull her onto my lap. “I’ll decide what I need to do.” I brush the hair off her forehead. “Maybe you need to understand what I’d do for you. Maybe I need to show you. No one treats you like that. No one.”

“Lucky, please… I don’t want any more trouble coming to your door.”

“Why do you think trouble would come to my door?”

“Because the police will come and arrest you.”

I grin at the worry lines on her forehead and kiss them away. “Only if I’m really bad at my job, and I’m not bad at my job, Grace.”

“And what is your job?”

“Putting assholes like him in their place.”

“I don’t want you to commit a crime for me.” She leans her head on my shoulder. “But I have to admit, it feels nice to have someone who cares.”

I kiss her forehead. “Don’t ever doubt it, angel.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

Grace—

The four of us are at the dining room table, eating pancakes.

When the girls returned from their weekend, Lucky and I went back to the way things were. I’m again sleeping in my room, and we try to avoid touching each other, but there are plenty of longing glances, and twice—at his request—I’ve snuck to his room after the girls fell asleep.

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