“I will, too,” I said. “You should, too, Blade.”
“Layla is working late tonight, so I’ve got a few hours to kill.”
We headed out to join King and the boys. Most members had stayed for a drink when Scott and King put the call out this afternoon, so the bar was busy and loud. It had been too long since we’d let our hair down. This was just what we needed.
* * *
I woke up the next morning alone, in my own bed, and fuck if I didn’t miss the fact Sophia wasn’t pressed up to my body. Stumbling out of bed, I headed first to the bathroom, and then to the medicine cabinet. I’d drunk enough last night to give me one hell of a headache.
Swallowing some aspirin, I showered and dressed, and then headed over to Sophia’s house.
“Morning, handsome,” she greeted me at her front door. Her face had lit up when she’d opened it and that had warmed my cold heart. “I wasn’t expecting you this morning.”
I dropped a kiss onto her lips as my hand caught her around the waist and pulled her to me. “I know, but I have something I want to discuss with you before I head into work.”
She took a good look at me, and said, “You look like you could do with some coffee first. I take it you stayed late last night.”
As we headed into her kitchen, I said, “Got home at about three this morning.”
“Do you boys do that often?”
I considered her question for a moment. “If you’re asking me whether I do it often, the answer is no. The boys used to, but our club has been going through a rough patch the last year or so, and nights like that have been few and far between. Last night helped set us straight again, I think.”
She smiled. “That’s good to hear. And, just so you know, in case I came across as the kind of woman who keeps track of her man and tries to tell him what he can and can’t do…I’m not that kind of woman. In fact, I feel sorry for those kinds of women, that they spend so much energy focused on that, and the men, too…having to put up with your partner dictating who you spend time with and for how long, that would suck. I only asked if that was a regular thing you do, so that I could make plans to have girls’ nights when you have your boys’ nights. I mean, perfect opportunity, right?” She took a deep breath and her eyes widened in the way they did whenever she rambled like this.
I pulled her close again. “Just so you know, I only answered your question because you’re important to me, and I wanted you to know where I stood on this. Spending time with the boys is good. Spending time with you is better.”
Her breathing slowed, and her face flushed with pleasure. “I’ll make coffee now,” she said softly.
I smiled and let her go with a nod. Pulling up a stool, I sat and watched as she busied herself in the kitchen. Sophia was in her element there, and I knew I could pass many hours watching her. There was something about a woman baking in the kitchen that turned me on.
“So, what’s on your mind?” she asked as she pl
aced a mug in front of me.
“I noticed the other day that your back patio needs a fair bit of work. I’m going to the hardware this afternoon and will order the supplies to rebuild it. The pavers are okay; I’ll just need to redo the framework and roof.”
She sat on the stool next to me, staring at me in silence. And then she placed her lips to mine and kissed me in the way any man would want their day to start. When she ended it, she said, “I would love you to do that, Griff. Thank you.”
I didn’t know what to do with her appreciation. It wasn’t something I was used to from people. So I tucked it away and moved on. I drank what was left of my coffee and stood to leave. After placing my mug in the sink, I said, “I’ll be over tonight after you get home from the gym.”
She came to me and slid her arms around my waist. Looking up at me, she said, “We owe Josie a huge thank you. You do know it was her that pushed me to you that night, right?”
“Of course I know it was her. I knew from her eyes that day she faked her fall down the stairs that she had no intention of resting until she got what she wanted.”
“Did you ever think she would get what she wanted?” The hesitation in her voice killed me. Sophia was the kind of woman any man would go to the ends of the Earth for and yet she doubted herself.
I tipped her chin up. “I’m a stubborn asshole and would never have admitted it to Josie, but I wanted you from the first moment I laid eyes on you.”
The smile that lit her face was worth anything it cost me. “You might not say a lot, handsome, but the things you do say are priceless.”
On the way to the clubhouse, I realised I’d give her a million words if it made her happy, and I couldn’t say that about any other woman I’d ever met.
It was quiet when I arrived there. Most of the boys had left after me this morning and some had crashed right where they had their last drink. I ignored the sleeping bodies and headed into the kitchen to get more coffee. My head had almost stopped pounding and I figured one more coffee might do the trick.
As I waited for the kettle to boil, my phone buzzed with a text.
Danny: The trial has been delayed. Not sure how long, but giving you a heads up. Just so you know, though, there’s no way out of this, Michael. You will be called as a witness and everyone will learn your identity.