Chasing Down Changes (Moroad Motorcycle Club) (8 page)

"Get comfortable." He removed his pistol and set it on the dresser. "Marci mentioned you had a few days off work, and now you'll be spending the time here with me."

Tiff skirted the bed and walked to the corner of the room beside the bathroom door. "I can't stay."

"You're staying."

"No, I mean I left my bag in the driveway of Sheriff Colby's house. I don't have clothes or my toothbrush or..." She hugged herself, yawning. "We can talk if that's what you want, and then I'll need you to take me back to town. Or, I could walk, I guess."

Jeremy sat down in the chair and leaned over to unlace his boots. "You're wearing yourself out with the hours you work. You're staying here. In the morning, you can call one of the women who work for you and they can pack you another bag. There's a package of toothbrushes in the bathroom that Christina put in there when she set up the room. Take one. Tonight, you're going to lay down on the bed and sleep. We're both beat, and I don't feel like hashing through everything tonight."

"I'm not tired."

He glanced over at her. Her heavy eyelids and dropped shoulders called her a liar.

Toeing his boot, he kicked both of them to the middle of the room, pulled his socks off, and stood. He undid his belt, keeping his eyes on her. Instead of the emotional rollercoaster he expected from her, she seemed to stay permanently in low energy mode. The only time she showed any hint of feelings was when he forced her to deal with him.

He stripped off his vest, his shirt, his jeans, and watched her turn her back on him. He grinned, catching her shock before hiding from him. He's hard cock strained in her direction.

"You're not wearing boxers," she said.

He walked over to the bed and laid down. "After fifteen years of wearing only a jumper, I'm more comfortable going without underwear. Now, get undressed, turn the light off, and get in bed."

She marched over to the door and flipped the light switch. Her rebelling against the order he'd given her irritated him. He wanted to see her body. Her woman's body. The fuller hips, the bigger breasts teased him since he'd got back. He wanted to take her body for a test drive and keep going around those curves.

"Chicken," he muttered.

In the dark, she said, "This is stupid, Jeremy. We're not young anymore. I've moved on with my life. I shouldn't have to do what you say or try to make you feel better about the situation. You need to deal with the changes. Promises we made at nineteen and twenty years old don't mean anything when we've gone two different directions. I understand your curiosity about what I'm doing with my life, but I'm not hiding anything. I run Silver Girls. I own the Sterling Building, and as you know and I have no idea how you found out, I restarted the bordello. I have a very stable life, and I've left Moroad behind."

He listened without injecting his thoughts about the changes she'd made. Without him supporting her through the years, she would've been waiting in one of the motel rooms for him to return.

"You're mine." He bunched the pillow under his head. "You knew that when I went away."

"Times are different now. I don't need you for support." Her voice faded and moved in a different direction. "I remember when Cam and a couple of the other members came back from prison. They understood what was waiting for them when they returned. We're different. I moved on."

"You're only trying to convince yourself. That chick working upstairs for you said you weren't one of the women fucking the customers." He clasped his hands behind his head.

"That doesn't mean I sat around waiting for you all these years." Her voice came closer to him. "Where am I supposed to lay down? You're taking up the whole bed. This isn't even a normal size bed."

"There's plenty of room." He reached out blindly, found her arm, and tugged.

Momentum tossed her over his chest, and she grunted on landing. "I'm not having sex with you if this is what you planned."

"Right." He found her waist, lifted, and deposited her to his right side, next to the wall.

She wiggled in the small area and faced him on her side. "I'm serious, Jeremy. You try anything, and I'll fight you."

He reached over, grabbed her wrist, and put it on his hard cock. "This is fifteen years of thinking about coming back to you. One more night of waiting won't kill me. Now, close your damn eyes, shut up, and sleep."

She snatched her hand back and rubbed her palm on her hip.

He reached down and pulled the blanket over both of them before stretching out and putting his forearm across his forehead, a habit he'd picked up in prison because the fucking light was always on in the catwalk.

She pulled the blanket tight against her. He concentrated on breathing and relaxing his muscles. The bed sucked. Not the size, because he preferred to have Tiff close where he could feel her every move and know she wasn't leaving the bed without him waking up. It was the softness. He preferred a hard, lumpy surface to keep him from sleeping too hard and letting down his guard.

Tonight, he'd have no problem staying awake. He wasn't planning on resting or giving Tiff a chance to escape.

"Jeremy?" she whispered.

He grunted.

"You said fifteen years' worth..." Her gulp filled the quiet of the room. "You had sex with Lola when you came back to Federal, so that's not true that you were only thinking about me the whole time.  You can hate me, but don't lie."

He opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. Others learned never to question him. He gave no one answers. His private life remained in his control. Weak men showed emotion. To succeed in the world, he had to plan, foresee, and bend situations to his way.

He had to push forward with his plan and make no mistakes. He closed his eyes again. Tiff asked for the impossible. What he had with Lola was none of Tiff's business, but he'd give her enough information to sleep and begin to bend her toward their life together.

"I haven't had sex with Lola or any of the Moroad women since I returned." He inhaled slowly and exhaled even slower. "No more questions. I need to rest, and you need to sleep."

The only answers she'd gain would come from him. Brothers never snitched. Lola would never talk. If it took all fucking week, he'd make Tiff believe in him again.

An hour later, Tiff's breathing evened out and became shallow. Her body relaxed. Jeremy turned on his side, unfamiliar with lying next to someone else. He enjoyed watching her sleep and the way her body heat warmed the bed.

He refrained from touching her and soaked up the way the blanket moved when she inhaled, and her breath tickled his skin when she exhaled. The urge to curl his fingers in her blonde hair and wrap the strands around his wrist, tying her here next to him took all his attention.

She moaned in her sleep. He propped his head in his hand, watching her dream. Her feet nudged the blanket, fighting whatever displeasure only she could see. He no longer understood her needs or wants.

Tiff used to share her dreams and fears with him. Her teenage nightmares centered on her mom's drinking habits and the fear that Jeremy would stop loving her like her mom had done to her when she put the bottle before her daughter. He always made sure she understood he'd never stop loving her.

He'd spent many nights rubbing Tiff's back until she fell asleep. He slipped his hand under the blanket and gently laid his palm against her. His chest tightened. Her and her damn backrubs. She used to make stupid bets with him, knowing she'd win, so he'd owe her a rub before they went to sleep.

Tiff whined and moved her head back and forth against the pillow, agitated and caught in whatever disrupted her sleep.

"Sh..." he said softly, making light circles across her upper back. "Sleep, baby."

She calmed and let out a deep breath. A pang hit him square in the chest. He'd botched taking care of her. She'd needed him, and he wasn't there for her.

Tomorrow, he'd confront his dad and find out what happened while he was gone. He widened his fingers, the distance from his thumb to pinky almost spanned her back. She sighed and lay still. Encouraged, he rubbed up and down her spine with a shaky hand.

Whatever caused Tiff to fight him came from bigger reasons than him supporting her all these years and expecting her to welcome him back.

T
here was only one thing worse than waking up in a strange motel room. Waking up in a motel room alone and afraid Jeremy snuck over to meet Lola for early morning sex.

Tiff unfolded her arms and walked to the door. She'd already found the extra toothbrush, used Jeremy's hairbrush, and scrubbed all the makeup left over from yesterday off her face. There was nothing more she could do because she had no extra clothes and her necessities to start the day.

She peeked out the door and found Jeremy standing at the other end of the parking lot talking with Cam. Her chest fluttered. She'd forgotten the raw power father and son projected when standing together.

She closed the door quietly and stood under the covered walkway not wanting to interrupt them or be anywhere near Jeremy's father.

The man scared her to death when she was a teenager. As an adult who knew the difference between right and wrong, mentally sound and insane, Cam was bat-shit psycho and living in his strict environment of killville. If anyone crossed him, he'd put a bullet in their head, including Jeremy, his son.

It wasn't a surprise to know Cam knew everything there was about Red Light and informed Jeremy about it all.

A door opened to her right, and she glanced away from Jeremy.

Lola stepped out of the room, her makeup on, her hair styled, and stretched her bare arms above her head, making her breasts push against her shirt. Tiff's lip curled, and she clamped her teeth tighter. Everything about the women rubbed her the wrong way.

From the very beginning, Lola's motive toward Jeremy was always suspicious.

What kind of grown woman let a sixteen-year-old boy hang out with her? Jeremy struck up a friendship with Lola when she was having sex with all the other Moroad members, and he continued to put his friendship with Lola above everything else, including Tiff.

Granted, the age difference between Jeremy and Lola wasn't quite so apparent now that Jeremy was thirty-six years old. He was a man, and his needs were different. What those needs were, Tiff had no idea, and she hated that she no longer understood Jeremy's motives or joined in his dreams for his life.

"Well, well, well..." Lola walked toward her, hooking her thumbs in the front pockets of her jeans. "I never thought you'd lower yourself by coming around here."

"You think about me too much." Tiff swung her hair over her shoulder and tilted her head. "Are you switching sides now, Lola? Maybe you've run out of men to keep you entertained, seeing as how the new girls around here are younger, firmer, and more energetic."

Lola lifted her chin and laughed. "Oh, darling, you have no idea how things are done around here."

"Nor do I want to, so save your breath." Tiff gazed back at Jeremy and Cam.

Jeremy stood toe to toe with Cam. The similar body type of the two men blew her away. Jeremy's profile was the splitting image of Cam, even down to the beards they both sported. Same strong nose, high cheekbones, lazy-lidded eyes. The only blatant difference being the gray stripes in Cam's whiskers and Jeremy's father stood two inches shorter because he rarely straightened his left leg fully after suffering an injury in prison years ago.

Bear walked out of his motel room, spotted Tiff and lifted his chin. She waved and mustered a smile for the older man. She'd always liked Bear. His big hugs, gruff voice, and hairy body always made her feel safe with him. He respected her too, which was a unique experience to have with a member of Moroad.

"Hey, Tiff." Bear stopped in front of her and wrapped her in a tight hug.

She squeezed his middle and let herself enjoy the greeting. Tobacco and sweat clung to his shirt, but she ignored the unpleasant scents because he'd given her the welcoming she wished they all would give her.

"How are you doing?" She rubbed his back before pulling away to gaze up at his full-bearded face.

"Oh, you know, still waking up in the morning and then going to bed free." Bear winked, flashing her a grin.

Lola walked behind Bear, patted his ass, and strutted across the parking lot toward Jeremy. Tiff watched her sway as if she owned her position within the club.

"How's Silver Girls?" Bear stepped over beside Tiff. "I haven't been there since last month."

Lola stopped beside Jeremy, and Cam walked away and got on his motorcycle. Tiff watched Jeremy's reaction and answered Bear automatically. "Good, you should come by some night. I'll give you a drink on the house."

Jeremy talked to Lola; his brows pulled down. Tiff wanted to know what they were talking about and why Lola believed she could interrupt club business.

"Yeah, I might do that." Bear patted her back. "I better get going."

Tiff nodded and glanced at Bear. "It was good talking to you."

"Same here, sweetheart." Bear lumbered off.

She whipped her gaze back to the action in the parking lot and found Lola gone and Jeremy halfway across the lot and walking in her direction. His determined steps and furrowed brow warned her things were only going to get worse.

Maybe Jeremy found out Cam had a problem with her staying here last night and would take her home.

Jeremy strode past her and opened up the motel room. "Get in."

"I was hoping to go back to the Sterling Building and get some work done. I don't need to take the week off anymore and—"

"Get the fuck in the room." His gaze intensified. "Now."

She glanced over at Lola sitting in her car, looking in her direction, and changed her mind about arguing with Jeremy. Saving face in front of her competition, she went inside the room.

The door slammed. She jolted and whirled around.

Jeremy stalked forward, backing her against the wall, and planted his hands above her head. "What the fuck were you thinking?"

She shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about."