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“Shit.”
“It’s okay, I promise. It loosens up after a bit,” she says with a gentle smile.
Obviously, I’m losing my mind, because at that moment I do something that I shouldn’t. I take a hand and slide it against the side of her neck, then lean down and kiss her forehead. Maybe getting laid might not be a bad idea because apparently, I have gone too long without sex. My brain has stopped functioning—or has been infected by the fantasies I keep having of the beautiful woman in front of me.
I drop my hand and step away. We stand, staring at each other for a moment. I think both of us are afraid to speak. Damn.
“What is this place?” Thea asks as I open my saddlebags.
“I bought the property a while back. The club pays me good, and I don’t need a lot. I paid cash for it. Figured one day I might build a place away from the club.”
“Away from the club? You’re a lifer. You live for the club, Dom,” she laughs as I get the container I put in earlier, along with the blanket I stored.
I walk over to her and hold out my free hand. She looks down nervously, then puts hers in mine. I guide her over to a small dock that’s built over dry land. It leads down to a set of stairs that run along the side of the hill. “I will always be a part of the club,” I admit.
“Duh,” she laughs, making me smile.
“Since T left, it’s not the same. I still love the club and like I said, I’ll always be a part of it. Yet, being there gets overwhelming these days. T was the one who was calm. He grounded me, I suppose. I’m starting to realize that I need a break from it all. Breaker is enjoying spending time at his house now that you’re there. It’s made him relax more. Figured I might try the whole home thing.”
As we talk, we go down the hill and now she can see the dock that goes out to the lake. She lets out a small gasp. “Where are we?”
I laugh. “I forget you’ve been in New York for so long that you don’t know what our hometown has to offer anymore.”
“Not much has changed, ding-dong.”
“Such cute pet names you have for me. I’d about forgotten that one,” I laugh. “But didn’t you used to go to Wood Creek Lake with our dads?”
“Not really. I hate fishing.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, it’s gross. I also refuse to touch worms.” She scrunches up her nose in distaste as she says that, and I throw my head back in laughter.
“I never knew that you were such a girly-girl.”
“Well, to be fair, you never truly knew me,” she points out.
I hand her the container of food I brought and lay the blanket down over the dock. “Maybe that’s fair, because I think you didn’t know me either.”
“Are we having a picnic?” she murmurs.
“Yep. Maybe we’ll both get to know each other now.”
“I already know you.”
“You’re so positive?” I challenge.
“Yep,” she responds, sounding way too smug. She goes so far as to make the one syllable word end with a popping noise as she draws it out.
She takes out the sanitizing wipes I threw in there and cleans her hands and gives me one to do the same. Then, she takes the top off the food container, taking out a couple of sandwiches and bowls that contain pieces of Thea’s favorite fruits. There are also a couple packs of trail mix in there—also Thea’s favorite, with assorted nuts, pieces of chocolate, dried cherries, and yogurt balls. She looks at the food, then stares at me in surprise.
“I told you I know you,” I respond, reading the question in her pretty eyes.
“You asked Mattie. Admit it.”
“Nope, I didn’t,” I deny, taking one of the fruit bowls. “Whenever we had family cookouts, you loved the fruit plate. You stayed away from things like kiwi and oranges. You tended to go for blueberries, watermelon balls, strawberries, and cherries. I also know you love the red grapes but can’t stand the green.”
“Color me impressed,” she responds. “I suppose I don’t even need to ask about the trail mix.”
