Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

Autumn

"Lila, do you mind watching Jesse tonight?" Athena asks from where she's restocking the to-go cups.

We'd been busy all morning, which I'm thankful for since it meant Athena didn't get a chance to grill me about what happened last night with Striker.

"Yeah, sure, I don't have anything else better to do since Striker grounded me until the end of days," Lila retorts, looking upset, more like completely miserable.

"Why did he do that?" I find myself asking before I could stop myself.

"Because I went to a party without him knowing about it. Something happened, and I ended up having to call him to come pick me up. My friend was totally shitfaced. There was no way she could drive, and she promised not to drink since we took her car," Lila explains, seeming a bit peeved at her friend. This I could understand.

"Well, it's a good thing you were smart enough to call your brother and didn't get in a car with her," Athena remarks. "Were you drinking too?"

"I had a few drinks and knew it wouldn't be safe to chance it," Lila admits. "Striker would have had my ass if I did, and he found out about it."

"Rightly so too," Athena agrees and looks at me. "Brass told me that your night with Striker was interrupted."

Damnit. Why did she have to go and say that?

"Wait, you were with my brother last night?" Lila asks, turning wide eyes in my direction.

"Ugh . . ." How do I explain to her that it isn't something I'm sure I could discuss with her? Especially considering I don't understand it all myself. Finally, I just nod. "Yes, he brought dinner to my apartment, then left when he got a call he needed to get to the clubhouse." I twist to face Athena. "And no, nothing happened. Well, he kissed me, but that's it."

"Striker kissed you." Lila gasps, and I turn back to see she's staring at me wide-eyed.

"Yes," I answer.

"This is totally huge," she squeals and starts jumping up and down in place while clapping her hand. She glances from me to Athena and then back to me. "I don't go to the clubhouse much unless it's family days and when the nasty skanks are hiding away. But I've been there plenty of times. I'm not blind, I know my brother is hot, and I've heard things even though I wish I hadn't. One thing I know for certain is he doesn't kiss women he's screwing around with. It's not something he does."

"This is true," Athena confirms.

"I don't think I need to know this," I tell them both. "It was just a kiss. One kiss."

"Technically, it was the second one since he kissed you in the hall yesterday," Athena says, not having to remind me.

"This is so cool." Lila laughs, bouncing side to side, her eyes bright with amusement.

I do my best to hide my horror at her thinking this was the best of news. I decided my best course of action right now is to run and hide in my office, at least for a few moments. I make my excuses and all but rush out of there. I'm so much in my head that I don't hear the bell over the door or them calling out a greeting. My only thought is to escape.

I barely manage to sit behind my desk and power on the computer when my door opens. I'm taken aback by the man stepping into my office. Though I probably shouldn't be. It's just he's been surprising me far too many times in a short amount of time. It doesn't help that last night I hadn't been able to sleep.

All I could think about was the kiss he'd given me and what he said.

"What are you doing here?" I find myself asking, staring at him as he closes the door and leans against it.

"Came to see you," he says, crossing his arms. "And to speak to my sister since she left for work before I had the chance to finish talkin' to her after laying her ass out last night for her stunt and groundin' her."

"She mentioned you grounded her," I tell him, though I'm sure I didn't need to. "She told Athena and me what happened. She also told us how she called you, which was the responsible thing to do."

"Yeah, but she still wasn't supposed to be at a party. Her ass is grounded until I decide to unground it." He shrugs and pushes away from the door. "I'd been pissed and hadn't told her about you and me."

"Well, Athena took care of that for you."

"Of course she did." Striker grins, drops his hands from his chest, and prowls, more like stalks, toward me. He rounds the side of my desk only to stop next to me. But even then, he bends at the waist and plants a hand on either side of my chair. Leaning in, Striker gets close. So close, our noses touch. "Soon as Lila saw me step inside, she made it known to me she thought it was cool. Means it's good for me ‘cause I came here to tell you?—"

"We can't do this," I blurt, interrupting him. He's already freaking me out, and I can't handle more. My mind is going a hundred miles an hour. My heart won't stop racing. It's all I can do to focus.

"Told you already, Mama, we're doin' this," he says far too gently for my liking.

Okay, so I like the gentleness in his voice. It's just when it comes to him, he's making me so nervous I can't think straight.

"We can't. I mean, I can't. I have too much on my plate right now," I tell him and myself, though I know deep down it's a lie.

The café is doing great. So good, I could take time off now, but I'm not ready to do that. I have to be here. To make sure mine and Avery's dreams continue as it was supposed to always be.

"Autumn, quit lying to the both of us. I can see the damn lie in your eyes," he growls, eyes flashing with annoyance.

"I'm not."

"You are." Striker pulls me out of my seat and straightens, wrapping his arms around my waist. "You're scared shitless of what we're starting, and I'm not about to let you run from it." He slides his fingers up my spine and into my hair, tangling his fingers in the strands. "I'm stickin' around until you're free to head out. Then we're going for a ride. After that, we're going to my place, where we're going to finish our conversation from last night and where you're spending the night."

"Excuse me?" I say on no more than a breath. There's no way I can spend the night with this man. I wouldn't be able to sleep. If I did manage it, I'd be taking the chance of nightmares.

"Mama, you are." Striker uses the arm around my waist to give me a squeeze. At the same time, he tightens his grip on my hair and tugs my head back. I bite back a moan at how good it feels. "Don't fight me on it ‘cause you won't win. You're at my place tonight. Sleeping in my bed. Not saying we're doing anything other than talkin', doesn't mean we might not do some foolin' around."

"Striker," I whisper, gripping his shirt in my hands, tightening to hold on or to shove away from him, I'm not sure which.

"Autumn," he murmurs, staring at me, eyes getting that look just as they had right before he kissed me last night.

A knock at the door interrupts the moment, causing me to jump nearly out of my skin. I twist as much as Striker allowed as the door opened, and Athena popped her head inside .

"Sorry to interrupt, but there's someone out here wanting to speak to you, Autumn," she says, looking between Striker and me curiously and clearing her throat. "Says his name's is Tony Decker."

"Tony Decker?" I repeat, not sure if I heard her right or not.

"Yeah." Athena nods.

What in the world would Tony be doing here? I haven't seen him since we graduated high school. He was my boyfriend back then. We both agreed to end things when he left for the military. We stayed friends, though. He'd send emails sometimes, and I'd do the same.

Striker's grip tightens and pulls me out of my thoughts.

"Let him know I'll be right out," I tell Athena and look to Striker to see he's lost that look in his eyes that had me transfixed. The expression that takes over is darker. I could only put it down as a man completely pissed off.

Oh boy.

I swallow down my nerves.

"Um, you have to let me go," I whisper, drawing my bottom lip between my teeth, unsure of what Striker will do or think.

"Who's Tony Decker to you?"

I stare up at him, not just unsure of how to answer but uncertain as to how he'll react. Seeing the expression on his face, I'm pretty sure he definitely won't like the answer.

"He's um, well, I, ugh . . .

"Autumn," Striker growls.

I stiffen and decide it's really none of his business. "You know it's not really any of your business."

I barely get the words out before I find myself pressed against the wall, Striker's body pressing into mine.

"When it comes to you, Autumn, you're mine business," he bites out harshly. His eyes radiating the fury that's pouring off him in waves.

Okay, telling him that was definitely the wrong decision.

Striker grips my hips and lifts until I've no choice but to wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck to hold on. "Now, who the fuck is he to you?" he demands, his face in mine.

"He was my high school boyfriend. We broke it off and stayed friends. I haven't seen him since he left for the military, but we've stayed connected through emails and texts," I answer.

Slowly, Striker sets me down on my feet but keeps me pressed to the wall, one hand going back into my hair. He tugs my head back so we still have eye contact.

"We go out there, you do it with me. You do it knowing you're my woman. He touches you, and I'm not gonna like it."

I'm not sure if I should be mad with him or not with the way he's acting all possessive, but my body has a mind of its own and is reacting in only one way. That being wanting things I'm sure I shouldn't, though I've dreamed of since the first time I saw him.