Chapter 17

Ella

My doorbell rang a little before eleven-thirty Friday morning, and I opened it to find Dante standing on my doorstep holding a vase full of beautiful bluish-purple flowers.

"Good morning, sugar," he said with a lazy grin as he held the flowers out to me.

"Uh…good morning" I responded, the sight of him causing my brain to lag a few seconds behind. I reached for the vase as Dante stepped forward, and I stepped back without thought. He dipped his head to place a kiss on my temple, and the faint scent of his cologne and the ever-present leather teased my senses as he brushed past me. I followed him into the living room, unable to stop myself from checking out the way his butt looked in his jeans. The denim clung to him in ways that made my mouth water as I imagined grabbing hold of those buns and pulling him into me. I clutched the vase as the urge to reach out for him swept over me.

"You're working from home all day today, right?"

I was caught off-guard by the question and answered him warily. "Yes, why?"

"I want to take your SUV to our garage and have one of the guys check it over before you hit the road tomorrow morning. Make sure the fluid levels and tire pressures are good, check the brakes, that sort of thing. We'll have it back to you by four at the latest."

"I appreciate that, but it should be fine. I've not had any problems with it, and it's not even due for an oil change yet."

"I just want to make sure you and your kids are safe on the road, sugar. Please let me do this for you, otherwise I'll worry about you tomorrow." His voice was a low rumble, and the sincerity of his words was unmistakable.

It had been so long since I'd had anyone worrying over me like that. Years, really, probably since Gran had died. Even when Clayton and I had been happily married, he'd never really expressed concern for my or the kids' safety and well-being. My tenuous hold on my resolve slipped, and I felt the last brick in my wall of resistance crumbling.

"I'll get my keys…and thank you." I said softly.

"You don't need to thank me for looking out for you, Ella."

I looked away and blinked rapidly at the sudden sting of tears, not wanting Dante to see them. I hurried to the kitchen, where my purse sat in its usual spot on the end of the antique sideboard. It took a moment for me to find my key fob in amongst the collection of old receipts, pens, hair ties, and other assorted crap that I desperately needed to clean out.

I had just pulled out a small stack of mail, two small tubes of hand lotion and not one, not two, but three lip balms from the depths of the bag when Dante stepped up next to me. I glanced up at him, only to find him staring down at the pile of odds and ends I'd removed and placed on the sideboard. He had a perplexed expression on his face, and his lips quirked as he shifted his gaze to me.

"I remember watching Mary Poppins when I was a little kid and being fascinated by that bottomless bag she always pulled shit out of. I didn't realize those really existed until now, sugar."

I nudged him in the ribs with my elbow. "Ha, ha, very funny." My fingers finally grasped the oblong key fob at the very bottom of the bag, and I pulled it out triumphantly.

"Here," I said, handing it over to him with a satisfied grin. He slid it into the front pocket of his jeans, and I resisted the urge to lower my eyes to follow the motion.

"Where are your kids today?"

I smiled at the question. "They're both still in bed. I rarely see them before noon in the summertime."

"I should have known. Jag and Rome were always the same way. Lucky, too, once he came to live with us." The grin that lit his handsome face made my breath catch in my throat. "So, I have a few minutes alone with you then."

He lowered his head and pressed a light kiss on my mouth. My lips parted in surprise, and he took full advantage of it, sliding his tongue inside to explore my mouth. He slid one arm around my waist, turning me and pulling me against him in one smooth move.

I moaned at the feel of his body against mine, the leather of his cut feeling cool against my suddenly overheated skin. The sound flipped some kind of switch in Dante, and the kiss turned ravenous as he devoured my mouth. His free hand grasped the back of my head, tunneling through the dark strands of hair and tugging until I was angled just right for his invasion.

I reached up and grabbed his shoulders, sliding one of my own hands into his hair. The resulting groan that escaped him made my skin heat even more, and my pussy pulsated with need. My nipples were hard, the thin T-shirt and cotton bra I wore doing little to prevent the tight buds from brushing against the leather.

We parted on a gasp as the sound of a door upstairs opening and another one shutting a few seconds later registered. Dante's arm tightened on my waist for a moment, holding me in place. I started to push him away, then relaxed as I heard footsteps overhead, followed by the shower turning on in the kids' bathroom, which was directly over the kitchen. Dante must have recognized the sound as well, and his hold on me loosened slightly.

"So much for sleeping until noon," he said with a wry grin. "I'd better go before whoever that was gets done showering, or before the other one comes downstairs."

"Yeah," I agreed huskily, my mind still boggled by his kisses to say anything more.

Dante dropped a quick kiss on my cheek, then released me and took a step back. He reached into his cut and pulled out a set of keys, which he laid on the sideboard next to my purse and it's purged contents.

"I drove one of the club's trucks over here, so I'll leave these for you in case you need to go anywhere this afternoon. I have a meeting later, unfortunately, so I'll have to have one of the prospects drop off your ride."

I murmured my thanks, then motioned to the mudroom just off the kitchen. "The door to the garage is through here." I was proud of myself that my brain had engaged enough to speak in full sentences. I opened the door and reached around to press the button on the wall to activate the overhead door opener. I stepped back and Dante squeezed around me, kissing my temple before he strode over to my car and opened the driver's door.

"Say hi to Hunter and Mia for me."

"I will and thank you. For the flowers, and for checking out my vehicle."

"That kiss was all the thanks I need, sugar," he told me with a wink. I couldn't help the smile that crept across my face.

Hunter came downstairs about ten minutes later, his hair still wet from his shower. Mia followed shortly after that and commented on the new flowers I'd gotten.

"King sent you more flowers?"

Hunter paused with a spoon of cereal halfway to his mouth and grinned, before telling her that King had delivered them himself.

"The doorbell woke me up, and then I heard him talking to Mom. He took her car to the MC's garage to make sure it's ready for the drive tomorrow." Damn, the walls in this house were way too thin.

Mia tried and failed to hide her smile, and I scrambled for yet another excuse for why I was receiving a daily floral delivery.

"He wanted to thank me for having Sinner and Viking over for dinner," I offered, then busied myself by pouring a glass of iced tea. I hoped they would drop the subject, but I should have known better.

"Uh-huh," Mia said knowingly, and she and Hunter exchanged secretive grins, looking very pleased with themselves.

"The guy's into you, Mom," Hunter told me with a roll of his eyes, then stuffed another spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

"Yeah, Mom. He's totally into you." Neither of them seemed concerned or upset by that notion, and I willed myself not to blush. They both knew that I'd dated since the divorce, but I'd never introduced them to any of the men. I didn't think it was fair to do that until the relationship was serious, and none of mine had gotten to that point.

I was saved from responding when Mia's cell phone rang, and I made a quick escape to my office while she was squealing into the phone about the latest round of drama among her friends.

I forced myself to push Dante and my growing feelings for him to the side as I settled back in at my desk and focused on the work I needed to accomplish for the day. It wasn't until I took a break for a late lunch two hours later that I realized there was a card included with the flowers.

I spotted the small envelope nestled in among the blooms and plucked it from the plastic holder. I grinned as I read the card, guessing that my dig about Bull had prompted it. " Larkspurs symbolize someone who's fickle. Don't be a larkspur, Ella. I'm the only handsome man you need to be asking about. Have a good day, sugar ." I felt the last of my walls crumble, and smiled when I realized that the idea of starting something with Dante made me almost breathless with anticipation. I was no longer wary about the idea. I was excited and eager to explore whatever this attraction was between us.

After a moment's hesitation, I picked up my phone and sent a message to the man who had finally won me over.

Me: I'd hate to be accused of being fickle. The kids are spending the evening with their friends tonight. Any chance you're free for dinner?

My phone rang just seconds later, and the sound of Dante's voice made my pulse race when I answered the phone.

"There's nothing I'd like better, sugar. What time can I pick you up?"

"I can be ready by six, but…how about you come here, and we'll order take-out. That way we can talk a little more," I suggested hesitantly.

"Is this a good talk?" Dante asked with a hint of suspicion in his voice.

I couldn't help but chuckle at him as I replied, "Yes, I just thought we could get to know each other a little bit more."

"Now that sounds like a perfect idea." I heard voices in the background, and a man calling for him. He put his hand over his phone, and I heard his muffled voice tell the man that he would be right there. "Sorry, Irish needs me for something. I'll be there at six. Can't wait, sugar."

We ended the call a moment later, and I spent the next few minutes trying to calm down. I had a date with Dante, and I was equal parts excited and scared to death.

I ended up shutting down my work laptop early, unable to concentrate as the afternoon wore on. Linc dropped my SUV back off a little after three, assuring me that they had topped off the fluids, but otherwise my vehicle was in tip-top shape for the drive tomorrow. Once he'd left, I snuck in a yoga workout to try to relax myself, then took a long shower and got ready to face Dante.

I took extra care with my appearance, finally deciding on my favorite pair of jeans that made my butt look good, and a pretty, flowy lavender top that dipped down just enough to showcase my cleavage nicely without looking slutty. I had a momentary flashback to the sight of Star with her bits and baubles hanging out on display. Then I took a deep breath and pushed her out of my mind. It helped when I reminded myself that it that's what Dante wanted, he wouldn't have worked so hard to pursue me.

Mia and Hunter left around five-thirty. They were both going to the movies with friends - different movies, but at the same multi-plex theater. I didn't mention that Dante was coming over, and they didn't seem to notice that I seemed nervous as they headed out the door with a promise to be home by eleven.

Dante showed up a few minutes before six, and I had to calm my heart rate as I heard the roar of his bike pulling into the driveway. I nervously straightened the throw pillow propped up in the corner of the couch before taking a deep breath and opening the door to greet him. He was holding a vase with a dozen white roses and looked me over from head to toe with an appreciative smile that made my toes curl.

"You look beautiful, sugar," he said as he handed me the large vase. "Dorothy, the florist, tells me that white roses can symbolize new beginnings and hope for the future."

I looked at the perfect blooms, with the petals just starting to unfurl. There were leaves and bits of greenery tucked in around the roses, making the stark white flowers stand out even more.

"I love them, thank you," I told him with a smile, stepping aside to let him come in. He slipped his cut off and carefully draped it over the back of one of my side chairs, then lowered himself to one end of the couch when I gestured for him to sit down. I set the vase on the coffee table, and I tried not to stare at the play of muscles bunching in his thick thighs as he settled himself. He was dressed in dark-washed jeans and a dark red button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up on his forearms giving me just a hint of the ink tattooed on his arm.. The fabric stretched tight across his broad shoulders as he shifted on the cushion, and I subtly wiped the corner of my mouth in case I was drooling.

After a moment of awkward silence, I sat on the other end of the couch and suggested we decide what to order. It didn't take long for us to settle for Chinese food from the little place a few blocks away. We had both eaten there before, and quickly ordered our favorite dishes to be delivered.

We made small talk for about twenty minutes while we waited for the food to be delivered, mostly about Hunter and Mia and their plans for the rest of the summer. We also touched briefly on the wedding, which was taking place tomorrow.

"Since it's a small, informal ceremony, Abby didn't want to mess with having a rehearsal dinner tonight. They aren't doing a big reception either, but all the guests are invited to dinner at an Italian restaurant after the ceremony," he said.

"I saw your dad yesterday afternoon. He got a haircut and even trimmed up his beard for the occasion. He's so proud to be officiating the ceremony."

Dante snorted and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, the old man gets a huge kick out of a man named Sinner being ordained to perform marriages. He went online and got one of those officiant certificates so he could perform Jagger's wedding to Molly. His dad was an actual preacher. A real hardnosed fire and brimstone Bible thumper, from what my dad's told me over the years. I think Sinner feels like he's giving his old man a great big ‘fuck you' by getting ordained, too."

I snorted a laugh when a thought occurred to me. "Wait a minute, your name is Dante, Pop's real name is Virgil, and your club is the 5 th Circle Guardians? Good Lord, somebody had a thing for Dante's Inferno," I snorted, not even trying to hide my laughter.

"Yeah, that's Sinner's doing," He chuckled as he relaxed into the corner of the couch. "His dad thought Sinner would be going straight to hell when he got involved with an MC back in the day. The tough old bastard disowned him for it, unless my dad repented for his sinful ways. He didn't, and Viking gave him the nickname of Sinner. My dad has a twisted sense of humor, so when he established his own club a few years later, he decided to play off his given name and named the club after the 5 th Circle of Hell. When I came along, he convinced my mom to give me the name Dante."

"Oh my God, I can just see Pop doing that."

"The whole religious symbolism gets worse. My sister's name was Beatrice – also from Dante's Inferno. She hated it and went by BeBe instead. And my half-brother Ace's mom named him Jude, short for Judas. I'm not sure if she sensed something was off with him, or if he's just trying to live up to the name his mom saddled him with."

"Pop has told me a little about him. It sounds like it's been…challenging at times," I said, trying to be diplomatic. Actually, it sounded like Ace was a colossal asshole, and that was being generous. He'd been in and out of jail for years and had been a source of pain and disappointment for Pop, as well as his late wife Frankie, who'd apparently done her best to treat Ace like he was one of her own.

"Ace is more than challenging, sugar. I can't stand the bastard, and most of the MC feels the same way. He hasn't violated the bylaws so we can't kick him out, but I keep hoping he'll quit on his own one of these days."

"I'm sorry," I said softly.

Dante just shrugged. "Well, it is what it is. He had a shitty start in life, but he hasn't done a damn thing to make it better. He's the result of a relationship my dad had with a club girl around the time he'd met my mom. The club girl, Roxie, had been pissed when Sinner tossed her over in favor of my mom and had left town without telling him about Ace. Fast forward seventeen years, and Ace showed up on our doorstep one day, with a letter from his recently deceased mother, telling Sinner that he was Ace's dad. A DNA test proved it, and the next thing I knew, I had a slightly older brother who hated me and my family."

"That's awful," I commiserated, feeling equal parts sorry for a young Ace, as well as for the rest of the Morgan clan.

"My mom was amazing, and opened up our home to Ace, who was a mouthy little shit with a huge chip on his shoulder. He's been in and out of prison since then, staying out of trouble just long enough to knock up a stripper who OD'd when Lucky was little. Ace was back behind bars by that point, so Sinner and my mom raised Lucky for the most part. Once Mom got too sick to keep up with a teenaged boy, Lucky came to live with me and my boys. Ace has never been an actual father to him at all."

"That's probably a good thing," I observed, "especially if he's that bad. Lucky was better off with the rest of you, I'm sure." I took a sip of my iced tea, trying to get rid of the lump in my throat as I thought about the childhood Lucky could have been subjected to with his dad.

"Yeah, Lucky can be a pain in my ass, but he's turned out to be a good man, and I'm proud to have had a hand in that."

He chuckled then and told me about the Dating for Dummies book that Lucky had snuck in and placed on his desk.

"Oh my God, you're kidding," I gasped between giggles.

"No. Trick and Jag were in on it, too, from what I can tell. Half the MC has been giving me advice on how to win you over. Most of it shitty advice, but they've tried."

I was still laughing over some of their suggestions when the doorbell rang, announcing the arrival of our food. We ended up eating in the living room, each of us sitting on either end of the couch, with the white food containers spread out on the coffee table. While we ate, we chatted about various members of the MC, and I told him a little about the graphic design work that I did.

"So, what did you do before you became the president?" I asked between bites of fried rice.

"I ran The Inferno Bar that Jag manages now. I opened the place for the MC when the boys were toddlers and ran it until Sinner stepped down as president about ten years ago. Then I was voted in to replace him. Now I spend my days overseeing the various club-owned businesses and trying to keep the club brothers in line. It's like trying to herd cats sometimes," he said with a shake of his head, popping the last of his eggroll into his mouth. He set his empty plate on the coffee table then looked at me.

"Now, tell me more about your job. How long have you worked – "

Dante stopped speaking when his cell phone rang, his jaw hardening as he glanced over toward his cut laying on the back of the chair.

"I'm sorry, sugar, but that's the club's ringtone. They all know I didn't want to be disturbed, so this must be important."

"Not a problem. I'll just clean up our dinner mess." I pulled away and stood up as the ringing stopped, then started up again almost immediately. Dante grabbed the phone out of his cut, and I hurried into the kitchen to give him some privacy.