Chapter Two

Mariah dropped her makeup bag into her backpack. Skye cupped her hands around the mug of coffee and glanced at her phone on the counter.

"Time's ticking," she reminded her friend.

"I work at the coffee shop." Mariah grinned. "It'll be okay if I'm late. I've got an in with the boss. She loves me."

Dania, Mariah's mom, owned Whale's Tail Coffee Shop. Skye had hung out there for as long as she could remember while her aunt worked. It's how she met Mariah when she was eight years old.

"Tell your mom she needs to make an appointment with me and use her Christmas gift certificate before it expires." Skye took a sip of coffee. "She was hesitant last time I talked to her because she thought I was too busy—which is not the case."

"I'll have her call you." Picking up her pack, Mariah walked to the door. "See you later."

Skye waved. "Don't work too hard."

"Bitch." Mariah grinned. "Enjoy your day off."

She walked across the apartment and locked the door. The whole day was ahead of her.

That morning, when she woke, she wanted to roll over and go back to sleep and ignore what had happened last night at the clubhouse with Dio. Then, she got angry and got up, determined to try and relax.

Since it was her day off, she'd head to the pool before Rec Swim started and get some laps in.

She texted Daisy at the pool to make sure there was a lane open as she went to the bathroom and grabbed a band for her hair.

Getting the go-ahead from Daisy, Skye quickly French braided her hair and grabbed a towel to toss in her bag.

Her phone dinged before she left the apartment. Seeing the text from Aunt Brooke, she stopped.

Dinner Wednesday at our house?

She smiled. Her aunt had raised her after her mom died, and her dad went to prison when she was four years old. They were closer than aunt and niece. They were friends. Years ago, her aunt found out she couldn't have children. That never changed Aunt Brooke's relationship with Skye. Her aunt poured all her love into being the best aunt and substitute mother, and that was something Skye would never forget.

Her aunt loved her when raising and caring for her wasn't her job. No matter what she'd done—and she'd tested the boundaries numerous times—Aunt Brooke continued to love her regardless of her shortcomings.

She typed back. Absolutely

Dropping the cell into her bag, she went outside, locked the door behind her, and jogged down the steps to her car. The short drive to the pool only took a couple of minutes. Usually, she'd visit the clubhouse next door, but today was all about her mental health. She needed to forget about last night.

Leaving her car parked on the side of the road, she jogged up the steps to the pool house and walked through the double doors.

Daisy waved her in from the office. "The pool is eighty-five degrees."

"Sweet." She veered to the left, going into the women's locker room. Having used the city pool since she was young, she had the routine of getting in her suit and into the water down to a quick minute.

Knowing the water was warm enough, she stepped off the side of the pool at the seven-foot mark and felt her body relax as she pushed off the bottom and surfaced. There were only two other swimmers on the other side swimming laps. She recognized Barbara and Talia and knew they'd be going for at least a half hour.

She moved her head side to side, loosening her neck, and started swimming freestyle. Soon, she'd fallen into a rhythm, calmed her breathing, and skimmed along the water's surface. Three strokes. Breathe. Left-right-left. Breathe.

One. Two. Three. Breathe.

Dio. Was. With. Another. Woman.

She swallowed water and instantly stopped swimming, coughing hard until tears burned her eyes. Turning her back to the others, she slapped the water in frustration.

The lifestyle of the bikers was no secret to her. She'd snuck her way into the parties and listened when no one thought she was paying any attention. Some women who would do anything with the Havlin members showed up at the clubhouse on open nights, ready and willing to screw around.

Her dad stayed home during those times, and if he went, Aunt Brooke was usually with him. While their marriage was stable, many of the men fucked around on their old lady or girlfriend.

Cheating seemed to be the norm. The same thing happened in high school and college. Relationships never lasted.

But Dio wasn't supposed to be like the others.

Last night proved to her that he would never see her for anything more than Maverick's daughter.

"Everything okay?"

She turned and found Daisy at the side of the pool. Mustering a smile, she patted her chest.

"Too much on my mind. I swallowed water." She coughed once more to clear her throat.

"Want me to pace you?" Daisy snapped her suit strap. "I have an hour until the pool opens for Rec Swim, and I have to work."

"Sure." Skye swam into the other lane.

Concentrating on matching Daisy's strokes, Skye swam beside her. The water always calmed her, and she lost herself in the repetitive motions. The silence under the surface cleared her head.

By the time she stopped, hugged Daisy for the help, and showered in the locker room, she was stronger than when she'd arrived. She left the pool with her gaze on the sidewalk, the curb, the tire of her car, and the door handle. She would not look down the block, hoping to see Dio standing outside the Havlin Motorcycle Club clubhouse .

She opened the car door and threw her bag inside.

"Skye."

Her knees buckled at the sound of Dio's deep voice. She slid clumsily into the driver's seat, prepared to drive away, but hesitated to push the ignition button.

"Hey." Dio tapped on the driver's side window. "Hang on a sec."

She started the car and rolled down the window. "I'm running late."

"You don't work today."

"I have to meet Mariah." She refused to look at him.

Dio reached inside and shut off the car. "Mariah's serving coffee down the street. You can wait a few minutes."

She sagged against the seat. He wasn't going to let her go without some kind of explanation about last night, and she'd rather not talk about his sex life.

He opened the car door and squatted beside her. "I wanted to talk to you."

"There's no reason to say anything." She stared at the middle of the steering wheel.

"Yeah, there is." He grabbed her hand and played with her fingers. "I never wanted you to see me that way."

Her throat closed. She blinked hard, stopping the onslaught of tears needing to escape.

"I'm sorry, princess," he whispered.

She looked at him for the first time since seeing his hand on the back of the woman's head and his gaze on what the bitch was doing to him. At that moment, when it clicked in her head what was happening in front of her, curiosity dug its sharp claws into her. She'd never seen that look in Dio's eyes before when he looked at her. He was intense and angry, yet unaware and high on pleasure.

He seemed like a stranger, yet she was turned on at seeing that side of him. She wanted him to look at her that way, but he only saw her as a kid despite her being past the legal age to have an adult relationship.

"I never wanted you to see me that way." He tilted his head.

His brown hair fell across his forehead, covering the lines of concern. She wanted to sweep the hair back but couldn't touch him. Not right now.

"But, why one of the bitches?" Her voice came out wounded, and she cleared her throat. "It was your birthday. It should've been a special moment, and she's a nobody."

Dio exhaled. She couldn't explain to him how much he'd hurt her. As if seeking out pleasure from someone else diminished her platonic relationship with him.

"Come on, Skye." He kissed the back of her fingers. "You know how bikers are—"

"Not my dad."

"You're right. But, he's got Brooke." He bowed his head, hiding his brown eyes. "You're better than the shit you see going on around you. Someday, some guy will love you like nobody has loved you before. And he'll put you first. Don't ever settle for anything but love, princess."

The sound of her heart beating echoed in her ears. Dio leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I got you something for your birthday. I meant to give it to you yesterday."

He took the small box from his vest pocket and handed it to her. She stared at his hand. It was shaking. She swallowed hard and took the gift, unable to deny she was curious about what this year's birthday present from him would be.

She took the box and lifted the lid off. Her stomach warmed, and she plucked out a silver bracelet. She slipped it over her hand. The piece of jewelry went halfway to her elbow. It was too big.

"It's for your ankle." Dio lowered his voice. "The lady at the shop put a different latch on it so it wouldn't come off when you swim." He brushed her hair away from her face. "I figured you have enough bracelets piled on your wrists. You can start putting them around your ankles now."

She smiled. Only Dio would put that much thought into a present.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Are we good?"

"Yeah." She could never be mad at him for long.

He'd sought her out and apologized. She understood that she had no control over his sex life. She had to be satisfied that the club bitch meant nothing to him.

"I'll see you later." He tapped the top of her car. "Buckle up."

She went through the motions and pulled away from the curb. Looking in her rearview mirror, she watched him watch her drive away .

They'd made it through the embarrassing aftermath of last night. But she couldn't get him out of her head. Talking to him only made the situation worse.

He only brought up what happened last night because he worried about shocking her. He would never know that seeing him with another woman broke something painful inside of her because in her head, in her heart, Dio had always been hers.

She'd never voiced that thought to him or anyone else. Not even Mariah, who knew everything about her.

Ever since she was little, she'd loved him.

That love grew over the years and consumed her. He meant everything to her, and she'd tested him many times to see if he felt the same, and he always came to her. He always dropped whatever he was doing and sought her out.

She had no doubt that if she would've stayed in the doorway last night and asked him to stop what he was doing and come to her, he would've knocked that bitch to the ground in his hurry—because Dio had always made sure she felt special.

She was his princess.

But he never looked at her the way he had looked at the bitch last night, and she was jealous. That woman had something she wanted.

Dio had a hard time understanding that she was an adult. He still viewed her as a child who tagged after him, always bothering him.

She'd gone to college. She'd started her own business. She moved out of her dad's and Aunt Brooke's house .

What would she have to do for Dio to look at her like he'd looked at that woman last night?