Tessa
I’m wrapping the tie of my robe around my waist when I hear a knocking at the front door. It’s too early for a visitor. Hawk only left my house three hours ago. I didn’t want him to go, but he said he needed to check in with the local chapter.
I find the red glow of my alarm clock and see that it’s only 6:45. My eyes sting from lack of sleep, and my body aches in places that it’s never hurt before. Once the robe is securely fastened, I stretch out my back, hoping to loosen up my sore muscles. The fatigue of my body isn’t one hundred percent due to the physical activity I participated in last night. It’s merely the fact that burning the candle at both ends is slowly starting to catch up with me and I’m not even in my thirties yet. The nights that I close and then have an early shift at home are not my favorite. I can barely function by the time the end of my shift rolls around.
I pull my hair into a messy knot on the top of my head as I drag my slipper covered feet along the wooden floors to make my way towards the knocking. Rising to the peephole, I see Hawk staring back and me. I pull open the door. “How long have you been staring into the peephole like that?”
He pulls me into his body and buries his nose in my neck. “Long enough I was starting to get a complex.”
I push my body away from his and look him in the eye. “Why? Did you think I wouldn’t answer my door?”
“The thought did cross my mind.” He smacks his hand against my ass and walks into my apartment.
I close my door behind him and lean against the wood. “Maybe you should’ve thought about that when you left me here only a few hours ago.”
He turns around and crosses his arms over his chest. He’s in his typical uniform: a white T-shirt and leather cut. He legs are covered in worn denim, but instead of black boots, he’s wearing black and white chucks. “I had things to do. Do you want to hear about club business?” He cocks his brow, and I know he knows he’s got me. I do not want to hear about club business.
“No, no, I don’t.”
“I didn’t think so.” He gives me a wink and smiles.
I push off the door and head towards the kitchen because I need coffee. “What are you doing here so early?”
He leans up against the counter and watches me pull the mugs and creamer out. Once I pour two cups, I hand him one and then lean against the counter myself and bring the cup up to my lips.
“I wanted to take you and Sam to the beach. I didn’t get a chance before I had to go back home last time.”
“We can’t. Sam has school, and I have work.”
“Why not ditch?”
I blink a few times before I answer. “Well, because I can’t miss work, and I shouldn’t show Sam that type of dishonesty.”
He shakes his head. “You know damn well that we both ditched plenty in school.”
“Not in elementary.”
“Come on, Tessa. It won’t be an all the time thing. Sam would be stoked he gets to skip school to spend the day at the beach jumping into the waves.” He brings the dark blue ceramic to his lips, taking a long drag of his coffee.
“I can’t afford to miss work, Hawk. I have bills, bills that I can barely afford when I work all my scheduled days let alone when I miss because someone wants to go to the beach.”
He puts his mug down and takes a step towards me. He pulls the cup from my grip and sets it next to his. As soon as his hands land on my hips, he’s dragging my body to his, and he doesn’t stop until my chest is flush with his. His fingers bite into the flesh of my hips, and it hurts so good.
“Tessa,” his tone is like a warning, “it’s not a big deal, and I’m not just anyone.” He searches my face. “I want to spend the day with my woman and her son. What’s the harm in that?”
His woman…
I relent, and when my body relaxes I know, he knows that he’s won. “Fine. I’ll call Martha.”
His face breaks out into a huge smile. “Good, you do that, and I’ll go wake Sam up.” He taps my ass and heads out to wake up my son.