Taming My Whiskey

by Melissa Foster

  “I’m sure you will.” Thinking about how long she’d been crushing on Jace, she said, “You never know what the future will hold.”

  “You’ve got that right. What about you and Jace? If he steals you away from the Harbor, you’ll leave a string of broken hearts behind.”

  Dixie rolled her eyes, but her insides were thrumming just thinking about the things Jace had insinuated last night, and the way it felt to be in his arms, dancing so close she could feel his heart beating.

  “Not you, too. There’s nothing going on with me and Jace.” She opened the notebook and said, “Moving on to”—safer—“more important subjects, I assume you remember how to do the payroll for both the shop and the bar, and the bank deposits, but what about special orders? If not, Jed can help you with that.”

  Quincy smirked. “Does Jace know you’re a master at changing subjects?”

  “Quincy,” she warned.

  “Hey, just asking…” He leaned forward, scanning the list she’d written in the notebook. His eyes shifted to the back of the previous page, on which was the list of clothes she wanted to bring to New York.

  She slapped her hand over the list.

  His amused eyes shot up as he said, “Black lace top? Strapless bra? Thigh-high stockings?”

  “I’m modeling! I need to be prepared.” She slapped the notebook closed.

  “For anything, apparently.”

  JACE STOOD ON Jared’s back deck late Saturday afternoon talking on the phone with Maddox. Jared lived on a few wooded acres overlooking the harbor. Like Jace, Jared owned several properties near his various business locations, but this was by far Jace’s favorite. There was something charming about small towns like Pleasant Hill and Peaceful Harbor, where bikers took part in community events and looked out for residents and business owners. The idea of the auction had been unappealing to Jace, but last night had changed that. Seeing people who probably went to great lengths to avoid a tough biker bar like Whiskey Bro’s putting aside their assumptions and fears and coming together for a good cause was incredible. He spent so much time in big cities, he didn’t have a community to call his own. It made him want to be more involved, and he had Dixie to thank for opening his eyes.

  “I still can’t believe you got Dixie to agree to do the shoot.” Maddox’s voice was tough as leather and as powerful as the bikes they designed. “I know you handpicked Sahara, but we both know you were never sold on her. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you rigged her fall.”

  Jace chuckled. “Sahara was the best of all the women I saw, but you know the score. Does a Harley compare to a Silver-Stone?”

  “You’ve got a point. Good job, Jace. I know Dixie has the look and the attitude. I just hope she can pull off modeling.”

  “Jilly said she’s great.” After seeing how she’d handled the event last night and how beautiful she’d looked standing on the stage in that knockout dress before all the bullshit went down, Jace had no doubt she could pull it off. She was mouth-wateringly gorgeous and elegant, with a hint of attitude that gave her the unique edge he had always admired.

  “Have you talked with her about the contracts and waivers?” Maddox asked.

  “Yes. They were sent to Court Sharpe, Dixie’s attorney, earlier today. She’s already signed them, and Court returned them to the legal department. We’re all set,” Jace said.

  He’d half expected Dixie to regret her decision this morning, once she’d had time to calm down after Bullet’s showdown. He’d also expected her to try to negotiate her way out of the various in-person marketing obligations included in the contract, but she hadn’t balked at the six events she’d attend as the face of Silver-Stone during the twelve-week period after the launch, or the ongoing marketing efforts that called for six annual appearances over the next three years. He was elated, and he’d sent her two dozen roses as a thank-you. Outside of his sisters and mother, he’d never sent a woman roses before, but this morning he’d been overwhelmed, both personally and professionally.

  Spending more time with Dixie had opened a portal to desires he’d been locking down for years. The man in him wanted to send her flowers, but if he’d sent them as a solely personal gesture, he worried it would send the message of a promise he wasn’t ready to make. Making the flowers a thank-you gift was the perfect solution. After all, the only woman he thought worthy of being the face of Silver-Stone had agreed to step in, and for that he was grateful.

  He was also pleased when she’d texted, There aren’t many firsts in life, and you’ve given me two of them. Thank you. He’d responded with, Now you’ve got me curious…

  His phone had vibrated seconds later with, Get your mind out of the gutter. Roses and being in a calendar. He’d immediately thought of several dark, erotic firsts he’d like to introduce her to, each one ramping up his desires.

  “Great. I’ll make sure the jewelry is delivered for the shoot.” Maddox said, bringing his mind back to the conversation. Maddox’s brother Sterling was a jeweler, and he was providing accessories for the shoot. “I’ll see you in Boston Thursday. I’m catching a flight to LA afterward to meet with our engineers. When do you head out? Are we still on for dinner next Sunday?”

  “Yeah. I arrive Sunday afternoon, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, I’ll be in LA until the launch.” If all went well Thursday, they’d be signing off on the Boston space the following week. Between dealing with the Boston buildouts and logistics and preparing for the launch of the Legacy and Leather and Lace lines, the next few weeks would be a bear.

  “With the exception of the meetings in Oregon and Mexico in July and the locations you’re scouting in Ohio and Pennsylvania in August,” Maddox reminded him.

  “Right, of course.” Flying out to different locations for a few days here and there had become so much a part of his life, he no longer considered them needing mention.

  He and Maddox talked business for a while longer, and as he ended the call, Jared stepped onto the porch. Jared was the youngest of the Stone siblings. Ever since he was a kid, he’d been unable to sit still. If he wasn’t physically on the move, his jaw was jumping or his leg was bouncing. He was sharp and witty, gave off an edgy, eclectic vibe, had a passion for cooking and high-risk business and a hatred of all things trendy. He was the polar opposite of his business partner, Seth Braden, who had been named as one of Forbes’s most eligible bachelors and was about as laid-back and low-key as a guy could get. But somehow they made an incredibly successful team. Jared and Jace weren’t very similar either, except when it came to remaining grounded and remembering where they’d come from. While Jace created scholarships and mentoring programs for up-and-coming designers and engineers, Jared made it a point to put in time at each of his restaurants and retail operations and spend a few weeks every year working alongside their chefs and directors.

  Jace pocketed his phone and said, “You heading to the restaurant?”

  “Yeah, soon,” he said, pacing the deck.

  “I wish you could make it to the city tomorrow. The girls miss seeing you.” Jace had spoken to Jennifer and Mia earlier, and both had asked him to drag Jared with him to the city. But Jace had long ago stopped trying to drag his siblings anywhere. He’d also spoken to Jayla, who was not pleased that Jace had totally forgotten to video Jared when he was on the stage. She didn’t need to know it was because he’d been too damn taken with Dixie to think of anything else.

  “I’ll get there soon.” Soon was Jared’s go-to response for everything.

  Jared came by his unwillingness to be nailed down for social visits honestly. He’d picked it up from Jace. Although now that Jayla had a baby, Jace realized how fast the years were flying by, and he was trying to get better about keeping in touch and seeing family.

  “You catch any more hell from Bullet today?” Jared asked.

  “Nah. He’s just watching out for Dixie. He said his piece. Now he’ll wait to see if the calendar blows up in her face so he can come after me if it does. Wher
e’d you disappear to last night?” Jared had left the auction before Jace, and he hadn’t gotten home until after two in the morning.

  Jared leaned against the deck with a cocky expression, then pushed off, pacing again as he said, “Had to soothe a friend’s broken heart for losing out when she bid on me.”

  “Christ, Jared. Promise me you won’t be a dick to Jilly.”

  “I’m never a dick. I mean, I’ll share my dick, but I treat all my ladies well.”

  Jace stepped in his path and said, “Do not cross that line with Jilly. I don’t care how much she messes with your libido, in her heart, she’s a white-picket-fence girl. Got it?”

  Jared cringed. “If she were a white-picket-fence girl, she shouldn’t have bid on me.”

  “No shit. Keep that in mind. She’s got a hint of Dixie in her, only Dixie can handle any flack she catches from her rebellions. Jilly doesn’t have the benefit of being brought up in a rough environment. She’s a lady through and through. To her, it’s all fun and games. You have to remember who she is. She’s used to guys who wear ties, not guys who use them for sex games. Unless you want Nick Braden breathing fire down your back, watch yourself.”

  “I can handle Nick Braden.”

  Jace spoke through gritted teeth as he said, “I don’t know about that, but you sure as hell can’t handle me.”

  Jared scoffed. “Fine, dude. Geez. Didn’t you get enough of that big-brother shit when our sisters were younger?”

  “Just watching out for a friend.” He stepped back, and Jared began pacing again. “You still cool with me leaving my bike in your garage? It’ll be a few weeks before I can head back to the Harbor. I’ve got a car taking us to the airport.”

  “Sure, whatever.” Jared stretched and looked up at the sky. “What’re you doing tonight? You should stop by for a drink at the restaurant.”

  Jace had planned on giving Dixie—and himself—space tonight and diving into work to keep his mind off her. He’d been this close to kissing her last night, and that would be a bad idea, no matter how much he wanted her. She was as rooted to Peaceful Harbor as Jace was to the open road. But a drink with Dixie sounded a whole lot better than trying not to think about her.

  Jared stepped into the house and turned around. Holding either side of the doorframe, he leaned outside and said, “Don’t think too hard. I’m pretty sure I see smoke coming out of your ears.”

  “Fuck off.” He followed Jared in and said, “Maybe I’ll see you later.”

  “Only if you’re lucky,” Jared said on his way out the front door.

  Chapter Six

  “YOU’LL COME BY and get the roses?” Dixie asked Izzy over the phone Saturday evening, eyeing the enormous bouquet of roses Jace had sent to her at the auto shop to thank her for agreeing to do the shoot. They were gorgeous and unexpected, and it was the first time she’d ever been sent flowers. She’d been staring at them all day. She couldn’t carry them home on her motorcycle, and she and Jace were leaving tomorrow, so she wasn’t going to be there to enjoy them. That was why she’d offered them to Izzy.

  “Of course. When do you leave?” Izzy asked.

  Izzy had already tried to convince her that flowers meant something more than thank you. Although Dixie had shut her down, it was all she could think about, adding to a long list of other Jace-related thoughts.

  “Tomorrow afternoon, and I’ll be back Wednesday.” She gathered her belongings and shoved them into her backpack. Jace had made their travel arrangements, and he was picking her up tomorrow afternoon for a three o’clock flight. Signing the legal paperwork made the whole venture even more real. She still couldn’t believe she was really going to New York with Jace and doing a photo shoot. “Iz, I’ve been second-guessing myself all day. This is so important to Jace. What if I screw up?”

  “Stop worrying. You’re going to nail the shoot. When you did Jilly’s show, you walked the runway like a pro.”

  “I’m not too worried about that. As much as I hate the idea of being in the calendar, it was the perfect way to finally put my foot down with my family, and I think the shoot will be fun. I’m more worried about being around Jace. In all the years I’ve known him, he’s never flirted with me, and last night he was definitely flirting. Not like Crow or Jon, who outright proposition me all the time. It was like he was taunting me with ideas that could lead to more but he wasn’t committing to it.”

  “Which is really surprising, because I’ve always thought Jace was the type of guy to stake his claim, you know? Like Bullet asking Finlay to take a ride on the Bullet train. Although forty grand stakes a claim in a pretty major way, don’t you think?”

  “That was for charity.” At least that was what she’d told herself all day. “I’ve never thought of Jace being like Bullet with women. I’ve never heard him be crass. I mean, he talks shit with the guys, but he’s more mysterious to me on the male-female interaction front. Come to think of it, I’ve never actually seen him with a woman, have you?” She guessed that wasn’t so strange, considering he didn’t live there. She wasn’t even sure where he lived. He usually came into town for a day or two, then took off.

  “I’ve seen him dirty dancing with Jilly a few times when they were out at clubs with Nick and some of her other brothers. You should see Nick when they dance.” She barked out a laugh. “If looks could kill…”

  “Do you think Jace and Jilly have hooked up?” A streak of jealousy shot through her. She couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d said when she’d asked him why he’d bid on her. I was selfishly taking advantage of an opportunity, and if that makes me a dick, then it does. I think we both realize it’s about time we get to know each other better. Had he ever said that to Jillian?

  “No,” Izzy said emphatically. “I didn’t mean that. Nick is like Bullet. He goes all caveman on anyone who comes near Jilly. I think the reason he lets Jace dance with her is to keep other guys away, but he clearly doesn’t like it. Didn’t you see Nick threaten Jared last night?”

  “No, but I was a little sidetracked.” She slung her backpack over her shoulder, taking one last long look at the flowers. She’d taken a dozen pictures of them. Jace had made her whole day with those roses. Maybe Izzy was right and they did mean more…

  Trying to push those thoughts away, she grabbed her helmet and left her office. Truman and Bear had already gone for the day. As she turned off the lights in the shop, she heard the roar of a motorcycle. “Someone just pulled up. I hope it’s not a customer. I was really looking forward to getting home, packing, and then getting lost in our book club novel. Have you started it?” She and Izzy were in an online book club that she’d learned about through a friend of her cousin Justin when she was in Cape Cod last September. Dixie hoped reading might distract her from thinking about Jace, and she was definitely packing the novel to keep her mind occupied at night in New York.

  “Oh my God, yessss,” Izzy said dramatically. “It’s so freaking hot. You might want to read it in an ice bath.”

  “Good. I need some sex in my life, even if fictional.” She went into the lobby and peered out the window. Her pulse quickened at the sight of Jace pulling off his helmet and setting it on the seat of his motorcycle. “Shit. Jace is here.”

  “Damn, girl. He must want you something bad.”

  “You’re not helping.” Though the idea made her all sorts of happy—and confused—because Jace’s life was who-knew-where.

  Izzy laughed and said, “Yes I am! I want you to get a piece of that fine-looking man. From what you’ve told me, you’ve been crushing on him forever. Go! Call me later, or tomorrow. Oh, what if you spend the night with him?”

  “Izzy!”

  “You can’t tell me you’re not all kinds of excited that he’s there, especially after the flowers. I want all the details!”

  That was the problem. She was too excited.

  Dixie ended the call, cut the lights in the lobby, and inhaled a calming breath. It didn’t help. She headed outside, getting more ne
rvous by the second as the scorching-hot biker came into view. That slow smile that had crept across his lips and set off an inferno inside her last night slid into place as he approached. She tried to focus on locking the door, but his rugged, woodsy cologne carried in the breeze, and when she turned, he was right there, causing her temperature to spike.

  “Hi.” She headed for her bike to keep from getting lost in him again. “If you’re looking for Bear, he’s long gone.”

  “I’m looking for you, Dix. I thought we could head over to Nova Lounge to grab a drink and talk about the shoot.”

  She’d fantasized about being swept off her feet by Jace Stone hundreds of times, and not once did they include the words talk about the shoot. Maybe last night’s comment meant they should get to know each other better because of the shoot. Could she have misread him that badly?

  She looked down at her Whiskey Automotive shirt, skinny jeans, and boots, and said, “I’m not dressed for Nova. We could go to Whiskey Bro’s, but I thought we covered everything about the shoot last night.”

  He leisurely dragged his eyes up and down her body and stepped closer. Sweet baby Jesus. He sent her lady parts into a frenzy. Big trouble didn’t even begin to describe this man.

  “You look incredible, but if you’re uncomfortable going to Nova, I’ll take you for a burger and we’ll go someplace else where we can talk. But I’m not taking you to the bar where you work. Do you want to leave your backpack here or bring it?”

  “Fine. I guess you can claim the date you won last night.” She shrugged off her backpack and locked it in the compartment on her bike. She pulled out her keys and said, “Where to? I’ll follow you.”

  He took the keys from her hand and said, “My bike, and this is not the date I won.”

  The urge to pick apart that claim was so strong, she nearly challenged him. But she was even more sidetracked by what he’d asked her to do. She eyed his bike, her heart pounding frantically. “Around here, putting a woman on the back of your bike means something.” It meant more than something; it meant everything. It was the most widely recognized way a biker could claim a woman.