Free Exquisite Karma (Iron Horse MC Book 4) by Ann Mayburn Page A

made my way over to the sleek, circular ebony table that occupied a large breakfast nook. “Deal.”
    We chatted while she worked about her massive family; she was the oldest of eleven children and had four grown children of her own, and they all lived in Texas. Hearing her stories was better than any Spanish soap opera, and I laughed until my cheeks hurt as she talked about her youngest son, who liked to think he was a Lothario, and how two girls he was dating found out about each other and beat his butt at a nightclub.
    As amusing as her tales were, my stomach kept scrunching up as I checked my phone what felt like every minute, but was probably every ten seconds.
    “Put that thing away,” Juanita scolded me as she placed my plate before me, the scent of the warm bread and cheese making my mouth flood with saliva. “Always checking for the text, always staring at the little screen like it holds the secrets of the universe. What is important is what’s here, right in front of you, right now.”
    Shaking my head, I reluctantly pushed my phone away then thanked her as she handed me a big glass of milk.
    She left me to eat and I scarfed down the sandwich, grinning when she returned with a second one for me, along with some pills.
    “What are these?”
    “Your vitamins.”
    “I have vitamins?”
    “ Si , you do now. I see you looking tired all the time, how hard you work and how busy you are taking care of others. You need to keep your body healthy, and you will not give it the rest it needs, so take your vitamins. Then maybe you should take a nap.”
    “But Beach—”
    “If he calls, I come wake you up. Mouse asked me to look after you, and I love you like one of my own, so you will take your vitamins and you will go take a nap.” She gave me this…this mothering look that made me feel four years old. “Am I clear?”
    I merely nodded and took another bite of my sandwich, mildly surprised at how stern Juanita could be. Then again, with her hellion sons, I guess she needed to have some brass to her. That, and the fact she worked for the president of an outlaw MC. She gave me a wink then put her headphones back on and began to clean up the kitchen, humming to herself under her breath in a slightly off-key way that had me turning away to hide my smile.
    Knowing she’d hassle me until I gave in, I went upstairs to the master bedroom and collapsed face first on my massive four-poster, black iron bed. It was a monstrosity with chains and cuffs hanging from all the posts. I’d fussed at Beach when he’d added them, not wanting the maids to know our sex life, but he’d merely laughed then went about showing me how wonderful it could be to have cuffs and chains on one’s sturdy bed. A soft breath escaped me as I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling.
    Daylight streamed through the big windows facing the valley and I squinted before saying, “Gloria, darkness please.”
    Beach always laughed at me for addressing the house computer by name, and for being polite, but I didn’t care. To me, the magical being that made things happen when I spoke could have some sort of artificial intelligence, and I figured I’d be better off if my house liked me. After all, I loved it. This ninety-five hundred square foot mansion had been designed back in the 1980s by one of the nation’s premier modern design architects at the time. It had taken a little bit of work to restore it, but I’d taken full advantage of having a clean slate to work with for designing the interior of the home. Beach let me pick out and do everything, from ordering the fabric for the couches, to haggling with the masonry guy about the shit job he was doing on our fireplace.
    Happy memories eased the knot in my belly and I grabbed Beach’s pillow, holding it tight and inhaling his scent.
     
    I must have fallen asleep, because I woke up to Beach shaking my shoulder. “ Mi Corazón , you need to wake up. Got someone here you need to see.”
    Turning