The Biker's Fate Chapter 335

Poppy

"Those smell good," Mum said as she walked into the kitchen.

I smiled. "Well, yeah, because you made them."

She grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it with water. "I'm surprised Devon's not in here chatting you up."

"He's got better things to do than watch me fry up burgers."

"Are you guys okay?"

I glanced up at her, then back down at the burgers. "Yeah, why?"

"You've just seemed to cool when it comes to Devon."

"Just busy, Mum. But we're good," I lied, jabbing the spatula toward the burger with swiss on it. "I'm even making him his favorite cheeseburger."

Sans rat poison, which Mum doesn't keep under the sink (I looked), damn it.

"Well, okay then, if you're sure everything's okay."

"Golden, Mummy."

"Hmm-mmm," she murmured, but dropped the subject.

Thank God.

The rest of dinner went smoothly with me and Devon perfecting our cordial but cold interactions, and then it was time for them to head to the airport and I was left blissfully alone with my brothers.

Two hours later, my phone buzzed and I pulled up a text from Devon.

Coming over.

Why? Grrr. This was all I needed.

I heard his quiet knock and checked the camera feed… it was in fact Devon standing on the porch, and I debated whether or not I was going to ignore him.

I didn't.

I paused my favorite Ken Burns documentary (The Civil War) and dragged myself to the foyer. Entering the code for the alarm, I pulled open the door and stepped back to allow him entry, before closing the door and reentering the code. "Did you forget something?"

"Yeah. You and I are gonna hash this out, Poppy. You're not leavin' for another year without this bein' resolved."

"The kids just went to bed, so we need to be quiet."

"Not plannin' on yellin', are you?"

"Don't know yet," I retorted, and led him into the family room.

I sat on the sectional and Devon sat next to me, leaving a cushion between us, but turning his body sideways to face me.

I mirrored him and said, "So talk."

"You wanna tell me why you hate me?"

"I don't hate you."

"Babe. Please don't insult my intelligence, yeah? I know you, Poppy, and I'm acutely aware of your mood changes."

I bristled at that and frowned. "Excuse me? You think I'm moody?"

He sighed. "Not what I said."

"Kind of is."

"Look. I just mean that I know you and can tell when your mood changes," he said. "And your mood changed the night of your formal thing and has gotten progressively hostile ever since."

"Well, excuse me for not wanting to hang around someone who finds me repulsive."

"What the fuck?"

I studied my hands in my lap, my face heating with embarrassment.

"There is nothing about you I find repulsive, Poppy. Wanna break it down for me?"

"Not really."

"Do it anyway."

I sighed. "I kissed you. You looked like you had been forced to eat shit, then you pushed me away, and every time… every time there was a club get together, you shoved a different girl in my face, driving home the fact that I would never be what you wanted."

"I didn't fuckin' shove anything in your face, Poppy."

"Oh My God, Devon, you did!"

He dragged his hands down his face. "That wasn't my intention."

"Well, what was your intention? You practically fucked them in front of me."

"You were barely eighteen! I couldn't touch you."

"Yep, got it. Just past jailbait."

"Goddammit, Poppy, you're not even fuckin' close."

"And what the hell was all that crap with Michael?"

"What crap with Michael?"

"Don't sit there and act all innocent," I snapped. "Lily told me you beat the shit out of him two days before he was supposed to take me to the formal."

Actually, Lily had kind of told me on accident and then I forced her to tell me everything she knew. Unfortunately, Maverick didn't really give her much, so I never fully knew why Devon would mess Michael up so badly.

Maverick and Lily were married, and both kids of Dogs members.

Devon sighed. "Remember the show you had a week before the formal?"

I nodded. Devon came to a lot of my equestrian events, but I remember that one because he looked pissed off most of the day.

"I overheard that dickhead bragging to one of his asshole buddies about how he was gonna fuck you the night of the formal, and they discussed how many points you'd be worth."

I gasped. "He did not."

"He did."

"Oh My God."

"So, I made sure he understood that kind of behavior wouldn't be tolerated."

"Wow," I whispered. "That was nice, Devon."

"It wasn't nice, Poppy," he ground out.

I met his eyes. "I'm really sorry I kissed you. I get it. You're older and I shouldn't have done it. I'm sure that it put you in a weird position."

"Still not even in the ballpark," he grumbled.

"Then explain it to me!" I hissed.

"You want an explanation, Poppy?"

"Yes."

"It took every ounce of fuckin' willpower I had not to pull up your dress, bend you over some chair somewhere, and tear your panties off with my teeth. You are fuckin' off-limits. You always have been. Then you kissed me, and I knew I had to figure out how the hell I was gonna see you without draggin' you somewhere private so I could shove my face in your pussy. Goddamn, all I ever wanted to do was bury my face in your pussy. But I can't. Because. You. Are. Off. Limits."

Holy shit, my lady bits zinged with the thought of him shoving his face in my pussy. I bet he was good at it. I squeezed my legs together trying to ease the ache.

"So, no, Poppy, I wasn't parading women in front of you… I was tryin' to figure out a way not to drag you up to my room at the compound and fuck you, and the only way I knew to make that happen was to have someone else with me as a buffer."

"Oh," I squeaked.

"Yeah, babe. Fuckin' 'oh.'"

"I thought I grossed you out."

"So far from reality, Poppy, it's not even funny."

"Well… um… so, did you like the kiss?"

"Goddammit, Poppy, stop," he hissed. "Yeah I fuckin' liked the kiss. That was the problem."

I bit my lip and met his eyes again. "I'm really sorry."

"Me too."

"Can we start over?" I asked.

"Kinda tough to start over when you're leavin' again in a week."

"We can still text and call, right?"

"Yeah, babe, we can." He smiled.

"At the risk of inciting your irritation, can you answer something else for me?" I asked.

"Sure."

"Why were you the one forced to watch out for me? Like when all that shit went down with Lily and Maverick, why did Hatch make you take me to and from everywhere? Surely, you could have refused and had someone else do it."

He studied me for a few seconds before sighing. "I volunteered."

"What?" I rasped.

"Wasn't lettin' anyone else make sure you were safe, Poppy."

"But you always seemed so pissed."

"Not rehashing, Poppy."

I tried not to smile externally, but my heart did, and I felt that elation all the way to my nether regions.

"I miss you, you know that?" he said.

"I miss you, too." I burst into tears. "I'm so sorry, Devon."

He sighed and pulled me against his chest. "It's okay, Poppy. We both let shit get in the middle."

"When Mum and Sid get back, can we hang out before I go back to school."

"Yeah. Absolutely."

I smiled up at him. "I want at least one day, uninterrupted."

He chuckled. "You got it."

"Thanks, Dev."

He nodded and rose to his feet. "I gotta head out."

"Oh. Okay."

I followed him to the front door and he pulled me in for a hug. I closed my eyes, taking in the scent of soap, leather, and laundry detergent… but the best was him. He was all man and I still loved him with everything I had.

He lifted my face, sliding his hands to my neck, and leaned down to kiss my forehead. "I'll text you."

"Sounds good."

Then he was gone.