3. Davis

I’ve never been jealous of a dog before, but right now I’d give anything to trade places with Hercules and have my head on Mel’s lap.

She rubs him behind the ears, and he sighs contentedly. Lucky dog.

I tear my gaze away from Mel and pull the clean glasses from yesterday out of the dishwasher. As I put them away, my gaze darts to the woman in the corner.

The morning sun steams in the window, highlighting her hair in different shades of chestnut and caramel. The shiny tresses hang loose over her shoulders, and the tendrils snake down her chest. The white blouse, streaked with dirt thanks to my dumbass of a dog, hug her ample breasts. The top button hangs loose, giving a tantalizing glimpse of milky white skin a shade lighter than her arms, the most private parts of her body where the sun doesn’t reach.

“Put your tongue back in your mouth.”

I glance up, startled to find Charlie watching me. Her arms are folded across her chest and there’s an amused smirk on her made-up face.

She’s the Prez’s daughter and a few years younger than me, not that you’d notice with the way she’s taken to presenting herself lately. I’m not sure why, but ever since the Prez went on vacation to Italy with his wife and young family, Charlie’s taken to wearing heavy eyeliner and skirts that get shorter every day.

I’m not sure what she’s trying to prove, but I also know you’d be stupid to even look at the Prez’s daughter. Not that Charlie is my type. We’ve become friends since she started working as a waitress, which is why I flick my dishcloth at her now and she easily dodges out of the way.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She raises her eyebrows at me and glances over at Mel.

“Looks like your dog isn’t shy about making a move.”

Hercules sighs contentedly, and Mel gives him an absent-minded scratch behind the ears.

“Shhh.”

I adjust my hearing aids, because I’m never quite sure if I’m hearing things amplified or not, but the last thing I want is Charlie shouting across the restaurant about how obvious it is that I can’t keep my eyes off the pretty brunette in the corner.

“Relax.” Charlie leans her elbows on the bar. “She can’t hear me.”

I make Charlie her usual coffee, which is a straight up black no sugar.

I wonder if it’s that obvious to everyone that I’m attracted to Mel. Not that it matters. A woman like that would never go for a guy like me.

“Are you gonna ask her out?”

“Charlie…” I cut a glance at Mel, but she’s busy at her laptop with an adorable frown creasing her forehead.

“Of course I’m not gonna ask her out,” I whisper. “A woman like that is way out of my league.”

Charlie shakes her head at me. “Don’t sell yourself short, Davis. You’d be a catch for anyone.”

I appreciate her trying to make me feel better, but I know that’s not true.

“Yeah, women are falling over themselves to get to me, haven’t you noticed? They all want a half-deaf twenty-six-year-old who works in a bar for a living.”

I try not to sound bitter, but the hearing aids are a real buzz killer. I haven’t even tried approaching a woman since I got them. Who wants a guy with ears like an old man?

Charlie takes a sip of coffee and raises her eyebrows at me.

“You mean they want a kindhearted veteran who sacrificed his hearing for his country, who rides a badass motorbike, has a cute dog, and works at a bar while he learns the ropes of running a motorcycle club? I told you you’re a catch.”

At that moment Barrels strides in, a scowl on his face directed at Charlie.

“Who’s a catch?” he demands.

Charlie sips her coffee slowly, looking up at him from behind the mug. “Davis is.”

Barrels turns his scowl on me, and I wonder what’s got him so worked up.

“The kegs need changing, and there are dishes from yesterday that need putting away.”

He’s not usually so pushy, but maybe with the Prez away he’s feeling the pressure of being second in command.

He turns to Charlie, who smiles sweetly as she taps the barstool with her foot. “And I mean it about that skirt. You get changed into something decent, or you’re not working today.”

Charlie rolls her eyes, but she stands up from the stool. “Fine. I’ll put something else on. If you’re sure you don’t want me in this skirt?”

Barrels glances down at her legs and swallows hard. Charlie give him an innocent smile and steps one booted foot onto the rung of the stool.

She’s flirting with him.

The Prez’s daughter is flirting with her father’s best friend, and by the way he’s breathing heavily, I’d say he feels the same attraction to Charlie that I do to Mel.

Well shit. This isn’t going to play out well.

“Do you have any other WiFi, or is that it?”

The silky voice makes my head jerk up to the corner where Mel’s forehead is puckered into a frown. “I’ve just done a test call with my PA, and the signal’s breaking out on the video. I can’t let my team know I’m not in Charlotte. They think I’m working from home today, and I don’t want them to know I’ve escaped to the mountains.”

There are worry lines on her forehead, and I want to smooth them out and make all her worries disappear. I’m not sure what’s driven this woman to flee the city, but now that she’s here I’ll do anything I can to make her stay.

“Afraid not. Signal can be patchy out here in the mountains. That’s why I got a Starlink satellite dish at my cabin.”

She raises her eyebrows, and I love that I’ve impressed her.

I’m about to tell her that it’s easy to move and I can bring it to the clubhouse when a better idea occurs to me.

“You want to go to my place to work instead?”

She tugs on her bottom lip, considering the offer.

“I’m just up the road. I can get you there in ten minutes. Still time to make your meeting.”

I try to keep the excitement out of my voice, but now I’m running away with the idea.

“You could stay with me if you want. Danni’s place must be noisy with the renovations and the kids. I’ve got a spare room and a quiet place to work.”

I’m holding the dishcloth so tightly wrapped around my hand that I almost cut off my circulation as I wait for her answer. She tilts her head and wraps a strand of hair around her finger. I study her face and get the feeling that my entire future depends on her answer.

“Will this do?” Danni appears in the doorway of the restaurant holding up a green blouse. “It needs an iron, but it’s the dressiest thing I could find.”

Mel crosses the room, leaving Hercules to look mournfully after her, and inspects the blouse. “That will have to do. I don’t have many choices.”

She takes the blouse and holds it up, shaking it out to try to get out the creases.

“I’ve got an iron at my place too,” I say, reminding her of my offer.

“The WiFi’s crap,” Mel explains to Danni. “Davis has offered his place up to work.”

“And to stay,” I add. “I’ve got a spare room.”

I say it causally as I wipe down another glass. “I could run you back there now before we open for the day.”

I’ll have to ask Charlie to cover for me with setting things up and Quentin will have my ass since he’s in a pissy mood, but I don’t care. I’ll have Mel at my place.

Mel looks to Danni and I collect some glasses from the other end of the bar, giving them time to talk about me if they need to.

“Davis is solid,” I hear Danni say. “You can trust any of the men in the club. I told Barrels a little about your situation, and you’re under club protection now.”

Mel takes a step back. “Club protection? What does that mean?”

“It means if that asshole comes here looking for you, he’ll have to get past a bunch of hairy veteran bikers first.”

Mel breaks into the first smile I’ve seen since she arrived.

“I like the sound of that. But it’s only for another night or two until I can get myself back to Charlotte and figure out my next move.”

She goes to gather up her things, and I try to keep my eyes off the confident way her body moves.

She’s under club protection, which means I’ll do anything needed to keep her safe.