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She slid off her stool and stood in front of me. I pulled her into my arms, and she tipped her face and met my gaze. Her green eyes sparkled in the soft light.

“Are we really doing this?” she asked.

“Late nights and early morning coffee sounds good to me.”

She smiled. “Will you tell me what happens at the lawyer?”

“Text me when you’re out of school. I’m free until the club meets for church.” I loosened my arms and dipped down for one more kiss. “I should go.”

She followed me to the door with her hands wrapped around her mug of coffee. “If Holly can’t meet for dinner, I’m going to stop by the grave. I’ll text you when I get home.”

“Sounds good.” This should’ve felt awkward, but it didn’t. This felt too fucking right, like I was home when I was with her.

While I sat on the bench and put on my boots, she leaned against the wall and sipped her coffee.

“You need anything, call me.” I shrugged on my cut and tapped my pockets for my keys. Fuck. And my phone. I hadn’t thought about it once while I’d been with Jaymi. I curved my palm around the nape of her neck, pulled her mouth to mine, and kissed the fuck out of her. Tongues, teeth, lips, tasting of coffee and something too good for me, but I wanted more.

I stepped out the door, and Jaymi opened the garage from inside the house. Then she stood in the threshold of the open screen, dim light from the kitchen casting her in silhouette, and watched me ride away.

The streets were dark and quiet. The ride gave me time to run back the night with Jaymi. Exclusive. As in I had a girlfriend. Before Natalie, my dates were more like short-term hookups. Then after I got with Natalie, we stumbled into marriage. We were together because we had a kid, but she had her girlfriends, and I had the Crawlers.

Never thought being with a female could feel like this, like I belonged with her all the time. When this shit was over, I wanted to go on dates. I wanted her on the back of my bike, ride her out to the lake, and spend the night between her thighs. I didn’t need to worry about Lili. She loved Jaymi.

But would she love her the same way if she knew I was dating her teacher? Lili seemed to accept Henri being with her mom. Not that I had to worry about it now. Jaymi and I were going to be on the downlow for the foreseeable future.

I pulled into the entrance of the MC, entered the code at the box, rode through the gate, and rolled to a stop next to Kodiak’s Harley. I stretched my shoulders as I climbed from the bike. I had a lot to do today, but it was going to be a long night. Maybe I could catch a couple more hours of sleep.

The clubhouse door was unlocked. Unusual. Inside, the light behind the bar was on. Maybe Cruz had just come in. I relocked the door and snapped off the light.

I rubbed the back of my neck. I really was tired. Going back to bed sounded good. Jaymi in my bed sounded better. I’d made it two weeks without her. I could make it to Sunday.

Kodiak came around the corner. A couple things happened all at once. He came to a jarring halt, he dropped his arm to his side, and the hair on the back of my neck prickled. Maybe it was being a parent, or maybe it was just that I’d spent most of my life facing guys like Kodiak. But I recognized guilt and fear in a person’s eyes.

With Lili, it was eating too many cookies. Kodiak had his hand in someone’s cookie jar. He couldn’t hide the wrapped brick in his hand.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

Tension thickened between us. “I live here.”

“After you left last night, and when I didn’t see your ride out front, I figured you spent the night with your old lady.”

Where I spent the night wasn’t any of his business. What he had in his hand was definitely my business. That he’d fuck up what we had with the Hellers was my business. That my best friend would get himself into more trouble pissed me off because what happened to him affected me.

He must have assumed my answer when I didn’t respond because a nervous chuckle slipped from his lips. “Dipping before sunrise? Was she shit in bed?”

“I don’t think who I’m fucking is any of your business.” I glanced at the package in his hand. “What are you doing?”

One brow cocked, and his head tilted. “I know this isn’t any of your business.”

I used Jaymi’s box breathing technique. Inhale. One. Two. Three. Fuck this. “None of my business? You’re fucking dealing out of the clubhouse.” My voice rose. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Kodiak moved with the speed and the intensity of a cornered animal. With one hand to my chest, he thrust me against the wall and pinned me there. “Lower your fucking voice.”

I shoved hard against him, dislodging his arm. “Fuck you. What the fuck are you thinking? You swore this shit wasn’t coming into the club. You promised you weren’t dealing.”

“I’m not dealing. I’m transporting.” He crowded into my space. “Trust me. I’m keeping it out of the club.”

“You’re full of shit. If it was out of the club, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” I glanced down at the plastic-wrapped brick in his hand. “Weed, blow, or smack?”