Viper's Demands (Ruthless Sinners MC 8)

“Glad you think so.” He gave me a wink, then said, “I need to check on the potatoes.”

“Okay.”

I followed him into the kitchen and wasn’t surprised to find it just as fabulous as the rest of the house. With a mixture of subway tiles and natural timbers, it had clean lines and plenty of open space for cooking and fun, and the ceiling to floor windows gave the perfect view of the lake. I was in complete awe as I watched Thatch open the stove to check the potatoes.

I couldn’t believe it.

He was sexy, smart, had a good head on his shoulders, and not only owned a gorgeous home, but he cooked, too.

It was official.

Thatch was the perfect man.

As soon as he finished checking the potatoes, he walked over to me and pressed his lips against mine in a heart-melting kiss, then asked, “Would you like a glass of wine?”

“Sure.” I stepped over to the stove and peeked at all the veggies. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Nope, I got it.” He handed me the glass of wine and said, “Just make yourself comfortable.”

I was about to sit down when I realized I had no idea to where Cat had run off. Worried that she might’ve gotten into something, I told him, “I better go see about Cat first.”

The words had barely left my mouth when she came barreling through the doorway with a gift bag in her hand. “What’s this?”

“That’s your birthday present.” He motioned his hand to the end of the counter and announced, “Got you a cake, too.”

“Really?”

“Mm-hmm.” Thatch walked over and knelt down in front of her. “I was going to give it to you after dinner, but if it’s okay with your mom, you can open it now.”

“Can I, Mom? Can I, pleeeze?”

“Yes, sweetie. You can open it.”

She immediately dove into the bag and pulled out two boxes—one with a Ken doll and the other with a Barbie that looked just like me. She held them both up with the biggest smile and exclaimed, “It’s you and a new Thatch!”

“Well, how about that. They’re great!”

My heart nearly exploded in my chest as I watched Cat reach up and give Thatch a big hug. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, kiddo.”

She released her hold on him, then looked over to me. “Can I go play?”

“Just until dinner’s ready.” I pointed to the adjoining sunroom. “You can set up in there until I call you.”

“Okay.”

With that, she darted out of the room with her dolls, leaving Thatch and me alone tending to dinner. “You know, you really didn’t have to do that.”

“Yeah, I did. I couldn’t let her be stuck with a Sharpie-bearded Ken.”

“You could have, but she’s certainly glad you didn’t.”

“I’m happy she likes it.” He walked over and picked up his beer from the counter. “What about her actual birthday? Did you do anything special?”

“Yes, but that came after the whole situation with Cat’s school and her father.”

“Over the gift he sent?”

“She told you about that, huh?”

“Yeah, she might’ve mentioned it when she called.”

“I gotta say, I was really worried about how the night would turn out, but talking to you definitely improved her mood. By the time we met my parents at the restaurant, she was back to her old self.”

“That’s great to hear.” He took a slug of his beer. “Talking to her helped me through a tough spot, too.”

“Oh? Did something happen?”

“We lost a brother the other night.” Anguish filled his eyes. “We were finishing up his memorial service when she called.”

“Thatch, I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”

“No way you could’ve known. It was one of the reasons I was so busy the past few days.”

“I wish I had. I would’ve done something ... At the very least been there for you.”

“You’re here now.” He leaned in and kissed me on the forehead. “That’s all that matters.”

As much as I didn’t like that he hadn’t told me about his brother, I decided not to push it. I hoped in time he’d see that he could trust me enough to tell me these things on his own. I took a sip of my wine, then asked, “So, what’s for dinner?”

“Well, I have steaks and potatoes for you and me, and I made some dino-nuggets for Cat.”

“Dino-nuggets?” I asked with surprise. “Really? Those are her favorites.”

“I’m not surprised. They’re the best ever. I’ve made many a meal with just them and a bowl of ramen noodles.” He chuckled, then said, “Speaking of which, I better go check the steaks.”

He opened the sliding glass door and stepped out to the grill and had just started to flip the steaks when there was a knock at the door. “Hey, Thatch! There’s someone at the door.”

“I’m not expecting anyone.” The flames started to flare up, so he said, “Can you check to see who it is?”