by B. B. Hamel
I wasn’t exactly known for keeping my dick in my pants; that was for sure. But for years I had avoided Janine, moved away as soon as I felt her getting too close, stepped back if she was being too nice. I’d never let myself cross that line before, and I wasn’t going to now.
I had to remember that this was just a job, just another job that I had to do for my club, for my family.
I looked at Larkin like a father figure. I wanted to be like him, to be as cold and calculating and as competent as he was. I was good at what I did, and I wanted to prove myself.
I pulled up outside a little apartment building on the outskirts of downtown. I was a little surprised that Janine lived in such a nice little spot, the sort of place college kids liked to live, but this was the place on the paper. I got off my bike, feeling out of fucking place but not really caring either way.
I walked up to the door and buzzed her apartment.
Silence.
“Shit,” I grumbled. “Maybe I missed her.”
I buzzed again and again until finally her voice came over the intercom.
“What the fuck do you want?” she asked, sounding sleepy.
“Janine,” I said, “it’s Clutch. Open up.”
There was a pause. “Clutch? What are you doing here?”
“Your father sent me,” I said. “I have to talk to you.”
I was really, really dreading this.
Janine was not known for her calm serenity. Janine was a fucking spitfire. We all called her the biker princess, but that was far from the truth. Janine was as down to earth as they got, but she didn’t take shit from anyone, and a lot of guys didn’t like that.
Personally, that sort of thing got my cock nice and hard. I loved seeing her push her weight around these hard guys, making them bite back comments they’d have said to basically any other woman. Janine could do things nobody else could because of her father, and she wasn’t afraid to use that power.
She didn’t hesitate to talk back to a big, hulking biker. A big biker like me.
And I knew she was not going to be happy about this.
“Fine,” she said. “Come up.”
The door buzzed and I pulled it open. The building was nice, modern, and comfortable. My boots made a nice thump as I walked up the stairs and stopped outside her door.
I knocked and it opened.
“Come in,” she said.
I shut the door behind me. She stood a few feet away, her arms crossed, and I stopped in my fucking tracks when I got a look at her.
Hair in a messy bun, falling all down her gorgeous fucking face. Her shorts were tiny and short, showing off her long, sexy legs. And that tank top wasn’t doing much to hide her full, incredible fucking breasts, pushed up by her arms.
But it was her eyes that really did me in. Deep and piercing, and more than a little annoyed, she looked at me like she wanted me to fucking leave and also never exist all at once.
“Why are you here, Clutch?”
There it was, my name from her mouth again. The way she said it both pissed me off and drove me wild.
“Larkin sent me,” I said. “I got to tell you something.”
“So tell me and then leave,” she said. “I have work in an hour.”
“I know,” I said. “Maybe you should sit.”
“Maybe you should say it before I get really annoyed.”
I couldn’t help but grin at her. “Wild one, aren’t you?” I asked her. “Most guys at the club hate that mouth of yours.”
“Most guys at the club can’t handle me,” she said.
“I agree.” I laughed and stepped toward her. “Personally, I like that mouth, and all the things it’s capable of.”
Her jaw fucking dropped.
I savored that shocked look on her face, because I wasn’t going to get to see it again. I’d surprised her, but I doubted I’d surprise her twice. And fuck was it worth it.
“I can’t believe you’d say that to me,” she said.
“What, because your daddy is the club president?” I asked. “Doesn’t change the fact that I could make you moan loud and make your body sweat.”
She stared at me, totally bewildered, before finally laughing. “Okay, you lost your mind,” she said, walking into the kitchen.
I grinned and watched her go. I needed her a little off balance before I told her this news. Plus, it wasn’t like she was going to tell her dad on me just because I talked a little dirty to her.
And bedsides, all I did was speak the truth.
“Look, Janine,” I said, following her. “I’m here for a simple reason.”
“Oh, more than just to say dirty things to me?”
“I can do that too, if you want,” I said, smirking.
“No. Tell me what’s really going on.”
She poured herself some coffee but didn’t offer me any.
“Larkin wants me to watch over you,” I said.
She raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“I’m your new bodyguard, princess.”
She stared at me, speechless.
I grinned even larger. It looked like I was wrong.
I had surprised her again after all.
5
Janine
“Why the hell would I need a bodyguard?” I asked him.
That cocky bastard just smiled at me and shrugged. I wanted to throw him out, but Clutch was six feet tall and covered in muscles. I couldn’t move him an inch if he didn’t want me to.
“Not my place to ask,” he said. “Larkin gave me orders and I’m following them.”
I shook my head, completely mystified.
First, Clutch shows up at my door early in the morning out of nowhere. I didn’t even know he knew where I lived, but fine, that’s no big deal. Then he starts talking dirty to me, sending chills of excitement up my spine. Truthfully, I loved it; I loved the way he spoke to me. It was forbidden and dirty and exciting, and I’d been waiting for Clutch to say that sort of thing to me for a long time.
I’d always liked him. I watched him from afar, excited by his body, his cocky attitude, the way he seemed to effortlessly pull women into his life. But he was a player and a biker, and I knew better than to actually start to have feelings for a man like that. No, the only thing I wanted from him was his strong body pressed against mine.
But I’d never act on that, of course. He’d have hell to pay with Larkin and the others. Still, couldn’t hurt a girl to fantasize a little bit.
But there he was, starting to make some of my fantasy real.
Then this bodyguard bombshell. What the hell was going on this morning? Something was up with the club; that was clear. I knew all about the war, but Larkin hadn’t said a word to me last night about needing a bodyguard. This was new, and it was definitely serious if he was sending Clutch to take care of me.
“No way,” I said. “Not happening. I’m calling my father.”
He shrugged, leaning against the counter. “Do what you have to do, princess.”
I glared at him but didn’t have the strength to argue. I left the room and went to my bedroom, grabbing my cell phone. I heard Clutch moving around out in the kitchen, pouring himself some coffee.
I dialed Larkin’s number, and he answered on the second ring.
“Larkin,” he grunted.
“What the hell are you up to, Dad?” I demanded.
He laughed. “Hi, Janine. I was expecting this call.”
“A bodyguard? What the hell?”
“Listen, it’s for your own good. Clutch is a decent guy and is good at what he does. Just ignore him.”
“No,” I said, surprised by my own anger. “Tell me why you have one of your guys following me around first.”
“I will,” he said. “I promise. Just not this second.”
“Right this second,” I said.
“After work,” he answered. “You’ll come to the clubhouse and I’ll tell you everything.”
“Dad,” I warned, “I’m not going alon
g with this if you can’t give me something.”
He paused. “Listen, Janine,” he said. “This is pretty serious. It’s better if we talk in person.”
“Am I in danger?”
“Not right this second, but I’m being careful.”
I blinked. I had never been in danger before or really even close to it. Larkin kept his club business far away from me, and I’d never once felt like I was in trouble.
This was completely new. I could hear the stress in his voice, and I’d seen it all over his face the night before. This war was a drag on him, drawing him down.
I took a deep breath and then let it out. “Okay,” I said. “Fine. We’ll talk later.”
“Thanks,” he said. “I’ll explain everything.”
“Yeah, well, you better.”
“Bye. Have a good shift.”
“Bye.’
I hung the phone up and tossed it onto the bed.
Whatever was happening must be pretty serious. If it was bad enough for him to put one of his best enforcers on me, he must have been really worried. And if he was worried, then I probably should’ve been, too
Except I wasn’t. It just didn’t really seem real to me, especially considering I didn’t even know what was going on. Plus, Clutch was a very competent man. I’d heard things about him, lots of things, some of them pretty downright terrifying. He wasn’t the sort of person you messed with and expected to walk away from.
Which was what drew me toward him. Clutch lived his life on his terms. I envied that freedom.
I wrapped a robe around myself and went out into the living room.
“Okay,” I said to Clutch. He was sitting on my couch, drinking coffee and watching the news on TV. “I talked to my dad.”
“Good,” he grunted. “How’d that go?”
“Sounds like you’re sticking around.”
He looked up at me and grinned. “Good deal. I can’t wait to follow your pretty ass around all day.”
“It’s going to be boring,” I warned. “You know that, right?”
He laughed. “Boring? Hell no. This is the best job I’ve ever been given. I get to stare at you all day long.”
I felt myself starting to blush and quickly shook it off. “What would Larkin think if he heard you saying that?”
“Go ahead,” he said, his smirk getting bigger. “Tell on me.”
“I might.”
“You won’t. You like it too damn much. I bet you’re dripping wet over there just thinking about all the dirty things you can do with your new bodyguard.”
I opened my mouth to say something cutting but stopped. I took a deep breath, reigning my anger in, and nodded. “I’m showering and getting dressed. Make yourself at home.”
He looked back at the TV and kicked his feet up. “Already did.”
I shook my head and walked back into my bedroom.
Clutch was a dangerous man, for a lot of reasons. I needed to keep my head on straight if I was going to deal with him. I quickly walked into the bathroom and started the water, getting in.
I didn’t know a whole lot about him. We’d been orbiting each other for years, had a few conversations, even opened up to each other once or twice. But really, for all this time and all the talking, I couldn’t say I knew him at all. I couldn’t say what he was thinking or what he wanted from all this. He was a loyal Demons member, one of the best really, but he kept to himself for the most part.
And what was my life going to be like with him around? I didn’t want or need a babysitter. I was tolerating him today because Larkin promised he’d explain everything later. But the idea of Clutch following me around day and night for the foreseeable future did not bode well.
Especially considering I couldn’t stop thinking about that cocky grin sitting just out in my living room. I was soaking wet, he was right. A single word and I was dripping for him, which only surprised the hell out of me. My body had never reacted to a man like that before, and suddenly he was able to set me off with just a look and a word.
It was bad, and I had no clue how much worse it was likely to get.
I finished showering, tossing a towel around myself. I stepped out and crossed the hallway, heading into my bedroom. I dropped the towel, pulled on a pair of panties, and started to put my bra on.
Then I heard his boots on the floor and looked over.
“Shit,” he said. He looked surprised for a second as his eyes took in my body. I pressed my bra against my breasts, covering them. He quickly turned away.
“What the hell are you doing?” I said, quickly hooking my bra. My heart was pounding in my ears and excitement coursed through my blood.
“Thought this was the bathroom,” he said.
“Across the hall. You know, the room with the toilet.”
“You left the door open. I didn’t know.” He was looking away, but that devilish smile still played on his lips.
“If you’re going to follow me around, you should get better with directions.”
“Sorry about that, princess,” he said. “Though I can’t say I minded the show.”
“Don’t get used to it.”
“Not sure I ever could get used to a body like that,” he said. “You look like you’re a new surprise every fucking day.”
I shook my head. “You going to the bathroom or what?”
He just smirked, turned, and went into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.
A chill ran down my spine as I finished getting dressed. Clutch had been here for an hour and already he’d sent me spinning into the deepest levels of lust.
I was really going to have to be careful. I wasn’t used to having someone around all the time, especially not someone like Clutch.
He was a dangerous man, and my life wasn’t used to danger.
6
Clutch
I could feel Janine clinging on to me as we rode down the street, wind blowing through her thick blond hair.
I kept thinking about that moment earlier, seeing her half dressed there, hands holding up her bra, pressing her breasts together like that. My cock was ready to burst from my fucking pants. I hadn’t meant to walk in on her like that, but I was fucking glad as hell that it had happened.
And what drove me even wilder was the fact that she didn’t seem to mind all that much. Sure, she was annoyed, but she didn’t flip out. She just finished getting dressed and looked at me with that icy stare that both sent shivers down my spine and made my dick fucking hard.
I didn’t know what the fuck Larkin was thinking putting me in charge of his sexy-as-hell daughter, but what the fuck, I wasn’t going to complain. As far as I was concerned, this was the easiest job I’d been given in a long time. Sure, it was dangerous, and I’d want to tear her fucking clothes off every second I was around her, but still, might as well try to fucking enjoy the whole thing.
She held tight as we took a turn. The diner she worked at, the All Night Moonlight, or Moonlight for short, was just ahead. I pulled into the parking lot and we got off the bike.
“So, what are you going to do for the next six hours?” she asked me.
“Sit in a booth and stare at your pretty ass,” I said.
“Seriously? You’re just going to stay here?”
He shrugged. “I’m supposed to watch over you. Can’t do that if I’m not here.”
She shook her head, sighing. “You’re going to be bored, and my manager is going to be annoyed that some big biker is taking up a booth.”
“I’m patient, and your manager can handle it.”
She looked at me for a second, biting her lip. “Don’t make this hard for me, okay?”
“Like you make me hard?”
“That. Don’t do that.”
“Don’t do what, princess?” I asked, stepping toward her. I loved the way she responded, taking a half step back.
“Talk to me like that. I don’t know how long this bodyguard thing is going to last, but let’s try and keep it professional.”
“Professional,” I repeated with a laugh. “That’s not my strong suit.”
“Pretend like my dad is your boss,” she said, “since he is.”
“Can’t see how that changes anything,” I said, “but I’ll see what I can do.”
“Good. This is a job. Just stay out of the way and try not to make any trouble.”
I grinned hugely at her. “Trouble? I don’t know how to make trouble even if I wanted.”
She rolled her eyes and just walked away, heading into the diner.
I watched her go and followed at a respectful distance. If she wanted it professional, I could do professional.
Although not really. The word “professional” wasn’t in my vocabulary, unless you were talking about being a professional fucking badass. Yeah, that was me, a professional, motorcycle-riding badass.
I grinned to myself as I walked up the steps and into the diner.
It was pretty busy for the early morning. Janine was nowhere to be seen, but I figured she was just clocking in and getting ready for her shift. I sat myself down in a booth in the corner, tossed my phone on the tabletop, and waited.
And that was what I did all fucking day.
Janine came out not long after and brought me a coffee. “Just stay here and don’t make a fuss,” she said.
“Sure,” I answered. “You look real fucking cute in that apron.”
She just walked away and didn’t come back to my booth for an hour or two.
Sitting around watching nothing wasn’t really my specialty. I ordered mug of coffee after mug of coffee, sipping it slowly, and around noon I had to switch over to decaf. I could feel my fucking eyeballs jittering in their sockets I was so damn caffeinated. I wanted to get up and run laps around the place, but Janine wanted me to be quiet and out of the way, so I was trying.
But I had nothing to do. I played some shitty crosswords on my phone, read the news a little bit, looked at Facebook, did all the boring, lame shit I usually never did. But most of the time I just watched the place, studied how it worked.
Janine seemed well-liked by everyone. Some regulars knew her, the other waitresses smiled when she came around, and her manager, although a dick, was decent enough to her.