The next week went by in a blur. To say she got used to having her temperature taken Steele’s way was a lie. She did tolerate it more easily each time, and Steele always rewarded her for being a good girl. With his attentive care and the reassurance that the bad guy in the bank scandal and her assaulters were in jail, Ivy began to bristle slightly under Steele’s control. Not enough to warrant a repeat of her buzzy lesson, but Ivy knew her brain was ready to get back to work.
When Steele laid her down on the bed in his welding area to take a nap, Ivy complained, “I can’t take a nap all the time at work. I need to get ready to be productive all day long on Monday.”
“We’ll see how you feel on Monday. If it’s too much, I’m sure the doctor will order shortened hours for a while,” Steele said, tucking the covers around her neck and making sure her headphones were protecting her from the intensive noise filling the garage.
“I have to go back to work, Steele.”
“Daddy.”
She sighed dramatically and restated her response. “I have to go back to work, Daddy.”
“I know. I’m going to make sure you’re as ready to go as possible.”
When he leaned in to kiss her forehead, Ivy felt her heart flutter. She loved him so much. Should she tell him?
Steele moved away to resume his work on the set of tailpipes on his workbench. He turned on the exhaust fan that whisked away any dangerous fumes and created a type of white noise that combined with her headphones, blocked everything out. He carefully protected her from the intense light of the welding flame. The molten metal that fused things together glowed red hot as he set the expertly welded parts aside to cool down.
She’d heard the other mechanics speaking of his talent in their conversations and discussions with owners looking to fix or upgrade some aspect of their ride. It was fascinating to watch him work, even from the distance he required her to stay.
Staying with the Shadowridge Guardians had opened her eyes to an entirely new world. Bikers had come into the bank with their leather attire, tattoos, and bad-boy ways, and Ivy hoped she’d treated them with the same courtesy and friendliness as she had anyone walking in wearing a suit. Now, after spending time in their world, Ivy could never treat them the same as everyone else.
These guys and their women and daughters had become her family. They’d protected her and welcomed her without a fuss or protest. She was Steele’s, so she was theirs.
The motorcycle club members were completely different from the high-powered business people she was ashamed to admit she’d treated with deference. Those in suits would have walked away. Steele climbed into filth and sharp obstacles to save her. The other MC guys would have done the same without hesitating. She squeezed Lucky to her chest. They carried teddy bears, for goodness’ sake.
A loud knock on the wall brought her head up. Kade stood a distance away from where Steele worked with an open flame. The tough Enforcer waited patiently for the welder to finish his bead, turn off the torch, and remove the protective visor.
“There’s a visitor for Ivy,” he reported.
Kade’s glower immediately ignited worry in Ivy’s belly. She watched Steele process the information and nod. What was going on? She stood when Steele straightened and stripped off his heavy gloves.
“Well, Little girl. This is interesting. Let’s go see what’s happening.”
Ivy nodded and trailed behind Steele’s bulk, holding on to his cut to reassure herself. As they rounded the reception desk, she saw Mr. Harris, the bank president, holding a box of things. Ivy immediately recognized her photo frame sticking out of the top.
“Mr. Harris? What’s going on?” she asked.
“I have transferred you to another branch. You’ll work on Summerset Street starting on Monday,” he reported, thrusting the box toward to her.
Steele quickly claimed the box from the bank president and set it to the side as Ivy searched for words. “There already is a bank manager at the Summerset branch. I am taking his place?”
“No, Edgar is remaining at Summerset,” he said, before turning to leave.
Ivy let go of Steele’s cut to dart forward, blocking his path. “There will be two bank managers at Summerset?”
“No. Edgar will remain the bank manager. You’ll supervise the loan officers and report to him.”
“You’ve demoted me because I discovered theft at the bank?” Her voice rose with indignation.
“Please stay in control, Miss Jenkins. I think I’ve seen enough theatrics with you. I demoted you because you no longer maintain a professional status in the community. Living in sin in the local motorcycle club hovel is not the profile the bank wishes to put into management positions. You, of course, can put in your notice, and I’m sure the remaining members of the board will allow you to have that applied retroactively to your sick time.”
“Ahem,” Steele cleared his throat ominously behind the bank president. After Mr. Harris turned to look at him from the corner of his eye, he rotated fully to face a line of Shadowridge Guardians, standing shoulder to shoulder behind him.
“Call off your thugs immediately, Miss Jenkins,” he demanded with a tremor of nervousness shaking his words.
“These men aren’t thugs, nor are they mine,” Ivy pointed out before amending that statement. “Well, one is mine.”
“Exactly. You’ve created quite the stir in the bank when you’ve visited with your… companion.”
“Mr. Harris, I would urge you to reconsider targeting Ivy because of her association with the Shadowridge Guardians. I, for one, won’t leave my money with a bank that discriminates against a talented bank officer due to who she chooses as friends,” Steele said firmly.
“I’m sorry to hear that… Sir. I’m sure you’ll find another bank more to your liking,” Mr. Harris suggested.
“Who’s in charge of the board now that Mr. Morton is in jail?” Ivy demanded.
“They have made me the interim board president as the board searches for a replacement,” Mr. Harris said, puffing out his chest with obvious self-importance.
“I will contact the board’s secretary on Monday to schedule a meeting,” Ivy said firmly.
“I’m afraid it will be a very long time before we deal with inconsequential matters. The board will focus on rebuilding,” Mr. Harris said, sealing her fate. “Would you like to give me your verbal notice?”
“No, thank you, Mr. Harris,” Ivy answered, barely keeping it under control at the audacity of the bank officer.
“You may rethink that decision at any time this weekend. Just leave a message on my voicemail at the bank,” he encouraged as he turned to walk out of the motorcycle repair shop.
Steele stepped forward, and the weasel took a step away, bumping into a workbench and wiping grease onto his immaculate suit jacket. Mr. Harris focused on that with a tsk of disapproval. He pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket to dab at the stain, spreading it and turning a corner of the pristine cloth gray.
Muttering about the blotch and the cleaning bill, Mr. Harris walked out of the repair shop without a look behind him.
“You want me to make sure his fancy car doesn’t run on Monday morning?” Talon sneered.
“While that pleases me to imagine his reaction, I think there’s a better way to handle Mr. Harris,” Steele responded, chopping off any retribution plans.
“Really? What are we going to do?” Ivy asked.
“It’s better that you don’t know,” Steele told her.
“Don’t do anything to get yourself in trouble, Steele. That won’t help my case that I’m not hanging with the wrong kind of people,” Ivy warned quickly.
“I’ll take care of him.”
Ivy talked to him until she was hoarse. Steele wouldn’t explain what he had in mind, and the others professed their lack of knowledge.
By dinnertime, she’d decided that maybe her arguments had finally sunk into Steele’s brain and he’d reconsidered. The group hung out together in the common room as normal. No one mentioned Mr. Harris, the bank, or Ivy’s job. She relaxed a bit and enjoyed the tough banter she’d learned covered a deep commitment to each other.
Ivy loved being here with Steele. She could sit on his lap and no one commented. He could pull her close for a kiss or send her over to get a napkin and swat her bottom sharply. No one even seemed to notice—or if they did, their response was an indulgent smile or a grouchy comment about needing to find their own Little.
Since it was Friday night, Steele allowed Ivy to stay up past her bedtime. Finally, her yawns won out, and she cuddled against his chest. Looping her hands around his neck, she clung to Steele as he carried her back to his apartment as everyone wished her a good night. She waved lazily and stayed in that foggy, almost asleep state as Steele undressed her and tucked her into bed. Ivy listened to Steele move around the room quietly until she couldn’t keep her sweet dreams away.