by Jill Shannon
Crystal watched him walk out the door and whispered under her breath, "You'll see. One day, you'll come looking for me, and I will make you feel so good that no other woman will ever be able to satisfy you." Then she turned and looked around the clubhouse. It was late afternoon, and not many members had finished their days yet. Grabbing her purse, she made her way out the door. When she got there, she saw the dust from Saint's bike leaving the compound. She'd come back later when he was there. It made no sense for her to stay here with these losers until he was there. Saint was the only one who mattered to her.
By the time Hunter made it to the gym that he owned, it was nearing six in the evening, not the ideal time to try and find a machine that wasn't in use. While Hunter waited, he did some stretching and used the free weights. When the first treadmill became available, he made his way over to it. Just as he was going to get on it, a little chestnut brown-haired woman jumped on it, saying, "I've been waiting for a half-hour to use one of these machines; you can have the next one." And with that, she dismissed him, put on her headphones, and started the treadmill.
Hunter stood for a few minutes, stunned at what had just happened, checking her out as she walked on the machine. He had bought the gym over a year ago and was always there. But this was the first time he had seen her here. Her chestnut hair was piled high on her head, her beautiful blue eyes not hidden behind a ton of makeup, and she wore an oversized sweat suit. Thinking she couldn't have been taller than five-foot-one, and yet she had no problem standing up to a six-foot-two man impressed Hunter.
He made his way over to the elliptical, never taking his eyes off of her, taking in the way her body moved to the strenuous workout, the way she walked then ran on an incline. As he watched, he imagined what it would feel like to have that tight little ass in the palms of his hands. The picture he created in his mind had his dick getting hard as he began to work out on the machine. Getting both his breathing and body under control, he continued his workout. He could tell from observing her that she was in fit condition and that this was something she did daily. Hunter was intrigued by this woman and needed to meet her. As her run was winding down, he prepared himself to make an introduction. That was until Hunter saw a man approaching from the other side of the gym. She had just stepped off the treadmill as he arrived. She smiled up at him, and Hunter thought he had never seen a more beautiful smile. He watched as they conversed a few minutes. He could tell they were close, and then the man tucked her under his arm, and they headed to the locker rooms. "Well, there goes another one. Why are the good ones always taken?" Hunter said out loud to himself. Making his way over to the treadmill, he got on and tried to erase that brilliant smile from his mind.
Chapter 2
"Why are you so mean to every man you meet?" Luca asked Willow as they walked to the restaurant down the block from the gym. "What was wrong with the man at the gym?" As much as Luca would have liked to have had Willow for himself, he enjoyed working with her more. He knew as long as they worked together, nothing would ever happen and that their relationship would always be a working one. However, nothing said Luca couldn't be her best friend. When Willow didn't respond, he prodded her some more, "The very tall, muscular one you jumped in front of to get on a treadmill, that one!"
"You have to be shitting me? He is so far out of my league. What would make you think he would be interested in me? Besides, if my guess is right, he's part of the Celtic Demons Motorcycle Club; they are everywhere in this town. And…having one of them in the family, I think, is enough," Willow scoffed at her friend. The truth was she had noticed the very tall, very muscular, very tattooed, and incredibly gorgeous man. His grey cut off sweat pant shorts showed off his long muscular legs, while his black Harley Davidson shirt stretched across what she suspected was a ripped looking chest, leaving his arms bare for her to see some of the ink he had on them. But true to her words, she knew he was not the man for her. There was no way in the world plain old Willow could attract a good-looking man like him, let alone a biker.
"You have to be shitting me!" Luca threw back at her. "You are a beautiful woman and any man would be happy to have you on his arm. So, don't go giving me that, 'oh, poor me' crap." Luca stopped her to look her in the eyes. "Plus, he was checking you out the whole time you were on the treadmill." Luca fixed a grin on his face.
Willow's stomach dropped with excitement, but she couldn't let Luca see that. Thinking it had been a long time since she'd had any desire to be with a man, she replied, "Big deal, we are only going to be here two weeks. There's no sense in starting a relationship when I have to leave."
"But nothing is stopping you from having some fun while we're here. No one says you have to marry him."
"Could we please change the subject and get to the restaurant?" Willow turned and started to walk away. A two-week affair with a hot biker, yeah, nothing could go wrong there, Willow thought to herself.
Luca grabbed hold of her as she tripped into his arms, just as the deep throaty rumble of a Harley drove by. Straightening herself in his arms, he asked her, "Where are you going? We're here."
Willow looked up at the marquee above the door. When she realized that they had been standing outside talking about her love life instead of getting a table, she smacked him on the arm. "Why didn't you say so? We could already have a drink in our hands, and I wouldn't be listening to you tell me what I should do. Now, if you're finished, can we go eat now?"
"I'll let it go for now, but don't think I won't stop harassing you. Besides, if you find someone, then I can look for a distraction for myself." He wiggled his eyebrows at her as they got to the hostess station.
"How many?"
"Two," Luca responded.
Grabbing the menus, the hostess said, "Follow me please." The pair followed her to a table in the back of the restaurant near the windows. "Your waitress will be with you in a few minutes."
They sat opposite each other, each picking up the menu to see what they wanted to eat. "What are you getting?" Willow inquired.
"I think I'm going to get a sausage calzone, a house salad with ranch dressing, and a nice cold Miller Lite. You?"
"I think the chicken parmesan sounds good. I agree with the salad; however, I'm going with a glass of red wine."
The waitress arrived to take their order and drop off a basket of warm bread and butter and introduced herself as Layla. "So, when am I going to meet your family?" Luca inquired.
Willow rolled her eyes at him. "What's the rush? Once we go there, I will have no freedom. I will be pulled one way or another by different family members. I just wanted one day to unwind and gear myself up for what's to come."
"That didn't answer my question."
"There is a fundraiser tomorrow that the Drunken Lass is involved with. We'll go to that, and you will be able to meet my whole family. They will all be there." Willow sounded so disgruntled when she spoke about her family.
"Again, I don't understand. You have this big family, and you never sound happy about seeing them. Did your parents beat you as a child?"
Willow slapped Luca's arm on the table. "Don't say that. My parents never laid a finger on me." Just then, Layla arrived carrying their drinks. They waited to continue their conversation until she left. "It's nothing like that. They can just be a little overwhelming; that's all."
"I'm looking forward to being overwhelmed." Luca had grown up an only child, so anyone with siblings fascinated him.
They remained quiet, taking in the view from the window. The restaurant could seat seventy-five people comfortably. The décor wasn't much to look at, being a pizzeria, but the food was exceptional, and the view only added to the ambiance. Plus, it had been close to the gym and their hotel. There were tables set up in the middle and rear of the room. On the opposite side from the counter were several booths where people could also sit. The counter and kitchen area took up most of the left side of the restaurant. The restrooms were located at the rear of the pizzeria.
Luca too
k a sip of his beer then asked Willow, "Are you going to tell me why we had to walk to a gym fifteen minutes away from the hotel when the Wyndham has a state of the art work out room?"
"Because I needed to get out, and walking helps to stretch." She had secretly been hoping to run into her friend Hailey. Growing up, she and Hailey had been inseparable. They had planned on going to the same college, but Hailey had gotten into a car accident. She was prescribed an opioid pain killer and had become addicted. Her life was torn apart. Her parents had gotten her all the help they could, but she continued to return to the streets. Willow had tried to keep in touch, but after a while, Hailey stopped responding. When Willow had told her sister Skylar that she would be home for her birthday, she had inquired as to how Hailey had been doing. Skylar said that Hailey had finally found a program that worked for her and she had been clean a few months now. Skylar also had told her that Hailey was working at the gym she had dragged him to. Other than that, not much had changed in her life. Willow had looked for her but assumed it was her day off when she didn't see her.
Layla arrived with their food, and the conversation stopped while they ate. Willow ordered another glass of wine and another beer for Luca before Layla left. When they had both eaten their fill, they threw their napkins on the now empty plates. "You weren't kidding. That was the best calzone I've ever eaten," Luca claimed, picking up his beer and finishing it.
"I don't think I could eat another bite. Thank God we have a kitchen in the suite. We can bring dessert home." Willow smiled at him. "Also, another reason we walked to the gym. Now, we can walk off some of this dinner."
Layla came back, cleared their plates, and took their dessert order to go. "What time is the fundraiser tomorrow?" Luca questioned while they waited for the check.
"I'm pretty sure Skylar said twelve."
Layla arrived with their bagged desserts and the check. Overhearing their conversation, she interjected, "It's supposed to be the biggest one yet. Every year, the Celtic Demons do a fundraiser of some sort. This year, at the end, they are supposed to have a woman racing one of their members. I can't wait to see that."
Willow heard the excitement in Layla's voice. "I'm confused. Why is that such a big deal?"
Layla's mouth dropped open, then she said, "You're kidding me? Have you heard of the Celtic Demons?" Willow put a sarcastic smile on her face and confirmed with a head nod that she had. "Then you understand, no woman has ever earned that kind of respect to be involved with an event. Well, if you don't count the wet T-shirt and bikini contests they used to have. Now it's mud wrestling." Layla smiled.
The excitement on Layla's face was infectious, Willow got a smile on her face. "Well, when you put it that way, it makes me eager to meet this woman." Turning to Luca, she added, "We will have to stay at the hotel until the event." Paying the check and leaving Layla a decent tip, they got ready to go. Willow handed everything to Layla and said, "Hope to see you there tomorrow."
"Thank you," Layla replied about the tip and added, "I'll be there. I wouldn't miss this for anything."
Willow gave Layla a wave of her hand, and they were off, back to the hotel. As they walked, Luca threw his arm over Willow's shoulder. "So, Chica, if the idea of a woman racing a man puts that kind of smile on your face, I can only imagine how beautiful you will look when you find the man of your dreams."
Willow looked up into Luca's brown eyes. "I like the thought of a woman taking a Celtic Demon down a peg. When you meet them, you will understand. From what I've heard from Iris and Heather, they can be very bossy." Willow hadn't met Skylar's man Reed or Judge, as she called him, President of the Celtic Demons. The few times she had been home over the years they had been dating, he had never been around. This time, however, he would be at her birthday party. Skylar had promised.
"You don't want a man who's bossy?" Luca teased with her.
"You know me better than anyone. Do you think I'd be good with a bossy man?"
Luca knew that was exactly what she needed, but she didn't want to hear that. "I believe when the time is right, you will know what you need." Luca had seen firsthand how Willow's relationships in the past had gone. Most of the men she dated started out strong and confident but ended up being broken and cowardly. That was until she met Raymond Cole Brewster. He came from a prominent family in St. Croix. Blond hair, blue eyes, six-foot-tall beach bum looking guy, and yes, he had everything—the beautiful house, the fancy car, and he was known everywhere he went on the Virgin Isle. They had met in a bar one night, and she had fascinated him because she had no idea who he was. Because she was such an enigma to him, he'd pursued a relationship with her. Once Willow had done some research and realized what a player he really was, she continued to elude him. Then one day, as she was arriving at work, he met her there. He had pleaded his case requesting Willow go out with him one time, and then if she didn't want to see him again, he would leave her alone. So, she had conceded and gone out with him. He had been the perfect gentleman, taking her to a casual restaurant, playing down his image to her so she could see the real Raymond Brewster. He told her about his family and his childhood. She, in turn, told him about hers. At the end of the date, they had made plans to go out on his boat, considering how much Willow liked the water. Willow had called Luca that night to tell him how the date had gone, and even he had been delighted to hear that it had gone well. For the next week, Raymond had called or sent her a text, at some point during her day, or at night before he went to bed.
Well, the day had finally come, and they were going out on his boat. Luca had watched her personality change. Her mind would wander, and she would get this smile on her face, and he knew she was picturing a future with Ray. She was starting to let her defenses down. Luca remembered the day that all changed. Raymond had picked her up at precisely nine am. They drove to the pier and boarded his twenty-five-foot boat. The plan had been to visit near Buck Island. Willow had heard about the beautiful fish and coral that surrounded the island but hadn't had a chance to visit. Reaching into the cooler full of beer, Ray offered her one when they started out, but Willow had declined. She wanted to be clear-headed when she snorkeled on the reef. Willow had sat opposite of Ray in the other captain's chair. As he drove the boat, he told Willow about all the beautiful things he had seen on the reef. Then, when they were about halfway in-between land and Buck Island, Raymond cut the engine. He let the boat float in the water, and reaching for his fourth beer that Willow had counted, he said, "However, you will not see any of that today."
"What are you talking about?" Willow's senses had kicked into high gear.
"Do you know how it felt each time you rejected me?" He patted his hands on his chest, emphasizing his point. "I could have any woman I wanted, but not you. Why did you change your mind?"
Willow knew something was very wrong now by the hairs standing on the back of her neck. "You came to my job; what was I supposed to do?" She looked at him, shaking his head. "I thought we'd go out on one date, and you would see we weren't meant to be together."
"So, you went out with me for the sole reason of proving a point?" Ray finished his beer and reached for another one.
"Well, when you put it that way," Willow cringed in her seat, thinking that was exactly what she had done, "but then you were so different, and I saw another side of you." She paused. Trying a different tactic, she asked him with concern in her voice, "Are you okay?"
"If everything was okay, we wouldn't be floating in the Atlantic Ocean. Did you really think you were better than I am? Little miss marine biologist, brought up in her daddy's bar." He watched her eyes get big, "Yeah, I know all about you. I did listen to some of the things you said. How could you ever think you were better than me?" he asked, slurring his words.
"Ray, I don't understand what's happening here, but I want to go back to shore now," Willow stressed her words. She knew from years of watching her father deal with drunks at the bar, now wasn't the time to reason with Raymond. She needed to be firm with her
requests, even though her insides were shaking to the bone.
"We'll go back home when I'm damn good and ready." He started stumbling toward her. "Now, you will see the true Ray, not the pansy who's been pretending to give a shit about anything you've said."
Willow misjudged his ability to move so quickly in his inebriated state. When she tried to jet out of the chair and move to the back of the boat where there was more room to maneuver, he grabbed her upper arm. Bringing her face close to his, he growled at her, "Where do you think you're going?" He looked from side to side with sarcasm dripping in his tone. "And when you got there, what were you going to do? There is no safe place for you to run."
Willow wrenched her arm out of his hand and shoved him in the chest at the same time, making her way to the back of the boat. "I'm warning you now, Raymond. My father taught all of us girls how to take care of ourselves. If you insist on doing this, I will defend myself." Willow had no idea what 'this' was, but she wasn't going to find out.
An evil laugh erupted from Ray, then a twisted smile formed on his face. "Give it your best shot," he shouted as he launched himself at her.
Before she knew what had happened, he punched her in the jaw, rocking her back, almost making her fall over the railing. Shaking off the stunned feeling of being hit in the face, Willow reached for the first thing she could get her hands on and swung it at his head.
The cobalt blue boat fender smacked him in the side of the head, making him lose his balance. He fell to the floor of the boat holding his head as blood dripped from the cut above his eye. Seeing the blood on his fingers, an enraged Raymond yelled, "You bitch! You're going to pay for that." He again advanced on her as she tried using the fender to ward him off as best she could. He ripped it from her hands and threw it behind him out of her reach.
Willow took a deep breath and let it out slowly, calming her body, preparing to defend herself. "You don't want to do this, Raymond."