HIS BRANDED BRIDE: Steel Devils MC

by Sophia Gray

  Carl was one of my favorites at the kitchen. He showed up every weekend without fail, sometimes with a friend or two in tow. He’d been coming for years, and I was pretty sure that he was homeless. We were close, and I’d often thought about asking him if he wanted to move in with me. But I didn’t know Carl’s story, or where he was from, and I didn’t want to offend the man.

  “Audrey, it’s so nice to see you,” Carl said with a warm smile as I ladled some beef stew into his bowl. “You look tired.”

  I yawned, hiding my face in my elbow. “I feel pretty tired,” I admitted. “I had kind of a rough week. I started a new job.”

  “Oh, Audrey,” Carl said, his face breaking out into a wide smile. “That’s so good to hear. Tell me about it.”

  I glanced down the serving line. The crowd of people waiting for food was out the door, and some of the regulars were getting cranky about having to wait. I blushed. “I’ll sit down with you when I’m done here,” I said. “Just give me about an hour, okay?”

  While I finished up my shift, Carl played chess with another one of the men who showed up on the weekends. I enjoyed watching him play. Even though he was destitute, he was one of the smartest men that I’d ever met. I wondered what he’d think about Enzo, and about my new job.

  “So, Audrey,” Carl said. He reached over and patted the back of my hand. “Tell me about this new gig of yours.” He smiled widely and patted his belly. “And the stew was excellent today, by the way.”

  I laughed and shook my head. Carl and I had an old joke about the food at the soup kitchen—he’d always compliment me, even though I had nothing to do with making it. It was just one of the little ways that he tried to make me feel more comfortable and I really appreciated it.

  “Well, I’m working for LennoxCo, if you can believe that,” I said. “I’m actually the secretary to the CEO.”

  “Wow, look at you, working girl!” Carl whistled. “Just like Melanie Griffith in that movie.”

  I blushed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I demurred. “But it’s a good job.” I swallowed. Talking about money around Carl always made me feel a little awkward. “It’s definitely the best thing I’ve landed since college.”

  “You’re going to be very successful.” He frowned. “But I’ve heard some things about that man, Mr. Lennox.”

  I nodded and bit my lip. “What kinds of things?”

  Carl shrugged. “He’s just a fast man. You know, flashy cars and girls and that kind of thing. You watch yourself around him, Audrey.”

  I burst out laughing. “I highly doubt this guy would pay any kind of attention to me. I mean, come on, Carl, you know I don’t care about that kind of stuff.” It was easy to brush Carl off. I hadn’t even told him about what had happened the first day, and I had a feeling he wouldn’t think that was very funny.

  “I’m not joking, Audrey,” Carl warned. He leaned closer. “You really have to be careful with men like that. They only think of one thing. It doesn’t matter what you look like, you have to be careful.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Carl, come on. You know a guy like him wouldn’t be interested in me. That’s like, the basic rules of attraction.” I blushed, thinking of how sexy Enzo was. “I mean, he probably likes blondes with boob jobs—the kind of girl who always wears heels. You know I’m not like that.”

  Carl shook his head. “Don’t write yourself off, Audrey. You’re still pretty young, and you have a lot to learn about how people behave in the real world.”

  “I’m twenty-two,” I said irritably. “I think I’ve figured it out by now.”

  Carl crossed his arms in front of his chest. He sighed. “You know, when I was your age, I thought I had things figured out too. But in my case, it took a little longer. I was pretty old by the time I figured out how selfish and cruel people can be. I know I sound like a worried old father, but, Audrey, you’re better off playing this one safe. Until you know this guy, really know him, I wouldn’t turn your back.”

  An eerie, unsettling feeling came over me, and I shook my head. “Carl, I’ll be fine. I promise.”

  “You’re prettier than you think, Audrey,” Carl said gruffly. “I expect this guy is a seasoned pro at picking out the pretty women.”

  I stood up and wiped my hands on my baggy jeans. “I’m not. And don’t worry, I don’t wish that he’d pay attention to me.” I shrugged. “I just want to do my job, and earn money, and send it home to my parents.”

  I swallowed hard. Thinking of my parents was painful. They were the reason why I volunteered at places like the food bank—I’d spent a lot of time in my childhood going to those kinds of places for food. When I was a kid, I’d always felt embarrassed about it. Now I wished that I could go back in time and tell my younger self that it wasn’t worth crying over.

  “Just be careful, Audrey,” Carl said. “I’m probably worried about nothing, but you know how those men can be.”

  I nodded uncomfortably. I didn’t know how men—any men, aside from my father—could be. I’d ever been around men before. Enzo might as well have been an exotic species, like a lion or a giraffe.

  I snorted. There was no way that he would ever want someone like me.

  Chapter Four

  Enzo

  Audrey had been my secretary for over a week before I got a glimpse of her legs. January in Chicago was brutal, but we had a brief respite, and the temperatures climbed up to the 40s. Audrey showed up that day in hose that bagged around her ankles and an unfashionable, frumpy skirt.

  “Hi, Enzo.” Audrey handed me my coffee and turned, almost doing something that looked like a little bow. “Can I get you anything else?”

  I shook my head. “Stay here for a minute. I’ve got a call coming up, and I want you to take notes.”

  “Oh! Okay,” Audrey said. She nodded her head and ducked out the door to her desk. When she reappeared thirty seconds later, she was clutching a yellow legal pad and a pen. She stood there, uneasily watching me.

  “You can sit over there,” I said, gesturing towards the black leather couch in the corner of the room. It was a large sectional that I’d used as a bed many, many times and I knew how comfortable it was.

  Audrey lowered herself down onto the couch as though she was sinking into a pot full of boiling water. “This is comfy,” she said, a blush rising to her pale cheeks. “I like your office a lot, Enzo.”

  I hated the way the hair on the back of my neck stood up whenever she said my name. “Thanks. I didn’t decorate it though. The company has people for that.” I rolled my eyes. “I think they were afraid I was going to put up a pinup girl or something.”

  I actually had put up a pinup girl. Well, a vintage shot of Marilyn Monroe topless. It was an expensive print, and I’d hung it up on the first day. But then my secretary complained about feeling sexually harassed, so down Marilyn went. I think she was still in the closet, probably waiting for me to hang her up once again.

  “Enzo?” Audrey’s voice was quiet. “What’s so funny?”

  I shook my head. “Nothing,” I said, waving my hand dismissively in the air and picking up the mug of coffee. It smelled good. From the very first day, Audrey had always gotten the cream and sugar ratio perfectly.

  Sitting down at my desk, I watched Audrey carefully out of the corner of my eye. Despite being clad in those horrible stockings, she had nice legs. I winced as she turned around, exposing a large run up her left calf.

  “Audrey,” I said sharply. “I’d like a Caesar salad for lunch, with olive oil and vinegar on the side. Make sure the kitchen prepares it with chicken, not fish, and no cheese.” I looked at her over the tops of my reading glasses. “Can you get started on that?”

  Audrey frowned. “I thought you had a call?”

  I looked down at my blank schedule. “Nope,” I said cheerily. “Must have been mistaken. But I’d love that salad now, thanks.”

  Audrey’s cheeks flushed, and she shot up from the couch like she’d been burned. “Okay, I�
�ll be back soon,” she said in an unsteady voice as she rushed from my office. “I’ll make sure the salad is right, Enzo.”

  “You’d better,” I muttered under my breath as I watched her dart away in clunky orthopedic loafers. Leaning back in my chair, I steepled my hands together on the mahogany desk and waited patiently for Audrey to return with my lunch.

  She was back in less than five minutes, pink and blushing and sweating. “I ran up the stairs,” Audrey said, panting as she handed me the salad. “The elevators were down, or had a long line, or something.”

  I chuckled. “Audrey, don’t feel that you have to exert yourself like that.” I raised an eyebrow as I looked at the salad. “This looks good. But a little less oil and vinegar on the side for next time, please.”

  Audrey bit her lip and nodded. She smiled at me before turning on her heel and clomping out of my office.

  I grinned.

  # # #

  The day was almost over when I realized that I needed to give Audrey some files to start annotating at home. I called her, but she didn’t come in. Frowning, I stood up and walked over to the door. Audrey almost never left her desk—she’d even asked my permission to use the bathroom during her first week. When I saw the empty seat spinning around, I narrowed my eyes.

  “Audrey!” I called out louder. “Audrey, come in here right this instant!”

  I didn’t even see her as she darted across the office and smacked right into my chest. She was much shorter than I was, and the top of her head barely grazed my chin as we collided. I was surprised to discover the feel of her body under all those layers of ugly clothing; she actually had an incredible body. She wasn’t heavy, but nice and curvy, with a big, firm rack. My cock stiffened in my pants as I wondered whether or not her ass felt the same way.

  “Oh my God,” Audrey squealed. She leaped backward away from me, tripped over her own feet, and fell crashing to the floor. Her face was bright red the second her ass hit the carpeting. “Enzo, I am so sorry! I just stepped away for a second to check on those copies you wanted by the end of the day. Do you still need those?” Her voice was insistent, eager to please.

  I shivered with sudden, uncontrollable lust as I imagined how eager to please Audrey would be in the bedroom. She was so submissive; so eager to let me dominate her in the office. I wondered how pliable she would be between the sheets.

  “It’s okay,” I said carelessly, extending a hand down to Audrey.

  She gulped as I waved my fingers in front of her face, blushing even more, and then finally put her warm, sweaty little hand into mine. My fingers tightened around hers and pulled her up to her feet. Despite all of the clothing, I was amazed to discover how lightweight she was.

  “I’m really sorry, Enzo. I swear I’m not normally this clumsy. I really have no idea what just happened.”

  I licked my lips. Almost as if by imitation, Audrey stuck her tongue out of her mouth and moistened her own soft, pink lips. I watched, feeling hypnotized at the sight of her plump tongue. She had a good mouth, not too full, but slightly wide and a little crooked in the center. I closed my eyes and steadied myself against my desk as I imagined that fervent little tongue working over the stiff head of my cock. I had a feeling Audrey was the kind of girl who’d lick away my precum without even being asked.

  “It’s fine,” I said again. “And yes, I still need those copies.” Audrey turned on her heel. “And Audrey?”

  “Yes?” She spun around, looking flushed and breathless. As I watched, she stuck her tongue out of her mouth and licked her lips again, swallowing hard. “What is it?”

  “Come in here again at the end of the day, right before you leave.” I smirked. “I have something I want to go over with you. Sort of like homework. A small assignment that needs to be done, but I wouldn’t prioritize it over your current work.”

  Audrey’s face creased. She licked her lips one last tantalizing time and then slipped out of my office.

  Chapter Five

  Audrey

  I was kicking myself as I walked the ten feet back to my desk. I couldn’t believe it. Of all the stupid, clumsy shit that I could do, I’d smacked right into Enzo! Thinking about it filled me with a mixture of shame and something else, something that left my lower belly tight and made my breath come hard.

  I couldn’t figure it out; I didn’t like him very much. He didn’t seem like a good man, and I hated the way he stared at me. But when I’d bumped into him, I hadn’t been able to resist noticing the way his muscles bunched and tightened under his skin. He was like a prize athlete.

  I shivered as I remembered the first day I’d laid eyes on Enzo—when I’d caught him sleeping with that blonde. He’d had a muscular ass, too. Hot blood pooled in my cheeks at the memory.

  And just what had he meant about the end of the day? I tried to focus on my spreadsheets, but all of the numbers flew around on the screen, giving me a headache. What’s the use of even finishing this? I wondered darkly. He’s probably going to fire me anyway. And then what the fuck am I supposed to do? Just go back to temping or working at a restaurant?

  An uneasy feeling passed over me, and I shuddered. Maybe it was like Carl had said: maybe Enzo was going to try something. I decided that if that happened, I’d leave as quickly as I could. Even though I thought Enzo was sexy, I wasn’t going to become just another girl who got fired for sleeping with her boss. I winced at the thought. It had taken me months to find this job, and I wasn’t about to give it up for something as simple as resisting the attraction to my boss.

  “Audrey! Come in here!”

  I stood up so fast that the blood rushed to my head, making me feel dizzy. After gripping the edge of my desk for support, I darted into Enzo’s office with a nervous smile plastered on my face.

  “Yes? What is it?”

  Enzo pulled out a large leather portfolio and handed it to me. When I took it, he didn’t let it go immediately, and I had to tug, hard.

  “This is some work you’ll be doing in the evenings, at home,” he said. “I need you to go through these files and mark every number that’s coming from the Fort Lauderdale area, okay? The area codes are marked on the sides. It’s not much, but you need to pay very close attention.”

  I nodded. I felt like that couldn’t be all. It wouldn’t take me more than a couple of nights. I could already see myself curled up with Pepper and a cooking show on in the background. I smiled.

  Enzo smirked. “Yes, Audrey? What’s so funny?”

  I shook my head. “Nothing. Um, I’m sorry. I’m just kind of relieved. I wasn’t really sure why you’d called me in here.”

  Enzo stood up from his desk and slowly walked around towards me. I shivered as I watched his strong, muscular legs close the gap between our bodies. Whenever he came close to me, I smelt a very musky, expensive cologne wafting off his neck.

  “Audrey,” Enzo said with a low growl. “There is something else; something I wanted to address with you.”

  “Yes?” I wasn’t even aware that I was trembling until my voice came out in a cracked whisper. “What is it?”

  Enzo grabbed my arm and pulled me close to him. I’d never seen him look so intense before. His light gray eyes almost looked blue in the perfect natural lighting of the office, and his jaw was tense. My heartbeat skipped in my chest, and my stomach rolled over itself with nervousness. That same odd, tingly feeling came back to my lower belly—almost like I had to scratch an itch between my legs. I blushed; I wasn’t sure that I liked the feeling of being this close to Enzo.

  “You know, you’d be gorgeous if you tried a little harder,” Enzo said silkily. He ran a finger down the back of my spine, and I shivered. “Just a little harder,” he said, his full lips in a perfect pout. “You wouldn’t have to try hard.” Enzo winked at me. “I could take you shopping,” he added huskily. “I know what you’d look good in.”

  I swallowed hard and tried to step away. It was harder than I’d thought—the emotions and adrenaline were rushing through my b
ody and making me feel like I almost didn’t want Enzo to stop touching me. When he pulled his hand away, I rubbed the spot on my arm where he’d touched me.

  “No,” I said as sharp as I could muster. My voice still sounded weak, and I winced. “I mean, no, thank you,” I added stiffly. “I’m not interested in being gorgeous. I’m interested in being your secretary.”

  I knew that I should be insulted at Enzo’s comments, but the adrenaline spike was making it hard for me to focus on anything other than his perfect body, and the gleam in his eye when he looked my way.