Copper (Hell's Handlers MC 4)

“I know you, Copper, I have no doubt you did your best by him.”

Their gazes met and held for a charged second, but the moment was broken when Beth came stampeding back, shoes on the wrong feet and jacket hanging from one arm. After fixing her up, Shell sent her out the door with Copper. From the window, she watched him lift her daughter into the car seat he kept in the back of his truck. Just for a moment, she allowed herself to plot out the fantasy of Copper being Shell’s father. The two of them off for a daddy-daughter outing.

Why did she torture herself this way?

With a heavy sigh, Shell made her way into the bathroom, stripping off clothes as she walked. She turned on the water, squirted a healthy stream of bubble bath into the tub, lit a few candles, and grabbed her waterproof vibrator.

What could she say? She liked her baths.

As she sank down into the warm suds a few moments later, she sighed in pleasure. Felt like she was playing hooky from life. Her stressors were mounting, especially with the upcoming Monday being the first of a new month. And that meant parting with a considerable chunk of money courtesy of an old debt left by her father. She shoved that thought out of her head. The house was quiet, the water was warm, and she was alone. She wasn’t going to waste her precious solo time with concerns beyond her control. Nothing chased away a bad mood quite like a hot bath.

And an orgasm.

On that note, Shell reached for the purple vibrator and turned it up to her preferred speed. Water rippled outward in circles as she lowered it under the foam. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself one of her favorite indulgences. Copper’s face came into view, then his bare chest, arms, and of course his cock. She had no actual proof of its size, but he was a big and powerful man. He had to be packing something drool-worthy, right?

Later tonight, she could chastise herself for engaging in activities that would only make her fall deeper, but for now?

Now she’d get some much-needed pleasure from thoughts of the man always just out of reach.

CHAPTER FOUR

“ALL RIGHT, PRINCESS, what do you want?” Copper asked Beth.

From her spot in his arms, she grinned like they were at Disney World instead of an ice cream parlor. “That one,” she said, pointing to a chocolate brownie flavor.

“You got it. Cone or dish?”

“Cone. No, dish. No, cone. No—"

Copper laughed. Being in a shit mood around Beth was pretty much an impossibility. “How ’bout this? We’ll have ’em put the ice cream in a dish and shove a cone on top? Best of both worlds.”

Beth clapped her hands on his cheeks, then rubbed the hair on his face. The girl was obsessed with his beard. They were gonna be in trouble when she got older and was surrounded by young bearded wannabe bikers. He’d be handing out death threats like Halloween candy. “That’s the best idea ever.”

A scrawny teen with braces and zits appeared behind the counter. Wide-eyed, he glanced at the patch on Copper’s cut before asking, “Uh, you know w-what you want, uh, sir?”

Sir. That was rich. He appreciated the show of respect, but the last thing he wanted to be called was sir. “Yeah, that one there,” he said pointing to Beth’s choice. “Single scoop in a dish with a cone.”

“With rainbow sprinkles!” Beth squealed. “And that one!” She pointed to cookies and cream. “And that one too” Peanut butter. “And tha—”

“Hey, princess,” Copper mock growled as he tickled Beth’s belly and enjoyed the sweet giggles. “You trying to get me killed? You ever seen your mom mad?”

Beth’s eyes grew huge, and she nodded like he’d asked her if she knew the secrets of the universe. “Yes,” she whispered in his ear. “She is scary when she’s super mad.”

“Exactly. And what do you think is going to happen to me if I get you five scoops of ice cream?” He rubbed his beard against her cheek eliciting another round of giggles.

“She’ll be so happy!” Beth threw her little fists in the air as she continued to laugh.

“Yeah, easy for you to say. It’ll be my ass she’ll burn.” He shifted his attention to the gawking teenage employee. Probably not every day the kid saw a huge biker making a squirt of a four year old crack up. “Single scoop, that brownie thing, dish, cone, rainbow sprinkles. Got it?”

“Y-yeah. Coming right up.”

“You getting ice cream, Copper?”

The kid looked at him. “Yeah, I’ll take a chocolate shake.”

“Yes, sir.”

Somehow, he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. After settling the bill, he led a bouncing Beth to a booth in the ice cream shop. As he was folding his body in the too small space, his phone chimed with a text. It was Jig.