He glanced over at me, flashing his dimple before he returned eyes to the road. “All the stuff?”
“Yeah, that ego of yours is so fragile,” I muttered, causing him to boom with laughter as we pulled into the gravel parking lot of Mad’s. Suddenly I felt a bit anxious, wondering if I’d fit in.
“No one will fuck with you here,” he assured me.
“I know,” I replied softly. And I did.
“Then what?” he pressed gently.
I shrugged. “Your family and friends have all been so kind and welcoming to me. Sometimes it doesn’t feel quite real.” I struggled to explain. “For so long I didn’t fit anywhere.”
“You fit anywhere I am,” he returned with such confidence it was impossible to not to believe him. “Plus, I think my family likes you more than me.” He smiled.
I blushed. That wasn’t true, but I was definitely close with his mom and sister. As for his dad and brothers, we still had a ways to go. I had yet to even meet Caleb, and Holden, the youngest, had been engrossed in a video game every time I’d seen him. Axel was still careful around me, knowing he intimidated me somewhat. But that was getting better day by day.
“My only concern is any motherfucker who doesn’t know you’re mine trying to make a move,” Maddox growled. “Shouldn’t have let you outta the house like that.”
I looked down at the blue jeans and tank top I wore. “What, in clothes?” I teased. “Sorry my burlap sack is at the cleaners.”
His eyes glittered. “Even in a fucking sack you’d be the most gorgeous girl I’ve ever seen.”
I knew that was true, too. That he thought that. The fact that a man as beautiful and amazing as Maddox desired me as much as he did was a daily high I never wanted to come down from.
He leaned in and kissed me silly before taking my hand and guiding me inside, my lemon bars balanced on his other hand.
When we walked into the dimly lit bar, heavy metal blaring through the speakers, I scanned the room, spotting the girls at a table toward the back.
Cash was behind the bar, his eyes trained on the baked goods in Mad’s hand. Before he had a chance to snatch them, I took them from Maddox, and with a quick kiss, headed back to meet my girls.
“She’s awesomeandshe comes with treats!” Wren grinned when I took the empty chair at the table, sliding the pan next to the pitcher of beer.
“Yas, girl!” Ginnie grinned, diving for one immediately as Olivia poured me a beer.
“My diet can start tomorrow,” Emmie grumbled, reaching for one as well.
“You don’t need to diet.” I shook my head. “You’re perfect.”
Liv shot me a wink, sliding a full glass my way. “Did you get much done at the bakery this morning?” she wanted to know.
“I got some really good observing done.” I nodded seriously. I hadn’t been able to take my eyes off Maddox in all his chiseled, sweaty glory.
They all laughed.
“I would just get in the way if I tried to help.” I shrugged. “But Mad and a few of the guys got a lot done. I think I should be able to open in a few weeks.”
“Amazing.” Gracie grinned.
“Hopefully everyone in Hawthorne thinks so,” I replied, sharing one of my fears. If after all of the club’s hard work the bakery wasn’t a success, I’d be heartbroken.
“Everyone will love it,” Wren assured me. “Especially if anything is half as good as these bars,” she added with her mouth full.
“It’ll be better,” I replied. Baking was one area where my ego wasn’t fragile. I was hell on wheels in the kitchen and I’d been working on some new recipes I couldn’t wait to share.
I watched Emmie’s eyes grow wide and then narrow at something behind me. I turned to see Gunner sliding onto a stool beside Maddox and Max at the bar.
“He’s supposed to be wearing a sling,” Emmie growled. “Stubborn man.”
“He’s probably doing it just to piss you off,” Liv put in. She likely wasn’t wrong. Those two loved to get a rise out of each other.
