Page 12 of The Secrets We Keep

Asher giggles. “Can I have pancakes and eggs?”

“You sure can!” Chef cheers before turning to me. “How about you?”

“I’ll take the same, please.”

“Coming right up!” Chef says before setting to work.

I don’t know how this man manages to keep track of all the food he’s cooking, but he does. He checks on the food he’s already started while he gets the pancake batter made, and cracks eggs and scrambles them. In about five minutes, he has an amazing meal made for us.

I thank him and grab both plates, letting Asher lead us back into the common area. He takes a seat at the end of the table, and we dig in. We’re finishing up when I see Grayson.

My jaw clenches when Candy rushes up to him, she slides her hand up Grayson’s arm and around his neck, pulling herself close. Grayson pushes her hand off him and backs away from her, his eyes finding mine.

He starts to walk away but I jump from my seat, telling Asher to follow me. Before Grayson walks out of the room I call out.

“Grayson! Don’t you dare walk out of this room.”

He stops in his tracks but doesn’t turn around. The rest of the room goes eerily silent. They’re all probably in shock that I yelled at their precious president.

“Asher, go outside and play on the swing set, okay?” I say, softening my tone for him.

He nods his head and goes in that direction, glancing back at us with wide eyes before he goes through the door. I nod in thanks to Axel who follows him outside. When the door closes, I turn my anger on Grayson again.

“So, tell me. Is it a common occurrence for club sluts to be knocking on your door at two in the morning?” I growl. I hear a few hoots and hollers. Grayson’s shoulders stiffen. “Maybe I should make it clear that the only people in that room are me and my son,” I call out, loud enough that everyone can hear. “You can tell your whores where to find you.”

I gasp when Grayson spins around and advances on me. I try to back away, but I’m not fast enough. He reaches me in a few strides, his shoulder rams into my hips as he swings me over his shoulder, smacking my ass hard.

Cheers erupt in the quiet space as Grayson takes me in the direction of his room. My room.Whatever it is now.

I pound on his back as I yell for him to put me down, but it’s to no avail. He trudges up the stairs and to the room, punching in the code and moving us inside. He marches into the bedroom and tosses me onto the bed, watching me bounce with a smirk.

“What the hell is your problem?” I growl as I hop off the bed and stride toward him.

“You,” he barks. “You have been gone for seven fucking years, and you think that you can comeinto this clubhouse and run things? That’s not how this fucking works. I brought you here so that you wouldn’t have to sleep in that slimy ass fucking motel. I am the president of this club, and what I say goes.”

He advances on me, pushing me back against a wall. His smell envelops me. It’s so much more potent than his lingering scent on the bed. I’m panting, my chest brushing his abdomen with every inhale.

He reaches out and brushes the hair from my face with his rough fingers and I gasp at the contact. “What’s the real problem, Sophie?” He rasps. “Are you mad that Candy was knocking on my door too late last night? Or are you mad that she was knocking on my door at all?”

“I’m not jealous,” I huff, putting my hands on his abs and attempting to push him away.

“I didn’t mention jealousy,” Grayson laughs as he leans down closer, letting our lips brush. My stomach dips and heat pools in my core at the slight contact. “She won’t knock on the door again.”

“What?” I ask breathlessly.

“Candy won’t knock on the door again,” Grayson says as he steps back and walks toward the door.

I stand there in shock. I thought that he was going to kiss me, and he was just trying to get a rise out of me. I groan after I hear the door to the suite close. Grayson still affects me more than I’d like him to.

9

GRAYSON

I adjust my hard cock as I walk out of my suite and down the hallway.I almost kissed Sophie.I came so close to doing it and the desire was evident on her face. She wanted me to. I couldn’t do it, though. She chose to leave.She chose this.

I walk down the hallway and descend the stairs, ignoring the main room and walking outside for some fresh air. I find Axel and Asher there. We put in a swing set for Cane’s daughter a few years back, his ex left and he needed us all to rally behind him. We wanted him to know that there would always be a safe place for his kid at the club. Now, Sophie’s kid is enjoying the space too.

Axel looks up at my approach. “You good?”

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