Page 38 of Bones

“Prez, this is Meredith. Meredith, this is our president, Rome.”

“Nice to meet you.” I smile.

Rome’s eyes drop to where Skull is still holding my hand, and he smirks. “You, too, sweetheart. You mind if I borrow Skull for a minute?”

“Not at all.”

Skull looks back at me and points up the stairs. “Second room on the right. I’ll be back in a minute.”

“Okay,” I murmur, watching the two of them leave before heading up the staircase, which leads to another long hallway. I walk past the first door and stop at the second, which is almost halfway open. I’m about to call out Nate’s name when my gaze lands on his blond, shoulder-length hair. Hair that I ran my fingers through, pulling on the strands. His blue eyes, framed in thick lashes, are gentle and sweet on the little girl in the other woman’s arms.

He’s wearing all black—boots, jeans, T-shirt, and the leather cut that boasts his position as an enforcer for the Serpents of Chaos motorcycle club.

He’s tall, lean, and has no visible tattoos, but I know he has one, because I kissed all the way across the big skull with the serpent slithering through its mouth on his back.

He kisses the little girl on the cheek, then smiles at the woman, laughing at something she says.

When he tucks back a lock of her loose, thick, dark hair while staring into her brown eyes, the moment feels very intimate, like I’m interrupting them.

I understand they have a unique situation here, but if I saw them like this without knowing the context, I’d think they were a family.

I mean, I guess they are.

But they aren’t a couple.

He’s mine.

And a few nights ago, he was on his knees with his mouth tasting my pussy.

The woman is beautiful, and I’m guessing is the infamous Isla, Skull’s woman. And between them must be Natalia, Nate’s daughter.

Suddenly, I understand how Nate feels when he’s left out of his brother’s family dynamic because I feel the same way.

The three of them look like a happy family, and the way he’s standing so close to her, with so much affection in his eyes, makes my stomach knot and my chest tighten.

I take a step back, but then I bump right into a warm body, and hands come down on my shoulders. Spinning around, I come face-to-face with the man from downstairs… Suit.

“You okay?” he asks, looking behind me into the room. I feel like he misses nothing.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just didn’t want to interrupt,” I admit, forcing a smile. “You know what, I’m going to go. I shouldn’t have come here.”

Suit’s gray eyes soften, and then he spins me around and wraps his arm around mine. “No, I think you’re right where you’re meant to be. Bones! I found this beautiful woman in the clubhouse. You have three seconds to get her before I take her to my room.”

My now-wide eyes are on Suit when Nate comes right out and pushes Suit off me. He smiles widely as he looks at me, happiness and confusion in his gaze. “Doc, you done ghosting me?”

Suit laughs and winks at me. “My door is that one if you need me, sweetheart.”

“Fuck off, Suit,” Nate growls, pulling me into his arms.

“You’re here,” he rasps, kissing my forehead, cheeks, nose, and then finally, my lips.

Yes, I’m here.

And now I’m almost wondering why.

BONES

Pulling her into my room before anything else can happen, I lock the door behind me and kiss her. “You haven’t spoken to me in days, and now you’re here. Tell me what’s going on in your head, baby.”