“I need to check on some work going on at my house. Do you want to come with me?” he asked.

“Sure.” Lily walked out the back door with him into the huge backyard.

He led her up the new walkway, which had been laid a couple of weeks before. His house was being built behind Beth and Razer’s. The new walkway led to Razer’s house before splitting, each path going to a house.

His was nestled up higher than the main house and Razer’s, with a wraparound porch that gave a view of the mountains from all sides, except the back which had the mountain behind it.

From his house, he could see the clubhouse, Razer’s house, the factory, the parking lot, and even both sides of the road leading to them. It was a strategic stronghold which, if he had to, could hold off an army without worrying about anyone coming at him from behind. Once it was built, no one would be able to get near Lily without him knowing it.

Shade opened the door, coming into the living room and dining room combo. It was an open-concept house where you could see through the whole downstairs. The walls were all dry-walled, and the subfloors had been laid.

He walked into the kitchen where none of the cabinets or anything had been placed yet. There was a small, fold-up table and two metal chairs sitting in the room with several books lying on top. He had gone as far as he could without her input. He could have asked Beth for her opinions, but he was building the house for Lily. He was determined it was going to be her home, and he wanted her to pick her own preferences.

Shade looked around the room, moving from one area to the other.

Lily looked at him curiously. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to figure out where I want the island to go and which wall for the appliances.”

“Start with where you want the sink, which is obviously by the window.” She pointed toward said window.

“Why by the window?” he asked.

“So you can look out while you do the dishes,” Lily explained.

Shade had to turn away, not wanting her to see his face. She had seen herself doing the dishes in his home.

“What about the stove?” He turned back around when he was able to regain his composure.

Lily looked around the room and pointed to the wall on the right. “That way, you can keep an eye on the room while you’re cooking. The other wall you would have your back to the room.”

“That’s true, but the exhaust fan would break the line of sight.”

Lily agreed, and Shade finally decided to place it against the wall she had pointed out. Then he sat down at the table, pretending to go through floor samples, and Lily indicated her preference for hardwood then the type of wood. Next, he randomly picked out cabinets. When Lily made a face, he turned over several more pages until she found one she thought would suit the style of the house.

“I’m surprised. I thought you would try to talk me into a country-looking kitchen, but you’re guiding me into a more modern look.” Shade had thought he would have to tolerate an old-fashioned house; instead, he actually would have picked many of the same options she had.

Lily smiled. “I’m surprised you know the difference. I like the modern look for the clean lines and angles.”

“I do, too.” Shade closed the books. “That’s enough for today. It will take a couple of weeks to get it done; then I can pick out the fixtures for the bathrooms.”

“Make sure you have one put in like you do now. Your shower is amazing.”

“I like it, too, but I was thinking of going a little bigger here.”

Shade was proud of that shower. He had designed it himself to be big enough for several members to shower in after they had a fuck session.

“How much bigger do you need? It’s already big enough for several people.” From her expression, Lily had figured out exactly what the shower had been used for. She closed the book she was looking at with a snap, getting to her feet without looking at him.

“Ready?” she asked. “If you need to stay, I can go back by myself.”

“I’m finished,” Shade replied, going to the door while turning off the lights on the way.

He didn’t try to deny her assumptions; they were the truth. He wasn’t going to blow smoke up her ass to keep her happy then have one of the women saying something to her later that would bite him in the ass for lying. He would live with the memory of her face when she had run away after finding out about the clubhouse for the rest of his life, and he never wanted to see her that hurt again.

They walked back to the house, and instead of going through the kitchen, he led her through the basement door.

Lily went to Shade’s room, getting a fresh pair of flannel pajamas before she went into the bathroom to get changed. He was taking off his shoes when she returned. He had already removed his T-shirt, and his jeans were unsnapped.

He got up from the side of the bed then went inside the bathroom, closing the door. When he came out, Shade was disappointed to find her already standing in her corner. Hiding his displeasure, he got into bed, turning out the lamp.

Lily stood there several moments before she sank down onto the floor.

Shade placed his arm over his eyes, unable to watch while she was still awake. He waited until he heard her deep breathing before rolling over to gaze at her sleeping face. When her head fell forward then jerked back up and she didn’t wake up, he knew she was exhausted.

Silently, he threw the covers back before slipping out of bed. He sat down next to her, pulling her into his arms and situating her until she could sleep more comfortably. Then he leaned his head back against the wall, running his fingers through her hair.

When the clock read six a.m., he gently slid out from under her. Standing up, he stretched before going into the bathroom to shower. He ran the cold water over his head, letting it wake him up. After two nights with no sleep, he would have to catch a nap in his office.

He leaned his forehead on the shower wall. It felt so hopeless with her sometimes, like she was never going to return any of his feelings.

A song came over his speakers, which he knew damn well he hadn’t programmed in, shaking him out of his reverie. He listened to it as he finished showering and dressing. Then he went back into the bedroom to find Lily still sleeping. He decided to go upstairs and fix them some breakfast, hoping the woman who had dared to put the “Rose” on his playlist would be awake so he could give her Hell.

Shade opened the kitchen door, seeing the woman drinking her coffee while leaning on the counter. He walked to her, and as she looked at him curiously, he placed an arm over her shoulders and gave her a brief hug.

“Thanks.”

“What for?” Evie asked.

“For being a pain in my ass.”

Chapter 51

He was cleaning off his desk when Jewell walked in his office. His cell phone rang, and he motioned for her to close the door. As he answered the call, he sat down on the side of his desk.

“Did you find anything out?” Shade asked Cash.

“Nothing new. After I tracked the vehicle’s movement to a hotel a few cities away, I checked in with Knox about the photocopy of the license the man used to check in. It’s the same one the car that tried to run Lily down is registered to, but the driver’s license was in the name of a man who died two months ago.”