Page 47 of Twisted Road

Czar shook his head. “Not happening, Lyric. You’re Torpedo Ink. We all help each other with our businesses. I’m sure Keys hasn’t had time to talk to you about how that works. The club will get whatever you need and renovate the building to your specifications.”

Czar stated it like it was already a fact of life. Keys willed her to be gracious. She could be a prickly little thing when it came to her independence.

“I don’t know what to say.”

Keys squeezed her hand tighter and brought it to his chest. “We’ll work it out, Czar, thanks.”

“We’ve got a few little problems that have cropped up,” Czar continued. “You lived around the Headed for Hell club for some time. Keys says you have extraordinary insight into people. I’d like your take on a few things if you don’t mind. I thought Keys could bring you around to the clubhouse next week if you feel up to it. I’d like to discuss Headed for Hell and the reference you made to Declan’s Russian friend.”

Before she could answer, Czar switched his attention to Keys. “We’ve got a party coming up, and I’ll need you both there. Our Trinity chapter will show the first night and stay over. Rampage is invited the second night. We owe them both for supporting us when we went after you and Lyric. I want everyone to mingle and talk to as many of the members of Rampage as they can. We’ll compare notes after. We have to make a decision on whether to patch them over or let it go. I want to make the right decision.”

Keys knew Czar had worded his request to Lyric to come by the clubhouse as if it was her choice, but it was a command. He had questions. That put Keys on edge. A party might be good for Lyric to see that she would have fun being around the members. At least the first night with Trinity. He had never partied with Rampage, so he didn’t know how wild they would get.

“When next week, Czar?”

“Monday, around one. You two take another week off. With all the work coming up, you need the time.”

With Czar that could mean anything, but Keys was grateful. Lyric was still fragile and prone to headaches.

“We’ll work on the shop. Send a list of all the items she needs—don’t leave anything out.”

“On it,” Keys said.

Eleven

Keys called out to Lyric several times, calling her in for dinner, but she was absorbed in designing the backyard. When she’d gone out to do so, he believed she’d make a few sketches and they’d talk about it. No, she was completely and utterly focused on the drawings she’d made in the dirt. He’d had pavers delivered and had already excavated and compacted the land so it was as smooth as he could get it for her. They’d mapped out where to put flowers, shrubs and trees.

She was so excited she could hardly take the time to make the list for Czar of the things she needed for her salon. That, Keys knew, had to do with her reluctance to accept help. She wanted them to keep an inventory so she could get a payment plan going. He told her Czar would be insulted, and no one intentionally insulted Czar. That stopped her complaining, but then she focused almost entirely on the backyard.

Keys loved watching her. She moved around the house and in the backyard with that easy-flowing grace she had when no one was watching her. She turned into a complete goof when she knew he was paying close attention. More than once he’d gotten a full-body blush when he’d stripped her outside and had his wicked way with her.

In their bed, he made love to her. Slow. Gentle. Looking into her eyes. Making sure she felt every single emotion he gave her with his hands, his mouth and his cock. He wanted her to feel him inside her. He wanted to wrap himself so tightly in her that she would never be able to think of leaving him. Or what it would be like to be with another man.

During the day, he taught her what dirty sex could be, anywhere and everywhere. He spent a great deal of time in his woodworking shop, making them an artsy bench. She helped design it and learned very quickly how to use the tools. He didn’t tell her that he had a special purpose in mind for that bench. That would come as she learned to be very trusting of him.

Lyric laughed a lot. If she was outside and he suddenly appeared, her entire face lit up and she’d rush him, jumping into his arms as if she hadn’t seen him just an hour earlier. She did the same if she was in the house and he came in from working on their outdoor furniture. He wanted that greeting every day of his life. There would be many times he would be gone, doing business for the club. When he returned, he knew he would need that exact reaction from her.

Although it was just the two of them, it was surprising how much work they got done, transforming the backyard from notably bare to the beginnings of a beautiful patio and fire pit surrounded by young plants they put into the ground. He showed her how to put together an efficient water system to help the plants begin their life. He had three springs on the property and had spent time developing one of the three for just such an opportunity.

Keys had to admit, Czar was a wise man. They’d needed this past week to bond tight together without any interference from the outside world. He’d never seen Lyric so relaxed. More and more, when he introduced her to some of the kink he liked to indulge in, she trusted him to take them to new heights. She was going to have to rely on that trust pretty heavily over the next couple of weeks. He was going to have to talk to her about the parties.

“Going to spray you with the hose, woman, if you don’t come in for dinner,” he announced, careful to stand just inside the doorway. Lyric had access to a hose and she wouldn’t hesitate to use it. He was hoping for her usual reaction but prepared for the worst.

Lyric turned around and her face lit up. Bog, that smile. She dragged off her gloves, already running toward him. He braced. She was a little thing, but momentum was a huge factor because she didn’t slow down. She leapt for him, her arms circling his neck, her legs circling his waist.

“You’re amazing, Keys. I love the fire pit. It’s perfect for our space. I can’t wait for our bench to be finished.”

Neither could he, but that was for a very special day. He wanted to give her something unique and different when they finally had her equipment in for her salon. Code was their online order man, and he was always thorough. He couldn’t wait to show her what was being done in her absence.

Player, Maestro and Master were excellent woodworkers, and the three of them were determined to make up for their earlier mistake. They spent time in the shop, painting the colors Keys knew Lyric wanted and ensuring the heat and water worked properly.

Keys carried her into the house and placed her on a high-backed chair at the little table they both preferred to use. “Made roasted vegetables, steamed asparagus and garlic bread tonight. And that artichoke pasta you like so much.” She mostly drank sparkling water with lime or lemon, and he had that ready for her.

“It looks fantastic. Honestly, Keys, I’ll learn to cook more than my boring salads. It was always just me, and cooking for one person isn’t much fun. But I did look at a cookbook a couple of days ago.”

His eyebrow shot up as he seated himself across from her. “You looked at a cookbook? That sounds ominous. And your salads are never boring.”

Her green eyes brightened with amusement. “Well, as every single recipe looked complicated, I hastily closed the offensive book and put it back on the shelf.” She indicated the small bookshelf that held a dozen cookbooks, courtesy of Lana and Alena.