Page 31 of New Beginnings
“Let me see it.”
WORDS OR I'LL WALK AWAY
Rebel Pierce
I held up the thumb drive where I downloaded the newest information.
“All I need is a computer.”
“Right this way.”
It felt so weird being in his home. In their space. It wasn’t what I expected from a bachelor or a biker. It had a woman’s touch. From the color of the paint on the walls, to the furniture, and all the family photos that displayed a happy family. It was like Dani wasn’t dead. A tinge of jealousy moved through me.
Why in the hell am I jealous of a dead woman?
I pushed down the ridiculous feeling because although we had chemistry, it solidified my feeling that he wasn’t ready to step away from all of this.
I scanned the living room as I followed him. The love they shared was everywhere. Their wedding picture still hung over the fireplace. She was beautiful in her black lace wedding dresswith a train and leather vest that said Property of J.D. across the back as they stood in front of someone also decked out in leather.
Definitely not a priest.
I didn’t take J.D. for being the religious type so the biker overseeing the wedding, the bride not being in the typical wedding dress, and the groom dressed in his everyday attire seemed appropriate for a man like him. Apparently, appropriate for Dani too.
Family photos also covered the light creamed color walls of the living room. There were a lot of photographs of Siobhan smiling and playing with her father and mother, a few of Dani cradling her stomach while pregnant, I assumed with Luca where she looked older and some when she was pregnant with Siobhan because she looked younger. There was also a few of Dani and J.D. together, and some with all three of them. They looked so happy together.
He isn’t happy anymore because he’s still head over heels in love with his dead wife.
“You have a lovely home,” I said, trying to get my mind off their relationship and why it bothered me.
It shouldn’t.
He looked over his shoulder as we walked down a hallway. Sadness clouded his eyes.
“Dani’s doing.” He looked forward again as we continued to walk. “She wanted Siobhan and any other children we would have to remember their childhood home as a happy place since neither one of us had that growing up.”
I nodded in understanding even though I couldn’t relate. Our parents weren’t rich, but we were upper middle class and had a wonderful life growing up. Both our parents were lawyers, so we lived in a nice neighborhood and went to some of the best schools. While I couldn’t relate to how him and Dani grewup which I assumed was bad, I understood why they’d want something better for their children. If I were in their position, I’d want the same thing.
When we reached the end of the hallway, he pushed open the door at the very end, and held it open for me. I walked by him, my arm brushing against his chest. His intoxicating spicy scent entered my nose.
Jesus fucking Christ he smelled so good.
Looking around his home office, I heard the door click shut behind me. This was definitely his space. The small masculine room stood out from the rest of the house. Dark wood accents along the walls and windows, pictures of motorcycles framed on the dark blue walls, and the scent of spice and cigar smoke lingered in the air.
“You can use the computer,” he said causing me to jump and face him.
I was so enthralled gazing at his space and taking in everything about him I could, I didn’t hear him move.
A soft chuckle escaped from his lips. “Why are you so jumpy?”
“Why are you sneaking up on me?”
With his arms crossed over his broad chest, he tilted his head to the side, his expression curious. “Rebel, explain to me how the hell I’m sneaking up on you when we walked in here together.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.”
He stepped closer, and I matched his steps but in the opposite direction until my ass collided with his desk, gripping the front. I gazed into dark brown eyes full of emotion. Lust. Desire. Want.
As his finger glided down my face, I couldn’t help but close my eyes, savoring the gentle caress. I wanted him so bad, and I believed he wanted me too. I just didn’t know how far he would go. Jealously of what he had with Dani moved through me because I knew he wouldn’t fully be mine, not yet anyway, but it was hard to just shut down all these feelings.
