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"Okay," I rumbled, pulling back even as she let out a loud objection. "Gotta stop now, or we'll be giving your neighbors a free x-rated show," I said, hands running up and down her back, going ahead and gliding over her ass too, but only for a second.
Holly let out a whimper as her forehead pressed into the center of my chest.
"I know," I agreed, feeling a similar disappointed need inside.
"Okay," she said, sucking in a deep breath. "Come in. I need to check on the cupcakes," she added. "Do you know Dezi requested chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, and pistachio."
"Pistachio cupcakes?" I asked, dubious.
"I know. Sounds gross. There aren't actually pistachios in them. They're some of my favorites, actually. I told Dezi that. I think that's why he ordered them."
"Can I try one?"
"I made extras," she said, reaching down to take my hand, leading me up the front path.
I wasn't sure I'd ever held hands with a woman before. But I had to admit there was just something right about it.
The inside of the ranch was similar to the ones some of my aunts and uncles lived in with a kitchen that led into a dining room that sort of connected to the living room.
"Just let me check the cupcakes," she said, breaking away from me to go to the oven.
I planned to wait for her to do introductions, but from where she left me standing, I could see her brother sitting in the living room in his chair, giving me a hard look.
I'd never had to "meet the family" before.
There were a lot of firsts with Holly, it seemed.
I gave him a nod, moving forward into the living room.
I imagined it had screamed "bachelor pad" just a few months ago before Holly moved in. The bones of the room had all the typical signs. A brown leather couch, a black entertainment system, a massive TV, and a scuffed coffee table that didn't match the end table or the entertainment center.
But Holly had clearly spread out some of her things around. A throw pillow here, a blanket there, a candle on the coffee table, and some nice drapes on the windows.
"Shep," I said as I moved close. "Malcolm," I said, reaching out my hand toward him. He looked at it for a second before shaking it.
"You're who found my sister. And sat with her at the hospital."
"Yeah," I agreed, nodding.
"I owe you."
"Don't owe me shit. Just doing the right thing," I told him, sitting down on the couch across from him.
To that, he nodded. "She can't catch a break," he said, exhaling hard.
"She thinks you hate her," I told him.
"What?" he asked, jerking back.
"I told her she wasn't right."
"Things are just tense right now," he said.
I wasn't going to tell him that I knew about his struggle. It wasn't my place. He likely wouldn't like knowing that Holly was sharing that with me. At least not when she and I were so new.
"Oh, perfect!" Holly cheered in the kitchen, making her brother's lips curve up, making his eyes warmer.
"She's baking again."
"Yeah."
"She loves it. I'm worried she's not sleeping enough. But it's nice to hear her happy."
"She's doing okay," I told him. "And you'll keep getting stronger. She will get more sleep then.
"Shep, do you want chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, or pistachio?" she called.
"She asks as if anything she makes isn't good," he said to me. "Whatever you have extra of," he called back. "She told me you're a biker," he went on, giving me a hard look.
"Yep," I agreed. I wasn't going to lie to the man. He was the most important person in her life.
"Gotta ask, in this area," he clarified. "A guy who rides a bike, or a Henchmen?"
"Henchmen," I told him. "Is that a problem?"
"It's not my choice," he said, shrugging as well as he could with his restrictive brace. "But if there's one thing I know about your club, it's that you protect your women."
"We do," I agreed.
"Then I don't care what you do for a living. How'd you fuck up your hands?" he asked, a hint of accusation in his voice.
"Oh, right," Holly said, coming up behind me. I could hear the wince in her voice. "I, ah, I was going to explain that," she said, dropping down next to me as she put a tray of cupcakes down, handing a vanilla one to her brother.
"Explain what?" Shep asked, stiffening.
One look at Holly said she didn't want to talk about it.
I could save her the discomfort, at least.
"Holly called me a bit back because she thought some guy was taking pictures of her from his truck. She was worried it might be the same guy who attacked her. I don't think it was him, but he needed to learn a lesson regardless."
To that, Shep's smile spread. "Sounds like it. Why didn't you tell me that?" Shep asked, looking at his sister.
