Ride Steady(135)

“That, I’ll oblige,” he muttered, his lips curved up, all this while coming to me and promptly obliging.

When he finished obliging, I had my arms around his shoulders, one hand in his hair, and was pressing myself close.

“Go, commune with your brothers,” I ordered a little breathlessly. “I need a snack and then I need to go to bed. I have a day shift tomorrow.”

“Get rid of them soon’s the show’s over,” he told me.

“Get rid of them whenever,” I murmured, rolling up on my toes to kiss his jaw. I rolled back and caught his eyes. “But kiss me when you come to bed.

He smiled at me with his eyes. “I’ll be happy to oblige that too.”

I smiled back. “And I’ll be happy that you do.”

He bent in to touch his mouth to mine before he broke from my hold. Then he claimed me right back with an arm draped around my shoulders which he used to guide me to the door.

I slid my arm along his waist and we walked that way, having to shift sideways to get through the door while connected, but we stayed connected down the hall.

We broke off at the mouth of the hall after he gave my temple a light kiss.

Joker went to the couch.

I went to the kitchen, calling out to ask if anyone needed a fresh brew.

I got four yays. I took four bottles out to the boys and got a soft look from my biker when I did.

After that, I ate some crackers and cheese, washed them down with some flavored fizzy water, and shut down the kitchen. I gave verbal goodnights to the boys.

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.”