Wild Fire (Chaos #6.5)(21)

And one of his dad, the dad that was no longer breathing, leaning forearm to the bar in the Chaos Compound, smiling big at a camera that was in front of the face of the woman of his dreams, the mother of his children, his wife, Dutch’s mom, Keely Black Ironside.

The shelves were also punctuated by things like lamps and a candle one of his ex-girlfriends gave him and he liked the scent of it, so after they were over, he’d bought another one.

But mostly, yeah, it was books or space where more books would go when he bought them.

Though, there were three shelves that were all albums because he liked the sound of music from vinyl, which was, as far as he knew, the only millennial thing he could get on board with.

He grabbed his bottle opener, popped the caps on both of the Fat Tires, came to stand across from Georgiana, slid hers to her and waited until she took a sip, something he did not do, before he spoke.

“First, before we get into inane things like my book collection, I was a dick. It was out of line. You did not deserve it. And I’m sorry that shit came out of my mouth.”

“Okay,” she said quietly.

“I was a dick two days ago when I dropped you off too. You didn’t deserve it then either.”

“Okay, Dutch. Though, I’m not sure that’s correct.”

“It’s correct,” he said firmly.

She pressed her lips together then let them go and whispered, “Right. Okay.”

“Second, that kiss was hot. So I’m takin’ you out to dinner tomorrow night, somewhere nice, good food, maybe even fancy, then plan to spend the night here.”

Her brows went way up, she sucked her lips in so far between her teeth they disappeared, it was cute as all fuck, something he felt in his dick, throat, and the fact his mouth got dry with the need to take hers again, before she rearranged her face and asked, “Is that a biker’s way of asking a girl on a date?”

“No fuckin’ clue. It’s just what’s happening tomorrow night.”

“Righty ho.” She was whispering again and now looking like she was about to crack up laughing.

“So, we on the same page with all of that?”

“Well, um…yes, of a sort.”

“What’s the ‘of a sort’ part?”

“I can’t tomorrow night.”

“Why?”

“Well, you see, my source in the DPD chose this unfortunate time to realize I was using his fascination with my breasts to semi-kinda-but-mostly-definitely score information from him and he pressed the issue. So, in order to learn what the cops know about Carlyle’s dad’s case, I have to go out to dinner with him tomorrow.”

Dutch took a beat.

Then he took two.

Then he said gently, “Right, baby, you know that biker research you did?”

She nodded.

“And that hardcore stuff you learned?” he continued.

She nodded again.

“Well, there is a definite Chaos version of that,” he told her.

“Do I want to know?” she asked.

“Maybe not, but after that kiss, and what’s gonna come next, you need to anyway.”

She took her own beat before she invited, “Right then, sock it to me.”

“You are not going out on a date with a guy who has a fascination with your breasts when you’re in my bed.”

“I’m not in your bed yet, Dutch, and pointing out, it was you who put a stop to that.”

“I’ll amend. You are not going out on a date with a guy who has a fascination with your breasts when it’s a certainty you’re gonna be in my bed.”

“Dutch—”

He asked a question he did not want to ask.

“You into this guy?”

She scrunched her nose.

She was not into this guy.

He straightened, and he’d never heard it come from his own throat, but he could not deny it was an actual growl when he started, “Georgie—”

“He’s not a cop, but he has electronic access, and he can give me good stuff, Dutch.”

“Yeah, and I know actual cops, a number of them, who also have access, who not only won’t mind sharing, I’ve already got a sitdown planned with two of them tomorrow.”

“Oh,” she mumbled.

“Cancel your plans.”

She tipped her head to the side. “I kinda can’t.”

“You absolutely can.”

“Well, see, now, if I screw this up, he’s gonna be mad, and I’ll lose my source in the DPD. I know someone else who’s got loose lips, but they don’t have his kind of access. And, as previously mentioned, I’m soon to be assigned articles on the crime beat, so I need a good source. So I have to go, regardless.”

Dutch looked to the ceiling.

“I was right,” Georgiana said.

He looked back to her and saw her grinning.

“It’s totally cute, the protective, and in this case, possessive thing,” she explained.

“I’m not feelin’ cute,” he informed her.

“Well, you are,” she muttered to the neck of her beer bottle before she took another sip.

“You go, you’re done, you come here to me,” he demanded.

“There’s a problem with that too,” she admitted.