Jax's Dilemma:Insurgents Motorcycle Club (Insurgents MC Romance Book 2) (21 page)

The problem was Cherri was special, and he’d never felt that way with any of the women he banged. Ever since they fucked, he couldn’t forget about her soft, supple skin, her tasty pussy, and her beautiful ass. He’d explored every inch of her as she writhed and begged for more; her soft groans still echoed in his head. Every time he fucked, he was fucking Cherri—he didn’t even know what most of the sluts he bedded looked like. The woman had him all in knots, and he needed her in the worst way.

“Do you want another shot?” Holt said.

“I’m good. Isn’t Cherri supposed to be here?”

“Yeah, but she called in about fifteen minutes ago and said she had something to do so she’d be by tonight.”

“What did she have to do?”

“I dunno, man. It’s not for me to question. I only take the messages.” Holt wiped off the bar.

A tingling on his skin crept up the back of Jax’s neck and across his face. His ears burned hot as he gritted his teeth and pressed his lips tight. Shit, this woman made him ask pathetic questions to the bartender.

He already knew she was supposed to be at the club later because he’d checked her schedule. He also had one of the prospects tailing her to make sure she wasn’t fucking around. Keeping tabs on her, asking Holt stupid as fuck questions, and ignoring the heaviness in his heart were things he wasn’t proud of. He hated all this shit, and he wished he could tell her to fuck off and move on. Hell, he’d never chased a woman in his life; if she was a pain in the ass then she’d be history and he’d move on to another one. He liked easy, not all this complicated bullshit he’d had since he first saw Cherri’s blue eyes.

The prospect had told him Cherri wasn’t seeing any man in Pinewood Springs. It appeared she went home alone every night, but almost every day she left town, returning three hours later. The prospect wasn’t able to follow her too far out because he had to be available at all times to all members. When Jax found out about her comings and goings, he imagined all kinds of shit and none of it was good. Convinced she had a man away from Pinewood Springs, he made it his mission to find out.

“Hiya, Holt.” Cherri’s voice barged in on Jax’s musings.

Her heels clacked as she walked past Jax. He reached out and grabbed her, dragging her toward him.

“Oh. Jax, I didn’t see you. I’m kinda in a hurry.”

“How’re you doing? It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.” He bent his head and gave her a kiss on her cheek.

Flushed, Cherri said, “I’ve been good. You’ve been a stranger. I’m sorry, but I can’t talk. I’ve gotta go. We can catch up another time.” She twisted out of his hold and sprinted toward her office.

“Where’re you goin’?”

“I have a bunch of errands to do,” she said over her shoulder as she kept walking.

Before she opened her office door, Jax was behind her, rubbing against her. “I’ll go with you, sweetness,” he whispered in her ear.

She pushed open the door. “No. Absolutely not. I have to go alone. I gotta go. I’m already late. Don’t make this hard for me.” Her face paled and her features were taut, her lips trembling slightly.

Jax’s eyes grew cold. “Where’re you really going?” His voice was hard like steel.

Swallowing and looking at the floor, Cherri said, “I have errands to do. I told you that. Don’t make a big deal over this. I have to go. I only came here because I forgot something.” She motioned to a green tote on her desk. “I have to go. Now.”

Jax took her in: the red streaks across her cheeks, her full lips, and her sad eyes. She’d lost some weight since Gunner’s funeral and appeared too thin and frail. She rubbed her arms and looked everywhere but at him. Something was up with her, and he had a sneaking feeling this wasn’t all about Gunner.

“You okay?” he said in a low, caressing voice.

She glanced at him for a second then down again. Exhaling, she said, “Yeah. Just gotta go. Bye.”

He lifted her chin up, making her look into his eyes, their gazes locking together before she moved to pass him. As Cherri walked away, he snagged her by the waist and crushed her into him, kissing her fiercely. Balking, she twisted and pushed as she tried to break free of his arms. Holding her tighter, he rubbed his hands up and down her back in an attempt to calm her. When she stopped twisting, he seized her lips again, and that time, she gave in to his kiss. Their tongues intertwined as she moaned into his mouth and arched her back. In his hands, her hair was like cashmere, and her lavender-vanilla scent was intoxicating. Jax pushed in deeper with his tongue, yearning for more of her sweet minty taste, her warm mouth, and her soft lips. His desire for her was so extreme, he wanted to crawl inside of her to have his fill.

Pressing closer to her, he knew she felt his cock against her—nice and firm, the way she liked it. As one hand cupped her breast over her t-shirt, the other gripped her pert, denim-clad ass. Sliding his hand over her butt, he kneaded and pinched her cheeks. She stiffened, and he knew their shared moment was lost.

When she shoved him back, it caught him off-guard, making him stumble. Before he could recover, she dashed out the door and said, “Gotta go. Later.”

Then she was gone.

His instincts told him she was hiding something, and he’d be damned if he’d let another man have her. Not for one minute did he buy her “doing errands” bullshit. His face grew hot as he imagined her running off to meet a secret lover. He hoped it wasn’t that because he didn’t want to kill a man in front of her.
Fuck, she’s complicated.

After the low lights in Dream House, the brightness of the day pierced Jax’s eyes. He squinted and blocked the sun with his hand as he perused the street and spied Cherri waiting at the bus stop. When it came, she went inside as Jax jumped on his bike, switching on the ignition when the bus doors closed. Keeping his distance, he followed the bus as it snaked its way around Pinewood Springs.

After two stops along Main Street and County Line Road, the bus squeaked past emerald-green forests, fields of kaleidoscopic wildflowers, and the glittering waters of Grizzly Creek. Jax, eyes fixed on the bus, curved around the road carved out of the Rocky Mountains which rose high above, punching the sky. After thirty minutes of climbing, the road began its descent, and a grassy valley blanketed with brick and wood houses emerged. As the bus entered Dexter, Jax hung back.

Turning down what appeared to be the main street in the small town, the bus stopped. Several passengers alighted, Cherri among them. Jax parked his Harley on the street in front of the diner then followed an unaware Cherri at a safe distance. She walked with purpose past a mom-and-pop grocery store, a bakery, and several clothing and notion stores until she turned down a small street lined with birch trees and well-kept brick houses. The whir of lawnmowers punctuated the neighborhood while rainbows danced among the sprinklers of several front yards.

At the end of the street, Cherri turned left, where most of the neighborhood houses had fenced yards and metals swings on the large front porches. Stopping in front of a modest, two-story wood-framed house, she opened the gate and went up the front porch’s wooden steps. From her pocket, she took out a key, turned the lock, and let herself in.

What the fuck is she doing here? And she has a key? What the fuck?
Knowing her family lived in Denver, Jax’s pulse raced. Hell, people didn’t have keys to houses unless there was some relationship to whoever lived there.
Fuck, she better not be with a man.
With a clenched jaw, he ran up the steps two at a time, the wood creaking under his weight. He knocked on the front door.

No answer.

He knocked harder.

No answer.

A cold sweat crept up the back of his neck to his forehead. He wiped his brow, pursed his lips, and banged on the door.

No answer.

“Fuck this,” he said under his breath. “Cherri, I know you’re in there.”

Still no answer.

“Open the door, Cherri. Now. If you don’t, I’m comin’ in. I’m not even fuckin’ kidding.”

Nothing.

The doorknob was cool in his hot palm as he turned it, opening the door. A small foyer greeted him, and a few pictures hung on the wall in front of him, like the photos people had on their wall calendars—these were scenes from different islands. He walked forward. His breath was shallow, and his eyes darted around; he was on high-alert. Putting his hand inside his cut, his fingers landed on his 9mm revolver.

He turned to the left and entered a living room decorated like something out of a 1970s catalog: orange couches with a bold brown and yellow geometric pattern, lacquered coffee table and end tables, brown shag-pile carpet, and pine wood-paneled walls. In the middle of the room, Cherri sat looking at him, her eyes misty. She was on the carpet, cross-legged, with a girl of about eight months on her lap, holding the child close to her. The little girl had on a yellow onesie with a pink gingham giraffe on the front. The girl’s white-blonde hair and blue eyes were miniatures of Cherri’s. A medium-sized yellow gingham bow covered half of the baby’s hair.

Jax glanced around the room as if looking for answers to his unasked questions. He blew out his cheeks then released them. Squeezing the baby closer to her, Cherri stared at Jax. Breaking the silence, she said, “This is my baby, and no one’s gonna take her away from me.”

J
ax opened his
mouth, but nothing came out. He just stood there, staring at her as she held the little one. Cherri brushed her lips against her daughter’s hair and turned away.

Exhaling, Jax said, “This is your baby? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Cherri’s chin quivered. “I don’t want anyone to take her from me. I don’t care what happens to me, but I want her to be safe and loved.”

“Why would I take her away from you? What’s going on, sweetness?”

“I come here about five or six times a week to see her. I pay Sarah to take care of her until I can get a place of my own and afford daycare. She’s all mine, and I love her.” Her voice broke and her eyes glistened as a lone tear glided down her face.

In a flash, Jax knelt beside her and circled his arm around her trembling shoulders. He nestled her close to him, kissing her forehead. With a calloused finger, he wiped away her tear then softly caressed her baby’s hair.

“What’s her name?” he said in a low voice.

“Paisley. Paisley Benoit.”

“She has your last name?”

“Yes.” Defiance shone in her eyes.

“Nice to meet you, Paisley.” Jax took the baby’s soft, chubby hand and shook it.

Paisley gurgled and grasped his finger. He smiled then looked at Cherri who also had a smile playing around her lips. He tilted her head toward him and kissed her warmly on her lips. “She looks like her mama.”

Cherri stifled a sob as she wrapped an arm around Jax’s neck, drawing his face closer to hers. She covered his mouth with hers, and they sat on the floor kissing; Cherri had one arm around her daughter, and Jax had both of his around mother and daughter.

Pulling away, Jax said, “Why are you afraid someone will take Paisley?”

Cherri brought her fingers to her mouth and chewed her nails. She sighed. “Her father is a rich and powerful man. He was so angry when I got pregnant, and he told me I had to get rid of Paisley. He gave me money, set up an appointment with a doctor, and, well… he ordered me to get an abortion. I didn’t want to do it. I couldn’t. I wanted my baby so bad. I lied to him and said I’d do it, but I didn’t. He wanted me to get rid of her because he thought I’d use her to blackmail him. I didn’t give a shit about his money—I just wanted to have my baby. I wanted something of my own to love.”

Cherri ripped the nail on her index finger and winced when it drew blood. She put her finger in her mouth and sucked it to stop the blood. After a few minutes, she said, “I love Paisley more than anything and she loves me. She loves me unconditionally, and she doesn’t care that I’m bad and dirty.” She buried her face in Paisley’s downy hair.

Jax stroked Cherri’s back, wishing he could alleviate her pain. “Sweet one, you’re not bad or dirty. Why do you say those things about yourself? You’re so precious, and what you did to keep your daughter, that’s good, not bad.”

“I took the bastard’s money, then I split.”

“You needed the money to help you through your pregnancy. That’s not so bad.”

Tugging at the shag carpet, she said, “You don’t know me. You don’t know my whole story.”

Jax scooted closer to her and stroked her forearm. “Then let me in so I can know you better. I want to. You have to trust me.”

She blew out a breath. “All I know is I want to keep my daughter safe. I want her to have a better life than I did. I love her, and all I want is for her to be happy and safe. I miss her when I’m not with her, and my heart just aches when I have to leave her.”

Jax placed her head on his shoulder. “Let me take care of you, sweetness. I’ll make everything right for you.”

“If only you could,” she said in a half-whisper.

“Who’s the father?”

She stiffened. “Please don’t ask me. I can’t tell you. Please respect that and don’t ask me anymore.”

“Does anyone know about Paisley at Dream House?”

“You’re the only one who knows.”

“Gunner didn’t know?”

“No, I never told him anything about my life. I didn’t have that kind of relationship with him.” She held his gaze. “You’re the only one who knows. I’m glad to share her with you.”

He kissed her and his teeth grazed over her lower lip as her lavender scent, mixed with the freshness of baby powder, wafted around him. His heart surged as he hugged her. Paisley’s wet hands tapped against his tanned forearm, and her bright blue eyes sparkled. He laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Cherri said.

“Your daughter’s just like you—a real cutie.” He pinched the tip of her nose as he kissed her head. “Let’s take Paisley and go for a walk. I bet she’d like some ice cream.”

Cherri smiled widely at him. “She’d
love
some ice cream, and I would, too.”

Less than ten minutes later, they strolled down the main street in Dexter. The downtown area consisted of two blocks on each side of the street. They spied a homemade ice cream parlor, ordered their treats, and took off for the nearby park, which was replete with playground equipment, gazebo, and paved trails which circled around lush shrubbery and colorful flowers.