Page 8 of Biker Daddy

“You could say that, but friend doesn’t really cut it,” he said and put his large paw out for her to shake, and it was a paw—a ginormous one like a grizzly bear’s. Addi looked at it too long, thinking he’d just further confirmed what she thought when the lawyer said ‘There’s a man living at the camp. He’s been with your uncle for years. They were very close,’ and he took it away, shoving it in his jeans pocket.

Her eyes lingered on those jeans a moment—well-worn and snug, belted with a thick black strap of leather. His stomach was trim with a line of silky hair that ran beneath the belted jeans, making her eyes long to follow it.

“Do you know what happened?” she asked with a tremor in her voice, suddenly looking back to his face. His mouth softened and he reached out for her. His warm hands wrapped around her upper arms and she swallowed hard, but didn’t stop him—couldn’t.

“I found him.” He pulled her in for a hug and she ignored the awkwardness of his naked chest against her silk-covered one and allowed him to offer comfort. She hadn’t shed a tear. She was on a mission. Get to Uncle Ray’s, plan the funeral, and figure out what came next. But in his arms, warm and safe, she wanted to let go and feel, feel her loss while someone who shared it held her together.

Fitz’s skin felt warm against hers. With only her blouse separating them, she not only felt his heat, but the beat of his heart.

She pulled away, tucking back into the open door of the car, even though she’d like to have stayed there for another hour. She was tired and she knew her day was only beginning. He probably needed comfort too.

“I’m sorry for your loss.” She gathered a big breath.

He looked taken aback by her condolence. “Uh, thanks… thank you. He was like a father to me.” He shuffled back, putting some more space between them.

A father? Ray was like a father to his boyfriend, Fitz? Um…

Suddenly, Addi couldn’t help it, call it a stress reaction, but a giggle burst out of her. She pressed the back of her hand against her mouth and tried to hold it in, but nothing helped, especially when he looked so confused.

“I’m sorry.” She bit back her smirk, attempting to control her laughter. “It’s… it’s… the stress.” She swiped at the leaking water from her eyes.

His brow wrinkled and his hands found his hips. “Maybe you’ve mistaken me for someone else.”

She shook her head, trying to control herself.

“Besides being Ray’s friend, I’m the caretaker here and I was in the middle of purchasing the place.”

All the humor evaporated instantly and her jaw slackened at his words. Purchasing the place? Her uncle was selling his beloved camp? He would never!

Oh,hell no!

“There’s no way in hell,” she said, stepping away from the safety of the car and slamming the door while closing the gap between them. His set jaw was no deterrence as she advanced on him. She poked a short French-manicured fingertip into his hard, bare chest.

“What are you trying to pull, you swindling scoundrel biker bully? My uncle would never sell this place—not even to his friend. It was his whole life and just so you know I’m not some long-lost niece, buster! I talked to my uncle almost every day and Skyped with him weekly! And just because I didn’t know you lived here doesn’t mean anything.” She took a moment to breathe and calm herself. Her face flamed with anger. “He would have told me if he was selling the place.”

Fitz’s face turned down at the spot on his chest where she poked and he frowned. She had overreacted. She hugged her arms around her middle and looked away. God, she was exhausted and not acting like herself at all. She had just poked a very large biker in the very bare chest.

“Uncle Ray would have told me,” she repeated, quieter, almost contrite. Was this what his letter was about? “He built this place for his deceased wife and son. It meant everything to him.”

“First off, he didn’t want you to know because he knew you’d want to come to his rescue. He’s broke—he was broke. And second, little girl, you ever poke me again and I’ll show you what a scoundrel I can be.” His mitt-like hands came off his hips and he crossed his thick tattooed arms.

“Broke? No way! Do you know how much his paintings go for? Hundreds of thousands! There’s no way he was broke. And don’t you threaten me,” she retorted, her temper flaring again.

“Yeah, well, he liked giving his money away. And it wasn’t a threat. It was a promise.” His fingers pressed deeper into the skin of his bicep.

“Not to his detriment, you caveman!”

A smirk twitched behind his facial hair and she clenched her fists, a growl escaping.

“It’s no joke!”

“I’m no caveman, baby girl. I believe in women’s rights and equality.” His voice was rich, raspy, and tinged with sexy innuendo and then just as suddenly as it came, it left and the amusement fell from his face. “However, I have no qualms about putting a deserving little girl over my knee if she can’t keep her damn hands to herself and her temper in check. And that’s what you’re acting like, aren’t you, babe?”

“We’ll just save the rest of this money conversation for the lawyer,” she snapped in hopes of ending the fight she was too tired to continue. Besides, she felt heat creep down her body to inflame her core as she realized what he’d just said. “Did you just threaten to spank me?”

“Nope.” He uncrossed his arms and positioned them back on his hips. “Again, it was a promise. And just so you don’t get your panties in a twist, the sale became void as soon as Ray died. He hadn’t gotten around to signing the papers.” They faced off for a long pause before he shook his head and opened the back door of her car. She watched in shock as he reached in to grab her bags.

“Come on. Let’s get you settled and then I’ll take you to the funeral home. I only came home to feed Ray’s fish. I don’t feel much like being here today. As taciturn as Ray was, this place is too quiet and empty without him.”

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