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Ink only hesitated for a moment before giving a brief nod. How fast things had changed for him. If he’d been asked that even twenty-four hours ago, he wouldn’t have believed it was even a possibility. Last night changed everything. He didn’t want to picture the future without her.
If everything went well tonight, he would have to talk with Hannibal about speaking with Hawk. It was tempting to talk to him now so he could let everyone know Jade belonged to them. She still had to agree to it, but that was a formality. No Dark Son gave up once they had their sights set on a goal.
“You’re a crazy fucker, but you’re my Brother.” Highdive clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Looks like your woman’s arrived, so I’ll make myself scarce.” Highdive tossed back the last of his drink and walked away.
Ink looked up and saw Jade back-lit in the doorway to the Clubhouse. He smiled. It looked like she had been in a rush to see them, too. She hadn’t taken the time to go home and change. Her hair was still up in the tight ponytail she wore for work. Her Leap polo shirt hid the amazing definition of her arms and the abs. The tight leggings she still wore were a bonus, though, because they hugged her ass in a way that made him want to stare at it for hours.
No makeup, probably still sweaty from work, and she was still the most gorgeous woman in the room. Ink stood and walked towards her. She didn’t look relaxed or happy to be there. Stress was written into every line of her body. Work must not have gone well.
He had plenty of ideas on how he could help her relax. Was she freaking out over the idea of him introducing her to the whip tonight? If he couldn’t get her in the right headspace, there was no way he was going to use it on her.
Maybe it would be better just to show her some of his practice drills instead, to demonstrate he knew what he was doing. No matter how much he enjoyed pushing limits and watching a woman tremble in anticipation and worry, he didn’t want her to truly fear him.
“Hey darlin’, it’s good to see you.” He scooped her up into a hug and almost immediately regretted it. She was stiff as a board in his arms. Instead of curling into him like she usually did, she arched away. He put her down and kissed her cheek. “Bad night?”
“Yeah, you could say that.” She didn’t look at him. “Anyway, could I get a drink?” She was looking around the room as if nervous.
“Sure.” He put his hand at the small of her back and registered her small flinch. He guided her towards the bar and puzzled over her strange reactions. If this was anyone but Jade, he would back away from the don’t touch me vibe she was throwing off.
She ordered a tequila. The instant the prospect set it down, she threw it back and gestured for another. He chuckled and filled it up a second time. She tossed that one back as well before turning around and putting her back to the bar. Not even a smile or thank you for the drink.
“Tell me what’s wrong, darlin’.”
“It’s nothing I can talk about.” Ink tried to step in front of her but she moved to the side, avoiding him. “You know what, I have to use the ladies’ room.” She slid away from him before he could even respond.
He watched, stunned, as she practically sprinted to the bathroom. With the way she had reacted to his touches, he’d wondered if she was hurt. But the quick gliding way she worked her way through the crowd put that theory to rest. Had he done something to piss her off?
“Hey. Where’s she going?” Hannibal’s smooth Louisiana voice asked. “Did you say something to piss her off already?”
Ink snorted at how in sync their thoughts were. He knew his Brother was teasing him, but the words hit hard. She hadn’t given him the chance to say anything, but he was pretty sure she was avoiding him for some reason. He shook his head, completely confused by the cold reactions he’d gotten from their usually warm woman. “No, I’m not sure what’s going on.”
Hannibal sighed. “I know you don’t believe in settling down with one woman, but please don’t chase this one away. I really think she could be something special.”
Ink didn’t only think she could be something special, he knew it. “It’s not that.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I agree with you. I told Highdive we were considering putting our patch on her back.”
The smile that quirked up Hannibal’s lips filtered all the way into his eyes. “You mean that?”
“Yeah. But from her attitude tonight, I don’t think it’s me you have to worry about.”
Doubt wormed its way into Ink’s confidence. If she was worried about what they planned to do later, then she needed to talk to them, not throw an attitude. He hadn’t thought she was the type of person to use bitchiness to hide fear, but what if he was wrong?
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that right now I feel like I’m a stranger who put unwanted moves on a woman who ran away as fast as she could.”
“I think you’re overreacting. Maybe she had a hard day at work.”
Ink had considered that, but something was setting off his warning bells and they wouldn’t settle. They watched her come out of the bathroom and instead of heading towards them, she slipped off towards the back and the pool tables.
Ink elbowed Hannibal and lifted his chin in the direction Jade had gone. “Overreacting? Then why instead of coming back to us, is she headed deeper into the party?”
Hannibal shrugged. “Maybe she’s looking for me. I mean, I am the more handsome of the two of us.”
Ink shook his head and laughed, but his heart wasn’t in it. They both knew that women usually preferred his country boy good looks over Hannibal’s more intimidating physique. That their outsides didn’t match what was inside was often commented on.
“I reckon we ought to find out.”
Jade was watching a pool game in the back between a few of their Brothers. She was running her hand along the side of the table as the men took their shots. She didn’t seem to flirt with them. In fact, she looked like she wanted to be anywhere but where she was. What was she doing?
