"Quit your bellyaching and stand up for me." He held her steady as she did. "Okay, step out of the tub while I hold you." Once she was out of the tub, he stood up and stepped out, grabbing a towel. He slowly patted her dry then dried himself. He wrapped the towel around her and then another one around himself.

57.

"Okay, let's get you dressed before you freeze."

"I can dress myself. You better go jump in the shower and get that lavender smell off," she teased.

"It's just the three of us. I'll shower later. Do you need help dressing?" he asked innocently.

"No, thanks." She shook her head and began dressing.

Neal walked into the bedroom. "We've got company coming.

They'll be here in a few seconds."

"Who?" Mark asked.

"The gang. They want to meet Alexis."

"Me?" she squeaked. "Why? How do they even know I'm here?"

"I told them when Cole called wanting us to come to his house," Mark told her.

"Best get dressed, Mark." Neal pulled a half-dressed Alexis in his arms and kissed her. She balked at first, then relaxed into his kiss and held on to him.

"Okay, you two. Enough of that. She's got to get dressed." He pulled Alexis out of Neal's arms and scooted her over toward her clothes. "Dress, woman."

She stuck her tongue out at him then quickly worked on pulling on socks, then her jeans.

Mark pulled on his jeans and shirt. He pulled on socks and then his boots. He was ready except for combing his hair. He left Alexis with Neal while he ran down to his room to take care of that. It was then that he realized he could smell himself. He smelled like lavender.

s.h.i.t. I don't have time for a shower now. He sighed and debated on whether adding a little cologne would hide the scent or make it worse. He opted out of the cologne and resigned to being teased.

When he returned to the bedroom, he wasn't a bit surprised to see Neal with Alexis pinned to the wall with his tongue down her throat.

She had her fingers wrapped in his hair. He shook his head and let out a long breath.

58.

"Guys, we are about to have company. I think Alexis would like to comb her hair at least."

Neal pulled back and unwrapped her hands from his hair. Now he needed a combing, too, Mark noticed.

The doorbell rang. They were here.

"I'll get the door. You two make yourselves presentable and come on downstairs, or they're going to be thinking you're f.u.c.king," Mark warned them.

"We'll be down in a few seconds," Neal a.s.sured him.

With that, Mark walked down the stairs and went to let the rest of the gang inside. They piled in the living room, taking over every available seat and surface. Leave it to Shane to be the one to point out his lavender scent to the others.

"He smells like a flower," Shane announced. "You been trying on different perfumes?"

"f.u.c.k you."

"No, really, guys. Smell him." Ranger and Drew both walked over and sniffed.

"You do smell like a flower, man. What gives? You switching sides on us?"

"f.u.c.k you, too."

Just then, Alexis and Neal walked downstairs and all their attention went to her.

"You going to introduce us?" Cole asked.

"I'd rather not, and say we did," he murmured under his breath.

"Alexis, this is Cole, our leader."

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Thank you. It's a pleasure to meet you, too," she said in her polite business voice.

Neal leaned in and said something to her. Her lips thinned in agitation, then relaxed some.

Mark went around the room introducing all the gang, plus the three women there with them, Brandy, Tina, and Briana. They were

59.

each married to two of the gang members. The women hit it off, and Tina dragged them into the kitchen to talk and make coffee for the guys.

Mark worried about her at first until he heard her unmistakable, husky laugh above the others. She would be fine with the other women. They were probably already bonding.

Cole immediately pulled both he and Neal aside.

"What are your intentions with her?" Cole asked.

60.

Chapter Seven.

"What in the h.e.l.l is that supposed to mean?" Mark asked, taking a step back.

"I'm just trying to find out if you're going to be moving off and leaving the gang, or hanging around. Is she important to you?" Cole dug his hands into his pockets.

"Look, man. Just because you found a woman to marry doesn't mean all of us are ready to settle down," Mark told him.

"Neal said over the phone that she would be here another couple of weeks. That sounds a little more permanent than your usual wham-bam weekends."

"She's special, but we're not looking at long term. She's got a career that she'll be going back to." Neal's voice didn't sound all that pleased right then.

"If you say so." Cole seemed to contemplate this for a few seconds before he continued. "I've got a line on a job starting in three weeks. It's on the other side of Fort Worth."

"Sounds good," Neal said, looking over his shoulder toward where the women were walking back out of the kitchen.

"So I can count on the two of you?" Cole asked.

"Sure. What is it? Another hotel?" Mark finally asked.

"Actually, it's rebuilding part of a school that got damaged during that tornado last spring."

"No s.h.i.t. That ought to be worthwhile." Neal's attention returned to Cole.

Mark watched as Alexis walked toward them with two cups of coffee in her hands. She walked with an air of confidence that many

61.

woman never learned. She looked at home serving the coffee, even if it were to a bunch of bikers.

"Here you go." She handed Mark and Neal their coffee. "I believe your wife has yours, Cole."

"I'll go hunt it and her down." Cole left after sniffing the air by Mark. "Smells good on you."

"f.u.c.k you."

"Mark! That's not nice." Alexis was obviously fighting hard not to laugh.

He'd get her later. She'd learn not to tease him. It was good to see her relaxed, and she was. The fact that she seemed to get along with the other women, and even the men, told him that she just needed help and a reason to relax. Well, they would give it to her as much and as often as she needed it or wanted it.

"Hey, Mark. Where did you find your new cologne?" West asked.

"It's a one-of-a-kind made especially for me. Sorry, man. You're out of luck." Mark punched him in the arm and walked over to where Neal and Gavin were talking.

"How long has Briana been off of bed rest?" he asked Gavin.

"Just a couple of days. We brought her over in the truck. No bike riding for her until after the babies are born." Gavin's eyes roamed the room looking for his new wife.

Briana was close to seven months pregnant with twins. Dillon and Gavin were twins and the proud fathers. Mark couldn't help but wonder if they were planning to do any more work until after the babies were born with her having had so much trouble early on.

"So tell us about your ladylove," Gavin urged.

Mark looked over at Neal. His friend shrugged.

"She's a cla.s.sy lady that needs a little time to relax. Who better to relax with than us?"

"Well, since Dillon and I are off the market, I guess you're right." Gavin grinned.

62.

"Smart-a.s.s." Neal shook his head. "She lives north of here, so she'll be going back home in a couple of weeks."

"Shame, Briana really likes her," Dillon said, walking up. He looked over at his brother. "I left Briana sitting outside on the deck with Tina to watch her. She's fine."

"Did you ask Cole or Zack yet?" Gavin asked his brother.