A beat of silence settled over the table. Barrett shifted his attention to me.
“Is that it?” he prompted. “You were out pretty late. I had to keep the steaks warm until you got back. Did you really spend all that time at the bookstore?”
Shit. Barrett was a smart man. He would be able to smell if something was off.
Were Ruby and I ready to spill the secret of our relationship right now though? Over dinner?
“The clubhouse,” I said. Since that part was true, and I owed my best friend that much. “Dash and I agreed to surprise the girls with a few drinks. And it seemed only fair that Ruby got a taste of a few biker Christmas traditions, after everything she’s put me through so far.”
Barrett raised his eyebrows, but I could see the concern in his gaze. I couldn’t imagine a father would take it lightly that his twenty-five year old daughter was hanging out at a biker bar.
“The clubhouse.” He cleared his throat. “I mean no offense to the company you keep, Dean, but please tell me you didn’t let Ruby out of your sight.”
“No, sir. I did not.”
In fact, I kept her pinned beneath me where no man could even look at her, let alone touch her.
“Dad,” Ruby objected. “I can take care of myself.”
“I never said you couldn’t," Barrett replied. "It’s just…a precaution. And if you get pregnant with a biker’s baby, you will be the one who breaks that news to your mother. Not me.”
She gave a loud, dramatic groan.
“Oh my God, Dad. Stop.”
I stifled a laugh into my napkin.
After dinner was over and we began clearing away the dishes, Barrett stretched his arms over his head with a sigh.
“Dean, can I interest you in some bourbon or scotch? I’ve got a few bottles in my den that I’ve been saving up for a special occasion. Ruby hates the stuff. And I don’t really like drinking alone.”
“I’ll never say no to a glass of bourbon or scotch,” I replied.
“Perfect. Be right back.”
Then Barrett was gone and suddenly I found myself alone in the kitchen with Ruby. That sexual tension between us was beginning to bubble up again. As soon as Barrett had turned the corner, Ruby grabbed my belt and tugged me close. Standing on tiptoe, she stole a quick kiss.
“Ruby—fuck—are youtryingto get us caught?” I hissed.
She draped her arms around my neck, pressing her tits against my chest. I groaned as my self-control crumbled. In an instant, I had my hands under that damn mini skirt again, squeezing her ass.
“Of course I’m not trying to get us caught,” she protested. “But you look so good that I can’t keep my hands to myself.”
God, those puppy brown eyes could melt the strongest man’s will of iron.
“We have to tell your dad, honeybee,” I said. “Sooner, rather than later. I don’t like sneaking around behind his back like this.”
She sighed.
“We’re notsneaking. We’re just…”
“Not telling him,” I said with a stern look.
She winced and wrinkled her nose.
“I’m working on it, okay?”
“What’s the hang up, baby?” I asked, tilting my head to look in her eyes. “Do you think he’ll be angry?”
