A Little Bit Wicked (The Wickeds

by Melissa Foster

  When they arrived at her place, he climbed off the bike and took a moment to admire her long legs straddling his bike. She was wearing the glittery top, skinny jeans, and high heels she’d worn last night, and she looked sexy as hell as she took off her helmet and shook her head, her blond hair tumbling around her face.

  “Maybe you should take a picture,” she said sassily.

  He whipped out his phone, and she tucked the helmet under her arm, striking a pose.

  “Damn, girl, you are hot.”

  He helped her off the bike, and she thrust out her hip, flashing a sultry smile as he took another picture.

  She giggled and said, “That’s enough, biker boy.”

  He pocketed his phone and kissed her. “I’ll never get enough. How’d you like the ride?”

  “It was fun! I wasn’t even that nervous once we got going.” She tugged at his hand and said, “Come on. I need to change my clothes so we’re not late.”

  Justin had been in Chloe’s house a few times, but he’d never hung out there. While she changed her clothes, he took a moment to look around her living room. Pale green, blue, and yellow accent pillows brought her off-white couches to life. Simple and feminine, but not overly girly. A pastel throw rug picked up on the auburn, orange, and red accents she had scattered around the room. The mantel held framed pictures of Serena as a young girl, at her college graduation, in front of her interior design office, and on her wedding day beaming up at Drake, who was looking at her the way Justin knew he looked at Chloe—like she was the only woman in the world for him. The walls were decorated with pictures of Chloe with their friends. Each frame was decorated with ribbons, fabric, and other embellishments.

  He moved to one of the bookshelves flanking the fireplace, where there were romance novels, mysteries, and a few books about working with the elderly. Mixed among them were more framed pictures of Serena and their friends, but not a single picture of Chloe. He glanced at the other bookshelf and noticed several thick binders; some were fabric, others with leather or distressed-looking vinyl. He pulled out a polka-dot fabric binder. Correction—scrapbook. On the cover was a picture of Chloe with her arm around Serena when they were young. They were sitting on a log in the grass. Serena was beaming at the camera, and Chloe, who looked to be about nine or ten years old, wore the unmistakable expression of a little girl with heaps of responsibility on her shoulders. Her hair was longer, to the middle of her back. She wore a T-shirt that had PEPSI written across the front, a pair of worn jeans that were frayed on the bottoms, and cheap flip-flops. She was lanky and adorable, all elbows and knees. He opened the album and found pages and pages of pictures of Serena when she was growing up, with a few pictures of Chloe sprinkled in. Every page was meticulously decorated with happy themes, like beaches and butterflies. Dragonflies appeared on nearly every page, and Chloe had written around the pictures, detailing special moments. He couldn’t imagine how much time it must have taken to create such beautiful memories on every page. But that was Chloe, wasn’t it? Creating memories of a happy life for the little sister she protected from so many harsh realities. Once again he wished he could go back in time and give her the childhood she’d deserved.

  He put that album back and pulled out another, and again was met with elaborately decorated pages and happy stories, only these pictures had their friends in them as well. As he flipped through the pages, he found a picture of himself in his bathing suit, sitting on a towel by the water with Gavin, Rick, and Dean. In the distance, more of their friends were throwing a Frisbee. Justin’s knees were pulled up, his arms resting on them, and his hair was hanging in his eyes. The page was decorated with stickers of driftwood, starfish, and shells. Chloe’s handwriting came down at an angle from the left corner of the page. Labor Day weekend with the gang. Beach time, sunburn, and s’mores.

  On the next page was a picture of Drake with Serena on his shoulders and Dean with Emery on his shoulders, and in between them was Justin running into the water with Chloe hanging over his back like a sack of potatoes. Her mouth was open like she was yelling, but her eyes were laughing. The page was decorated with a faded tan-and-blue background that looked like wallpaper and had Beach, Sea, and Coast written around images of a dolphin, a seahorse, and shells. Chloe had drawn swirls and pretty designs down the left side of the page. Next to the picture, she’d written Wicked troublemaker with an arrow pointing to him. A red heart dotted the i. He remembered that afternoon well. They’d had a blast with their friends, and Chloe had driven him crazy in that sexy blue bikini. But what really stood out in his mind was what had come after he’d tossed her into the waves. He’d gone after her and had held her up so she could catch her breath. Her unbridled laughter had stolen his heart. He could count on one hand the number of times he’d heard Chloe cut loose like that, and it was glorious. But then their eyes had locked, and as quickly as it had come, her laughter had silenced. She’d been in his arms, her wet body pressed against his, and for the space of a second, they’d both leaned in like two ships colliding, but just as she had during the storm, she’d hesitated. Then she’d wiggled out of his arms and splashed him as she stalked off.

  “Hey.”

  Chloe’s voice startled him from the memory. He closed the album, and his body heated at the sight of her wearing a black tank top with a neckline made from a zipper, open just enough to show a hint of cleavage. She wore a pair of tight distressed jeans that had a hole on one thigh and another just above her knee. They were tucked into knee-high black leather boots with silver buckles.

  “Wow, babe. You look smokin’ hot.”

  “Thank you, and you look nosy,” she teased as she came to his side.

  He was so taken with her, it took a moment for him to realize what she meant. “Sorry. I was just checking out your albums. Did you do all these decorations yourself?”

  “Yes.” She took the album from him and set it back on the shelf. “You know I make scrapbooks. I told you I made one for Gavin and Harper.”

  “I know, but I’ve never seen them. You’re really talented.”

  “Thanks. It’s just a hobby. Nothing special. Let me grab their album and then we can go.”

  She took a step away, and he pulled her into his arms, earning a sweet smile.

  “You put your heart into every one of those pages, which makes them all special. I’m sorry I was nosy, but I’m glad I got to see that part of your life.” He pressed his lips to hers. “And I saw a very telling little heart used to dot the ‘i’ in my name. It made me wonder how many more pictures of me you have and what other telling things you drew around them.”

  She twisted free and headed into the dining room as she said, “It was just a decoration.”

  “You didn’t just decorate any of those pages, sweetness. They were all very well thought out. Maybe we need to have a scrapbook-reading party one night. Just the two of us looking through all your albums, so I can see all your hidden messages about me.”

  “After the last twelve hours, I’m pretty sure you’ve discovered all of my secrets.”

  She turned with the gift-wrapped wedding album in her hand and he closed the distance between them.

  “You’re a very complex woman.” He put his arms around her and said, “It will probably take me a lifetime to discover all of your sexy secrets, including your secret fantasies about me.”

  “I plead the Fifth.”

  “You can keep your secrets for now. But rest assured, Ms. Mallery, I’ll get them out of you one day.”

  “Mr. Wicked, you are quite sure of yourself.” A seductive grin lifted her lips and she said, “Instead of expending your energy uncovering the fantasies I had before we came together, of which I can assure you there were many, maybe you should entice me into coming up with new ones. Who knows what kind of naughty desires you’ll uncover.”

  He kissed her neck and said, “How about if I start right now?” He slipped his hands under the back of her top, holding her against him as he whispered all the
dirty things he wanted to do to her.

  CHLOE HAD NO idea how she had the strength to drag Justin out of her cottage, but if he’d whispered one more dirty promise, she’d have dragged him into the bedroom and they’d miss the ride. Not that getting on his bike would help to cool her jets. Harper had once told her that riding on the back of Gavin’s motorcycle was like foreplay. At the time Chloe had thought her friend had lost her mind. Now she knew better. When she’d climbed off the bike at her cottage, her body still humming with the vibrations of the engine, she’d felt sexy and revved up, and she’d had to fight the urge to tear off Justin’s clothes, which was crazy considering she’d had more sex in the last twenty-four hours than she’d had in the last two years. Now, as they drove to Harper and Gavin’s house to meet up with the others, the bike revved her up once again. She had a feeling she was going to be hot and bothered all day long.

  She clung to Justin, his back muscles flexing against her chest, his abs tight beneath her hands. She wanted to slide her hands to the beast between his legs, but she was afraid of distracting him. How would she survive hours plastered against him, with the cool air kissing her skin and the heat of his body seeping through his leather vest? And it was more than Justin and the vibrations of the engine that gave her a rush. Everything looked and felt different from the back of a bike. The air was crisper, the sky was bluer, and the surroundings were more interesting. She thought she’d be scared of falling off or getting hit by another vehicle, but she trusted Justin implicitly to keep her safe on the road just as she trusted him in the bedroom. She knew he would never take a chance of hurting her. With that trust, riding with him brought a deeper sense of closeness and an overwhelming sense of freedom she knew she’d crave like an addict.

  They turned down Gavin’s driveway. When the other guys’ motorcycles came into view, her nerves flared. Hopefully they wouldn’t notice that she’d turned into some sort of motorcycle-riding freedom-seeking nymphomaniac.

  Tank was on the phone, pacing by the flowerbeds. Zeke and Zander were talking with Gavin and Harper, and Dwayne, Baz, and Blaine were looking at something on Baz’s phone. They all glanced over as Justin parked the motorcycle. They looked different in their leathers, rougher and more intimidating. Chloe had a fleeting feeling of discomfort, but as her tough, leather-wearing boyfriend climbed off the bike and took her hand, telling her he was glad she came, that discomfort skated away.

  Justin kissed her cheek and said, “Go say hi. I’ll get the album.”

  Harper looked fantastic in blue jeans and knee-high boots. She ran to Chloe, her blond hair flying out behind her. “It’s true! I’m so happy!” She hugged Chloe. “I heard you and Justin had gotten together. I guess this explains why you didn’t meet me and the girls for breakfast this morning.”

  Chloe was unable to suppress her smile.

  “How did this happen?” Harper asked as Gavin and Justin joined them.

  “She finally realized she was missing out on all this.” Justin looked seductively at Chloe and waved at his body, like he was presenting himself on a silver platter.

  As much as she’d like to devour everything he was offering, she didn’t need to get hot and bothered again. She took the gift from him and handed it to Harper to distract herself. “I made you and Gavin a little something for your wedding.”

  “You didn’t have to do that.” Harper opened the gift. On the cover of the album was a picture of Gavin gazing into Harper’s eyes the night of their wedding. Chloe had taken it after most of the guests had already gone, by the bonfire on the patio at the Silver House on Silver Island, where Gavin and Harper had tied the knot. The picture was cut into the shape of a heart and edged with lace. Above the picture was Our Love Story written in white on a gold banner. Two small heart charms, a G and an H, hung from a ribbon on one side. On the bottom of the cover was a white banner that had their wedding date and Mr. & Mrs. Gavin Wheeler written in gold. “Chloe. This is beautiful. Thank you.”

  “I’m so glad you like it.”

  Harper leaned against Gavin and opened the album. As they gushed over the pictures, Dwayne and Zander sauntered over. Dwayne bumped fists with Justin and winked at Chloe.

  Zander sidled up to her and said, “Chloe, you looked smokin’ on the back of the bike. When you’re ready for a real man, I’m your guy.”

  Justin lunged at him, and Zander stumbled backward, laughing, bumping right into Zeke.

  “I’ve got him.” Zeke grabbed Zander’s arm and said, “Let’s go, doofus.”

  He dragged his brother away, and Chloe noticed Baz jogging over to them and Blaine watching them as he fiddled with his phone.

  Dwayne chuckled. “You know he’s never going to change, right, bro?”

  “No shit,” Justin mumbled.

  “I’m going to take this inside before we go,” Harper said, heading inside.

  “That album is amazing, Chloe. Thank you,” Gavin said. “I’m glad you’re coming on the ride today. It’ll be nice for Harp to have another woman around.” He patted his back pocket and said, “Shoot. Be back in a sec. I need to grab my keys.” He headed for the house, stopping to talk to Baz, who was on his way to Chloe and Justin.

  “Don’t trap your wife in the bedroom,” Dwayne called after him. “We want to leave soon.”

  Gavin looked over his shoulder and said, “No promises.”

  “Good to see ya, Mav.” Baz slapped Justin on the back. With a jerk of his chin, he flipped his dirty-blond hair out of his eyes and flashed a smile that gave way to killer dimples. He kissed Chloe’s cheek and said, “Nice to see you, too, gorgeous.”

  “Get those dimples away from my girl.” Justin gave him a playful shove and put his arm around Chloe.

  Chloe laughed and said, “I bet those dimples have women lining up around the block to bring their pets to see you.”

  Baz winked and said, “You like my dimples, huh?”

  “I do, actually, but not as much as I like this ruggedly handsome face.” Chloe kissed Justin’s cheek, earning a sexy, appreciative grin. Blaine headed their way, eyeing Baz. Blaine winked at her. She could only imagine the trail of broken hearts these flirty guys left behind.

  “Is this fool giving you a hard time?” Blaine asked.

  “I can’t help it if the ladies like my dimples.” Baz’s phone rang. “There’s a dimple lover now.” He walked away to answer the call.

  “Hi, Chloe. I’m glad you came.” Blaine gave her a quick hug and said, “Did Justin give you the rundown on road safety?”

  “Yes, in painful detail,” she said teasingly. She’d actually been glad for his detailed lesson in motorcycle safety. It meant Justin took having a passenger as seriously as she took being one.

  Blaine’s eyes sparked with mischief. He draped an arm over her shoulder and said, “Then you know that we’re all going skinny-dipping later, right?”

  Justin flicked his arm off her and said, “Go get Tank off the phone, will ya?”

  Chloe got the feeling they would all try to get under Justin’s skin today, and she liked it. Their playful banter was just what she needed to put her at ease.

  Blaine laughed and said, “First I have to settle up with Gunner.” He looked at Dwayne motioning to their right. Blaine put his hand out as he and Dwayne stepped away.

  Dwayne cursed and took out his wallet, grumbling, “Fucking Maverick.”

  “Really, you two?” Justin said with a hint of annoyance.

  “What?” Chloe asked.

  “Just a little wager about you and Mav,” Dwayne explained as he handed a wad of cash to Blaine. “Nothing to worry about.”

  “Do I even want to know?” Chloe asked, eyeing Justin.

  Justin scowled at Blaine and Dwayne and said, “I’m not sure I want to know.”

  Tank was heading their way, his watchful eyes taking them all in.

  “It’s nothing bad.” Blaine shoved the money in his pocket and said, “We knew you two were going out last night, and we made a bet about
today’s ride. Gunner said Maverick would ride alone today. But I know how long he’s been into you, Chloe, and I knew if things went well, he’d either back out of today’s ride to spend the day with you, or he’d show up with you on his bike. One way or the other, I knew he wasn’t going to let you go.”

  Chloe put her arm around Justin and said, “How do you know it wasn’t me who wouldn’t let him go?”

  “Damn, that’s hot.” Dwayne whistled. “Chloe, you sure Maverick is wicked enough for you?”

  “You on the hunt for a ball and chain?” Tank asked.

  Dwayne looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “No fucking way.”

  Blaine leaned closer to her and said, “We’re still on for skinny-dipping, right?”

  “With Justin? Absolutely. With you guys?” She laughed and said, “Not a chance.”

  Justin swept her into his arms and said, “And that’s why she’s my girl.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  WRANGLING WICKEDS WAS a lot like wrangling puppies. They darted off in every direction, endlessly taunting each other. Dwayne and Zander ended up wrestling on the grass over some woman they’d both gone out with. Zeke and Blaine tried to pry them apart and got yanked into the dogpile. Then Justin and Baz decided to take them down as Gavin and Harper came outside. Gavin took one look at the chaos and in the blink of an eye he joined those brawny, tattooed, intimidating bikers who were rolling around in fits of laughter, covered in grass and dirt, like carefree teenagers. Chloe took loads of pictures. When Tank started plucking them out by their collars and tossing them aside, she and Harper doubled over in hysterics. The guys exchanged glances, and in the next second they were chasing Chloe and Harper around the yard. Tank hoisted Chloe over his shoulder and Baz got ahold of Harper. Chloe and Harper squealed and laughed as Justin and Gavin chased after Tank and Baz.