A low rumble builds in my chest. Feels good, knowing I’ve started to figure her out. Like my instincts knew she was mine before I did.
I make her coffee just the way I’ve seen her take it. Half a sugar, splash of creamer, hot but not scalding. I’ve been paying attention. Little things. Like how she scratches the back of her neck when she’s thinking too hard. Or how she checks the locks twice when she tucks Judge in, like muscle memory. Like a habit from a life that didn’t give her many chances to feel safe.
I don’t knock. Don’t have to. She’s curled up under the blanket, one bare shoulder peeking out like a tease. Her hair’s a mess. I love it.
“Morning, Gidge,” I say, holding the coffee out like an offering.
She blinks at me. Not startled, just… watchful. She’s always watching, like she’s waiting for the world to swing on her. Then she sees the coffee, and her face relaxes just a bit.
“You remembered,” she says, voice scratchy from sleep. She takes the mug with both hands.
“Course I did.” I lower myself onto the bed beside her. “Kid’s in the kitchen with Acid. Eating Toaster Strudels like it’s a damn buffet.”
She snorts into her cup, shakes her head. “He’s always up early. Always been that way.”
I nod. “We like him. Little guy fits right in.”
I reach over and tug her close. She doesn’t flinch—something I don’t take lightly. I tilt her chin, eyes meeting hers. I lean down and kiss her, slow. Not pushing. Not rough. But the second her lips part for me, something changes. Her scent goes a little sweeter, like a warm orange peel just torn open, the kind that leaves oil on your fingers. Like she’s saying yes without saying anything at all. It wraps around me. Makes something deep in my chest rumble. My alpha side likes it way too much.
She kisses me back, and when she whines low in her throat, I chuckle against her lips. My cock twitches, but I ignore it. Barely.
“We’re having a party Saturday night,” I murmur, brushing her hair behind her ear. “We want you to come.”
She sips her coffee like she’s thinking, even though I can see the smirk tugging at her lips. “I’m here already, so I guess I can make an appearance.”
“You know much about club parties, Gidge?”
She leans back, eyes narrowing a little. “I know there’s tons of booze, drugs, and a man’s known to fuck a club whore or two.”
I nod, no sense lying. “Yeah. That’s about right.”
Her brows pull together. “Where are the club whores? Or the other members? I haven’t seen much of anyone but you three.”
I grin. “They’ve been keeping their distance. Gears told ‘em you were our Kismet. Our Ol’ Lady.”
She glares. “Don’t look at me like that. It’s just so they keep their damn paws off you. I don’t need you murdering our members. We just had a brother go nomad after he found his omega and had a rough time of it. You’ve seen Keg. Bat and Nitro were at Kenny’s house with us, but you’ll meet the rest officially at the party.”
She sets her cup down, but I see the tension in her fingers. “So the whores will be at the party?”
“Yeah. We only have two right now. Stacy and Aubrey. We had a third—Logan—but he found someone and bounced.”
“Logan was a male?” She’s surprised.
“Yeah. Male whores are harder to come by, but we’ve made it work.”
Her mouth presses into a line. “You haven’t been fucking them, have you? Acid or Gears?”
I laugh low. “You jealous, Gidge?”
“Nope. Just don’t want that influence around my son.”
I hide my smirk, though it tries like hell to break through. “Whatever you say, babe. But no. None of us have touched a female since we found you. That day at Kenny’s... you in that bed... with the corpse.”
She flinches.
“Did you fuck them before?” she asks, quieter now.
“Nope. We’re not blushing virgins or anything. But we’ve been waiting. For you. And when we had to blow off steam... we didn’t do it with anyone connected to the club.”