Ride Steady (Chaos #3)(113)

Joker’s was given physically as I bent over the couch and he tipped his head way back so I could give him a brief kiss.

He added running his fingers along my jaw with a finale of a warm look. I memorized that to give it back one day.

I checked on Travis one last time, and when I hit my room, I was suddenly exhausted in a way I knew I was crashing after a long day.

But it was the first time since the time we had the chat about my pregnancy nightshirt that I’d gone to bed without Joker. So it was the first time I went to bed needing a nightgown, seeing as Joker was always in the mood when we hit the bed and he went about disrobing me. After that, I usually had enough in me to pull on panties and pass out.

So I went to my drawers and tiredly fretted as I pawed through my pre-pregnancy nighties.

I picked a stretchy one (for obvious reasons) that had a fullish bottom (also chosen for obvious reasons) and a ruched bodice, empire waist, a tiny row of white lace across the top and hem and it was periwinkle blue.

I put it on and it fit snug at my breasts (not surprising) but otherwise, looking down at myself, it wasn’t that bad. Still, I inspected myself in the master bathroom mirror while I brushed my teeth and washed my face.

It would do. And anyway, I would be sleeping so I didn’t have to deal with whatever Joker’s reaction would be until morning.

I went to bed not thinking about my nightie but thinking about how I liked knowing my boyfriend’s buds (who were also my friends) were hanging on my couch watching TV. It felt nice. It felt normal. It felt like something that might fit in my revised dream, which was turning out better than the one I thought I wanted.

I fell asleep thinking that.

I was woken up by Joker’s kiss, which included his hand on my hip, feeling nightie.

Thus I was woken up learning early how Joker felt about the nightie he could feel but not so much see.

And what I learned was that he liked it.

And how I learned that was, when Joker was done showing me how he felt, I fell back into a sated sleep snuggled up with my biker with the nightie on the floor, wearing nothing but panties.

Joker

The next day, Joker was walking through the Compound after taking a shower and changing clothes. Even though Carissa was off, he’d worked that day at the garage because his build was on a deadline. Now, he was done with what he needed to do, showered, and on his way to her.

He had his hand to the front door when his phone rang.

He pulled it out as he pulled open the door and stepped into the Denver sunlight, which meant he had to squint at his phone.

He grinned, took the call, and put the phone to his ear as he pulled his shades out of his hair and put them over his eyes.

“Yo, Lie,” he greeted.

“Okay, bud, you can’t strut your Carson goodness back into our lives then disappear,” Linus said as reply. “Mrs. Heely is pissed. Which means command performance at her place for dinner. Tuesday. And Car, prepare ’cause my brood and you at her place for dinner is a tight fit. But she’s not takin’ no for an answer. She called Kam and gave her what for about you, which meant my woman gave me what for about you. And even though Kam offered her our kitchen, Mrs. Heely is standin’ firm. Her place. I figure this means we’re all in for it because she intends to trot the lot of us out to her cronies. She’s big on doin’ that. Old folk jockey for position, and the best ammo they got is to brag about how many people give a shit about them. So best be on your game ’cause you’re gonna get picked over by a bunch of biddies and none a’ them are gonna like your hairstyle.”

Joker had stopped at his bike and was grinning when he said, “Sorry, Lie. Shit’s gone down that I had to focus on. But I’ll give you and Mrs. Heely a call if I can make it.”

“You didn’t hear me, Car,” Linus returned. “This is a command performance. There’s no if about it.”

“Gotta talk to my girl and see if she’s free.”

This bought him several beats of silence before, “Your girl?”

“The shit’s that gone down I had to focus on,” Joker explained.

“Right,” Linus said slowly. “Few weeks ago you rolled your bike to my garage tellin’ me you been around awhile and just got your shit sorted to make an approach, but no woman involved in that shit. Now you got one and she’s one you’d bring to Kam and Mrs. Heely?”

“Yeah,” Joker answered easily.

“Uh, son, maybe you don’t get this. You don’t bring just any woman to Kam and especially not Mrs. Heely. Those women are gonna pick her over like vultures. Nothin’ but the best for the kid they let into their hearts but lost then got back only very recently.”

That felt good, but still Joker shared, “Wouldn’t bring anything but the best to either of them, brother.”

Linus was again quiet before, “You sayin’ this is serious?”

“I’m sayin’ you meet her, you know I’d be a fool not to make it that way. And, Lie, I’m no fool. So I didn’t f*ck around makin’ it that way.”

“Shee-it,” Linus pushed out. “You can say that again. It’s only been a coupla weeks.”

“Not like you, I know I got it good, I don’t wait a year to tag it as mine,” Joke gave him shit.

“Below the belt, bud,” Linus replied, a smile in his voice. “Now I gotta hope like f*ck she’s off work. This I gotta see.”