“You enjoying yourself, baby?” a deep voice asked, and Aspen lifted her head to look up at Levi, who had come up behind her.

  “Yes,” she replied, standing and stepping into his arms.

  He didn’t seem so terrifying when he was holding Aspen with that look of complete devotion in his eyes. Still, my heart rate picked up, and I twisted my hands nervously in my lap.

  Did he know I was here? Yes, of course he knew. These men told each other everything.

  “How are you feeling, Haisley?” Levi asked me then, causing my head to snap back up and look at him.

  I swallowed and managed a smile. “Good, thanks.” It sounded more like a squeak.

  “What did you do to her, Levi? It’s normally Gage who terrifies people,” Trinity asked, sounding surprised.

  “Nothing. It’s just all the … stuff that happened with Aspen. I feel guilty by association, I guess,” I told her.

  I didn’t want to cause any issues. I knew my being here was something that Levi didn’t want, but was accepting for Aspen’s and possibly Saxon’s sake.

  “No one blames you,” Aspen assured me.

  My gaze flicked to Levi’s before dropping. If she only knew how wrong she was.

  “If Levi gets to break up the girl party out here, then I get my woman too,” Gage announced as he walked outside.

  Shiloh stood and made her way to him. The way he was looking at her with clear adoration in his eyes made me blush. These men with their females were intense. I’d never been around anything like this.

  “Why don’t we all go inside? The fire is warmer in there,” Gypsi suggested, standing.

  I followed behind Trinity as everyone made their way inside. Some stopping to get drinks, others laughing or making jokes about the way Gage was clearly groping Shiloh.

  I stood, unsure of what to do as the rest of the party paired up. Saxon had a drink in his hand, standing over by the fire, talking to Trev, as Gypsi approached them. They appeared to be in a serious conversation until Trev saw her, and his expression turned into a pleased grin.

  He reached out and tugged her to him, openly kissing her, forgetting whatever he had been saying to Saxon. I watched as Saxon’s gaze scanned the room until he found me, and then he left the couple and came in my direction. I still didn’t see the blond guy anywhere. Perhaps he wasn’t here. That would ease my mind if he wasn’t.

  “Having a good time?” Saxon asked me, then took a drink from the glass in his hand.

  His brown eyes, outlined by thick black lashes, distracted me for a moment, and I almost forgot the question.

  Trying to snap myself out of the daze he’d suddenly put me in, I nodded. “Yes, everyone is really nice.”

  He seemed uncomfortable for a moment, then glanced over toward the area where two massive caramel-colored leather sofas sat, facing each other, with a long marble table between them and wide cream-colored velvet chairs at each end. A man who looked like a Viking or perhaps a brick wall was lounging in one of those chairs. A cigar was between his teeth. He held out a hand to someone, and I watched as Trinity walked over and slipped her hand in his before he tugged her onto his lap.

  Wow. So, that was who Trinity belonged to. And by the way his large hand rested on her leg possessively, she clearly belonged to him. The rings on their hands also told me they were married.

  “Let’s go sit,” Saxon said.

  I nodded, then followed him as he went over to the sofa facing the wall and sat down. I took the seat beside him. The others began to make their way over and began taking up the rest of the sofas. When I saw Maddy smiling up at a man who had his hand around her waist, speaking in a low voice as he leaned closer to her, I wasn’t surprised to see the oldest Hughes was as handsome as the youngest one was.

  When Blaise Hughes turned to look in this direction, his eyes locked on mine, and he nodded his head once. Then, he went over to take the other chair before placing Maddy in his lap, much like the Viking had done to Trinity. I didn’t continue to watch them. Blaise was intimidating. His presence seemed to command respect. It was odd how that worked.

  Shiloh and Gage sat across from us, and although she wasn’t in his lap, his arm was around her, and she was curled up close to his side.

  Gage looked at Saxon and smirked. “Heard Melanie didn’t take the news well,” he drawled.

  Saxon sighed and shook his head.

  “At least she’ll stop inviting Declan to things now,” Trev replied as he sank down on the sofa beside them, pulling Gypsi down as close to him as she could get while she giggled. “Crazy bitch has been everywhere lately. I thought we’d gotten rid of her for good, then—bam—she was back. Like the plague.”

  “Trev!” Gypsi scolded him, placing a hand on his chest.

  “What? You don’t know her. She’s not a nice person. Is she, Maddy?” Trev replied.

  Maddy shook her head. “I can’t say I’m a fan,” she replied.

  “I’d rather not go down memory lane,” Blaise replied, then took a sip from his glass.

  That comment and the look he gave the others made me even more curious. What had happened with Saxon and Maddy? I looked at her and suddenly felt even more out of my league. Had she once liked Saxon? My stomach felt sick. I couldn’t compare to someone like that.

  “Understood,” Gage replied with an evil grin. “We can talk about the fact that these two are about to be related.” His gaze was on Trev then.

  Trev smirked. “You can try to piss me off, but I don’t care. It just means she can’t fucking get rid of me. I got her locked down.”

  Gypsi leaned close and whispered something to him that caused a smile meant only for her to curl on his lips. I dropped my hands to my lap, not wanting to be caught looking at any of them. They all seemed to be so wrapped up in each other and openly affectionate that it was hard not to be envious of it all.

  What did that feel like? The connection, feeling safe, loved, like there was someone you could always turn to. You’d never be alone. No matter what life threw at you, they would be there, ready to hold you.

  “Where’s Kye?” the Viking asked.

  Kye had to be the blond guy. He was the one that was missing.

  “Genesis,” Levi replied, sounding annoyed.

  “Again?” Gage’s tone was as put off as Levi’s had been.

  “Yeah. She called a couple of hours ago. He ran out of the house like the pussy he is,” Levi told them.

  “He stayed drunk for a fucking week when she got engaged.” The Viking was scowling as he said it.

  “His ass stayed drunk because she’s not his best friend. That is bullshit. It’s always been bullshit. You can’t be best friends with a woman. You get that close, and then you’re fucking. She gets feelings and shit. You can’t tell me they’ve not fucked.” Gage seemed put out by it all.

  “I don’t think they’ve fucked. If they had, he’d have killed the fiancé by now,” Levi pointed out.

  “They’ve been friends since they were kids,” Saxon said beside me. “Maybe that’s all it is. They’d have been more by now if they had feelings for each other.”

  “He got trashed and didn’t sober up for seven damn days when he found out they were engaged. Remember he missed the Breeders Cup?” Trev replied.

  “Yeah, that was off, I admit,” Saxon agreed.

  “Why the fuck are we analyzing Kye’s relationship?” Blaise asked.

  “Because it’s annoying the shit out of the ones who have to live with him,” Levi replied.

  “I think he loves her. I feel bad for him,” Aspen said softly.

  “If he does, then we have some serious shit in the near future to deal with,” the Viking sighed.

  “I need to get our house finished before that shit goes down. I don’t want to deal with his ass daily if he goes off the deep end,” Levi said.

  Trinity laughed. “So, you’re gonna leave Huck and I to deal with him going off the deep end?”

  “No, baby. He goes apeshit, and I’ll kick his ass out,” the Viking who I now knew was named Huck replied.

  “Fuck, can we talk about something else?” Blaise asked.

  “Fine, boss. Let’s talk about the fact that Garrett is going into semi-retirement in one week. It’ll all start to change. You ready for that?” Gage asked.

  Trev laughed. “Shit. He was born ready.”

  They went on talking about things I hadn’t expected them to discuss in front of me. Family stuff. I realized they didn’t just go out and kill people. They owned hotels, a casino, a hospital, a racing track. They loaned money to important people. It was something much bigger than what I’d thought.

  Finally, Saxon stood up, then looked down at me. “It’s getting late. Haisley and I’ve got to be up early,” he said.

  “Yeah, I’m ready for you all to leave. We got this house to ourselves tonight, and I want to take advantage of it,” Trev told everyone.

  “Fuck, let us get out of here before she gets to biting you and shit,” Gage drawled, standing up and taking Shiloh with him. “Crazy fucker and his kinks.” He smirked at Trev as he said it.

  Everyone got their coats and headed for the door while they said their goodbyes. They were all going to be at Saxon’s parents’ in a few nights, it seemed. The other women mentioned seeing me then and how much they’d enjoyed me being here. When we left, I had an odd sense of belonging. Even if I didn’t feel that way with Saxon. With him, I was just a burden.

  Fifteen

  Haisley

  When I walked out of the bedroom the next morning, I had a sweatshirt on over my top. I could tell by the chill in my room when I woke up that it was one of those rare cold mornings in Florida. I had given Saxon back his leather coat last night, and this was the best thing I had to keep me warm.

  The sun wasn’t up yet, but this time of year, it was closer to seven before sunrise. The living room was dark with only the light from the kitchen giving a warm glow. Saxon was standing at the bar, pouring a cup of coffee, and there was a plate with a cup of milk on the counter. He lifted his head, and his eyes met mine as I reached him.

  “Good morning,” I said, hoping that we would continue this getting along thing.

  “Morning. I made you something to eat before we go,” he said, nodding at the plate.

  I looked down to see scrambled eggs, toast, and berries again. I knew he was only doing this for the baby’s sake, but it still made me feel warm inside. “Thank you,” I replied.

  “I got a text this morning. I was able to get you an appointment with the OB-GYN Maddy uses. She’s going to see you at four today. I’ll pick you up from the studio, and we can go from there.”

  He had gotten me a doctor’s appointment. We hadn’t even talked about it since I had gotten here. Other than he wanted to get me proper medical care.

  “Does, uh, she take Medicaid?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “No. But you’re covered.”

  “How?”

  “I handled it, Haisley. Don’t worry about it. Dr. James is the best OB-GYN in the state. It’s why Maddy used her.”

  The best OB-GYN lived in Ocala? I found that hard to believe.

  “What hospital?” I asked him.

  “She has private offices in Gainesville and Orlando. She works between the two.”

  Private offices? I wasn’t sure I knew what that was exactly, but I focused on eating my food and stopped asking questions. This was a huge deal. I would have a doctor who would answer my questions, and I could call if I had any issues. No waiting in a packed room for hours to get five minutes with her.

  “The dark circles under your eyes are gone,” Saxon said, pulling me out of my thoughts.

  I had noticed that in the mirror this morning. “Yeah, having proper food to eat and a luxurious bed to sleep in will do that for you,” I replied, smiling at him.

  “That bed isn’t luxurious,” he said.

  I laughed and finished chewing my food, then said, “Maybe not to you, rich boy, but to me, that is five-star quality.”

  I popped the last berry into my mouth, drank the rest of my milk, and took the half-eaten piece of toast with me before standing up. “We’d better go. I don’t want to be late.”

  “It’s only five. You have plenty time.”

  I shook my head. “I have to warm up and do stretches.”

  He picked up his cup and nodded toward the door. “Okay, let’s go.”

  We headed to the door, and when I opened it, the cold wind reminded me why I was wearing a sweatshirt.

  “Shit. Wait,” Saxon replied and walked back to his bedroom.

  I closed the door to keep the cold out. When he exited his room, he was holding a jean jacket with fleece lining.

  “Here,” he said to me, opening it up. “Put this on.”

  I didn’t argue. I liked wearing his coats and smelling him. It was as close as I was going to get to burying my face in his neck and inhaling.

  “Thanks. You have a lot of coats.”

  “Yeah. Just keep this one.”

  I would rather he keep them and let me use them as I needed them. That way, they’d always smell like him. But I couldn’t say that, so I just said, “Thanks.”

  We didn’t talk much on the way to the yoga studio, and when we got there, he reminded me he’d pick me up at four. I was inside, hanging up his coat, when he finally pulled away, and I realized he had been making sure I got inside safely. When Saxon was thoughtful, it was hard not to let myself want more. Miss him. Wish I could have what we’d started over two months ago.

  I was finishing up my last class of the day and had ten minutes before Saxon arrived to get me. There had been three one-hour breaks where I was free, and I’d gone to the acai bowl place across the street, taken a nap in the mediation room, and read up on my first trimester during those times. The prenatal yoga classes were popular, and now that I was back, they were offering two a day.

  “It’s good to see you back,” a deep voice said.

  I turned to see Trace, another instructor. He was tall with a lean, muscular build, and his classes were packed with women. Especially the cougars. They loved him. He kept his blond dreadlocks in a bun most of the time and had pale blue eyes. He was also cocky as hell.

  “Thanks. It’s good to be back,” I replied as I rolled up my mat—or the one I used here. I didn’t actually have my own mat.

  “I might have to take a few prenatal classes if those are the only ones you’re doing,” he said.

  I stood up and frowned at him. Was he flirting with me? Sure, he’d flirted with me in the past, but that was before I was pregnant. I had always turned him down when he asked me out too. The guy was a man -whore. He broke men’s and women’s hearts regularly.

  “I’m doing prenatal because I’m pregnant,” I told him.

  He tilted his head and grinned at me. “I figured. Your tits have always been nice, but, damn, Haisley, they’ve gotten huge.”

  I felt my face heat up. I needed bigger tops. He was right. My boobs had gotten much bigger. I’d realized it today when I put on my yoga outfit. I only owned two, and both tops were too small.

  “It’s a good thing. Don’t look so upset,” he said, walking closer to me. “You’ve even got more curves going on here,” he told me, placing a hand on my hip. “It’s rounder.” He lowered his voice.

  I backed up away from his touch. “Uh, I have to go.”

  “You’re gonna want to keep your fucking hands off her.” Saxon’s voice startled me.

  My gaze swung to the doorway, and he was standing inside, glaring at Trace.

  Oh crap. He couldn’t pull his gun out in here. I’d get fired.

  I rushed around Trace and over to Saxon. His eyes hadn’t left Trace’s.

  “This must be the baby daddy,” Trace replied, sounding amused.

  He had no idea what he was doing. I wanted to yell at him to shut up, but I kept my eyes on Saxon, worried about that damn gun.

  “It’s fine. He’s a flirt. He means nothing by it,” I told him, grabbing his arm. “Let’s go.”

  Saxon dropped his gaze to me and then to my boobs. He inhaled sharply before his eyes shot back up to mine. “This fucking bra thing is too damn small,” he said through clenched teeth.

  “I am aware of that. Pregnancy has upped my bra size.”

  His eyes swung back over my shoulder to Trace, who I wished would leave. “Don’t touch her again. That’s the only warning you’ll get.”

  Trace’s cocky laugh made me wince. He was an idiot. “I don’t have to force any female. They come after me.”

  Saxon’s hand clamped down on my hip and held it firmly before his eyes came back to mine. “Get your things.”

  I shook my head. “I’m not leaving you alone in here with him,” I whispered.

  He narrowed his eyes at me. “If you’re protecting him, don’t.” The warning was clear.

  “I’m not. I want to keep my job,” I whispered. “And if you pull out that gun, I will get fired.”

  His hand tightened his grip on me. “Let’s go.”

  Relieved, I nodded, and he moved his hand to my back and held it there as he walked with me out of the room. His entire body was rigid, and I could feel the anger rolling off him in waves as I got my coat and bag. We were almost to the door when Sammy walked out of the room across from us, and her eyes immediately widened when she saw Saxon.

  “Saxon Houston?” she asked as a big smile spread across her face.

  I wanted to slap her right then. I’d forgotten that Sammy had gone to the same high school as Saxon. She came from money. Ran in his circles.

  “Sam,” he replied.

  “What are you doing here?” She paused and realized that I was the one beside him. “With Haisley?” Her voice trailed off. It registered on her that quickly, and I saw the shock in her eyes. “No way. Oh shit. You’re who got her pregnant?” she asked, looking back at Saxon.