Taming My Whiskey Page 8

  “I’ve been called worse. The bottom line is, I told you not to answer tonight. The ball is in your court. Do you want to turn me down? For the calendar?” he clarified. “Either way, you’re still mine for one date.”

  Holding his gaze with fire in her eyes, she said, “No. It makes me want to do it even more.” She put her arms around his neck and said, “Dance with me before I change my mind.”

  Thank God. “Not a hardship, Dix.”

  “What if I say no tomorrow?” she challenged.

  “Then I’ll be fucked. Not only would I be out of time, but also coming this close to having my number-one choice as the face of my company has solidified in my mind how right it is. Nobody else will do.”

  They danced wordlessly, and a few minutes later he felt the tension ease from Dixie’s body. He slid his hand up her back, threading his fingers through the ends of her hair. He’d been dying to touch her glorious mane for years. She inhaled sharply, sending a rush of pure satisfaction through him, and he couldn’t resist fisting his fingers in the silky strands.

  “I have a feeling you’re trouble, Stone,” she said breathily.

  “Of the very best kind.”

  Chapter Five

  DIXIE ARRIVED AT Whiskey Automotive an hour early Saturday morning and was surprised to see all three of her brothers’ vehicles parked out front. It wasn’t unusual for her brothers to get together without her. They’d been having what she referred to as penis parties—discussions among the men—for as long as she could remember. When they were younger, they’d discuss girls or bikes, but these days they usually discussed club business. In true motorcycle club fashion, women weren’t allowed to be members of the Dark Knights. That bothered her to no end, but there were certain battles she couldn’t win, and club regulations were at the top of the list.

  Her office was in the rear of the auto shop, and she hoped they weren’t using it. She wanted to get things in order before meeting with Quincy about taking over for her while she was gone.

  She slid her black leather backpack off one shoulder, grabbed her helmet, and headed inside. Bullet stood with his back against the counter. He lifted his chin in greeting. He’d been giving her the cold shoulder since she’d said she’d do the calendar shoot.

  “Hey, Dix,” Bones said from his perch on the couch. He looked sharp in dark slacks, a crisp white dress shirt, and a striped tie.

  “Hi.” She closed the door behind her.

  Bear came through the door from the shop and said, “I had a feeling you’d be early today.”

  “Don’t worry,” she said, walking past him. “I’m not going to be in your way. I’ve got stuff to do.”

  “Hold on. We’re here to talk to you,” Bear said.

  Dixie took a moment before turning to face them. She’d seen them talking with Jace for more than an hour last night, and she was not in the mood to be given grief about the calendar shoot. She was nervous enough about doing it—and about all the sparks flying between her and Jace. She’d been up half the night trying to figure out if she was making a mistake. Modeling for a calendar went against everything she believed women should be, but everything about Jace spoke to the deepest parts of her. No man had ever made her feel the way he did, and she knew how important the calendar was to him. More importantly, she knew his company was an extension of him. Bear was always raving about Jace and Maddox and how committed to excellence they were in every aspect of the business. She respected Jace’s high standards because they were on par with hers, and that was hard to find. She’d made light of Jace comparing her to his motorcycles, but the truth was, she knew what it meant to be associated with a brand Jace had dedicated his life to building. And she knew his comparison had been the highest of praise, even if it wasn’t meant romantically.

  It would be an honor to be the face of Silver-Stone, and she also understood where her brothers were coming from, because she still wasn’t sure she wanted to be the person men drooled over. But that was her decision to make, not theirs.

  “If you’re going to give me shit about the calendar, you can keep it to yourselves,” she said, turning to face them.

  “We’re not,” Bear said.

  Bones pushed to his feet, and Bullet shifted his eyes away, telling her exactly who was and wasn’t on board. Outside of dating, she could count on one hand how many times in her adult life her brothers hadn’t supported her decisions. To have Bullet on the opposite side made her decision even more difficult. But nobody ever said breaking out from beneath her brothers’ overprotective wings would be easy. She was ready to face whatever they doled out.

  “I’m going to let everyone speak for themselves,” Bear said, “but I wanted to say that I’m sorry for jumping all over you and Jace last night about the calendar. You’ve always had my back, Dix, and I should have had yours. I was okay with you being auctioned off—”

  Bullet cleared his throat and pushed from the counter, crossing his arms.

  Bear gave him a disapproving look and said, “But the calendar took me by surprise. I know the quality and class of Silver-Stone, and I support your decision to be in the calendar.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate that.” She breathed a sigh of relief.

  Bear was always the first to stand up for her. When their grandfather passed down the bar, although he gave each of them an equal share in the business, he made it clear that only the men were to run it. Dixie had never wanted anything but to run and grow their family businesses. On paper, she was an equal partner, but when it came down to having the authority to make final developmental business decisions, she was stymied because she wasn’t in the penis club. Last year, when Bear decided to follow his heart and take the job with Silver-Stone, he went to bat for Dixie, offering to sell her his shares of the business, which would have given her a majority vote. Bones and Bullet had followed suit. It was only then that they learned that their father had wanted more for Dixie than to work at a bar and an auto shop. He’d held on to the notion of following their grandfather’s wishes, hoping it would push Dixie to do bigger, better things with her life. Once her brothers had united in their support, her father had relented, accepting that running the businesses that had been in their family for generations was where her heart lay. She was now included in making all major decisions for both of the businesses.

  She glanced at Bullet, wondering what life would be like without that united front, but she couldn’t read his serious expression.

  Bones stepped forward as if he were taking the floor and said, “We talked to Jace for a long time last night. He told us his vision for the calendar and described the clothing line he and Jilly designed. It all sounds very classy. It’s no wonder he wanted you to represent Silver-Stone. But after I went home last night I spent a long time talking to Sarah about this whole situation. She asked what I would do if Lila or Maggie Rose wanted to pose for a calendar like this when they were older.” His lips quirked up in a perplexed smile. Lila was only a year and a half old, and Maggie Rose was just three months. “My first reaction was the same as Bullet’s was last night. Over my dead body. But then Sarah asked what I would do if Bradley grew up and wanted to model for a calendar. I caught myself saying exactly what you think I’d say, and I didn’t like it.”

  “No surprise there,” she said. “But I get it. I’m not sure I’d want your girls on a calendar either.” She wasn’t even sure she wanted herself on one.

  “Sarah told me that if I stood in the way of our girls when they’re your age, I’d lose them, and I think she’s right. I don’t want to lose you, Dix. So there’s that. But there’s also something much bigger at play here, something else I was missing. Everyone talks about how much of Bear’s life he dedicated to our companies, and it’s true. If it hadn’t been for him, we might not have been able to hold on to the bar when Dad had his stroke, or the auto shop after Axel died. But there’s another truth that’s equally important. You gave your all to our family businesses long before last year, when Dad final
ly agreed to give you an equal voice in the companies, which you should have had all along. Bear might have been the face of this place and the bar when you were a teenager, but you stood behind him, helping when you could as you went through school. And when you graduated from college, you could have done anything, Dix. We all know that. You’re the smartest of all of us.”

  Her throat thickened with emotion. That meant a lot coming from the man she believed was the smartest of them all.

  “You chose to stick around and helped take our companies to new heights. You deserve to do whatever makes you happy, and truth be told, whether we like it or not doesn’t matter.” Bones stepped forward and embraced her. “I have to get to the office, but congratulations. Mom’s right. It’s your turn to shine.”

  She inhaled deeply, overwhelmed with emotion. “Thanks. I’ll have to remember to call Sarah and thank her, too.”

  Bones headed for the door and said, “Don’t worry. I thanked her quite thoroughly.”

  “Ew! That’s not something I want to picture,” she hollered after him as he walked out.

  Bear chuckled and said, “I’m going to work. Bullet, are you going to be civil?”

  “Beat it, bro,” Bullet growled. He waited for Bear to walk out, then said, “You know they hate the idea of seeing you in a calendar as much as I do.”

  “That’s okay. They still support me, and that’s what matters.”

  “I don’t like this shit, Dix, and I don’t like Jace buying a date with you, either.”

  “Why not?” She crossed her arms, needing the armor. “You’ve always trusted him. You’re friends with him. You’ve hung out, ridden together, and always had each other’s backs.”

  “Yeah, when he wasn’t going after you.”

  Dixie had only lied to her brothers about one thing—going on dates. She didn’t like to lie, but it was easier than facing this type of scrutiny, which was why she was going to lie now. “He’s not going after me, Bullet. I’m pretty sure that despite what he said, he only bid on me because it was a chance to get me to do the calendar.”

  Bullet scoffed. “If you believe that, then I haven’t taught you shit.”

  He mirrored her stance, puffing out his chest and crossing his arms, making her feel their size difference. Before joining the military, Bullet had been the one to show her just how strong she was. He’d taught her to be tough and had shown her everything from how to stand so she looked fearless even when she was scared to how to fight. Those lessons had served her well, and she called upon them now as she didn’t back down.

  “Can you stop being my overprotective brother for just a second, please? I’m thirty-one years old, Bullet. A grown woman. I’ve always respected you and supported your choices. It would be great if you could do the same for me.”

  “And what if some asshole sees that calendar and sets his sights on you? What if you end up with a crazy stalker?” Anger billowed off him.

  “If I do this calendar, thousands of jerks will see me,” she snapped. “But you taught me to handle myself, remember?”

  He scoffed. “You’re tough, Dixie, but you’re no match for a man Bear’s size, much less mine. What if you’re on one of your trips to the Cape, or busy with that fucking book club of yours and off God knows where for a meeting, and a guy comes after you?”

  It dawned on her that Bullet wasn’t trying to control what she did. He was afraid he couldn’t protect her. She was momentarily stunned as she tried to reconcile Bullet being afraid of anything. He’d spent years in the Special Forces, and he’d nearly died. But he hadn’t told any of them except Bones, whom he’d sworn to secrecy, when he was lying in the hospital holding on to his life by a thread because he’d been protecting them even then. Why hadn’t she realized this before?

  “Then I’ll figure something out,” she said. “I want to live my life, Bullet, and whether that means I want to pose for a calendar, go out with Jace Stone, or go out with any other man, those are my decisions to make. Not yours. You can hate my decisions and still support me.”

  Bullet’s face contorted with confusion. “No I can’t.”

  “Sure you can. Do you think I liked it when you joined the military, knowing you could die? Not seeing you for months at a time?”

  “That was different.”

  “Was it? Because from where I’m standing, it looks pretty similar. I cried when you left. Did you know that?”

  “You did not, Dix. You told me to go kick some ass and said you were going to rifle through my things.”

  She smiled with the memory. “I did both those things. I still have the sweatshirts and T-shirt I stole from your drawers.” She lowered her arms and said, “Do you know why I took them? Because I missed you, Bullet. You made a decision for yourself, and I had no control, but I didn’t try to stand in your way or make you feel guilty.”

  “I get what you’re saying, Dix, and I’m sorry, but it doesn’t matter what you say. I’m not going to be okay with you on a biker calendar, regardless of how classy it is. To Jace’s credit, he did make it sound like it was going to be a nice one.”

  “I’m fine with you not being okay with it,” she said, even though it stung. “But can’t you find it in your heart to be upset over it without treating me like the enemy?”

  “You’re never the enemy. I just don’t like it.”

  “Well, you looked like you wanted to kill me when you realized I was going to be auctioned off, and you were definitely ready to tear Jace apart when he bid on me. He didn’t deserve that.”

  Arms still crossed, Bullet said, “I’d never hurt you, but Stone’s a different story. He had no business asking you to do that calendar in the first place.”

  “I could argue that six ways to heaven and back, but I won’t.” She reached up and tugged his beard. “I love you, Bullet, and I’m glad you worry about me. I can see that’s not going to change. We’re both going to have to find a way to be okay moving forward, because I’m done dating in other towns to avoid the look you’re giving me right now.”

  “Thank God. I’m sick of sending guys to check up on the losers Jilly sets you up with.”

  Her jaw dropped. “You knew…?”

  “You’re my sister. Someone’s got to watch out for you.”

  “You’re unbelievable.” Although she should have realized he’d pull a stunt like that. He always seemed to know what every one of them was doing. “It’s a good thing I love you, because I kind of hate you right now.”

  He hooked an arm around her neck and tugged her into a hug. “You can hate me and still support my decisions.”

  “Asshole,” she said against his chest.

  “Yeah, I am,” Bullet said as Quincy came through the shop door. “I love you, Dix, but I’m not buying one of those damn calendars.”

  “Well, I sure as hell am!” Quincy put his hands on his hips, his blue eyes glittering devilishly. “Everyone was talking about you last night, Dix, saying how brave you were to stand up to your brothers and get auctioned off and how proud they were of you for doing the calendar. Congrats, by the way. Super-cool gig. Of course, the showdown between Bullet and Jace was also a hot topic.”

  Anger rose anew in Bullet’s eyes.

  “Go for a ride before work so you don’t kill someone.” Dixie kissed Bullet’s cheek and said, “We’re on the same team, remember?”

  “Right.” He nodded at Quincy and said, “You sure you’re cool taking over here while she’s in New York, and again when she goes to the Cape?”

  “Definitely. I’ve already cleared my schedule at the bookstore.” He cocked a grin and said, “It’ll give me more time to get my homework done, too, without all those hot women distracting me.”

  Bullet chuckled. He and Quincy talked for a few minutes before Bullet left, and then Quincy and Dixie headed into her office. Truman and Bear were talking beside a car with the hood up.

  “Hey, Tru,” Dixie said as they walked past. “I ordered the part for the Finnegans’ truck. It sho
uld be here Monday.”

  “Cool,” Truman said. “Hi, Quincy.”

  “Morning, bro,” Quincy said, and then he followed Dixie into her office. “So, Dix, what are you going to do with all your extra time without the auction to plan?”

  As they settled into their chairs, Dixie said, “I’m never at a loss for work.” She was dying to ask him about Penny not bidding on him, but as much as she wanted to pry, she worried that maybe it was a sore spot. Instead, she said, “The girl who won you last night sure was cute.”

  “Roni? Yeah, she’s gorgeous and super sweet, but really shy, or cautious or something. She said her friends dragged her to the auction and paid for everything. She didn’t even want to go.”

  “Does that mean you’re not going on a date with her?” Dixie pulled a notebook from her backpack and set it on the desk.

  “Are you kidding? It made her even more intriguing. Have you not figured out that I enjoy the chase? Roni said she’s busy for the next several weeks, but her friends pulled me aside and said she hadn’t dated in a long time and she was just nervous.” He sat back and said, “I’m a whole lotta man for any woman. She’ll get over it.”

  Dixie chuckled as she booted up her computer and decided to step into muddy waters. “What about you and Penny?”

  “I think we’ve both known for a while that we sailed right past our chance for romance into a friendship that neither one of us wants to jeopardize. It’s not like we were in love or anything. You’ve got to remember that until I got clean, I never had real friends. I don’t take friendships lightly. I know what it’s like not to have anyone to turn to, and I hope to be friends with you and your family, Penny, Jed, Scott, Izzy, and everyone else we hang out with forever.”

  “I guess that’s why she didn’t bid on you last night.”

  “I asked her about that. She said when she saw all those other women bidding, she was happy for me, not jealous. We’re cool. No worries there. But you know me. I’ll always tease her about missing out…”