“I do, actually. Every time I go to the dentist, they give me one along with a mini tube of toothpaste. I usually end up using it to clean tiles or something. You’re lucky since I haven’t used the latest one yet.” Jinx’s voice floated out of the other room over the sound of running water.
He got out of bed, sauntering into the bathroom to tackle the teeth brushing before going down and cooking breakfast. He stopped dead in his tracks, taking in the view of Jinx bent over the counter,toothbrush in her mouth. He wished he had his cell phone with him so he could take a picture.
She met his gaze in the mirror. Viking moved next to her, taking the unopened brush she offered. It took monumental effort for him to go through the mechanical motions of brushing his teeth while he stared transfixed at Jinx. She moved around the room, starting the bathwater and adding shit he assumed were her favorites. He inhaled, smelling a hint of raspberry and something he couldn’t name. Whatever it was, he decided it was delicious.
“I’ll holler when breakfast is ready. Take your time soaking.” He kissed Jinx’s forehead before exiting the bathroom, feeling like a fool standing at the sink watching her.
He pulled his jeans on and grabbed his cell phone, heading down already thinking about food. With a few quick texts, he sent a request to his brother Keys with the Royal MC, asking him to look into Benjamin Clemons. Keys quickly messaged he’d get on it.
Jinx’s kitchen made it easy to work in. Before he began cooking, he made two cups of coffee. Remembering the way she’d ordered hers, he addedcream and sugar, hoping it was correct. Walking back up the stairs to the bathroom, he paused as he heard her singing.
“Knock, knock,” he said, entering the bathroom with her coffee in one hand and his in the other. He set his on the counter by the sink and continued toward the tub. Jinx lay with her head resting on the back while music played softly.
“Hey, you. Whatcha got there?” She held her hand out but didn’t sit up.
“I figured you could use some coffee if you’re anything like me.” He placed the mug on the small shelf that stretched across the porcelain.
She sat up, water sloshing slightly, and took the cup. “Oh, you are a God among men,” she vowed.
He ran the tip of his finger over the swell of one exposed breast. “And you are a vixen. Enjoy your coffee and bath. I’m going to go cook before I lose my mind.”
He pulled out bacon and eggs, locating bread and the toaster in a cabinet. By the time he’d drunk two cups of coffee, finished making enough baconfor him and Jinx, and was ready to whip up some eggs, he heard Jinx’s soft tread.
His mind whirled. “Damn, you take my breath away. If my MC brothers heard me, they’d probably beat the shit out of me, but fuck, they’d be jealous bastards.”
“You’re in an MC?” she asked.
Shit, he realized he hadn’t told her about his life. “Have a seat. We can eat while I tell you about my shitshow of a life.”
He turned back to the stove, hating the thought of digging up old hurts and memories.
Jinx’s soft hand landed on his back. He sucked in a breath, closing his eyes, and he dropped his head.
“You don’t have to if it’s too hard,” she whispered.
He turned, leaning against the counter, pulling her in close to him. “You’re too damn good for me, Jinx. The shit you’ve gone through, and you say that to me? I don’t deserve you, but I’ll be damned if I’ll give you up. It’ll have to be you who runs from me.”
She pressed up onto her toes, giving him a sweet kiss. “Well, unless you tell me you’re a serial killer or cheater, then you’re safe. I’m not really a runner.”
He quirked a brow, knowing she’d run from her family, but that was necessary.
“How do you like your eggs, Vakker?” he asked.
“Scrambled.”
He held up the spatula, pointing it toward her. “My specialty. Have a seat. I’ll have breakfast ready in no time.”
“Can I do anything to help?” she asked, refilling her cup of coffee.
“If you want to make some toast, that would be great.”
They worked together, finishing their breakfast, and sat down to eat. Viking ate the last piece of bacon, then sat back and sighed. He didn’t want to ruin the peace they’d found, but she deserved to know the truth.
“When I was eighteen, I met Nancy. She was seventeen, and we were the couple everyone swore would last forever. Our parents were friends, but she’d gone to an all-girls school from kindergarten through high school. We literally never met until our senior year. She seemed like this amazing new girl everyone wanted to be with, and every guy wanted to get with. I wasn’t so sure, but she decided we weremeant to be together. Obviously, I gave in, and we started dating.” He shook his head, thinking about those days. “Things were good at first, but it didn’t take long for red flags to start showing. My sister was a Freshman at the same time we were seniors. Nancy would throw a fit if she saw me talking to Solange because she was a girl, and all girls were off-limits. We had huge fights that always ended with her hitting me and breaking up with promises of killing herself. It was exhausting.”
“Good god, that sounds awful. How or why did you take her back?” she asked.
He rubbed his forehead. “She would beg and plead, and if that didn’t work, her parents would call mine. It was always the same damn thing. Finally, when I’d had enough and told my mom and dad what she’d been doing, they understood and were cool with me ending it for good. Nancy, being the manipulative bitch, and I, being the dumbass who fell for her tricks, found ourselves in a trap we couldn’t break. Her parents showed up at our house with a sobbing Nancy. Only I saw the look of triumph in her downturned face. I swear, I always used a condom. My mind went over the one time she had decided toput the latex on, with her mouth. I can’t say for sure, but I still wonder if she hadn’t sabotaged it. At the end of the day, she was pregnant, and our parents insisted we get married. It was fucked up, but at nineteen, I was married with a little girl I’d give my life for.”
