Free SOLID GROUND: GODS OF CHAOS MC (BOOK TWO) by Honey Palomino

rest?” I asked.  
    “Yes, I did. I guess I needed it,” she replied.
    “Yeah, I bet.”
    One beat. Two. Three. I hated awkward silences. I was terrible at making conversation. I was more of a show person than a tell person. Four beats. Five. Six.
    “You want to go for a walk?” The words fell out of my mouth before I could catch them. I suppressed a groan when she nodded and stood up silently.
    “Okay, cool,” I said, standing up and following her outside.  I didn’t have to see them to know that every eye in the clubhouse followed us out that door.
    Lacey stood on the porch, staring off into the surrounding woods.  It was dark, the only light being the moonlight and the light spilling outside from the clubhouse.  
    “I’ve never seen so many stars before,” Lacey said, looking up at the clear, black sky.
    “Yeah, the deeper you get into the woods, the more you can see. Come on, let’s go explore a little,” I said, grabbing a flash light from the porch railing.
    We walked side by side down the road, the dirt and gravel crunching under our feet, our footsteps echoing up into the towering pine trees overhead.  A slight breeze in the air caused them to sway, the soft sound of leaves brushing together whooshing through the air.
    “This is so beautiful.  You must love living out here.”
    “I do,” I nodded in the darkness.  
    “I’m used to the city. Glass skyscrapers and sidewalks.  I mean, Seattle’s beautiful, but I never really got a chance to hang out in the country, you know?”
    “Well, now you can. As much as you want. I spend hours in these woods every day, running, working out, just walking. Sometimes, you need a break from the chaos of the clubhouse.”
    She nodded, lost in thought.  
    “It doesn’t seem so chaotic, to tell you the truth. Everyone was so nice at dinner.”
    “Yeah, well, they’re on their best behavior right now.  Grace tries to keep every one in check as much as possible when a new girl arrives.”
    “Oh.” She looked upset.
    “What’s wrong?”
    “I don’t want to impose, or get in the way or anything…” her voice trailed off, her eyes darkening with worry.
    “Oh, no, don’t worry about that!” I replied, trying not to laugh.  “I said Grace tries - I didn’t say she succeeded.  It won’t last long, trust me.  Before you know it, the beer bottles will be flying and the rock music will be blaring.”
    She smiled, and I watched the transformation with fascination. She was gorgeous, no doubt, but when she smiled, it was like someone turned a light on.  
    “Okay, cool.  I’m pretty easy going, I can take it.”  She jutted her chin out again.  It was absolutely killing me it was so fucking adorable, and it took all my strength not to reach out and touch her face.  Warmth spread through my limbs like wildfire, and my cock sprang to life again in my pants.  
    “Come on, I want to show you something,” I said, turning on the flashlight and taking her hand in mine to lead her into the forest.  It was an easy, natural gesture and yet I couldn’t help but notice how perfectly our hands fit together.
    We turned off the road and stepped into the darkness of the trees.  We followed a small trail I had beat into the ground over the years.  The trees formed a quiet hush, and the sounds of the forest filled our ears - a  symphony of crickets, frogs, and all the other creatures that shared this land with us. 
    Silently, I led her deeper into the woods.  Fallen pine needles crunched underfoot as we made our way down the trail.  After a few moments, the sound of rushing water filled the air.  
    “There’s a creek just ahead,” I told her.  The awkward silence had fallen away.
    We broke through the trees, turned a corner and the creek appeared in front of us.  We stopped to take in the beauty of the water rushing over the rocks, the spectacular vision bathed in bright moonlight.  I turned off the flashlight, and we stood in the quiet