“Thank you. And thank you for dinner; it was delicious, as usual.”
Margaux’s smile was wide and genuine. Probably the most genuine emotion shown in this house except for my disdain for Denton and DJ. I didn’t bother to hide that.
“Why thank you. It’s good to see your face around here again.”
If I were sitting in front of anyone but Margaux, I would’ve wanted to say something like don’t get used to it, but Margaux was good people, and how she’d stayed so sweet despite the iron fist Denton hammered on everyone in this house was a testament to her character.
“It’s good to see you too.”
She patted her hands dry on the towel tucked into the pocket of her apron. “So, you hidin’ out or did ya just come in here to see my smilin’ face?”
“Your smiling face, obviously,” I said.
“Why don’t I believe that for a minute?”
My lips twitched. Margaux didn’t miss much. “Because you know damn well I’m hiding.”
“You got a mode of escape planned, or do you need me to call Arnie?”
Arnie was my mother’s driver.
“I’ve got a ride coming.”
“One of these days you should pick up the keys and start drivin’ yourself around again, child.”
This wasn’t something I hadn’t told myself a bunch of times. And yet I still wasn’t enticed. “I’m good.”
“Mmmmhmmm,” was all she said to that.
I changed the subject to talk about her grandkids—something I knew could keep Margaux chatting for hours. But this time, we only got about fifteen minutes on the topic before the rumble of Detroit’s finest muscle came pulling up the drive.
He might not be a knight on a white horse, but I’d take a tatted-up bad boy in a muscle car over that cliché any day of the week.
Margaux’s eyes shot to the window that gave us a perfect view of the driveway.
“That your ride?”
I grinned at her surprise. “Sure is.” I hopped off my stool, made my way over to her, and kissed her cheek. “I’d say I’ll see you soon, but I don’t know when I’ll be back. Take care of yourself and those grandbabies, Margaux.”
I expected to see her attention on me when I pulled away, but it was glued to the window. I followed her gaze.
“Oh my lord,” she breathed.
Oh Lord was right. When I looked at him, I put myself in Margaux’s shoes. A six and a half foot, solidly muscled man, with a swirl of tattoos running up and down his exposed arms, dressed in ripped jeans and a black T-shirt. I thought of what he’d said about giving me until Tuesday to make up my mind.
I pressed another quick kiss to her cheek and grabbed my purse off the island. “See you later.”
I headed out the kitchen door to the driveway.
“Hey, thanks. I appreciate you dropping everything and coming to get me.”
Lord was eying the house. A big, white, antebellum monstrosity Denton had moved my mother to as soon as they’d said ‘I do.’ My childhood home was sold and everything in it that had belonged to my father had been disposed of before I’d even realized what was happening. I wasn’t even sure that Denton had known that my mother had held on to the watch. If he had known, it was surprising to me that he didn’t sell that too. He’d been systematic in removing every trace of my father’s existence from our lives.
“Nice digs.”
“Looks pretty on the outside, at least.”
Lord’s eyebrows went up. “You hiding a house of horrors in there?”
“Not exactly, but it’s surely not the happiest place on earth.”
“You ready to get out of here, then?”
“I was ready before I even got here.”
Lord’s forehead creased, but it wasn’t in confusion over my words. No, it was over the man who’d just stepped out of the front door.
“Really, Elle? A pawnshop and now a biker?”
I looked at Lord’s car. Ummm … biker? Not exactly.
“That the stepdad?”
“The one and only.”
“Looks like a dick.”
“If you only knew.”
Rebellion, the kind I should’ve gotten out of my system years ago, flooded me.
I didn’t waste another glance on Denton. I didn’t care what he was thinking at this moment. I just knew my urge to piss him off was going strong. You can’t control me.
“Kiss me,” I said to Lord.
His blue eyes dropped to me.
“Come again?”
“Kiss me. Right here, right now.”
“You looking to piss him off?”
I didn’t bother to dissemble. “Call it rich girl rebellion.”
“I’m starting to become rather partial to rich girl rebellion,” he said, eyes flaring with heat. Wrapping an arm around my waist, Lord yanked me against him. “And fuck if I’ll ever turn down a chance to kiss you, regardless of the reason.”
I clutched his T-shirt with one hand as he lowered his mouth to mine.
Lord’s other hand slid in my hair as he tilted my head. Our lips collided, and I completely forgot about the audience we had. Hell, I think I forgot how to breathe. I forgot everything except for Lord and his lips and hands. And his tongue. Damn, the man could kiss.
Blood rushed in my ears, drowning out everything else. My heart pounded against Lord’s chest, and I wondered if he could feel the erratic rhythm. He had to know what he did to me every time he kissed me.
When he finally pulled back, he said, “Here he comes.”