After Burn (Lost Kings MC 10)

I didn’t feel like our life was incomplete. Or we were missing anything. But after hearing our baby’s heartbeat today and finally sharing the news with the club, I can’t wipe the grin off my face.

If only Hope shared my excitement.

“You okay, baby doll?”

She’s been quiet since we got roped into dinner at the clubhouse. I can’t tell if she’s not feeling well or it’s something else.

Murphy and Heidi headed to bed a while ago.

Hope and I are settled on the couch in front of the fireplace. Her head rests in my lap and my hand idly strokes through her hair, down her side and over her hip. She lets out a contented little sigh before answering my question.

“This is nice. Do you think things will change?”

“Between us or in general?”

She sits up, drawing her knees to her chest. “Both, I guess.”

“Sure. I know you think I’m a big caveman, but I’ll help you.”

Her lips twitch. “I already know how good you are with babies after having Alexa here.”

Couldn’t help it. Hard not to love that little girl. “Right. And you know the club will help. You saw how excited everyone was. They weren’t faking that shit.”

Now I get a full laugh out of her. “True.”

“What’s really bothering you, baby doll?”

Her eyes gloss over and I work not to smile. Hormones. My sweet woman’s as sensitive as ever.

“I don’t want anything to change between us.”

“Everything will change. Good changes.”

“Okay.”

“Come here.” I lunge forward and wrap my arms around her, pulling her into my lap. “Tell me what’s bothering you.”

“I just did.”

“My feelings for you won’t change. I love you more every day, Hope.”

A soft aww sounds passes her parted lips and she leans in to press kisses over my cheek and to my ear. “I love you.”

I settle my hand over her stomach and her mouth quirks. “You’ll be doing that more and more, won’t you?”

“All the time.”

While she’s staring down at my hand, I move and accidentally—I swear—brush the underside of her breast. The little gasp of surprise she lets out stirs me up.

“Sensitive?”

“No.” She hesitates. “Maybe.”

I do it again.

“Is that everything?” I ask, pressing kisses along her jaw.

She bites her lip. “I… I loved going on that trip with you. Going to National. Being by your side. We had a lot of fun. Even though things got a little crazy in Florida at the end.”

My mouth quirks, little crazy’s an understatement.

“Loved having you with me.”

“And now I can’t help feeling like that’s all over with.” She glances down. “You’ll still have to go off and do those things. But you’ll do them without me.”

“Hey.” I touch my fingers to her chin and tilt her head up. “I don’t want to do any of that without you. Murphy made it work. So will we.”

“You think so?”

“Fuck yeah.”

A weight seems to lift off her shoulders and she takes a deep breath.

“Is that all that’s bothering you?”

“What if you do decide to take a role on the national board? That will mean a lot more—”

“Hope, I promise you, baby or no baby, that is the last thing I want to do.”

“Okay.”

“What else?”

“Well, I already told you,” she runs her hands over her hips, “I’m worried about the gaining weight thing.” Her lips quirk into a smile. “But you helped me conquer that one pretty quick.”

“Damn right I did.” I kiss the hollow at the base of her throat, along her collarbone and up to her ear. “I’m more than willing to show you how sexy you are any time you need a reminder.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

I need a nap.

A long one.

I felt like I was walking through mud all day. The drive home had never seemed so long.

While I wait for the clubhouse gate to open, I pop another ginger candy in my mouth, hoping it settles my stomach. I can’t believe I have to carry around an emergency in-case-I-barf-all-over-myself bag with me now. Shirt, toothbrush, toothpaste, wet wipes, crackers, and my new favorite thing, ginger candies.

It’s twilight as I pull into the clubhouse lot. Murphy and Z are silhouetted in the light spilling from one of the garages.

Murphy turns and waves, then jogs over to my car.

“Pull in there, Hope.” He points to the garage in front of me instead of where I normally park. “I want to check a few things tomorrow morning.”

“Okay.”

Something in my tone must catch his attention because instead of returning to Z, he follows me into the garage and holds my door open.

“Everything okay?” he asks.

“Just a long day.”

Z and his dogs meet us outside the garage. “How was your day, Hope?”

“Long.” I stop to pet both Ziggy and Zipper, laughing when they each bump a cold, wet nose against my cheek.

Wrath steps out of the garage, wiping his hands on a towel. “I thought I heard that wussy little engine of yours,” he teases.

Because I’m an adult about to become a mother, I do the only acceptable thing and stick my tongue out at him.

“Why are you all out here?” I ask.

Murphy points to Wrath and then himself. “We were actually working. I’m not sure what this clown’s doing.” He nods at Z.

“Working out the old-fashioned way.” He pokes Murphy’s stomach. “You should give it a try so you’re not packing on more weight while Furious is down.”

“Get off me, jackass.” Murphy laughs while he shoves Z back.

Only then do I take in Z’s shirtless body, glistening with sweat in the fading daylight. My heart may belong to only one man, but I can’t help noticing what’s right in front of me in all its spectacular glory.

“Are you eyeballing my trail of tears?” Z asks, running his hand down his inked abs and over the dark trail of hair disappearing under the waistband of his gym shorts.

“Your what?” I answer, dragging my gaze up to meet his laughing eyes. “Why would you refer to anything on your body as something sad?”

Next to me, Murphy snickers. “Why even ask, Hope?”

“Because,” Z says, drawing my attention away from Murphy. “And this is the truth, Hope. Ladies cry tears of joy when they see the monster I’m smuggling in my pants.”

Wrath and Murphy lose it, laughing at both of us.

“Rock’s gonna kill you,” Wrath finally sputters out.

“What? She asked.”

“I’ve just never heard that before,” I protest, averting my gaze toward the woods. “I thought guys called it their happy trail. Never mind.”

“Come on, Hope. I’ll walk you home,” Murphy says, holding out his hand for my briefcase and the tote bag with the three-inch heels that never used to bother my feet. “You shouldn’t be subjected to this.”

We leave Z and Wrath in the garage trading insults at each other. Murphy shakes his head and offers me his arm. “You’re such a gentleman,” I say, grateful to have the assistance.

“You look tired.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“I didn’t mean it in a bad way,” he says patiently. “We all worry about you. That’s all.”

I snort. “Worry about me,” I grumble. “Z made fun of me.”

“Nah, he wanted to make you laugh.”

I sigh and grip his arm a little tighter as the ground gets more uneven. “I am tired. I swear I took a nap at two red lights on the way home.”

Murphy slows his steps and stares at me. “That’s dangerous, Hope.”

Realizing my mistake, I shake my head. “You’re going to tell Rock I said that, aren’t you?”

His mouth

twists as he struggles to come up with an answer that won’t be a lie or offensive to me. “Promise me you’ll be careful. If you’re tired, call me. I’ll come get you.”

“You have more important things to do than chauffeur me around.” I squeeze his arm. “The big grand reopening is coming up soon.”

Maybe I can take his mind off worrying about me with talk of the gym.

“Our first lady is more important.”

No such luck.

Tears sting my eyes. Dammit, I’m tired of being so weepy. “Thank you, Murphy.”

He opens the front door and sets my briefcase down by the staircase. “You hungry?”

“Starving.”