Page 119 of Grumpy Sunshine

I turned to her, my eyes narrowing, and said, “What were we talking about?”

“How cute you think motorcycle clubs are,” she explained, a grin on her face.

I knew that grin.

She was instigating, yet I still nodded, remembering where I’d left off, though I was fairly sure that I’d had that discussion with her days ago while in the hospital.

Which, as it turned out, was when I was made aware that the pain medication I was taking made my mind do some crazy things.

“Then there’s the way that they always look so grumpy and mean, then turn into these little soft teddy bears when they’re around the ones they love.”

Chevy’s lips came to my ear and he whispered, “You can call me your teddy bear in private, but you call me your teddy bear in public, and I’ll spank your ass.”

I smiled, forgetting my father was in the room momentarily when I said, “Ass play.Nice.”

“I’m out.”Cakes got up and left.

I giggled.

And giggled.

And giggled.

Maybe I was intoxicated after all.

Twenty-Eight

I don’t drink alcohol.I drink licka.And I get it from the licka store.

—Text from Aella to Chevy

CHEVY

6 months later

I heard the door open but was too tired to lift my eyes.

Last night and the day before that had been hell.

I’d worked over forty-eight hours, catching one and two-hour naps in between patients, and the last thing I wanted to do was go to the clubhouse and get ready for a Christmas wedding.

It was mid-December, and the full moon was two nights ago, along with the Christmas parade that two people had decided to get drunk at and drive their tractor over some parade goers.

And, through it all, Aella hadn’t been with me because she’d been taking her finals at school.

She was now officially graduated and a surgical technician.

I was excited for her.

But I was also exhausted.

But I knew who it was that crawled into my bed at the clubhouse.

Her massive ring skimmed across my skin as she smoothed her hands over my back and straddled my side.

Her heat was enough to force me to open my eyes and stare at her.

My lips tipped up at the corner as I saw how she was dressed.

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