Nova (Silver Saints MC)

He crowded me toward the back end of the car before flinging open the back door to reach inside for our bags. Gathering the straps in one hand, he hefted them out, shut the door, and slid his other arm around my shoulder.

“She the babysitting job?” one of the guys asked after letting out a long whistle of appreciation.

Nova angled us so he was blocking me from their view as he grunted, “Yup.”

Babysitting job? It was good to know where I stood with him, just in case my vagina forgot that nothing was going to happen between us.

“You going to introduce us?” the other guy asked.

Nova tugged me close. “Nope.”

“C’mon, man,” the first guy complained. “You don’t have to be a dick just because you were stuck driving the ’Stang instead of your bike.”

“Give him a break. You know he doesn’t like taking her on road trips,” the second guy grunted.

I peeked around Nova’s side. “Why not? She handles beautifully on the open road.”

Both guys' eyes widened, but it was the first one who said, “Whoa. Hold up. He let you drive the Mustang?”

I rolled my eyes at the outrage in his tone. Seriously, what was it with guys and thinking that girls couldn’t drive a stick?

Arching my brow and lifting my chin, I chirped, “Yup.”

The second guy turned toward the first and muttered, “Another one bites the dust.”

“What in the—”

“Ignore them. I plan to,” Nova advised as he started to guide me toward the building.

“Okey dokey then,” I mumbled.

His low chuckle sent shivers down my spine, and I was still trying to shake them off when we walked inside. I hadn’t been sure what to expect since I’d never been inside an MC clubhouse before, but what I could see of the huge open room was much cleaner than I would’ve thought. The long bar to the left of me definitely fit with the picture in my imagination, even with Arya sitting on a stool holding her son.

“Rylee, you’re here!” she squealed, bouncing in her seat a little.

Ducking out of Nova’s hold, I rushed over and reached out to lift the adorable baby boy out of my friend’s arms. “Ooh, gimme.”

She laughed and shook her head. “I should’ve known you’d make a beeline for Grady without even saying hi to me. You’ve always been baby crazy.”

“How could I not fall head over heels for this little guy?” I cooed as I stared down into his precious little face. “He got his momma’s dark hair and his daddy’s green eyes. It’s a killer combination. The girls are going to follow him around like lost little puppy dogs when he grows up.”

“Over my dead body,” she muttered, sliding off the stool.

“Don’t even joke about shit like that,” Dax growled as he prowled toward us, aiming a glare at Nova. “Quit giving my woman a hard time.”

“She was my sister before she was your old lady,” Nova shot back, crossing his arms over his chest. “And I haven’t even had a chance to say a word to her yet.”

Dax’s gaze softened when he reached Arya’s side, sliding a finger under her chin to tilt her head back. “What’s got you all worked up, baby?”

“Our son isn’t allowed to date until he’s at least twenty,” Arya announced with a stubborn glint in her eyes.

Dax chuckled and shook his head. “You sound like I did when you kept trying to tell me we were gonna have a girl.”

“That’s my fault.” I rocked Grady from side to side when he stirred in my arms. “I made the mistake of pointing out how gorgeous your son is going to be when he grows up.”

“Ahh, gotcha.” Dax threw his arm around Arya and pulled her against his side. “Do me a favor and try to limit how often you get her all riled up. I’d hate for her to be cranky the entire time you’re with us.”

“Cranky?”

“With you?”

The siblings’ questions were said in unison, making me laugh. Dax brushed a kiss against the top of Arya’s head before turning to Nova. “Yeah, we drove over to give Rylee a ride back to our place.”

“That’s not gonna happen,” Nova growled with a sharp shake of his head. “Mac put me in charge of her safety. Not you.”

Dax waved off his argument. “Your sister thought Rylee would be more comfortable staying with us since they’re friends. I just finished talking to Mac, and he was fine with the change of plans as long as the girls stick close to home.”

“Which totally won’t be a problem since we’re still being careful about where we take Grady since he’s so young. It won’t be a hardship to hang out with Rylee here or at our house,” Arya added as she leaned forward to stroke her finger down her sleeping son’s cheek.

“Need I remind you that the Ukrainian mob is after Rylee?” Nova growled. “You don’t need that kind of complication right now.”