“Maybe because I didn’t scorch it, and I added some chili pepper.”

“It’s really good. Thank you.”

“No problem.”

Toward the end of the second movie, Knox’s phone rang. Diamond stopped the movie while Knox talked to one of his deputies. When he ended the call, he stood up, helping Diamond to her feet.

“We’ll have to finish this another night. Lyon’s wife went into labor; I need to take over his shift.”

Lily yawned. “I’m ready for bed, anyway. John will be up early, expecting his breakfast.”

Penni gathered the empty popcorn bowls and soda cans as Knox and Diamond left after saying good-bye.

“You and Shade go to bed. I’ll take care of the dishes.”

“I can do it in the morning.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t mind. I might not be able to cook, but I can do the dishes.”

“All right, then. I’ll see you in the morning.” Lily stopped on the bottom step leading upstairs, looking at Shade. “Are you coming?”

Shade and Jackal remained sitting, neither man moving.

“Let’s go to bed.” Lily waited expectantly for her husband.

Sighing, she saw the men were determined to hold their ground. Since it was Shade’s home, though, Penni decided to bring an end to the stalemate. Going to the front door, she held it open.

“Good night, Jackal.”

Jackal rose and Shade stood, going to Lily’s side and following her up the steps.

Penni walked outside with Jackal behind her.

“Your brother is an ass.”

Penni gave a low laugh. “He’s just being protective.”

“You’re the same age Lily is.”

“Actually, she’s older. That doesn’t matter to Shade. I don’t think he likes you very much. I think he thinks you’re an ass, too. It’s kind of funny.”

“You’ve got a warped sense of humor.” Jackal tugged her down onto the porch swing, his arm resting on the back as he set it in motion.

“I’ve been told that before.” The light breeze felt good as she relaxed.

A light went out in one of the bedrooms of the clubhouse. Penni knew it was the room Train was in.

“I wonder who he’s with tonight?” She hadn’t meant to ask the question out loud.

Jackal saw the direction she was staring in. He turned to her with the moonlight beaming down on the porch. “Right now, he’s watching us.”

She started to look up again at Train’s room. “How can you tell?”

“I see his shadow behind the window. I bet Shade texted him to make sure I left.”

Penni shivered as Jackal curved his hand around her throat, and he lowered his head.

“What are you doing?”

“Giving him something worth seeing. Don’t move.”

She did what he told her as his mouth brushed her lips, preparing herself for what she saw coming. However, she wasn’t expecting the heat that blasted through her core. God, she needed to land Train before she did something stupid.

Her body was screaming at her to pull him closer as he parted her mouth, sliding his tongue inside. Limply, her head fell back on his arm behind her. She slid her arms around his neck and tangled her fingers in the long hair that curled at the nape of his neck.

Jackal slid his hand between her shoulder blades, arching her back so her breasts rubbed against his chest. He parted her lips wider before delving deeper, stroking his tongue against hers.

If he made love the way he kissed, a woman wouldn’t be able to take another lover. He didn’t kiss like any other men she had kissed before who wanted to build your passion. Jackal thrust you into the fire and wanted you to burn alive.

Moaning, she wanted to curl her toes at the sensations. Pulling him lower so she could explore his mouth, loving the salty, spicy taste that had her wanting more, she rubbed her breasts against his chest, unconsciously digging her nails into his neck.

“That should make it hard for him to fall asleep.” Jackal announced as he suddenly stood up, breaking the kiss.

Penni used her foot to stop the swing.

“What …?” She dazedly found herself clutching air. She could barely make out his shadowy outline as the moon slipped behind the clouds.

“Train,” he replied. “I better go before Shade comes down with his gun.” Jackal went down the steps. “Night, Penni.”

“Good night, Jackal.” She watched him leave.

Penni heard the loud music coming from inside the clubhouse as he went in the back door. Then she went back inside, locking and closing the door.

Taking her time, she did the dishes then turned off the lights before she went up the stairs. She took a shower and washed her hair then climbed into bed, turning off the bedroom lamp.

She couldn’t fall asleep, tossing and turning, her thoughts jammed in her head. They weren’t thoughts of who Train was sleeping with tonight, but Jackal’s kiss. She had brushed her teeth before going to bed, so why did she still taste him on her lips?

Turning on her side, she looked out her window, seeing the stars twinkling in the sky above her. It was as if they were laughing down at her.

Giving up, she sneaked back downstairs, settling on to the couch and turning on the television. Penni lowed the volume before starting the movie. The actress of I’m Having a Baby with a Zombie gave a blood curling scream.

Who needed men when you could watch a good zombie movie?

21

Penni started to sneak past Lily and Shade’s bedroom, but the door was cracked open, so she thought they must have woken up when she had gone upstairs to shower and dress. She had fallen asleep on the couch, waking to see the sun shining through the curtains.

Shade and Lily were lying on the bed with John between them. They were asleep. Lily was lying on her side, her head pillowed on Shade’s shoulder. John was lying on his front on Shade’s chest.

She carefully reached out, closing the bedroom door. The private moment had Penni giving thanks to the universe. In this crazy world where dating had been taken over by apps instead of chemistry, Shade and Lily had both spun the roulette wheel and won.

Downstairs, she began to make a cup of coffee but found only an empty canister. Taking it, she decided to go The Last Riders’ clubhouse. With so many living there, she knew she could find herself a cup and bring some to Shade.

It was a little after eight on a Sunday. Therefore, Penni hadn’t expected any of the members to be up yet. The women would be getting ready for church in an hour, so she expected the house to be silent.

At first, Penni thought the music she heard as she opened the door had been left playing from the night before. It wasn’t until she was a couple of steps into the room that she discovered the source was coming from the basement. Someone must have left the music on in the gym. That was also where the laundry, hot tub, and a bedroom were located. Willa and Lucky were living there as they built their house.

The kitchen’s aroma of brewing coffee and the smell of cinnamon rolls baking didn’t distract Penni from going down the basement stairs. Someone had to be awake, or the backdoor wouldn’t have been open, and someone had started breakfast.

She had had gone down three steps, bending over to see who was there and alert them to her presence, when it dawned on her that the singing wasn’t from the radio. Stunned at the beautiful sound coming from the woman putting clothes in the washing machine, she saw it was Genny.