Isa started to fuss a little, so I only caught bits and pieces of their quick conversation while I soothed her. I heard something about shifting responsibilities. Then Griffin said, “You got things for now? I won’t be around as much until things are handled.”
This big, tough biker was rearranging his life to make room for Isa. And me.
The logical side of me whispered that I barely knew this man, and MC life was grittier than anything I’d ever touched. It could drag up old memories from my own childhood, the instability and fear I’d worked so hard to escape. But those worries dissolved almost as quickly as they rose.
The president of the Hounds had made sure Isa had everything she could possibly need at Griffin’s house. Jet stepped up to make sure things were covered here. Even whenGriffin had every reason to think Rea had lied about him, he hadn’t hesitated to take care of Isa.
These men had proved to be loyal. Protective of Isa. And for some reason, it felt like that protection was starting to extend to me too.
We took Isa back to Griffin’s office, and I blinked at the setup. The same baby swing from his house was already in the corner, a baby monitor was on the desk, and there was even an air purifier humming softly.
When I arched a brow, he just shrugged. “Prospects earn their patch. Money talks when you need shit fast.”
He said it without any arrogance, making me shake my head with a soft laugh.
We fed Isa, got her settled for a nap in her carrier, then Griffin grabbed the monitor. “Follow me.”
He led me out to one of the bays where a beautiful vintage bike sat half-restored. The second he stepped up to it, something in him eased. He was still focused, but there was a relaxed confidence here that I hadn’t seen before. It deepened the pull I felt toward him, like I was getting a new layer of the man beneath the cut.
He talked while he worked.
“My parents are awesome, and we’re really close.” He had a smile on his face when he talked about them. Then he continued, quietly sharing what it was like to grow up in a wealthy family with a twin who rebelled against the discipline their parents tried to instill in them. “The trust funds our grandfather left us were supposed to be a safety net. Our parents never touched theirs until after they’d built their own success. But Gavin is a lazy, entitled jackass who lives off his.”
I shook my head. “That’s not the kind of father I want for her.”
“Gavin avoiding all responsibility is a damn good thing in this case because it’s not his name on the birth certificate. It’s mine,” he pointed out.
“Yeah.” I was filled with a sense of wonder over how lucky Isa was that Rea hadn’t known the truth. I rarely shared my childhood with anyone, but it felt like he’d earned that much from me. “I’ve known that I wanted to be a caseworker for a long time. It’s why I’m only twenty-four but already have my master’s degree and two years with CPS. My parents weren’t abusive in any obvious way, not like what I’ve seen happen with some of my cases. But I never knew what each day would be like, and it left me feeling unsafe.”
I shared a few examples but stopped when I noticed how his jaw had tightened.
“You’re amazing, Hannah.”
Heat flooded my cheeks at the unexpected compliment. Before I could respond, he held out his hand. “Come here.”
When I stepped in front of him, he turned me gently and pulled my back against his chest, his arms coming around me to show me how to adjust a bolt on the bike. I appreciated the distraction, but that might’ve also had something to do with being surrounded completely by his big body. My skin sizzled everywhere we touched, and my panties were damp. But I knew I wasn’t alone in my desire because I could feel the hard length of him pressing insistently against my lower back.
He lowered his head, his nose brushing my neck as he inhaled. “Fuck, you smell amazing.”
“That’s your body wash.”
He pressed a kiss on the sensitive spot beneath my ear. “Can’t stop thinking about how you felt under my hands this morning.”
I trembled, my sensual need growing so strong that my knees felt weak. Just when I thought I might beg him to keep going, the monitor crackled with Isa’s soft coo, and he stepped back.
Griffin jerked his chin toward the office. “Let’s get our girl.”
We packed her up, stopped for dinner on the way home, and spent the rest of the evening doing the most ordinary things. But I had the best time eating together, playing with Isa on the floor, and acting like a real family. When it was time for bed, I fed and rocked her while he stood in the doorway watching us.
Once Isa was down, he held out his hand again.
This was a pivotal moment. I could feel it in my bones.
Going with instinct, I stopped over-analyzing and simply put my hand in his.
9
CROSS
