Page 16 of Hades

When Jenny called me to pick up the kids yesterday, I was at one of Recoil's races. The damn things were death traps, but adrenaline, alcohol, and fast bikes always drew a big crowd. I had no intention of participating myself since it was a younger man's game. And Jenny didn't need to wonder what I was doing at a bike race that wasn't exactly legal…

The clubhouse kitchen had been a beehive of activity since seven o’clock this morning. Jenny was putting the finishing touches on the wedding cake she made—a three-tier masterpiece with golden brown hazelnut cream, dripping in caramel sauce, and piped with swirls of white chocolate rosettes. Ironside was lending a hand making desserts for the reception, along with Tarzan’s wife, Keely.

When Lena was done with the flowers for the wedding, she volunteered to babysit Keely’s little one, Dot. And she looked like she was in heaven—rocking the baby in her arms, playing with her tiny pink toes. Ironside and Lena got married last year, but they hadn’t mentioned anything about having kids of their own yet. After this, I wouldn’t be surprised if they would be trying for a baby as soon as possible.

An ache twisted in my chest. I remembered when Mia and Casey used to be that small, and I would hold them for hours, mesmerized by every burble and coo that they made.

Would Jenny want another kid when she remarried? She was only thirty-three. That left plenty of time to get pregnant again. My throat grew tight at the thought.

Jenny was…breathtaking…when she was pregnant and I couldn’t take my eyes off her while she was carrying Mia and Casey. She wore these billowing, breezy maternity dresses that draped and bunched in all the right places to accentuate the fullness of her breasts and the swell of her stomach. She fretted about gaining weight when she was already plus-sized, but every time I looked at her, I saw a goddess incarnate and I worshipped every inch of her like she was holy.

“Let’s get this show on the road, ladies and gentlemen.”

Hillbilly, our former President, was officiating the wedding, and it was good to hear his Kentucky drawl presiding over us again the way he used to. Now that he had retired and passed the responsibility of leadership to Pretty Boy, he didn’t handle the hard hitting, heavy lifting club business anymore, but he still showed up for the fun stuff, like picnics, rallies, and charity rides.

Bobbie emerged from the back rooms, with Pretty Boy’s wife, Lila, adjusting the train of her gown. She was a vision in white, with sheer sleeves and a lace bodice freckled in pale blue flowers. Psycho was waiting for her at the bar, with the biggest smile on his face that I’d ever seen during the years that I’d known him.

Jenny slipped out of the kitchen and came to join me. She smelled like wedding cake—vanilla and sugar and hazelnut. Her lilac gown was gathered at one shoulder, leaving the other shoulder bare. My gaze strayed to the smoothness of her skin, thinking of nothing else except the desire to press my lips there at the juncture of her neck and shoulder where I knew from previous experience she would give the sweetest sigh…

“You’re staring,” Jenny murmured, clasping her hands in front of her. She kept her gaze on Bobbie and Psycho with a dreamy little smile on her face. She was such a romantic at heart, playing matchmaker at every opportunity, gushing over weddings and bridal gowns.

“Can’t blame me for that, honey,” I replied. “You are a fucking vision.”

She hummed and cast a glance at me through her lashes. Then she leaned in, dropping her voice even lower.

“Just because I didn’t bring a date doesn’t mean you can flirt your way into my panties, Simon.”

I chuckled and trailed my knuckles down her arm, threading our fingers together. Then I tucked her hand into the crook of my elbow.

“It’s worth a shot.”

Jenny could have pulled away, but she didn’t. Instead, she absently squeezed my bicep, stroking her thumb along the ink there.

“You're relentless.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I replied.

“Sometimes it’s important to know when to call it quits and accept defeat,” Jenny pointed out.

I made a thoughtful noise, tilting my head to kiss her cheek.

“If my cock was buried inside you right now, chasing your third orgasm,” I whispered. “You would be singing a very different tune, mi amor.”

She gasped and swatted my chest. I laughed.

After the ceremony, the bar was cleared to make room for the buffet. Bobbie and Psycho wanted to keep everything as simple as possible, so we had pizza catered from Recoil’s family-owned Italian restaurant, Pepper’s Pizzeria.

With over two dozen pizzas, hot fresh garlic knots, and giant pots of bubbling pasta in rich creamy sauces, there was more than enough food for everyone to eat their fill.

Jenny hadn’t touched a single bite though. She was too busy flitting from one thing to the next, keeping the reception running smoothly. I finally caught her wrist and pulled her into the empty chair beside me, nudging her plate closer.

“You need to eat, honey,” I said. “Sit down for a minute.”

“But we’re almost out of ice—”

“Then you come talk to me and I’ll send one of the boys to fetch more for you. That’s the perk of being a superior officer. Anyone below my rank has to follow my orders.”

Jenny picked at the crust of her pizza, tearing off a piece and nibbling at it.