“Paige, this is Brick, the club’s VP. That’s Rose, his old lady,” Gunner introduced.
Brick regarded her for a few moments, then said, “So, you’re the one who broke Gunner’s heart all those years ago?”
Rose elbowed Brick’s ribs, but Brick didn’t seem to feel the blow. He merely grunted. Gunner began to speak, but Paige beat him to the punch.
“That was years ago. I was young and stupid,” she admitted.
“That’s right. Things are different now,” Gunner said. Then he kissed her, right in front of Brick, Rose, and the other bikers. Paige didn’t know what made her kiss back because she’d never been comfortable with displays of public affection. Maybe it was Gunner rubbing off on her, bringing her wild side to the surface.
“Well, then. I’ll leave you two to it,” Brick said. “Go tell King Happy Birthday, then enjoy the food and cake. There’s plenty to go around.”
“Pierre’s Pizza catered the food,” Rose added.
“That place is still open?” Paige asked, surprised.
“It is and their pizzas are good as ever,” Gunner said.
“Did you bring King a gift?” Brick asked.
“I did,” Paige said, bringing out the wrapped present from inside her jacket. A book about motorcycles. For some reason, Brick let out a laugh.
“She actually brought a gift?” Brick asked Gunner.
“Weren’t we supposed to?” Paige asked. Brick and Rose moved away.
“You’re sweet,” Gunner said, kissing her cheek.
They made their way to the birthday boy. The President of the MC sat at the table, a gorgeous woman draped on his lap. A three-tiered chocolate cake waited in front of him, the candles all blown out. Gunner mentioned King was married, so she guessed this was his old lady. King didn’t seem intent on sharing his cake because he scooped out some cake, ate some, then fed it to his wife, who looked at him like he was her entire world.
“Gunner, you made it,” King said, finally noticing them.
“Came to wish you a happy birthday, Prez. This is Paige. She got you a gift,” Gunner said.
Paige flushed, then placed the wrapped book on the table.
“So you’re Gunner’s woman,” King said. Like Brick, King gave her a contemplative look. Was he wondering how long Paige was going to stay? She knew enough about bikers to understand only a few of them kept old ladies. The rest of them enjoyed sleeping with a different woman every other night.
“That’s right,” she said.
“Heard you just moved into town recently,” King said.“Staying long?”
“For as long as Gunner will have me,” she said, meeting his gaze.
King chuckled and told Gunner, “Yeah, she’s a keeper. You two should stay awhile.”
“We’ll do just that,” Gunner said.
After meeting King and Brick, her interactions with Gunner’s MC brothers were less intense. Paige found herself relaxing, and Gunner never strayed far from her. He seemed to think one of the bikers would steal her from under his nose if he wasn’t looking.
Brick was right. The food was delicious, and there seemed a never-ending flow of beer. The company wasn’t too bad either. How could she feel more at home with these bikers than the snooty company Richard kept around him?
These bikers might be rowdy and vulgar at times, but they weren’t afraid to show their genuine selves. Gunner and Paige left the clubhouse sometime around midnight. Paige had one too many drinks, but to her surprise, Gunner had remained sober.
“I didn’t notice earlier, but you kept your beers to a minimum,” she remarked.
“Someone has to get us home safely,” Gunner said, grinning.
Paige, fortunately, did not fall trying to get on his motorcycle. She welcomed the cool breeze as they zipped out of the clubhouse premises and back to town. The drive ended far too quickly. Gunner entered her neighborhood and found a parking spot near her apartment building. A couple of nearby meth heads eyed his ride, but he didn’t seem worried.
