“Finally,” he grumbles, heading into the bathroom. Finally? That was me trying to be quick. I wouldn’t say I was high maintenance, but I’m definitely not low maintenance. Feeling thirsty, I stare at the door, wondering if I should head out or not. My thirst winning, I slip out the door and head to the kitchen. Opening the fridge, I pull out a bottle of water and smell it first, just to make sure it isn’t vodka or something.
“May I ask why you’re smelling the water?” comes a highly amused voice from behind me. I turn and come face to face with a very attractive man. Very.
“Well hello there,” I say, checking him out. Shoulder length blond hair. Wearing nothing but a pair of low slung track pants. Amazing body covered in tattoos.
“Nice pjs,” he says, staring at my pants.
“Thanks, I love cupcakes,” I say.
“So do I,” he says through a chuckle.
“You guys should make a calendar,” I blurt out, causing the man to grin at me.
“Who are you?”
Wait, am I not allowed to ask questions like that?
His eyes widen at my question as I wait for his reaction. “I’m Tracker, who are you?”
“Oh good, you aren’t going to kill me or something,” I say to myself.
“What?” he asks, making a choked sound.
I shrug sheepishly. “I’ve been warned.”
“Faye!” Dex calls out.
“That would be me,” I say, giving him the small wave.
“You’re the baby mama?” he says, eyebrows reaching his hairline.
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” I snap, narrowing my eyes. “Is that going to be my name now?”
Dex walks out, a scowl etched on his handsome face. “Why the hell did you leave the room?”
“I was thirsty!” I tell him, waving the bottle of water at him.
“You were thirsty?”
“I’m pregnant remember? You were there I believe. Yes, thirsty,” I say. I turn to Tracker. “You were just going to tell me about those tattoos of yours?”
Dex turns to Tracker, and if looks could kill.
“Good luck with that one,” Tracker says, his body shaking from laughter. Dex, looking considerably less happy, if that’s possible, takes my arm and pulls me back to the room. He locks the door behind us. He stares at me, as if thinking about what to say. Then he shakes his head.
“Don’t walk around at night by yourself.”
“Am I a prisoner?” I ask him, my tone ice cold.
“No, of course not, but this place is filled with men. You’re beautiful. You do the math.”
“O- oh,” I stutter. God he can be sweet when he wants to be.
“Sleep.”
“Okay,” I say, sliding into bed and getting comfortable. He joins me but stays on his side of the bed.
Just as I’m about to fall asleep, I hear him say, “I know you think I’m going to be a shit father, but I’m going to try my best. Goodnight Faye.”
I fall asleep with a small smile on my lips.
Chapter Six
I walk out into the kitchen the next morning, rubbing my eyes. I stop in my tracks as I see a man standing over the stove.
Naked.
He has an extremely white ass and is frying something in the pan.
“There goes my appetite,” I mutter to myself. Arrow turns around, completely unabashed.
“Mornin’,” he says, checking out my pajamas. I stare at his huge penis in horror but am unable to move my eyes away. Suddenly, it gets hard, pointing right at me. Like an arrow.
Light bulb moment.
“Seriously?” I say, covering my eyes with my hand.
“Bit late for that,” he says, chuckling. “I saw you looking.”
“And I saw you saw me looking,” I reply, pouring myself some juice and averting my gaze.
“I think I had the wrong idea about you…” he says, turning back to the stove.
“How so?”
He shrugs. “Thought you were some tramp trying to trap Dex.”
“And how do you know I’m not?” I ask him.
“Good sense of character,” he says. “I’m never wrong.”
“Bold claim,” I say as he turns around. My eyes straight away lower, I can’t even help it.
I point at it when he takes a step in my direction. “Don’t bring that thing near me!”
Dex walks in and sighs when he sees Arrow’s bare state.
“Fuckin’ hell Arrow,” Dex barks, turning to me and checking my expression. I take this time to check him out myself. Black track pants on his narrow hips and no shirt. I could really get used to the view.
“I’m traumatized, but I’ll live,” I reply. “At least I know why you all call him Arrow. That thing points at its next victim!”
Arrow spins to me, his eyes wide with surprise. “I’m actually glad you’re here, this place was getting boring.”
“Arrow!” Dex growls, clearly losing his patience. “That boner better not be for my woman.”
Arrow laughs.
Dex stares him down.
I puff out a dramatic sigh.
“I’m gone,” Arrow finally replies, taking his plate of food and leaving.
“They don’t have to wear clothes on the account of me,” I tell him, wiggling my eyebrows.
The smile drops from my face, then I run to the bathroom just in time.
I hate morning sickness.
In my haste I didn’t lock the door behind me, and Dex comes in rubbing a hand down my back. How embarrassing. I think I could have gone through my life without a man seeing me throw up.
“Faye,” he says, sounding worried and a little horrified.
“I’m okay,” I manage to say, bracing myself.
“What do you need, tell me,” he implores, stroking my hair.
“Can you get me some water and maybe make me some toast with vegemite?” I ask him, really just wanting a moment’s privacy.
“Yep,” he says, quickly leaving to do the task. I clean myself up and brush my teeth before he calls out that my breakfast is ready. I see a plate on the bed with two slices of toast and a bottle of water.
“Thanks,” I tell him with a small smile, sitting down and taking a bite.
“Do you get sick every day?” he asks, frowning.
I lift my shoulder in a shrug. “Sometimes.”
“And you’ve been going through it alone these last few months?”
“Well, yeah. No one can really help me,” I say, chewing and swallowing. “It’s just something pregnant women go through.”
“Still, I wish I had been there for you,” he says.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” I tell him, looking down at my plate. Maybe I would have told him one day, maybe I wouldn’t. I don’t really know, to be honest.
“Why didn’t you?” he asks, the atmosphere in the room turning tense.
I consider it. “Eric told me you were the VP for a motorcycle club, and I realized I didn’t know you at all. We had a one-night stand; that was it. Even though we knew each other growing up—our age gap never really let us know each other. I guess I was telling myself I could do this on my own…”
“I went to Mum’s to visit, and I heard him telling her you were pregnant. I knew it was mine,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. “Then I came to find you.”
“How did you find me?” I ask.
“Tracker didn’t get his name for nothing,” he says, lips curving into a megawatt smile.
We sit in comfortable silence for a few moments, watching each other. “What are we doing here?”
“You’re going to study and relax, and I’m going to take care of you,” he says, piercing blue eyes never leaving me.
Take care of me, how exactly?
Because I could use some taking care of right now.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” he asks, raising an eyebrow at me in question.
“Oh, you know. The usual things,” I reply. “So how did you find yourself in an MC?”
“Sometimes you need to make your own family,” is all he says.
It’s all he needs to say, because I get it.
“Maybe I could do that,” I say, lifting the second piece of toast to my mouth. I don’t have my parents anymore. I don’t have Eric—who has been in my life a very long time. I have some cousins and family in Melbourne, but that’s about it. It would be nice to have people in my life I can rely on. People who can be there for me, and vice versa.