A Touch Of Grey Read online

  Something in those eyes said he knew I was hurt when he very carefully stretched out his neck and sniffed my toes. I giggled when he gave them a lick before lying back down with a heavy sigh and closing his eyes.

  “He’s beautiful, what’s his name?”

  Jagger sat down on the bed, slid his arms beneath me and moved me over to the far side then lay down with me.

  “His name is Radar and he’s the first dog I’ve ever owned. Actually I don’t own him as much as he owns my brother Crash and I. We’re very lucky to have him.” He dragged his toe along the side of the Radar’s flank as he spoke. Almost as if he had to touch his dog as much as the dog needed to be near him.

  It was easy to spot the scars under his fur and on his face but he was still a very handsome animal.

  “He’s super protective and doesn’t like most men. We think it’s because of what happened to him and he absolutely loathes the scent of heavy perfumes. He will sneeze constantly just to let you know he dislikes the scent.”

  “It means he has a sensitive nose. I don’t blame him for disliking heavy and sharp smelling perfumes. I find them off putting as well. And working with animals that rely on scent has taught me not to wear heavy or sharp smelling deodorants or perfumes. Sometimes even a body wash can have too sharp of a scent for the cats. And they don’t rely on scent as much as dogs or wolves do.”

  Jagger drew his lips over the side of my temple then sat up. “I’m going to find a hair dryer so I can dry your hair. I think Grietjie will let us borrow hers.”

  “Who is Grietjie?” He looked uncomfortable for a second before it disappeared.

  “She’s one of the club girls but she’s studying to be a nurse. It won’t be long before she leaves the club to start her new life. She’s one of the nice girls around here and she’s friends with Scar’s old lady, Chris, my adopted sister. Crash and I adopted her when she was going through some heavy shit a couple of months ago. Both of them are good girls despite having to do what they did to survive.”

  I patted him on his belly.

  “I don’t judge, Jagger. It’s not up to me to judge the choices others make under difficult circumstances or even not so difficult circumstances. Life is what it is and I believe in live and let live. I’ve been judged enough to know not to do the same.”

  Jagger pulled his head back to look at me and frowned. “Why would anyone judge you?”

  I shrugged and proceeded to tell him about my very unconventional mother.

  “My mother is not the most responsible or conventional person at all. She’s a hippie and she is flighty as all hell. My dad said she tried really hard to be the woman he needed but she just wasn’t cut out to be a farmer’s wife. She loved him, loved me but she couldn’t stay on the farm, it was killing her spirit. She left when I was two and my dad married Malie, my stepmum, when I was almost three. My Mamma was and is a wonderful mother to me and my brothers. We’re close and she helped me to understand that my mother left me behind because my dad could give me more than she could at the time. I got the best of both worlds from both of my mothers. I got stability from Malie and my wild spirit from Raindrop, my biological mum. Yes, I can see by your face you find it difficult to believe that’s her name but it is. Her parents are hippies and named her Raindrop Butterfly. Thankfully I only got lumped with Sunny.”

  “You didn’t answer my question, Poppie (little doll). Who judged you?”

  I sighed and tried to explain. “I grew up on a farm outside of a very small Free State town, and small towns are full of nosy, judgemental busybodies. I was different, the child of a woman who had walked out on her man and her child. I had to battle many preconceived ideas planted in the heads of the kids at school. Boys thought I would be easy, girls thought I would steal their boyfriends, it was a constant battle. If not for Mamma I think I might have given in to the wild streak my biological mother gifted me with and gone a tiny bit crazy. Instead I concentrated on getting out of that narrow minded town and worked hard as hell towards my goal. I wanted to be a vet and I was going to be the best damned vet that stupid little town had ever seen. I wanted to prove to them and to myself that I could do it.”

  I smiled and nuzzled my face into his neck. I just couldn’t stop myself.

  “The day I walked across the stage to receive my degree was one of the most important days of my life. Not only did I get my Doctorate I earned it with honours. Plus I had been offered my dream job at the Sanctuary I had been working at during my years at University. My parents and brothers were there to celebrate with me and I realised they were the only ones who mattered. No one else did. And that’s why there will be no judgement from me, ever. It’s not worth the brain power expended on such a useless endeavour.”

  Jagger hugged me tight to his side.

  “So, not only is my Poppie (little doll) beautiful with a heart of gold, she’s brainy as fuck as well.”

  I smiled against his warm skin. I loved how he called me his little doll. It made me feel special somehow.

  Kissing me on my forehead he gave me one last squeeze then sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed. The minute he moved Radar lifted his head and watched him with sharp eyes.

  “I’m going to find a hair drier and organise us some dinner. You stay right there in bed until I get back.”

  He was so damned bossy but strangely I liked it. It was weird because I usually avoided bossy men.

  “Radar, keep an eye on our girl while I’m gone.” He ordered as he slipped his boots back on and opened the door but I called him back before he could step through the door.

  “Put a shirt on. You’re not going out there like that, not with all those women hanging about. They are already going to perv on you wearing those pants.”

  The grin I got made my tummy clench and I watched the show as he pulled his tee over his head before he walked out the door.

  The man was out of this world sexy.

  So damned sexy.

  I looked at the dog lying on the bottom of my bed and voiced my fears.

  “I’m in so much trouble here, Radar. Sooo much trouble. That man is way too sexy for his own damned good and he’s got such a good heart. If whatever this is ends I’m going to be gutted, absolutely gutted because I can feel myself sliding down the hill towards falling off the edge. And falling for a biker whose loyalty is to his club and his brothers? How would that impact my life? I’m not sure about this, not sure at all.”

  Radar’s eyebrows twitched as he listened to me then he shifted and rested his big head on my legs as if to say ‘it will be okay’. I certainly hoped so because I liked Jagger, I was starting to more than like him even though I knew almost nothing about him.

  Who was he? Where did he come from? Who were his people?

  Not that it was important but it was a part of who he was just like Raindrop was a part of who I was.

  I wouldn’t demand answers from him, not now and most probably not any time in the near future.

  I would leave it up to him to tell me about himself.

  Decision made I lay back against the cushions and waited for my man to come back to the room.

  My man. It sounded damned good even though it wasn’t true.

  Yet.

  Oh bloody hell.

  I was so absolutely and utterly…to put it bluntly…fucked.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Jagger

  Softly closing the door behind him he walked down towards Grietjie’s room with a grin on his face. After knocking he stood with his arms crossed over his chest and waited. He could hear movement inside the room and then a flustered Grietjie opened the door. Her mouth fell open as if in shock before she threw a quick glance over her shoulder then looked back at him. Looking over her shoulder he raised his eyebrows at Puzzle lying naked as the day he was born on her bed with his hand covering his junk. And he was frowning. Fuck. Shaking his head he looked back down at the woman wearing a silky robe and obviously nothing else.

  Her mo
uth opened but he didn’t give her a chance to talk. “I need a hair dryer. I washed my girl’s hair and I need to dry it because of her head wound. Can I borrow yours?”

  Grietjie’s entire demeanour changed. It was as if the tension in her body was replaced with relief. Shit, did she think he had knocked on her door for sex? Why would she think that?

  “You shouldn’t have washed her hair yet, but it’s too late now. Let me get my dryer for you.” She threw over her shoulder as she headed to what was obviously her dressing table, opened the drawer and pulled out the hair dryer.

  Jagger heard the door behind him open and heard Sandy talking to someone but he ignored them. He heard footsteps and glanced to the side and watched a brother’s back disappearing down the passage. He wasn’t sure who it was and didn’t care either. Then Grietjie was back and handed him the dryer.

  “Here you go. Make sure you dry her hair properly, especially around the wound. I’ll get the dryer fr…”

  She was rudely interrupted.

  “My, my, my, what do we have here? Is this Jagger I see coming out of a club girl’s room? I didn’t think you used us girls but then maybe it’s because you only fuck her and not the rest of us. And by the look of your dick she hasn’t done a good job of it either.” Sandy’s voice was raised and she was being an absolute bitch.

  Jagger wasn’t having it. Not while his woman was lying in bed just a few doors down and could most probably hear her vile accusations.

  Turning slowly he held the hair dryer in one hand and used the other to point a finger at the bitch.

  “You will lower your voice and then you will apologise to Grietjie. She doesn’t deserve your bullshit. And bitch, just to be clear, who I fuck is none of your fucking business. You’re a clubwhore, and you don’t run your mouth about a brother, ever. You have one purpose here, only one, and that is to open your legs for which ever stupid fucker asks you to do so. If you don’t want that anymore you know where the door is. Use it and close it on your way out.”

  Grabbing onto his control Jagger turned to thank Grietjie for the hair dryer and almost bumped chests with Puzzle. The man was wrapped in a sheet and looked about as pissed as Jagger felt. And it was good to know that although the brother had only been at the club a short while he already knew Grietjie was one of the good girls.

  “You say one more word about my Maggie and we’re going to have problems, do you get me?” He snarled while his angry eyes were locked on Sandy who nodded furiously with wide frightened eyes.

  It took Jagger a second to realise that the Maggie his brother was talking about was Grietjie, whose citizen name was Magrieta. Did it mean what he thought it meant that Puzzle was calling her his and that he had his own name for her?

  “I’m…I’m…sorry. I…I…I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry Jagger, so sorry. It was just a stupid jealous reaction. It won’t happen again, I swear.”

  His focus was back on Sandy and he put the rest of the shit at the back of his mind.

  “Fine. If it does I will talk to Ice about you. I’m sure you don’t want that to happen.”

  She shook her head violently.

  “I’m done here.” Looking over his shoulder as he walked away he lifted the hair dryer. “Thanks for this, babe. If you don’t mind I’ll get it back to you tomorrow.”

  “No problem, Jag. I have to check her wounds tomorrow anyway, I’ll get it then.” She smiled at him as she leant past Puzzle’s side and gave him a small wave.

  Shaking his head he made his way back to Sunny’s room and ignored the voices behind him. He didn’t have time for their bullshit. His woman’s hair was wet and he needed to dry it.

  Sunny was sitting up against the cushions when he walked in, the towel still around her head. Radar wasn’t on the bed any longer but standing in front of the door, his hackles raised along his back. Patting him on the head to show him he was fine he closed and locked the door behind him.

  Instead of climbing back onto the bed Radar dragged his dog bed in front of the door and lay down with a heavy grunt then closed his eyes. No one was getting through the door with him guarding it.

  “That was rather loud.” A tiny frown crinkled his girl’s brow.

  “That was a club girl thinking she has the right to question where I put my dick. Not that I’ve ever had my dick anywhere near Grietjie, but that’s beside the point. Sandy is jealous and has no reason for her jealousy as I’ve never expressed any interest in her.”

  Sunny winked broadly. “And that right there might be the problem. She was most probably hoping you would bring that meaty cock of yours to her door.”

  Her calling his dick meaty at first shocked him but then it had him hard as hell. He had to drop his free hand to the very noticeable bulge in his pants and move his dick into a more comfortable position.

  “If you keep calling my dick meaty we’re not going to dry your hair, we’re going to see how well it fits in that luscious mouth of yours. I suggest we defer all talk about my meaty dick to a later date. For now.” He returned her wink with a wink of his own, enjoying the blush rising over her cheeks.

  “Right now I’m going to see to your hair.”

  Plugging the dryer into the socket next to the bed he set it down on the bedside table then went to the bathroom to fetch the new brush and comb he had seen on the vanity.

  Drying a woman’s hair wasn’t something he had ever done before. Not that it would be a problem as he had long hair as well and had been taking care of it for years.

  And he had his memories. Memories of his dad sitting on the patio with his mum on a small bench between his legs as he combed the tangles from her wet hair. He could clearly remember the way her dark golden blonde hair had shone in the sun and the way his dad’s big rough hands had gently combed her hair. His dad had loved his mum’s waist long hair and drying it for her had become a way of taking care of his woman.

  Kicking off his boots he settled behind Sunny on the bed, spread his legs and pulled her up until she sat framed by his thighs. Pulling his tee off he threw it to the bottom of the bed and only then did he gently start combing the knots from her tangled hair. He lost himself in the movement of the comb sliding through her silky hair, and in the warmth of her skin beneath his fingers as he lifted the wet strands from her neck. Holding her hair in his hands he finally understood why his dad had done this exact same thing with his mum. It created a cocoon of closeness that sealed them in a place where no one else could intrude.

  It was only them and the rhythmic movement of the comb sliding through her hair.

  He never wanted to stop but unfortunately he had to.

  Picking up the hair dryer he set it on warm, not hot, and started blowing her hair dry. Lifting the strands away from the wound on the side of her head he dried that part first. He was pleased to see that the gash no longer looked inflamed but looked to be healing nicely. Once he was satisfied that no wet hair touched it he moved on and dried the rest of her hair.

  He loved being able to touch her skin as he lifted strands of hair away from her neck and face. Too soon her hair was dry and he set the dryer to the side. Picking up the brush he slowly brushed her hair. Starting at the ends and moving up towards her scalp. Holding the shimmering golden brown hair in his hands he bent forward and breathed in, then dropped his head and set his lips against the back of her neck. He smiled against her skin when he felt the shudder that coursed through her.

  “Love the way you smell.”

  “And I love the way you took care of my hair. Have you had a lot of practice?” He heard the tiny bit of jealousy in her voice and nipped the soft skin of her neck in warning. Not hard, just a soft bite.

  “Watched my dad do this for my mum. It used to be their thing and you could feel the connection between them as he took care of her. Never done this with a woman but I used to do Sam’s hair when he was little.”

  “You’re a good brother.”

  Gritting his teeth he shared something with her he had shared with
very few people.

  “My parents died when he was two, he never got the chance to get to know them. I was fourteen when we lost them and as his big brother it was my job to take care of him.”

  Leaning back against him she carefully turned until she could rest her cheek against his chest. It felt as if his skin burned where her soft cheek touched him.

  “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  “It was a long time ago.”

  She shook her head ever so slightly.

  “By the sound of your voice the pain is still there, so I’m sorry you lost them.”

  He hesitated. He wanted to share with her as she had shared her past with him but he didn’t want her to despise him when she realised he was nothing but a dirty fucking whore. Swallowing down the rage he would feel to the end of his days he breathed deep and gave her part of his past, not all, just a small part.

  “When my parents died my Ouma (grandmother, Granny), my dad’s mum, took us in. My parents had made provision for it in their will and had insurance policies in place to help her take care of us if anything should happen to them. What they hadn’t realised was the ruthless bastards they had bought the policies from. The insurance company sent all sorts of investigators out in order not to pay out. In the end they found their loophole. We had to sell our house and move into a small townhouse in a not so good suburb and I had to change schools. My mother’s small life insurance and the proceeds of the sale of our home and my Ouma’s (grandmother’s) pension was all we had standing between us and the streets. It was tough but I got a job and that helped.”

  He wouldn’t be telling her what that fucking job was. He was still too screwed up by what he had done to take care of his family to share it with her.

  “Luckily our study policies had been with a different company and we could at least go to college. I met Spider, Boots and Spook at college and found the Iron Dogz MC and a new family.”

  “So you lost your parents and became the man of the house, taking care of your baby brother and your grandmother, am I right?”

  Her breath was warm on his skin.