Sketch: A Steel Paragons MC Novel (The Coast: Book 12) Page 4

  “So she’s a SMILF, then?” the guy said with a chuckle. “Step Mom I’d—”

  “Sketch,” Tripp barked with a hard shove to the young man’s shoulder.

  “Oh, shit,” Sketch said. And yes, I looked at his patches to see that name there among all the others to make sure that I heard Tripp right when he’d called out the young man’s name. I didn’t know what each patch meant, nor did I think that was his real name. I’d learned enough from my calls with Tripp to know these guys often called each other by nicknames. “She ain’t really your stepmoms anymore. You gonna call the new one mommy? Is she as hot?”

  I felt the blood drain from my face at his words.

  Tripp didn’t know about the divorce yet. Or the fact that his father was soon to be remarried. That was actually why I was here, to tell him since I knew his father was stubborn and trying to make some kind of point by not filling his son in about the recent events that affected all of our lives. In a way, I was glad I was the one that had to do it. I had hoped that I could deliver it a little softer.

  Well, not now.

  No matter how great the sex had been, I was starting to wish that I’d never met this Sketch guy.

  He was a real asshole.

  “What’s he talking about?” Tripp said a little shakily as he turned to me.

  “Wait, he don’t know?” Sketch asked. I was surprised he sounded a little upset that he’d spilled the beans like that. Oh, and the look on his face would have been comical if not for the seriousness of the situation.

  “How do you know?” Tripp said, his face blazing with anger as he turned back to his friend.

  “Is there somewhere we can talk?” I cut in before blood was shed. I placed my hand on Tripp’s arm to calm him. I breathed a silent sigh of relief when he turned his attention back to me and the anger faded from his eyes.

  “Yeah,” he mumbled and started to head to the front of the building.

  “You don’t want to go in there,” Sketch said as he got in Tripp’s path without any hesitation.

  There seemed to be something that passed between them. Like an understanding that I didn’t get. With a nod, Tripp turned and asked if I could drive us somewhere.

  We ended up at a cute coffee shop.

  He got me a latte but my stomach was in knots and I didn’t even touch it.

  “Was what Sketch said true?” Tripp asked as he took a seat. His face reminded me of a younger Tripp. A boy, unsure of the world around him. It broke my heart.

  “Your father and I are divorced, yes. It only just came through a few days ago.” Or weeks, maybe. Time had kind of been strange lately, leaving me feel like I had no idea what day it was. I should have been ready for is, since we’d been separated for a while, but it didn’t feel real until everything had been signed, I guess.

  “Is he getting married again?”

  “He is,” I said with a nod while I tried to keep my face impassive. I pressed my lips together to keep anything less than pleasant from slipping out.

  I felt all over the place about the whole situation. One minute, I was happy. The next, scared. Then lonely. That one I didn’t understand because I’d been lonely for years now even though I was in a marriage. And of course, I was angry at times too. It was hard not to feel that way when I’d pretty much been dumped out back like I was a bag of trash.

  “She’s young, isn’t she?” he asked with a knowing tone.

  “I’d say so, yes.” The words might have been on the edge of being bitter but I tried my best not to let it come off that way.

  “Piece of shit,” Tripp muttered and shook his head.

  “That’s no way to talk about your father,” I scolded calmly.

  The two of them, I swore. Reginald had always wanted his son to follow in his footsteps, just like he had in his father’s and so on down the family tree. But Tripp was his own person and law was the last thing he wanted to practice. Especially not to become something like a criminal defense attorney. I didn’t know much about the motorcycle club he was with, but I was smart enough to catch on to the fact that they lived by their own rules. I suspected that was why Tripp had found a place with them. Why he’d worked so hard to get and keep that place. Could I blame him? No, not really. Though I did wish that I saw him more often, especially during special occasions. Spending them alone wasn’t so much fun. Not working and then not having a kid to look after gave me a bad case of empty nest syndrome. I’d been suffering from it and trying to figure a way to deal with it for seven years now, ever since Tripp turned eighteen and ran like his butt was on fire. I never doubted he loved me, but he hardly came home. And he never seemed like he wanted me to make the drive down here to see him.

  Tripp looked at me as if saying he wouldn’t apologize. He’d meant what he’d said about his father and there was no way he’d take it back. As much as I wanted to laugh, I held it in. I still kept holding out hope that one day they’d be able to mend this bridge between them. That they’d be father and son with a relationship that would carry on through the years. The problem was, Tripp’s father would only accept the version of his son he’d made in his head. And Tripp, well, he wasn’t that person. He never would be.

  “What’d he give you?” he asked and I stared at him blankly.

  “I’m not discussing that with you,” I told him pointedly.

  Reginald had given me enough to start my life over. It was more than I thought I’d get, honestly. I didn’t have the energy or the money to fight his family, so I just took what I could.

  “That’s bullshit, Mom, and you know it. He just dumps you and moves on? Leaves you without a pot to piss in?”

  “I have more than a pot to piss in,” I shot back with a stern, raised brow. I wasn’t playing the victim here because I wasn’t one. I simply wanted to keep Tripp out of it as much as possible.

  “Piece of shit,” Tripp said again and as I opened my mouth to scold him again, he went on talking. “Doesn’t tell me what’s going on. Doesn’t care to give me the courtesy that he’s ditching my mom. Not one call or a damn email. Instead, he’s off with some young bitch that makes him think he’s such a stud for nailing a chick that’s… what, barely legal? Yeah, I know it, you don’t gotta say. And then he leaves you to clean up everything.”

  My lips pressed into a thin line. He wasn’t wrong and I couldn’t think of a good way to defend Reginald right now.

  “He doesn’t care about anyone but himself, so don’t go making excuses for him. Especially not now.”

  “I’ll be okay,” I assured him with a smile.

  I would be. It might take me a while to get over this and find my footing. That was only because I’d spent nearly the last twenty years being nothing but a housewife and mom. I didn’t really know what else I could be… or do. In truth, I didn’t even know who I was once you took all those things away.

  “I know you will be. You’re too damn good for him anyway. You still got me. We’ll be fucking fantastic without him.”

  “Language, Tripp,” I said and he rolled his eyes.

  It reminded me of when he was fifteen and did that to me all the time. He was never disrespectful. Instead, it felt more like he thought it was silly that I’d try to put him into a box and tame his wild ways. I’d never wanted to, but I was also his mom, and a mom couldn’t let certain things fly. Not that it would make a bit of difference. I’d always known there was no breaking his wild spirit. And maybe that was the thing I loved about him the most.

  “So what’s the plan?” he asked, rolling the conversation over in a new direction.

  “I have no idea,” I answered with a shrug and a nervous laugh.

  I really didn’t. What I was able to keep was locked up in a storage unit back in Charlotte. I came down here with the intention of telling Tripp what was going on and a plan to take a few days— or weeks— to clear my head on the beach. Other than that, I was drawing a blank. I wasn’t even sure where I wanted to live.

  “Where are you stayin
g?”

  “The Neptune Hotel on the beach,” I told him and his eyes narrowed at me. There was something going through his head but my gut told me not to ask. “You know it?”

  “Yeah, I do.” He didn’t sound happy about that.

  I had no clue why. It was a nice hotel. The room was clean. The walls were thick. And I had an amazing view. Even the bar was nice on the ground floor. And the room service was outstanding. But it should have been for the prices they charged.

  “Been there a few times with my brothers scouting out women.”

  That one statement was like a punch to the stomach.

  I felt all the color drain from my face.

  He knew. He wasn’t going to say it outright, but he knew.

  Had I known that Sketch belonged to Tripp’s club, I would have stayed away. I was almost positive of that. And now that I did know, I wouldn’t be doing it again. Not that I was saying the opportunity would ever present itself again. It was a one-time thing. I had been thoroughly taken care of by Sketch and it had been the best sex of my life, but I couldn’t afford a repeat performance even if it was offered.

  “Alright,” he said as he got to his feet, coffee cup in hand. “I gotta get back, take care of some shit for the club. Drop me off then go get some rays. You’re looking a bit pale there.” He smirked and I couldn’t tell if he was being playful about the situation or just brushing it under the rug. “If I get done early enough, we’ll grab some dinner.”

  “I’d like that.”

  I rose to stand and he pulled me in for a tight hug.

  “Don’t give a fuck what you say, he’s an asshole. If it weren’t for you, I’d never have survived my childhood. As far as I see it, I only got one parent, and she’s right here with me. You always were my mom and you always will be.”

  Tears welled in my eyes and I hugged him tighter.

  I’d been scared that this would change our relationship. I was so worried that I’d lose him too. That maybe he would see it as a way to cut free of me and live his life without strings.

  But then again, Tripp had a big heart. And I shouldn’t have let my fears and insecurities diminish that even in my head.

  “Love ya,” he said and then kissed my head before releasing me.

  “I love you too, Tripp.”

  “Now get me back before I get behind on shit.”

  I laughed and swatted at his shoulder. That mouth. I would have sworn he didn’t use to be that bad. But deep down it didn’t really matter, I’d love him like a son no matter what.

  So maybe I wasn’t all that alone.

  And as long as I could keep my head up, I could find a way to move on.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Sketch

  Okay, yeah, I fucked up and I knew it.

  Never was good with social skills or keeping my damn mouth shut. Even though I internally cringed at most of the words coming out of my mouth in front of Tripp and his stepmoms, I couldn’t seem to stop them.

  Damn, I still didn’t know her name. Guess I didn’t really need to know it because she was off-fucking-limits.

  I kept kicking myself for the shit I’d said. I wanted to apologize to Tripp, but he seemed to have made himself scarce since he went off with step mommy. I hoped to hell that she didn’t say anything about what happened in that hotel room. I suppose it really started with the bar since that had been where I’d hit on her and all. But you get my point. Even then, I was sure he’d picked up on something between us.

  I told myself it didn’t matter. That him finding out I’d boned his stand-in-moms wasn’t that big of a deal since I hadn’t known who she was at the time.

  But deep down, I knew that was a lie.

  Even if I hadn’t meant to, I’d betrayed him in some way.

  Made it worse that I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

  Fuckin’ shit!

  I was fucked.

  And I knew it even as I drove over the bridge to the beach later that night after I’d closed up the shop.

  I’d somehow managed to convince myself that I was going to that same hotel, taking the elevator up to her floor, and standing in front of her door all because I wanted to apologize. It seemed like a good reason, right? I knew it would be. I sure as fuck wasn’t wishing that she’d be happy to see me and let me in right away. Or how she would beg me to make her forget some more. Or all the ways I could take her in that hotel room.

  “Nah, fuck this,” I said under my breath as I tried to get my feet to turn around.

  But it wasn’t my feet that moved. Instead, it was my arm that was raising and my knuckles tapping against the door just under the polished silver numbers.

  “You,” she said unhappily right after she cracked the door open. Her eyes darted left then right before coming back to rest on mine with clear annoyance in them. “What do you want?”

  “Well…” I started and flashed her a smile. It didn’t seem to have any effect on her and that had me stumbling for something to say. “I was in the neighborhood and thought…”

  I sounded lame even to my own damn ears. The look she shot me could have knocked a man over.

  “Cut the crap. It happened. It was nice but I’m not interested,” she said bluntly.

  I had to hide my smile because even as she basically told me no, her body was sayin’ yes. It was in the way she pushed the door open so she could step closer to me. The way her nipples pebbled under her silky shirt. Oh, and the way her eyes flashed with desire.

  I just had to crack her shell a little.

  Only I wasn’t all that sure how to do it with her, which told me I was fucked in more ways than I was even aware of.

  I licked my lips and opened my mouth to say something. My jaw hung open a good long minute and nothing came out. She stayed there, one brow raised like she was waiting.

  “You got me trippin’, girl,” I said and wanted to shake my head. She didn’t look thrilled at my words though they were true. She shook her head like she was telling me I got something wrong. “Woman?” Another head shake. “Ma’am?”

  That one earned me a hateful glare.

  “I could call you baby, but you don’t seem like the kind of bitc— uh, woman that would like that kind of pet name.” I gave her a little shrug. “Look, women come to me. I don’t go to them. So, maybe I don’t know what the fuck to do here. You could help me out a little.”

  “I needed something and you just happened to be there at the right moment. I don’t think you should be here and I don’t see how it would be a good idea to let you in.” I said nothing back and I knew I was losing her. It was real clear when she took a step back from me, looking ready to let the door shut in my face. “Goodnight, Sketch.”

  The way she spat out my name was almost funny to me. No doubt admitting to the fact that she’d taken the time to look at my patch while she was trying to cover her pretty ass with Tripp. I knew she had, I’d been watching her eyes.

  And there it went, my opening getting smaller and smaller as she disappeared from my view.

  “Wait,” I said sounding much too desperate. My hand shot out to stop the door but I didn’t try to move in. “I don’t even know your name.”

  She was letting me go so I wasn’t really sure that it mattered at this point.

  “Melissa.”

  “Melissa,” I repeated as my lips stretched into a smile. One that I didn’t even know was there and I knew it wasn’t the one I usually shot women when I was trying to get them all caught up in the Sketch spell.

  Next thing I knew, I was being pulled into the room by the front of my shirt.

  “What?” I asked surprised.

  She didn’t answer, but it wasn’t like there was time because her lips were on mine instantly.

  Damn, this woman and her mouth. Kissing her was downright addictive. The things it did to my body. Hell, the things it did to my damn head.

  “Why did you let me in?” I asked pushing my luck.

  “The way you said my name.”
/>
  “Huh?”

  “It was the first real part of you that you’ve let me see,” she whispered.

  Before I could slam into the brick wall of reality thinking about what her words really meant, she was kissing me again.

  I lifted her up and pinned her against the wall. Her legs wrapped around my waist and I palmed her perfect ass as I devoured her mouth. In no time, she was rocking against me, grinding her hot covered pussy all over my hard cock. Shit, I was so fuckin’ hard, I wouldn’t have been surprised if my cock tore right through the front of my jeans.

  I wanted this woman.

  Fuck that.

  I needed this woman.

  Her nails were clawing at my back and I felt the bite of them through my tee. I fucking loved it. And when she moaned into my mouth, I felt it all the way in my nuts.

  “Need inside you,” I said between kisses.

  “Yes,” she whispered out, her head pressed back against the wall and those pretty eyes only half open and watching me.

  I put her down and immediately we started ripping off our clothes. I grabbed a condom before I dropped my pants and kicked out of them.

  Fuck me.

  My eyes drifted over every inch of her.

  Hot wasn’t a good enough word to describe how she looked to me. This chick was off the fucking charts.

  With the condom between my teeth, I reached up and cupped her tits. Damn, everything about her was fuckin’ perfect.

  I rolled those peaked tits between my fingers causing her to suck in a shaky breath. Her teeth bit into that plump lower lip and I nearly came at the sexy, heated look she was giving me.

  “Turn around,” I told her before I embarrassed myself.

  If I was going to come, it would be while I was deep inside of her.

  She did as she was told and her hands slapped down on the wall beside her head. Her ass was out, just waiting for me to take her. Beggin’ for it, really.