The Biker's Fate Chapter 106

Cassidy

AFTER I PUT Maverick to bed, I sat for quite a while on the sofa just staring off into space. I was still blindsided by the events of the day and wasn't entirely sure if I hadn't dreamed it all. I heard my phone peal from my purse and frowned. It was almost eleven, I couldn't imagine who would be calling me at this hour.

I didn't reach it in time, but it started ringing again, so I answered it without looking at the caller ID. "Hello?"

"Fuck, Cass, I've been worried sick. Are you home?"

"Oh, Carter. Sorry. I totally forgot to text you."

"Yeah, I know." He sighed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I smiled. "I have managed to get myself home all by myself for the last seven years or so."

"Well, open your door. I want to see for myself."

"Shut up."

"Babe, open the door, yeah?"

"You're not really here, are you?"

"I'm really here, staring at apartment number seven-eighty-two."

"I'm seven-eighty-four."

"You are not," he countered.

"No, you're right, I'm not." I sighed and checked the peephole, before pulling open the door. "Hi," I said, and hung up.

Carter grinned, leaning down to kiss me as he pushed me back into my apartment and closed the door. "Hey," he said, between kisses, cupping my cheeks as he held me captive. "God damn, you can kiss."

I smiled against his lips and broke our connection. "So can you. But what are you doing here?"

"I was worried about you. I've called you sixty-two times."

"What? You did not."

"Okay, no. Three," he admitted, and turned to lock the door. "But when you didn't call me after the last one, I headed up."

"Carter, you can't stay. I'm sorry I worried you, but you can't just show up when you want to pound your chest and get all alpha male on me." I was really glad I got the words out, and I think they sounded legit. Of course, I didn't mean any of them. I was beyond flattered that he'd checked on me and I didn't want him to leave... ever.

"Yeah, I can," he said, and cocked his head. "Babe, you're gonna have to get used to this. I will do my best not to get possessive, but making sure you and Maverick are okay isn't negotiable."

I slid my arms around his waist and settled my cheek against his chest. "Okay."

He chuckled and gave me a gentle squeeze. "I thought that was gonna go a different way."

"I have missed you so much. Even if this doesn't work out, I prayed for just one more day of us time, so I'll take whatever I can get."

"Baby, it's gonna work out. I'm not going anywhere."

I nodded against his chest, drawing in his scent. There was something about the combination of the cologne he'd worn forever mixed with leather. "Are you still wearing Stetson?"

"Hmm-mm. You still love it?"

"Hmm-mm," I mimicked. "It smells even better on you now."

He'd worn the fragrance for as long as I could remember, it had been a gift from an old girlfriend, but we'd both agreed it suited him perfectly.

He kissed the top of my head. "That's good to know."

"I have a confession," I breathed.

"Not sure I can handle another one of those in my life, honey," he joked.

I slapped his arm and leaned back. "Jerk."

He grinned. "What's your confession?"

"Huh-uh," I retorted, walking into the kitchen. "You lost your chance."

Carter chuckled as he followed me. "I have ways of making you talk. Have you forgotten?"

"Um, hello, we're not in the pond now, and I'm fully clothed. That was the last time I wore a string bikini in your presence."

"But you sang like a canary in order to get the bra back." He frowned. "I was kind of bummed you did. I only took it because I wanted a gander at the girls."

I gasped. "Ohmigod, you did not."

"I absolutely did." He grinned, leaning down to kiss me again.

I pushed his face away. "I don't even remember what the secret was."

"Me neither," he admitted. "But I didn't care, to be honest."

"This is weird. You get that right?"

"Weird, no. Different, yes." He gave me space and leaned against the counter. "Most people would kill to start a romance with half the foundation we've built, Cass."

"That is true," I mused.

"Mom?" Maverick called. "Mommy!"

I pushed away from Carter and rushed to Maverick's room. "Hey, baby, you okay?"

"I'm wet," he whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Aw, honey, you've got nothing to be sorry for. Remember? Sometimes this happens, it's no big deal."

He threw his arms around my neck and squeezed. "I love you, Mommy."

"Mmm, I love you too. Okay, kiddo, let's get you cleaned up and we'll change your bed. Uncle Carter is here, so don't worry if you hear voices."

"'K," he said, and grabbed clean clothes before heading to the bathroom.

"Where are the sheets, babe?" Carter asked from the doorway.

"In the hall. Closet's on the right." I stripped the bed and threw the sheets in the corner. He'd need a new mattress cover, so I leaned in the hall to tell Carter, stopping myself as I watched him hunkered down eye-to-eye with Maverick.

"Mommy never gets mad," Maverick said.

"Do you think she should get mad?"

He shrugged.

Carter laid a hand on his shoulder. "You know, bud, there's nothing to be ashamed about. It happens."

"Does it happen to you?" Maverick asked.

I bit back a smile as I watched the exchange.

"Not anymore, but it did when I was your age."

"Really?"

Carter nodded. "Yeah, and my mom never got mad either. Because it's no big deal."

"Ethan says only babies wet their pants."

"Who's Ethan?"

Ugh, Ethan. He was a nasty little kid in Maverick's daycare and he's the first six-year-old I'd ever wanted to cold cock into next year.

"He sits next to me sometimes during snack. He was teasing Xavier because he didn't make it to the potty on time." Maverick rubbed his eyes. "He made Xavier cry."

"Well, that wasn't very nice of Ethan, huh? But you don't need to worry about him, because he sounds like a bully," Carter said. "And you want to know a secret about bullies?"

Maverick nodded, his eyes wide in anticipation.

"Bullies are just cowards."

"What's a coward?"

"A coward is someone who is scared, which I have no problem with, but a bully is someone who won't admit he's scared and, instead of asking for help, he's mean so he can look strong."

Maverick's head bobbed up and down. "Oh, yeah, he's really mean sometimes."

"He is?" Carter's voice dropped low and I felt his anger pour off of him.

"Hmm-mmm, he pulls girls' hair and sometimes hits them."

"And do you pull girls' hair or hit them?"

Maverick gasped. "No! I wouldn't do that. Girls are pretty."

I grinned. Score one for Cassidy's parental powers.

"They are pretty," Carter agreed.

Maverick lowered his voice. "And sometimes, Katie lets me kiss her by the bathroom."

There just went my point. Damn it.

Carter chuckled. "Well, I think it would be a good rule to just plan on never hitting a girl even if she isn't pretty, and maybe it would also be a good rule to wait until you're older to kiss a girl."

"How come?"

"Because when you grow up to be a man, you have a responsibility to protect a woman, but more importantly, you need to respect a woman instead of just trying to kiss her."

"Are you going to protect my mom?"

"Absolutely," Carter said.