“He’s pissy ’cause Zara’s all up in Fabio’s dick,” I explained.
“If he likes it, he should put a ring on it,” she returned.
“Told him the same myself, baby. Says he’s not ready for an ol’ lady.”
“Then the eejit will have to watch Zara be all up in Fabio’s dick.” She waggled her eyebrows at me. “I know a secret.”
My head pulled back slightly, and I gave her a questioning look.
“Zara’s thinking about giving up the club girl business. She’s struggling to see how she’ll work twelve-hour days at the tattoo shop and then stay up half the night looking after the brothers’ needs. She has more seizures when she doesn’t look after herself, and she has to put her health first.”
“I get it,” I said grudgingly. “I’ll be sorry to lose her from the clubhouse. Zara’s a favorite of the brothers, so they’ll whine for a few weeks, but thems the breaks.”
“She’s worried about her health insurance,” Ash added.
“I dunno why. She’ll still be employed by the club, just in a different job.”
Aislynn smiled prettily at me. “God, I love how much you look after those girls. It proves underneath that sexy serial killer exterior, you’re a big ol’ softy, and I’m not totally loo-lah for being with you.”
I barked a laugh. “Yeah, you are. And I am a softy, until I’m not. You’ll do well to remember that.”
“Well, duh,” she sassed. “Why do you think I’m here? I love your soft side, but I love your bad side, too.”
I swallowed so hard, I felt my Adam’s apple bob.
Ash had started throwing the ‘love’ word around a lot lately, even in our phone calls, and it set my teeth on edge. I liked her, and I saw a future for us, and I was more touchy-feely with her than any other woman I’d had, but I wasn’t there yet, and probably never would be. I wasn’t the star-crossed lovers type. I liked her, and yeah, I’d caught feels, but my boys and my club would always come first.
She seemed to be going at a hundred miles an hour, and it made me wonder if introducing her to my boys this weekend would be too soon. Not because I didn’t want her to meet them, or them her, but more because it might send the wrong message.
She needed to slow her roll.
I pushed her away and leaned back to grab my beer from the bar top. “I’ll get a prospect to take you home if you’re bushed.” I knew I was being dismissive and probably a bastard, but I couldn’t deal with her being all up in my shit.
Her eyes widened on me, and her mouth formed a cute little ‘O’.
“You said you were tired, right, babe? Early start tomorrow. Need your ass outta here in plenty of time before my boys turn up. Can’t have ’em meetin’ any old bitch, can I?”
Aislynn took a step back, visibly wounded.
Yep,I thought,I’m a bastard.
“Don’t talk to me like that?” she snapped loudly. “What’s going on with you tonight? Your whole attitude changed in the space of five seconds.”
I took another pull from my bottle, my eyes drifting over her shoulder to study Candy as she twirled the pole topless. “Dunno what you’re talkin’ about.”
Aislynn craned her neck to see what I was looking at, then slowly turned back and stuck her tongue inside her cheek while she stared contemplatively at me, no doubt plotting my death.
I could’ve gotten lost in those dark blue eyes—hell, I wanted to, but I had a point to make. I liked her, and things between us had been good, so good that she was getting a little needy. It would be nice to give her all my time, but I had a club to run, and my boys were visiting. Though it sounded harsh, even to my ears, Aislynn wasn’t my priority. In fact, she was last in the queue.
“Message received,” she murmured, turning and waving at Scrap, who came trotting over with a look of worship on his face that I suddenly wanted to punch off.
“Would you mind giving me a ride back to the clubhouse?” she asked him sweetly.
“Sure,” he agreed, too damned quickly for my liking. Still, I kept my mouth shut, leaned back on the bar, and let my gaze slide back to Candy.
Aislynn leaned forward, kissed my cheek softly, and whispered, “Later, honey.” Then she turned on her heel and strutted her sweet little ass toward the exit, completely unaware of all the male stares following her.
“What’s goin’ on? Aislynn left already?” Bootneck’s voice demanded.
