I couldn’t help it. The image of excited teenage boys—albeit trying to play it cool—asking Zane, of all people, his favorite song made me burst out laughing. Like throw my head back, cackle type laugh. I felt Zane’s arms at my waist and he was watching me as I giggled, moving into his hold. His eyebrow rose in question as to what I could find so funny.
“I could imagine you told them your favorite music was that of your Harley pipes singing from underneath you,” I giggled, wondering if Zane even liked music. My thoughts rested on the slow soulful songs he played with Lexie every now and then.
His hands tightened at my waist. “Only sound I like from underneath me is you screaming when I make you come, Wildcat,” he growled in my ear. His tone and the tickle of his beard at my cheek made my downstairs tingle.
I pulled back slightly. “You can’t do that,” I chastised. “Make me all…tingly when there’re minors in the other room,” I whispered. “Minors whom you cannot call little fucks,” I told him firmly.
“They’re in a band with Lexie. She’s a knockout who’s funny as fuck, and they’re teenage boys. Therefore, they are little fucks,” he half growled.
I rolled my eyes. I was pretty sure Noah was gay, and I knew that Lexie knew that also. None of the other boys did, nor did his macho father. So that was something I wouldn’t tell Zane. The other two had oodles of girlfriends coming and going. Plus there was the small matter of Lexie’s own mini alpha boyfriend. Though not so mini physically. “Have you forgotten Killian?” I asked sweetly. “He would pummel any of those guys if they even look at his girl the wrong way,” I told him. “Plus, let’s not forget you glare at them within an inch of their lives whenever you cross their paths,” I teased. I was actually impressed with the courage of the boys, still being in a band with Lexie while they got death stares from not one but two(ish) scary macho guys.
“Killian,” Zane muttered into my neck. “Biggest fuck of all.”
To say things were tense between the two of them was an understatement. I was surprised Zane didn’t sit on our porch in a rocking chair with a shotgun over his lap every time Killian came over. Which was a lot. Almost two months was a long time in teenage relationship years, and Killian and Lexie were going strong. I couldn’t say I liked it, but I had to admit I grudgingly liked Killian and the way he treated my kid. With respect. Like she hung the freaking moon. Plus, he had her home by or before curfew every night and drove her to and from school. My only worry was how intense it was for two kids so young.
“You’ve yet to settle down on the whole ‘I’m gonna kill you’ thing you’ve got with Killian,” I told him. “It’s not going to change anything.”
Zane gave me a hard look.
“Okay,” I said cheerfully. “Next subject. The boys were asking your favorite music because the band is playing at Gwen and Cade’s shindig next week,” I informed him, hoping to move away from dangerous topics.
The stormy look that crossed his face told me that aim was dead in the water. “What the fuck?” he clipped.
I rolled my eyes, pulling out of his firm grasp and going to the fridge to get him a beer. He silently took it when I handed it to him, watching me expectantly. “I don’t know what else you expect me to say. Gwen asked. I said yes. That’s all, folks,” I told him. I frowned. “Do you not think it’s a good idea? Is Lexie not safe there or something?” I asked him quickly.
Zane stepped forward. “Safest fuckin’ place for her,” he bit out.
I relaxed. “Well then, what’s with the ‘tude, dude?” Not that he didn’t always have a stormy look on his attractive face.
He shook his head at my phrase, used to such things from me by now. He did one of his almost smile things and kissed me soundly.
“Um okay, teenage daughter approaching. Cool it with the tongue hockey, peeps,” we heard Lexie call.
Zane immediately released his lips from mine. His hands stayed at my waist.
Lexie was grinning at us both, not in the least traumatized by totally wrecking the mood. “Zane, will you please help us out by letting us know at least one biker appropriate song?” she pleaded with her doe eyes on. “The boys are like, freaking out,” she added.
Zane’s jaw ticked on this and I couldn’t help it, I burst out laughing all over again.
He was happy. No other word for it. Bull was fucking happy. After Mia and Lexie had gotten over the trauma of losing two important people in their lives, their only family, they got back to themselves. Bull was fuckin’ shocked at his girls’ ability to carry on, to smile, joke, be fuckin’ nuts while they still grieved for people who were obviously their world.
He’d never forget Mia’s words that day in the car. The words she spoke to her daughter, trying to soothe her broken soul. What she had done was soothe Bull’s. Not completely; it would always be like a break that never healed right, but in that moment, she brought the sunshine in to the last dark corner of his soul. He loved her even more in that moment than he ever had. He loved her. Had for a while. He’d never admit it to himself. He couldn’t. He thought by doing that he’d be betraying her, dishonoring her memory somehow. Now he knew, he fuckin’ knew she’d want him to be happy. Have his family.
He’d never be happy like Cade was, like Brock was. Just wasn’t in him to show that easy affection his brothers did. Not anymore. He knew it got to Mia, hurt her. He struggled with that. No, battled with that. So he did his best to show her when it was just them, when he had a moment, how much she meant to him. How much she owned his soul.