I kissed her softly, taking my time to explore while also trying to keep the fire from sucking me under. When the time came, Fiona would be mine. Until then, I had to make sure I drove her as crazy as she made me.
Chapter 11
Fiona
The next week flew by quickly. My typically monotonous routine was thrown out the window as each day brought new surprises. After my first date with Bash, we spoke on the phone every day. He had club business Tuesday night, but still waited for me outside work. Bash followed me to my place on his bike before coming up and kissing me breathless outside my door.
Dazed, he gently nudged me into my apartment, then waited until I was safely locked inside. Bull was insisting on coming to girls’ night that week, and it was getting a bit extravagant. To my surprise, he called me during my lunch break midweek to kick off the planning.
“If you cook dinner, I’ll bring dessert. I’ll pick up a cake from Sugar & Spice, if that’s what you want. Name your price.” Bull’s deep voice was pleading, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Fine, I’ll cook. What do you want? Ribs? Pot roast?” I asked, trying to think of something that would satisfy the giant.
“Any chance you could do a risotto?”
“Yes, I’ve made one before.”
“Thank fuck,” he grunted, and I couldn’t hold in the laughter at that point.
With the movie and menu settled for the night, all I had to do was get some ingredients. My lunch break was about to start, soI was quickly making a grocery list when a large shadow fell over my desk. Hunching my shoulders, I assumed Tyler and one of his cronies were hanging around my cubicle.
I shook that off quickly and sat up in my chair, spinning it around to address the unknown foe, only to stop short as my flats collided with the giant boot-clad feet encroaching on my space. Tilting all the way back, I couldn’t help the huge smile that broke through as I met Bash’s blue gaze.
“Hey, baby. Brought you lunch. Think I could steal you away for a bit? Figured we could eat at the park across the street,” he asked, as I just stared wordlessly at him.
It wasn’t lost on me the amount of attention my little cubicle was getting. People were peeking out of theirs, all over the floor, and groups of coworkers on their way to the break room had stopped to blatantly watch our interaction. Ignoring them, I stood up to greet Bash.
“Hi,” I said. Not exactly my most brilliant line. He smiled down at me and gently looped an arm around my back to bring me close to him, pressing a soft kiss to my mouth.
“Hi, back,” he said, and I blushed.
“Let me grab my purse, then we can go. T-to the park,” I stuttered out, overwhelmed by his presence.
He nodded at me, stepping back so I could grab my things. As soon as I was out of the cubicle, he slung his arm around me, tucking me closely to his side as we headed toward the elevators. Whispers followed our retreat, but none of it mattered. Only Bash did.
Lunch was lovely, and I was happy he had surprised me. Any alone time with him was exciting and new, but simple moments like that, the fact that he found time when I knew how busy that week was for him, meant so much to me. Picnics seemed to be our thing, and I loved it. We sat in the park, eating, as Bash talked about his preparations for the weekend.
“We’ve got about twelve Brothers coming in. Most of them are gonna crash at the clubhouse. Others have girls or friends in the area they’re going to stay with.
“They should be rolling in the middle of the afternoon on Saturday. I expect the party to kick into high gear by ten. We’re gonna have a pig roast, ribs, and all the fixings out back.”
I couldn’t help but wonder how the hell they were gonna fit all those people in the clubhouse. Not to mention, keeping the kitchen stocked. It would require a dozen grocery carts to keep that many people fed.
“So, as VP, what exactly do you do?” I asked, trying to understand what his role really meant.
“A little bit of everything. Mainly, I try to handle the majority of club business without dragging Reaper into it. I check in with all the businesses, handle any disputes, and do most of the coordinating with the other charters.”
“That sounds like a lot of work—like all of the work, honestly. How do you manage both club responsibilities and your regular job?” I couldn’t help but worry. He had dark bags forming under his eyes, and I was concerned he was pushing himself too hard.
“Well, it helps that the garage is one of the club businesses. People understand that I’m needed in multiple places, or if a Brother needs me, they know where to find me. My dad was VP before me. I grew up watching him handle everything, so I guess, a part of it just came naturally. It’s still fairly new. Dad stepped down a little over a year ago because of some health issues. He’s doing fine now, but it definitely took some time for me to adjust.”
“I’m sorry to hear that about Guard. I had no idea. Retirement seems to suit him well, though.” Bash grunted at that.
“What?” I asked.
“When I first took over, he was like a backseat driver, commenting on every decision I made. Finally, he took a stepback and let me do my own thing, and it’s working out much better for both of us. Now, he’s enjoying hearing about all the drama, but not having to deal with it. Lucky bastard.”
“That sounds more like Guard.” I smiled.
