Page 20 of Kaya's King

I’m unsure what the expression is that crosses his face when he stands, keeping his eyes steadily on mine, and announces to the group at large, “Kaya is gonna be my old lady, y’all.”

Cheers erupt and I’m suddenly engulfed in multiple sets of arms as the old ladies converge on me. “Congrats, if you’ve got any questions about being an old lady to a biker, let us know,” CeeCee whispers in my ear. I can feel her smile on my skin as she welcomes me into the fold. “Because none of us were born into this life and there are gonna be adjustments for both parties involved.”

Adjustments? Well, my whole life has been about fine-tuning one thing or another, so I’ve learned to go with the flow and bendwith the punches. I’m not sure how his broadcasted news will change mine nor Noah’s lives and a frisson of fear snakes its way through me. Does this mean he’s going to be moving into our suite? Shit! What about sex? I haven’t been with anyone since Foster and that was hit or miss once he went to work for weeks at a time on the oil rig.

Probabilities flow through my conscious mind and my head tilts to the side as I sort them out in my mind. What if we’re not sexually compatible? What if he likes things in the bedroom that I don’t know how to do? I mean, I read whenever time allows, and my preference is risqué romance books. The steamier the better, but even though I’vereadscenes, it doesn’t mean I’ve ever participated in that particular scenario written about. Foster was a missionary, vanilla man between the sheets; he wasn’t much for foreplay, probably because we were each other’s first and didn’t know any better. Will I have to dig out the lube I used with Foster that ensured there was no discomfort during our sexual encounters? Hell, is it even usable or is it outdated? I think that kind of thing expires, but I haven’t used it in so long that I haven’t even checked.

“What has you frowning?” Specks asks, pulling me out of my chair and into his arms. “I can see the wheels turning, babe, so talk to me.”

“In layman's terms, what does it mean to be your old lady?” I query, stress marring my face. “Specks, we don’t really know each other! What if this is just a passing fancy on your part and you get tired of us. What happens to us then?”

He chuckles at my concern. “For a biker, claiming an old lady is as good as being married. The vow is unbreakable, Kaya. It’s for life, sweetheart. It means you’re under not only my protection, but you’ve got the backing of the whole club. I’ll raise Noah asmy own, along with any kids we may have down the road once you’ve gotten tested to make sure you don’t carry the heredity gene. If you do, we’ll foster kids who need a home, or adopt. There are lots of kids out there in the system who need someone to give them a chance and provide them a stable, loving home.”

“What about love?” I push. “Don’t we need that? Compatibility in bed?” The last part is spoken in a whisper as I frantically check to ensure no one else is in ear’s reach to hear my plight. My run instincts are kicking in, but I swallow them down until I hear what Specks has to say in regard to my fears.

With his hands now settled low on my hips, he drags me close enough that I can feel his hard length against my abdomen. “This is what you do to me, Kaya. Every single time you’re near, I’m hard as fuck. The kiss we shared earlier? Best fucking kiss I’ve ever had, hands down, babe. As far as compatibility, all couples learn what they enjoytogetherand since I kind of sprung this on you, we’ll go at your pace. We’ll discover what we like and what we don’t. But make no mistake, you are mine and at some point, when you’re ready, I’m going to worship your body all night long. You’re my queen, Kaya, the jewel I never knew I needed in my life. As far as love, I’m confident that’ll come in time once we grow to know each other better. Most lifelong relationships started off with less knowledge of their partner than what we’ve found with each other, and they’ve lasted through the test of time. For now, understand this, I’m going to cherish, adore, respect, and care for you, as well as Noah. Who, by the way, is one of the best kids I’ve ever met. He’s my little buddy and I can’t wait to watch him grow into a man.”

“So, you’ll be moving into our suite?” I ask for clarification. He’s tall, like me, but thankfully, I have a king-size bed which should hold both of us. I can feel my cheeks heat thinking about thetwo of us in tangled in bed, our limbs coiled together as we learn about each other’s sexual preferences.

“Yeah, babe, I will be.”

I take several deep, cleansing breaths as I process everything he’s just said. I’m sure my apprehensions are unfounded, simply because he’s not the kind of man who will push me beyond my point of comfort before I’m ready. I mean, he just stated that, after all, and he strikes me as a man who prides himself in keeping his word. The question is, how long before that happens? I’ve been so focused on Noah, on surviving the changes becoming a widow brought in my life, I’ve never considered the ramifications of adding a man into the equation. Especially a man as alpha as Specks. But this piece of him, his personality, draws me to him much like a moth to a flame.

Yet, here I am, with a hot, tattooed, handsome as hell biker who’s just claimed me in front of his brothers, his family, his entire club. Closing my eyes, I try to imagine our future and all I see is a lifetime of having him by my side; to hold me, comfort me, raise me up when I’ve been kicked down. I picture a house full of the pitter patter of feet, laughing, playing children while Specks interacts with them as I cook a huge ass meal or relax in the tub. My dreams have changed from making it day-to-day. I’m now looking toward a future of never feeling lonely.

Specks

The various emotions crossing her face have me biting back a smirk. She may not realize it, but she’s so fucking transparent when’s she’s trying to puzzle something out. I know I threw her for a loop with my pronouncement, but hearing her say she’s willing to get the genetic testing done broke the last chainaround my heart. It solidified what I’ve known since I saw her for the first time. There’s no escaping for her now. She gets me, knew what I needed to hear and forged forward without any cognizant comprehension. She’s my perfect match and I’ll walk through fire to keep her where she is. With me.

I’m not worried about love; I suspect I’m halfway there already where she’s concerned. Since I recognized my attraction, even though I was resistant about pursuing her, I’ve paid close attention whenever she’s around. And I like everything I see where it comes to her. She’s loving yet firm with Noah, solicitous and respectful with her grandmother along with a shit ton of love tossed in, nonjudgmental and kind to others. Today, even though I’ve been playing with Noah and the other kids, as well as my brothers, in the pool, I kept an eye on how she was getting on with the other old ladies. While it’s ultimately my decision with regard to who I get involved with, my brothers and I are close; we’ve got a bond forged in blood, sweat, and tears, and I would hate to have an old lady in my life that the others couldn’t tolerate. An old lady must be deemed trustworthy, otherwise, she’ll be sitting on the outside looking in, never knowing the ins and outs where it comes to her old man and what he’s up to.

Even though the taken brothers have their own places spread out on the property, if we’re not working at one of our businesses, we all manage to end up congregating in the main room of the clubhouse. Hell, even Mary and Shamus spend a lot of their free time here these days, although you won’t hear me complaining, because Mary’s one helluva good cook and baker.

I absently pat my taut abdomen thinking about all the delicacies that come out of Mary’s bakery. Add Momma M into the mix and we’ve got pretty much any kind of cuisine available to us at thedrop of a hat. Now, Kaya’s granny is here, and I suspect she’s got her own recipes to add to the overall mix.

“You okay, Kaya?” I whisper, leaning down so no one overhears our private conversation. “You’re acting as though you’ve jumped into the deep end, and are waiting to drown, babe.”

“It kind of feels that way,” she confesses, shyly looking up at me from underneath her long eyelashes. “Specks, I’ve spent the past six years as a young widow who found out she was pregnant a few weeks before her husband died, then as a single mom navigating the harrowing path of being a single parent. I honestly never thought about the future,myfuture as it pertained to adding a new man in my life.”

“Yet, here I am,” I tease, kissing her forehead.

“Here you are,” she concurs, grinning at me. “If I seem overwhelmed, it’s me, not you, okay?”

“If I notice you getting that way, Kaya, we’ll talk it out, okay?” I ask. “You and me, together, babe. I’m not going anywhere.”

Before she can reply, I capture her lips with mine, pouring everything I’m currently feeling into the kiss. The catcalls and war whoops from my brothers bring me back to reality and I pull back to see her eyes are at half-mast, her lips are puffy and swollen, and she has a dreamy expression on her face right now.

“Mr. Specks? Why are you kissing Mommy?” Noah asks, leaning his head to the side as he examines me like I’m a science experiment. I feel like a bug underneath the microscope and shift uncomfortably on my feet. Fear strums through me. I don’t want to screw this up, he’s just as special to me as his mother is. This has to be said the right way so I don’t scare him away.

“Yeah,Mr.Specks, whyareyou kissing his mommy?” Trident asks, his voice full of mirth. I discreetly flip him off behind Noah’s back where he can’t see what I’m doing, which has Kaya giggling.

Crouching down so I’m eye-to-eye with Noah, I answer his question. “Because I like her, a whole lot. She’s going to be my old lady and that’s going to make you mine, too, Noah.”

His eyes grow wide when he hears what I’ve said. “So, you’d be my daddy? I’d have a daddy again?” he whispers, his eyes welling up with tears. I watch as several trickle down his little face, my heart breaking while I witness as he realizes what this will mean for him. When I feel Kaya’s hand settle on my shoulder, squeezing the appendage for all she’s worth, it dawns on me that she’s feeling just as emotional as her little boy.

“Yeah, Noah, that’s exactly what it means. But I know your mommy will keep telling you all the stories of your dad as you grow up, so you’ll know who he was as well. A hardworking man trying to make a better life for his family.” I may still be jealous of Foster at times, but he’s Noah’s dad and his memory deserves to be honored and shared with his son.

“He didn’t even know about me,” Noah murmurs, lowering his head, completely shattering the rest of my non-existent defenses. “Do you think he’d have liked having a little boy? I’ve got a sick hip so maybe not.” He lifts his head, meeting my eyes dead on as he waits for my answer.

---