by Elias Taylor
Most importantly, Christian and his father had not had one fight. Not even a scuffle. Sure, his dad wasn’t jumping for joy, but he wasn’t harassing Christian about his life choices, so that was definitely a victory.
As the event segued from speeches and mingling into dancing and music, Christian slipped away from his family. He grabbed a drink and looked out over the crowd.
He watched as Beth made her way onto the dance floor. Now that he got a good look at her, he really couldn’t remember ever hanging out with her back when he was with Tisha. He recognized her for sure, but he couldn’t think of a single conversation they had.
It made sense, he supposed. He and Tisha had spent a lot of time alone. They were so into each other that they hadn’t cared to hang out in groups.
Tisha was territorial, Christian recalled with a grim smile, and never liked when others were around. She refused to let any other girl talk to her man. Of course, Tisha could flirt with whoever she wanted, and if Christian said anything, he was too sensitive.
Christian watched Beth lift her arms above her head and dance to the music.
He could see why Tisha kept him away from her. She was gorgeous. She was different from Tisha. He could see that now. So different, there was no point in comparing. Beth wore her dark hair loose, so it tumbled down her back. She had a lean and athletic build, accentuated by her high-waisted black jeans. She was tall and tan, too.
Christian had been right about her eyes. They were large and blue and like nothing he had ever seen. Tisha’s eyes had always been narrowed as she scoped out the competition or came up with some scheme, but Beth’s eyes were wide and guileless as if she couldn’t tell a lie to save her life.
He had been obsessed with Tisha and loyal to a fault. He wouldn’t have looked twice at Beth even if Tisha had introduced them, but that was then. Now, he could look all he wanted. He could watch her tip her head back in laughter and twirl in an enticing circle. He could marvel at the slight wave to her hair and the length of her legs.
Christian fell into a daze while staring. The flickering of the bonfire cast shadows over Beth’s smiling face, and it made her seem more mysterious. She was, he realized, a bit of a mystery. She had lost her father when she was young, but she was still able to laugh and dance. She seemed kindhearted and humble and unlike Tisha in every way. He couldn’t help but wonder why they had been good friends.
It had been a long time since he had let himself think about a woman. Ever since Tisha broke his heart, he had thought of all women as wolves in sheep’s clothing. He didn’t know Beth at all, and yet somehow, he knew she wasn’t like that.
Christian turned away. He didn’t want to be caught staring at her.
He couldn’t keep his eyes away, though, and after a few seconds, he looked in her direction. She had moved across the dance floor. Christian furrowed his brows as he watched her throw a wary glance toward three other guys who were following her and her friend.
He didn’t recognize them, which meant they were probably from a different club. He didn’t like the way they looked at Beth, as if she was a meal they were about to devour. He definitely didn’t like it when one of the strangers put his hand on Beth’s hip. She pushed it away instantly and glared at the guy with fire in her eyes before grabbing her friend’s hand and heading to a different area on the dance floor.
A cold knot formed in Christian’s chest as the guys followed her, laughing with each other as if it was a sick game.
Christian moved without thinking, long strides taking him straight toward the dance floor.
Chapter Seven: Beth
“I’m not interested,” Beth said.
She didn’t want to engage with the guys from the other biker club, but she wasn’t going to draw out the issue any longer. She would leave them with no doubt of her wishes.
“Yeah, fuck off,” Mel snapped.
Beth glanced at her friend, silently willing her to keep it down. She loved that Mel was ready to defend them, but Beth didn’t want to make a scene.
“Oh, come on, sweetheart,” one of the guys leered. “Just one dance.”
He reached out and snagged Beth around the wrist. Her gut clenched at his iron grip. He was strong, but then again, so was Beth. She worked in gardens for a living, and this was her home turf, after all.
Beth slapped her hand down on his arm and twisted away, pushing him as she did.
“Okay, no need to be such a bitch,” the guy said.
“And no need for you to be an asshole,” Mel yelled.
Beth gripped her friend’s hand as hard as she could. She did not want to antagonize these guys. She and Mel were safe right here, surrounded by Road Warriors, but these men seemed like the type to hold grudges. Who knew when Beth might cross paths with them in less ideal circumstances?
Beth managed to turn Mel, and they maneuvered over to another spot.
The guys did not give up. A flame of anger erupted in Beth’s chest. How dare they treat her like this? In all the years of attending club events, nothing like this had ever happened. Sure, sometimes the guys got out of hand after drinking too much, not no one ever disrespected her.
Beth’s stomach flipped in fear when the guy who had grabbed her made another move. This time he gripped her hips and tried to pull her back against him.
Beth elbowed him hard in the stomach and whirled to face him. “Seriously, stop it.”
She tried to keep her voice low so as not to draw too much attention. She could tell from the guy’s grunt of fury that she had struck a nerve when she elbowed him. Maybe she had not caused much physical pain, but men like him hated to be shoved around by a woman.
“A bitch like you should be happy we’re even paying you any attention,” he growled.
Beth reeled back in shock. She must have really damaged his pride. Mel was hovering at her side, and she looked like she was contemplating throwing her beer at the guy.
His friend nudged his shoulder and gave Beth a look that made her skin crawl.
“Dude, just offer her a twenty,” he said. “Whore like her will take her clothes off for that.”
Beth cringed at the harsh words, but she refused to lash out. They were taunting her, now. They wanted her to react. Instead, she squeezed Mel’s hand and turned.
She didn’t make it two steps before she ran right into Christian.
Perfect. As if the situation needed another guy who thought she was a total bitch. Her heart sank at his intense gaze. She didn’t have the power to fend off another jerk.
“They bothering you?” Christian murmured.
Beth blinked in surprise at the concerned look in his eyes. She shrugged and rolled her eyes. Just then, the main aggressor took another step toward Beth.
“Hey, sweetheart, don’t walk away,” he said. “We’re just getting started.”
Beth turned to tell him off, but before she could, Christian stepped between her and the other guys. At well over six feet, he easily blocked Beth from the guy. She peered out from behind his shoulder. She was in utter shock that Christian Crown was stepping up to defend her. But Beth never looked a gift horse in the mouth, if Christian wanted to get rid of these assholes for her, Beth wasn’t going to complain. She just worried that things were going to get messy.
“She’s not interested,” Christian said.
Beth felt a strange flutter in her stomach. There was something about the way Christian’s voice went low and intense when he talked to the aggressor that thrilled Beth to her very core. She hoped his words would be enough. She watched the three guys from the other club and willed them to back away. Christian was bigger than all of them, plus he wasn’t alone. The Road Warriors would back him up, no matter what. They would have to be crazy to pick this fight.
The guy who had kept grabbing Beth stepped forward, a wicked smile spreading across his face. “Whores like her are always interested.”
Apparently, he was crazy. Beth flushed bright red. It was one thing to be called a whore by a d
runk guy on a dance floor where no one else heard it. It was quite another to be called a whore in front of her horrible former friend’s ex, who probably already thought she was a bad person.
Beth took a step toward the biker and fixed him with her best glare. “I’m not a whore. I’m a Road Warrior.”
As comebacks go, it wasn’t eviscerating, but Beth had never been good at confrontation. That being said, she wasn’t going to just stand there and let some jerk badmouth her. The guy just looked down at Beth and laughed in her face. Apparently, he was the type of biker who didn’t think women should be real club members.
Beth glanced up at Christian. He looked angry, it was true, but none of that anger was directed at Beth. In fact, if looks could kill, the other biker would have dropped dead. The other biker didn’t look scared at all. The idiot. Anyone could see that Christian was holding himself in check.
“What did you say?” Christian asked. His tone was lethal, and once again, Beth felt an inappropriate thrill of excitement. It was ridiculous that she should be crushing on Christian, and yet, there was something so enticing about the way he glared at her enemy.
He had always been handsome. Beth would never have admitted it or even explored the thought, but she had considered him good-looking even back in high school. She never would have acted on her attraction, though, because she was too loyal to Tisha.
Even now, Beth knew it wasn’t good to fall for Christian. Her and Tisha’s friendship might have turned sour, but there were codes that couldn’t be broken. And Beth was pretty sure that going for your friend’s ex was definitely one of those sacred codes.
The faceoff only got more intense as the biker guy stepped up into Christian’s personal space. He had momentarily forgotten about Beth. Now he just wanted to prove his manhood to Christian. Beth glanced at Mel. This would be an excellent time for them to bow out of the whole situation. If they slipped into the crowd, they wouldn’t be nearby when this inevitably went south. Beth caught Mel’s eye and nodded her head toward an exit route.
“Let’s go,” she mouthed.
Mel widened her eyes, and Beth could practically read her friend’s thoughts. Are you kidding? This just got interesting.
“No way,” Mel mouthed in return. Mel wanted to see how this played out, and Beth had to admit, she did too.
“I said she’s a whore,” the guy snapped. “But I guess you already know that because it looks like you’ve been paying her real good.”
Beth clenched her fists in anger. She was not about to ignore this guy, even if she was mortified at the thought of making a scene in front of Christian and the rest of the club. If she hit him hard enough in the stomach, she might cause some pain.
To her shock, Christian let out a chuckle. Beth’s heart shriveled at the sound. Was he actually laughing? Now, Beth was livid. People were going to think that his laughter was an admission that she was his whore.
Beth was about to stomp on the guy’s foot and run away, but before she could lift her boot, Christian punched the guy in the face. Hard. Beth gasped and clapped her hands to her mouth as the guy dropped to the ground.
Everyone around them erupted.
The guy’s friends lunged at Christian, but Christian shoved one away and got ready to punch the other. Before he could, two more men joined the fight. They must have seen the brawl brewing because they came hurtling to Christian’s aid with speed. Road Warriors were loyal. Beth recognized the familiar patch as the new additions started hurling punches.
Of course, that only brought more attention to the fight, and soon it was an all-out brawl that involved members from no less than three biker clubs.
This was not the ideal end to a mixer, especially one celebrating Beth’s father, but she couldn’t help but be satisfied that the assholes who had harassed her and Mel were getting their comeuppance.
“Holy shit!” Mel shrieked as a big guy was knocked from the fight and into her.
Beth grabbed her friend’s arm.
“Let’s get out of here!” Beth yelled.
Beth turned and saw Christian nursing his jaw. He had started this fight for her, and the least she could do was get him out. There was going to be hell to pay from the higher-ups in the club for this. She could try and explain the situation later so Christian wouldn’t get in too much trouble, but for now, she just wanted them to get out of here.
Christian locked eyes on her as if he read her mind.
He grabbed Beth’s free hand and started tugging her away from the brawl.
As soon as they were free of the crowd, Christian turned toward Beth.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Am I okay?” Beth asked. “You’re the one who just got punched.”
“This is insane.” Mel let out a manic giggle before she turned back toward the fight and clambered up on a bench to try and get a better view.
“Mel, I wanna get out of here,” Beth said.
Her friend was way too distracted by the fight to answer.
“I’ll take you home,” Christian said.
Before Beth could answer, Christian was dragging her toward the bikes. Beth took one last look as Mel let out a cheer. A Road Warrior must have landed a particularly good hit.
Christian stopped at his bike and shoved a helmet toward Beth.
“Are you sure?” Beth asked.
“Trust me,” Christian said. “I don’t wanna stick around. My dad is gonna kill me.”
Beth gave him a curt nod and pulled the helmet over her head. She needed to get away from the party, and Christian was an enticing escape route.
Without thinking about it, Beth swung her leg over the back of the bike. She closed her eyes and clutched Christian’s jacket as the bike roared into the night.
Chapter Eight: Christian
He hadn’t meant to leave with her. But the fight had gotten out of hand fast, and Christian knew he needed to make a swift exit. His father was going to blame him for the fight, and leaving was the only way to avoid the lecture that was sure to come.
When he had looked over at Beth, it had been clear that she wanted to leave, as well. So one thing had led to another. Now she was on the back of his bike heading toward his home. There wasn’t really anywhere else to take her. He didn’t know where she lived, and she hadn’t asked to be taken home. It seemed, for the time being, that they were bonded by the fight. It was a ridiculous thought, but Christian clung to it. There had been something in the way she had gazed at him as they exited the brawl.
He had been drawn to her, too.
He wanted to do a lot worse to the asshole who had been tormenting her. But when Christian had looked back at Beth, he had known that she hadn’t needed him to pummel the guy. All she wanted was to get out of the irritating situation.
When he pulled up outside his house, Christian felt an awkwardness descend over him. His heart was still pounding with adrenaline, but the whole evening felt like a hallucination. On the quiet sidewalk outside his home, it was surreal to think that half an hour before, he had incited a fistfight.
He pulled his helmet off and looked at Beth as she did the same. As soon as he saw the spark in her eyes, he knew that she still felt the adrenaline, as well. It emboldened him.
“Wanna come in for a bit?” he asked. “Get our bearings.”
“Sure.” Her voice came out low and husky, and Christian’s breath caught in his chest.
It felt like the world had tipped off its axis, and suddenly, all the rules he had pounded into his head were knocked askew. He should view Beth as being just like Tisha, but he didn’t. She was different, intriguing, and unlike any woman who he’d ever met. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was a riddle that he was desperate to solve.
He led the way into his house.
Once inside, he placed the bike helmets on his kitchen table and turned to Beth.
“You should change,” she said.
He looked down and started at the splatter of blood on his shirt.
“Give me one second,” he said. “Make yourself comfortable.”
He ducked into his bedroom and exchanged his stained white t-shirt for a clean one. His entire body was buzzing with excitement. He wanted to blame the fight for the buzz, but that was a lie. It was because Beth was there with him.
Even from the other room, he could sense her. She was moving about in his living room, and he paused to listen to her footfalls as she paced across the floor. He even heard her breathe in and out.
Beth Harold. The best friend of the girl who shredded his heart. This was a mistake. His rational side screamed that it was a massive error. Christian knew that, but some time between walking onto that dance floor and punching the jerk from the other club, Christian’s rational side of his brain had taken a break.
When he walked back into the living room, Beth was standing in front of a photograph he had taken a few weeks ago at the town pool. It hadn’t been for a job. Christian had only been out looking for good shots. It was a candid of a group of kids shoving each other into the water. He had liked it so much that he had hung it above his desk. It was what he really wanted to be doing. The weddings and events paid the bills, but he wanted to have his work in galleries and magazines. He wanted to run his own media company and be more selective.
Beth turned, and all thoughts of career aspirations vanished from Christian’s head. All he could focus on was her. She was standing ramrod straight with her hands clasped in front of her. He could tell she was confident in her body, and he liked that. Although, it was clear she wasn’t totally at ease in his home. She was, like him, wondering how they had ended up here.
Then her eyes flashed downward, toward his chest, at the glimpse of skin revealed by his collar.
Desire pulsed through Christian’s bloodstream. He wanted her. He wanted to hold her firm yet supple body against his and run his fingers through her dark hair. He longed to watch her eyes flutter close as he kissed her.
He may not have dated much since Tisha, but he could still tell when a woman wanted him, and Beth wanted him, too. The way her eyes darkened with intensity when she looked at him made that very clear.