He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close. “We’ll see.”
Shaking her head, she caught the helmet he tossed her way.
“Put it on. I don’t want anything happening to your pretty face.”
Cheryl did as he asked, putting the helmet on then climbing on the back of his bike. He grabbed her hands, forcing her to wrap them around his waist. The strength in his stomach alone surprised her. She couldn’t believe she was holding onto Butch. Every time she got close to him, she felt alive inside.
The heat pooled and started to get warmer at the feel of his back between her thighs.
Get a grip, Cheryl. Nothing is ever going to happen.
Butch in her life was a mistake. She didn’t know why he enjoyed hanging out with her. He knew she had a son and wasn’t seeing anyone, and yet he was still there to see her. She wasn’t used to the male attention coming from the men in her town. Nibbling her lip, she tried to block all thoughts of Matthew’s father from her mind. One weekend of hot sex didn’t make for anything else. She’d spent more time with Butch than with Matthew’s father.
Without her asking Butch pulled up outside of her mother’s place. “I’ll be here waiting for you.”
“Matthew is not getting on that bike no matter how much he wants to. I won’t be allowing him to ride when he’s older either. They’re death traps.” At three years old Matthew was completely stubborn and irrational. She loved him with all of her heart, but he sure knew how to cause a few problems by just being adorable.
“Of course he’s not. I’m going to walk beside you the last bit to your place. You don’t mind my bike being stored in your yard, do you?” Butch asked.
“No, it’s fine.” She gave up caring what people thought of her when she turned up pregnant without the father present.
Walking to her mother’s front door, she knocked and heard her humming as she walked down the long corridor.
“Hey, honey,” Anna Barnes said, opening the door. Her mother’s gaze went to Butch before returning back to her. “What’s he doing here?”
“He’s a friend, Mom. Please, drop it. I don’t need to worry about you as well.” She walked past her mother going straight to the sitting room where Matthew was sitting with some coloring books and crayons. “Hey, baby.” She crouched down, tucking some strands of hair behind her ear.
“Mommy!”
The coloring book and crayons went sprawling to the floor as he jumped up, wrapping his arms around her neck. She picked him up inhaling his sweet scent before turning to her own mother.
“Everything is fine. He’s just a friend. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“He wants something from you, honey. I see it every time he’s around. He wants you, and he’s going to claim you,” Anna said.
Rolling her eyes, Cheryl focused on her parent even though pleasure poured through every cell in her body. Butch wanted her? It was too much of a fantasy to be real. He was a handsome man who could have any woman he wanted. Why would he settle for her when he could have anyone?
“You’re imagining things. We’re friends, nothing more. I’m going to take him home. I’m not at work tomorrow, so everything should be fine for me to look after Matthew all day.” She blew a raspberry on his cheek. Matthew chuckled, wrapping his pudgy hands around her neck. She loved her son. To her, it didn’t matter who the father was. He’d given her a bigger reason for living. Her son meant the world to her. The only thing she wished was different was her bank balance. If she had more money, then Matthew would want for nothing.
Ten minutes later she carried Matthew’s bag out of her mother’s house and was walking beside Butch to her own.
“She doesn’t approve of me, does she?” Butch asked.
“My mom? No, she doesn’t know you. Don’t take it personally. She’s had to deal with a lot. You know, her only daughter turning up pregnant without a father for her child being one. It can take a lot out of any person. She’s been there for me, my rock.”
“Your own father is not in the picture?”
“Nah, he left a long time ago. He couldn’t live up to her high expectations, and he split.” Cheryl shrugged. She’d never missed her dad growing up. Her mother was all she needed. Anna Barnes made sure she wanted for nothing, like she was going to with Matthew.
“You don’t miss him?”
“Can’t miss what you never had. I never had a father. My mom is all I need. She’s my rock, and I love her. At a young age she taught me you didn’t need a man to depend on in life. I doubt she ever expected me to come home pregnant.” She smiled thinking about her life over the years. Her mother never turned her away even when she turned up pregnant without a husband. Pushing some hair off her face, she kissed Matthew’s cheek. He was the reason she loved her life. The same reason she went back to church to thank God for giving her such a blessing. No matter what kind of weekend he came from, Matthew was worth every second.
“Hey, Matty,” Butch said, reaching over to rustle the boy’s head.
“Hey, Neal.”
Her heart turned over. Butch accepted his real name out of her son’s lips rather than his club name. She’d known him as Butch and couldn’t imagine calling him as anything else.
“He’s a good kid. You should be proud.”
Cheryl smiled. Whenever anyone complimented her son she felt all the pain of giving birth to him was worth it. “I am.”
She carried him to her front door. Putting Matthew down, she searched for her key while Butch put his bike away. Cheryl settled her son in front of the television before heading toward the kitchen. The moment Butch entered he stayed by her son. She heard him talking, laughing and joking with Matthew. His voice filled her with joy along with the happiness from her son. Matthew always ended up giggling in his company. Butch was really great with kids, or at least he was great with hers.
Twenty minutes later she had the pasta cooking and the meatballs frying in the pan.
“Hey, baby, do you need a hand?”
Butch placed a hand on her hip invading her space. For several seconds she couldn’t even think because of his touch. Licking her dry lips, she glanced to her left and smiled. “No, I’ve got it.”
“Okay. Matthew has an amazing imagination.” Butch stepped away, going back to sit with her son.
No, don’t start thinking about Butch that way. The last time you did look what happened.