Chapter 7

My belly danced with nerves as Rogue turned into her driveway and into the small, one- car garage. I was meeting their parents. I"d never been in that position before. When I was about to open my door, they said no and I froze. The treatment I was getting from them was overwhelming—the flowers, the picking me up and buckling me in—granted I"d never been on a real date.

There was a hookup spot where everyone went in our small town. That"s where all the guys would meet me, we"d fuck and part ways. The times where I got with someone on vacation, there was never an overnight. Cum and done. I smiled shyly as Rogue unbuckled me and helped me from the seat. Once again, they laced their fingers through mine to lead me through the garage door into the kitchen, and then out the back door.

There was a small, square yard with a neatly trimmed row of hedges along the stone fence. Then I noticed an enclosed portion of the yard and when we entered, I gasped.

"Like it?" Rogue asked.

The gentle sound of babbling water filled the space. Trees and plants, ponds of fish—it was like an oasis in the middle of the city. There were even tiny bridges breaking up the cobblestone walkways.

"This is amazing."

"My parents like privacy, so they enclosed this about a decade ago. The ceiling is all greenhouse panels, so it still gets great natural light and keeps the plants and trees going. They prune the trees to keep them manageable for the space," they answered as we paused in a sitting area with a large hammock and chairs with a tiny bistro-style table.

"It"s beautiful. I"ve never seen anything like it."

"You"ll have to see it during the day. Don"t be overwhelmed. My parents are normal, odd people."

I giggled as Rogue winked at me and then opened the door into a brightly lit kitchen. They motioned me inside and I stepped through the entryway. The room was cheery, even with the steel appliances. I turned my head as Rogue came up behind me, their left arm twined around my waist.

"Be dressed, you hedonists," Rogue yelled.

I laughed as curses came from farther inside the house. "Told you." They brushed a kiss to my cheek and cuddled me close.

My amusement fled the second a very mussed, very striking couple appeared, still straightening their clothes. The man was terrifying with his size and scars that cut through his bottom lip, eyebrow and along the side of his neck. His wife was a tall, thick woman with beautiful blonde hair and a softly rounded face. Her curves were what you"d see on a plus-sized model and her lips were obviously swollen from kisses.

"Hey, Hank, you brought us a guest." I snorted as he said Hank and Rogue groaned behind me.

"Hi to you too, Dad. Charlotte, Bruiser, this is Trinity, I wanted y"all to meet her."

"It"s so great to meet you, Trinity, Rogue has told us so much about you." Charlotte rushed forward and gave me the best hug—warm and comforting.

Then I realized what she said, Rogue had told her about me. She released me and then Bruiser stepped forward, and just like Rogue had said he gave the best hugs too.

"I thought Hank was taking you on a date." Bruiser smirked.

Rogue muttered, "I am, but I wanted her to meet you two."

"I"m newly out, barely two years, I"m still finding my way."

"Then come with me, while Bruiser and Rogue make us some drinks." Charlotte looped her arm around mine.

I glanced at Rogue and they shooed me away. The house was beautiful and Rogue's Mama led me to an oversized couch, and drew me down to sit beside her.

"You have a beautiful home."

"Thanks. I got it right after my divorce, my first real home that I made for Rogue and myself. Well, they weren"t living with me at first, but I wanted a safe space for us. My ex-wife was an emotionally and mentally abusive partner. I never did anything right in her eyes."

I couldn"t imagine the woman beside me taking shit from anyone. Yet I also understood what it was like while I was still in the closet figuring shit out. Too terrified to be discovered before I was ready. That"s why I still hadn"t talked to my parents about my new life. I"d blocked them on all social media along with anybody I knew from my hometown. It had to happen sooner or later, but I wasn"t ready to lose my parents.

"Was it hard?" I asked.

"Yes, but necessary." She smiled so widely and freely. "I"d just thought I was gay growing up, but my parents wouldn"t have accepted that in any way. The older I became the more depressed I was, and I realized that gay didn"t feel right either. My only bright spot was Rogue. The only thing that kept me going until I figured out who I was. One night I blurted it out over dinner. Fuck, it was the hardest thing I ever did, but the best too."

"I lived in a tiny town and no one was out. You always heard rumors. As I told Rogue, I was scared to be caught looking anything up. I"d never seen anything positive about being… me."

"Honey, I get it." She reached out briefly to squeeze my forearm. "We have to be selfish to be happy, I know that sounds kinda shitty, but it"s true. I had to be willing to put myself first. An unhappy me meant an unhappy Rogue."

"Rogue seems very well-adjusted." I laughed softly at her massive eye roll.

"Oh, my child is arrogant and egotistical, too confident for their own good sometimes, but I knew they"d never settle. It only got worse after I let my husband influence them."

"They told me about meeting Bruiser."

"That little asshole. Rogue gave him hell. They were way too overprotective after years of watching me fade. Do you like living in the city?"

"Way more anonymity. There were less than four thousand people in my hometown. It seemed everyone knew everything about everyone. No secrets remained safe. I like being a little invisible."

"You must have stood out a bit; Rogue noticed you."

That was a question that still plagued me. Why did Rogue notice me in a club packed with hundreds of people? "I don"t know why they did."

"You"re a beautiful woman, why wouldn"t Rogue notice? I saw the way they looked at you. Hell, the way they talked about you."

Opening my mouth, I almost asked what Rogue had done or said. I was saved from making a fool of myself when Rogue and Bruiser walked in with drinks in their hands. As Rogue handed me a glass, soft lips brushed my forehead.

"You okay, babygirl?" The question was low and raspy. Them just checking in.

"I"m good."

Rogue nodded. "We"ll have a drink and head off to dinner. We may miss our reservation, but I"m not letting you miss the midnight cruise."

They lowered to sit beside my legs, a leanly muscled arm wrapped around my calves and Rogue drew their fingers along my leg until they curved their hand over my knee.

My gaze went to Bruiser and Charlotte to find him tucked between her parted legs. He tipped his head back and the intensity of the love in his expression and eyes took my breath away. With my chest tight, I realized how much I craved that unquestioning devotion. A person who didn"t hide their love and obsession. When soft lips stroked across the side of my knee, I jerked my attention back to Rogue.

Rogue winked at me right before the sharp nip of their teeth. They went back to having their drink like they hadn"t just sent goosebumps traveling over my skin. Flesh that suddenly felt too tight—ill-fitting over bone, muscle and sinew. The sudden desire for Rogue shocked me. I hadn"t assumed someone like them would be my type. Hell, I hadn"t thought I"d be theirs.

I put my meltdown on the back burner until I was alone and could freak out. We shared conversation, a few more drinks and I couldn"t remember the last time I"d had so much fun. Between laughter and inner-swooning over a massive, scarred biker making his wife giggle. As it grew later, Rogue said that we needed to go so we could find food before we were scheduled to be at the marina.

Rogue ordered a car saying since she had precious cargo, they weren"t taking a chance with my safety. In the car, Rogue checked and found out someone had canceled and we could still make it to the restaurant. I was going to enjoy the night. There was nothing more I wanted to do than spend time with Rogue and maybe, just maybe figure out what was happening with me—between us.