Jack (The Kings of Mayhem MC Tennessee 1)

Jack’s brows knit together. He’s not impressed, but he also seems preoccupied with something.

Thankfully, Dolly is in the kitchen and has put on a new pot of coffee. Looking glamorous with fresh makeup and her hair done, she appears out of place amongst all the chaos and seedy aftermath of a clubhouse party.

Her eyes sparkle. “Well, don’t you two look like the party’s well and truly over. Coffee?”

“Yes, please.” I’m ready to murder a cup and accept it from her hungrily.

“What about you, honey?” she asks Jack.

He nods and takes a cup, but he seems far away. Jack’s definitely distracted, and I wonder if he’s thinking about waking up next to me like I’m thinking about how much I want him to keep waking up next to me.

“I’ll be in my office,” he says gruffly. “Let me know when you want a ride home.”

Dolly and I exchange looks.

Something is definitely up with him, and it’s more than a sore head.

As I sit at the long dining table, Sebastian and Riley walk in. Riley is as fresh as a daisy while Sebastian looks a sickly shade of green and has hickeys all the way up his neck.

“What the hell? Who gave you those?” I ask.

Sitting down with a mug of coffee, he looks at me over his sunglasses. “A lady doesn’t kiss or tell,” he says with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Oh, honey, there are no ladies here,” Riley says with a wink as she slides into the chair next to him. “I think we all proved that last night.”

“Speak for yourself,” I murmur.

“What, no ride for our motorcycle princess?” Riley looks shocked. “The way that man was looking at you last night, girlfriend, I thought you’d be riding that king’s horse all the way to Happyland.”

“Same,” adds Sebastian.

“Like I said… it’s not like that with us.” I stare at my coffee. “I have a feeling I could be buck-naked and begging, and he wouldn’t notice.”

My friends give me a sympathetic look but don’t let me wallow in self-pity.

“Let’s get your things and go back to Nashville,” Riley says.

“Yes, we can have a hangover slumber party at your apartment.” Sebastian is trying to cheer me up. Bless him. He loves slumber parties, despite being a twenty-two-year-old male.

I smile at them both.

It’s heartwarming to know how much my friends want me to come home, but I don’t want to leave, and they can tell.

Sebastian takes off his glasses. “You’re not coming with us, are you?”

I shake my head. “No.”

Riley smiles, but it definitely doesn’t reach her eyes.

While Sebastian leans forward and gives me a wink. “Good on you, Brontosaurus.”

“Thanks for understanding, guys.”

Riley puts her cup of coffee down. “While I don’t like the idea, I at least understand it.”

“Me, too. You should definitely stay.” Sebastian sits back and winks. “Go get him, tiger.”

Watching my friends pull away, leaves me feeling flat and alone, and Jack’s attitude toward me doesn’t help. I don’t know if it’s the alcohol talking or if my suspicions are correct, but I feel him pulling away from me this morning, and I wonder why he wants to put this distance between us.

He gives me a ride home where I shower and fix a pot of coffee. After taking a shower himself, he joins me in the kitchen and pours himself a cup, and I am excruciatingly aware of the gulf widening between us as we don’t talk.

Is it because I slept in his bed with him last night?

Did I get in the way of him having a good time?

There were lots of girls wanting his attention at the party, and I probably cramped his style.

Inwardly, I grimace.

Oh my God, he thinks I’m a giant cockblocker.

“Are you okay?” He surprises me by asking because I was about to ask him the same thing.

“I am, but are you?”

He sits at the counter. “What do you mean?”

“You’re so quiet, and I can’t help but feel like you’re angry at me.” I look at him. “Have I done something wrong?”

His tight face softens. “No.” He sighs as if he’s frustrated with himself. “I guess I’m preoccupied, is all.”

“Can I do anything? It might help to talk about it.” I lick my lower lip and notice his eyes drop to watch my tongue as I do it.

He clears his throat and stands. “No, there’s nothing you can do. This is something I have to deal with on my own.” He puts his cup down. “I’m going for a ride. Do you need me to pick anything up on the way home like milk or something?”

“No.” I put my cup down. “But do you think I can come with you?”

He pauses, and I can tell he is wrestling with the answer.

“It’d be nice to get out.” I shove my hands into my back pockets because suddenly I don’t know what to do with them. “It would be good to ride off this hangover.”