“I was studying,” she said defiantly. “If you hadn’t noticed, we’ve got finals coming up.”
“Yawn… Who cares?” Rachel said jokingly. “You look worn out.”
Lizzie managed to unlock her door and stepped inside, checking herself out in the mirror as she entered.
“I was up early. I’m getting stressed out from all this.”
“Well, then, that’s the perfect excuse,” Rachel smiled and raised her eyebrows as she sat down on Lizzie’s desk chair.
“Perfect excuse for what?” Lizzie bent over and turned on her lamp before flopping down on the bed and rubbing her eyes.
“Tonight,” Rachel said with excitement. “Fuck all these parties that are happening here… I’ve got us somewhere really awesome to go.”
“Huh?” Lizzie said leaning up on her elbows. “I hope it involves guaranteeing me an A on all of my assignments. Otherwise count me out.” She rolled back down and breathed out. She could see the stack of books in front of her and felt a chill prickle her skin. “Ugh, so much to do.” She picked up her pillow and covered her face before screaming into it and laughing.
“You’re so boring,” Rachel said as she pulled the pillow away. “You’ve spent most of your weekends here being little Miss Goody Two Shoes, studying every chance you get. Who cares if you don’t get perfect grades for once, just let your hair down and let’s go and have some fun.”
“I can’t…” Lizzie said. “You know what I’m like.”
“I do,” Rachel smiled. “And that’s exactly why I’m not taking no for an answer.” She got to her feet and bounced over to Lizzie’s closet. She flung open the doors and began to leaf through the hangers and outfits.
“No,” she moved along to the next dress. “No… no….”
Lizzie rolled her eyes and checked her cell phone. As usual, she didn’t have any messages or missed calls.
“Ugh, definitely not….” Rachel said as she lifted out a dress that Lizzie didn’t even know she still had. She had vague memories of her mother forcing her to wear it when she was younger, and it was still as hideous as she remembered.
“Hmm, this is okay…” Rachel stopped on a tight little black dress that had a plunging neck line. “In fact, this is perfect.” She pulled it from the closet, closed the doors and hung it on the front as she grinned from ear to ear.
“Okay Miss,” she said, “Get up off your butt and get showered, we have somewhere to be.”
Lizzie looked up at her friend and smiled. “Where are you forcing me to go?”
“I’m totally not telling you until we are on the way… I’m not having you bail on me.”
“Oh, great,” Lizzie said as she reluctantly got to her feet. “So you’re dragging me out of my room, making me fail the entire semester and for what? I don’t even get to know?”
“You will get to know… when we get there!” Rachel winked as she grabbed hold of Lizzie by the shoulders and pushed her towards the bathroom. “Now shower!”
Lizzie saluted her as if to say ‘yes ma’am’ and then closed the bathroom door just enough to have privacy but still shout through to Rachel. She turned on the shower and the room steamed up quickly. She stripped and looked at herself in the mirror. Her body had always been one of her biggest enemies, but lately she was finally starting to feel comfortable in her own skin. She had beautiful curves, and as she was maturing, she was realizing how much men loved them. Even though she did her best to stay away from them, especially after the betrayal she had seen from her dad and the bizarre experience with the German exchange student, she still loved to notice the effect she had on men. And Rachel had been right… wherever they were going, the dress she had picked out was sure to turn some heads. She got into the shower and let the warm water wash away the last remaining bits of sand and sea air from her hair before she scrubbed and primped herself with various body gels and oils. Afterwards, she felt like she had spent a day at a spa. She felt relaxed and vibrant, and even the stress of her impending exams seemed to have evaporated.
“Thanks for talking me into this,” she said to Rachel as she walked back into her dorm room and dried her long blonde hair with a towel. “You’re right, I do need to get out more.”
“You need to get laid,” Rachel said without looking up from her magazine.
“Rachel!” Lizzie gasped. “That’s the last thing I’m thinking about.”
“Hmm,” Rachel peeked at her over the top of her magazine. “If you say so…”
Lizzie spritzed on some perfume, applied her mascara and ruby red lipstick and wriggled into the figure-hugging dress that showed off her perfect hourglass figure.
“Stunning,” Rachel said as she applied her own blush, “You are a vision.”
“I feel good in this dress,” Lizzie agreed, “So this party better be worth it.”
“Oh, it’s not a party,” Rachel said casually, “It’s an initiation.”
“What?”
Rachel smirked and blotted her lips. “You’ll see….”
3.
Rachel had booked them a cab so they stood on the outskirts of their campus waiting in the dark. Rachel lit a cigarette and offered it to Lizzie, but she politely declined. Even though it wasn’t cold, she was so nervous her arms were bumpy and she shivered.
“You’ve got me now, so tell me where we’re going. Come on.” Lizzie said before swigging vodka from Rachel’s hipflask.
“Okay,” Rachel exhaled, “But promise me you won’t freak out.”
“I’m not promising anything.”
Rachel rolled her eyes and pouted at her.
“Okay, I promise,” Lizzie said, even though she had her fingers crossed behind her back.
“I met this guy a couple of weeks ago,” Rachel began, “And I didn’t tell you about him because I didn’t want you to lecture me and try to put me off.”
“Well, he already sounds awesome,” Lizzie said sarcastically. She took another swig; she was clearly going to need it. She hadn’t drunk for months and she had never been much of a fan of it, anyway. The vodka made her wince, and she had to swallow it so quickly it wasn’t enjoyable in the slightest.
“Well, we’re going to his clubhouse,” Rachel said, almost under her breath.
“His what?” Lizzie squeaked.
“Clubhouse… he’s in a bike club,” Rachel sucked on the cigarette and smiled. “And tonight they’ve initiated a few new members and they have this sort of party afterwards… I got an invite because of him and I said I’d bring a friend.”
“A bike club? What I think you mean is a gang!” Lizzie said in disbelief. If she had been nervous before this information, she was now on the verge of passing out.
“You make it sound so sinister,” Rachel brushed it off.
“It is!” Lizzie stamped her foot, “I can’t believe you’re taking me somewhere like that where there will be illegal things going on!”
“Shh,” Rachel hissed as she looked around behind them, “Stop being so precious, it’s nothing like that. This guy is really great… I like him… A lot.”
Lizzie looked at her friend, and although she wanted to smack her in the face to knock some sense into her, she could also tell she was being genuine.
“Just please come with me, and let me see him… if there’s anything weird going on, we can leave, I promise,” Rachel pleaded.
Lizzie looked up the road and saw the shine of car lights approaching. She turned back to Rachel and guilt hit her as soon as she saw how miserable she looked.
“Okay,” she said reluctantly, “I’ll come with you… But don’t leave me alone and don’t let any of them talk to me… And I want to leave after an hour, okay?”
“Yes!” Rachel did a little air jump and kissed Lizzie on the cheek, “Yes, of course, anything you want.”
She was beaming, and as the cab slowed to a halt in front of them, Rachel threw open the door and gestured for Lizzie to climb in.
As she closed the door behind them
and the car started on down the road, Rachel turned to her and hugged her.
“We’re going to have so much fun,” she smiled through the dark, “I can’t wait for you to meet him.”
Lizzie smiled back and exhaled. The vodka was going to have to start working and fast… Her heart began to pound in her chest. She had never been this nervous before.
It’s just a party, she told herself, forget all about what Rachel said about it being an initiation… It’s just a party with some new people. Relax.
***
As the cab pulled up outside the bar, Rachel clapped her hands together and popped a mint in her mouth.
“How did you meet this guy?” Lizzie said as she looked up at the wooden exterior and the neon sign above the door. There were rows and rows of Harleys out front and some men sat on them smoking, while others were parked up and without a rider.
“I came looking,” Rachel wiggled her eyebrows and opened the door.
Rachel had always been a little on the wild side, but even this surprised Lizzie. It must have been a phase. She had probably been watching a show that portrayed bikers as sexy and rugged and got all swept up in the moment. Lizzie reminded herself to just keep some perspective and not to worry too much about what they were about to step into.
“Well, come on,” Rachel said, “Let’s go.”
She took hold of Lizzie’s hand as they walked towards the front door. She could hear the blare of heavy rock music and the cheering of men. It was packed inside and there was a haze of mist on the windows, condensation from all the sweat and breath in there. Lizzie looked back over her shoulder as the cab pulled away. She was stuck now. There was no hailing another one as the clubhouse was in the middle of nowhere. Some of the bikers smiled at them and cat-called as they opened the front door and went inside.
“Oh, god,” Lizzie whispered to Rachel.
“It’s fine,” Rachel replied, “Just relax!”
She led her through the crowd of men in leather and women in barely anything and jumped up onto a stool. She pulled one along for Lizzie to sit on and she slowly and clumsily climbed onto it. She pulled at the hem of her dress to try and make it longer and instantly regretted wearing it. Even though she looked amazing, the wandering eyes of all of the men were making her feel self-conscious.
“What can I get you?” the barman called over to them.
Rachel ordered them two beers and lit herself another cigarette. The air was heavy with smoke and the strong scent of ripe sweat and alcohol.
“A lot of these men look older,” Lizzie whispered to Rachel.
“Yeah, well, some of these men probably started this gang,” Rachel raised her eyebrows, “My guy is twenty-eight and drop-dead gorgeous. Just wait until you see him.”
“How long has he been a member?” Lizzie asked.
“I don’t know,” Rachel admitted. “I think maybe he got his patch tonight...”
“So he’s a newbie,” Lizzie teased. Even though she knew nothing about gangs… or bikes… she knew that being the new addition wasn’t exactly something to brag about.
“Shut up,” Rachel pouted as she collected the beers from the barman and slid one down the countertop to Lizzie.
“Well, I can’t wait to meet him, anyway,” she said as she looked around. It was basically what she had expected, but not as frightening. And she was pleasantly surprised that Rachel was right about the men. The ones that were young enough to be of interest certainly had something raw and sexy about them.
Her eyes wandered around the room and almost instantly she found herself looking up at a guy across the bar. He was tan, had shaggy blonde hair and was clad in a heavy leather jacket which was open and bared the top of his rock-solid chest. He looked up and his eyes met hers. Lizzie felt her heart jump in shock as he locked her gaze. There was something about his eyes and the way they were drawing her in. They were a deep hazel and completely consuming. She almost forgot to breathe.
“Are you okay?” Rachel asked.
Lizzie jumped again and looked at Rachel. “Yes,” she panted, “I’m fine.”
She quickly looked back up, but he was gone. She looked behind her and tried to crane her neck to the other side of the bar, but he was nowhere in sight.
Her heart sank.
She swigged her beer. Maybe it wasn’t going to be such a bad night after all.
4.
“Here he is,” Rachel whispered to her excitedly as another hot guy walked slowly over to them.
He wasn’t as sexy as the one that Lizzie had seen across the bar, but he was certainly Rachel’s type. He had long dark hair and a goatee to match. He had big skull rings on his fingers and he gripped the neck of his beer bottle with big hands.
“Lizzie,” Rachel said proudly, “This is Blaze.”
Lizzie looked up at him and held out her hand, unsure of what to say. What she really wanted to ask was whether it was his real name… but knew Rachel would kick her under the bar.
“Hi,” she managed finally, “Nice to meet you.”
Blaze gave her a short smile and wrapped his arm around Rachel’s neck, then he whispered in her ear and began to kiss down her throat. Lizzie looked away uncomfortably and sipped her drink. She suddenly wanted to get the hell out of there.
“Umm,” Rachel said as she got to her feet, “We’re just going to dance, I’ll be right back.” Blaze hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her into the crowd before turning and heading towards a door at the back of the bar.
Dance? Lizzie thought. Great… ditched within five minutes.
She pulled out her cell phone and flicked through her contacts, trying to find a cab company that she could call and come to get her the hell out of there as fast as possible. She knew she shouldn’t have listened to Rachel. She should have climbed into bed with the rest of her reading list and crammed as much as she could before the beginning of the new week. Lizzie had never allowed herself to be led astray, and she was angry at herself for letting it happen at such an important time in her life. Even if she did need the break, she should have had more sense.
She cursed herself and was about to get up and push her way through the crowd when she felt the presence of someone powerful next to her. He slid onto the empty stool that Rachel had left and the leather of his jacket brushed up against her arm. Lizzie didn’t need to look up to know that it was him. There was no mistaking it…
His big, rough hands were wrapped around a glass of whiskey and she could smell it on his breath as he leaned forward and whispered “Hi,” into her ear.
Her whole body shook as she slowly looked up into his eyes, and he smiled at her slowly, seductively, as if they were the only two people in the room.
“Hi,” she stammered back.
He reached down and grabbed hold of her stool and pulled it closer to him so their knees were between one another.
“I’ve never seen you here before,” he said. His voice was deep and gruff and he never once took his eyes off hers.
“That’s because I haven’t been here before,” she whispered.
There was an intense energy coming off him, and she felt intimidated and turned on at the same time.
“Why now?” he asked as he lifted his drink and took a large gulp before slamming it down on the counter top. One of the bartenders instantly began to pour him another.
“My friend…” she began, “She asked me to come with her.”
“Is that the one with Blaze?” he said condescendingly.
“Yes,” Lizzie said quietly.
“New kid,” the guy said as he tapped the counter top again and then pointed to the bottle she was drinking, “Another?”
“Umm, thanks,” Lizzie smiled in agreement.
The bartender instantly put another one down for her, and she realized her hands were shaking as she reached out to grab it.
“He’s alright I suppose,” he said. “Eager to please.”
Lizzie let her eyes wander down his amazing torso that was
just showing underneath the leather and black vest he was wearing with his jeans. He also wore a big pair of leather boots, and he clamped a cigarette between his teeth before he lit it with a fast click of a silver lighter.
“And what’s your name?” he asked as he exhaled smoke over her shoulder.
“I’m Lizzie,” she whispered.
“Sounds like a little doll,” he sneered.
She had never heard that before.
“I’m Jake,” he said.
“It’s nice to meet you,” she stammered. Her heart was beating so fast she could hear it in her ears.
“Come outside with me,” he said as he got to his feet.
Lizzie knew from his tone that he wasn’t asking her, he was telling her. So she stood up to and let him push her in front of him and direct her through the crowd to the main door. She looked back over her shoulder, hoping to catch a glimpse of Rachel but she was nowhere to be seen.
Jake led her away from the clubhouse and to his bike, which was parked further out around the back. He lit another cigarette and climbed onto it. It was a huge machine, and Lizzie couldn’t believe how shiny it was and how it glinted in the moonlight.
“You getting on or what?” he said as he kicked his foot and the engine roared. Lizzie looked back towards the clubhouse again and bit her lip.
“I… I should really…” she began, knowing that what she should be doing was running in the opposite direction. But to where? Rachel had left her and she didn’t have a cab number in her phone…
He leaned out towards her and held out his hand. Lizzie looked into his eyes. There was something there that seemed safe amongst all this danger. She let her fingers slide into his, and he pulled her towards him. She cocked her leg over behind him and held onto his waist. The machine vibrated powerfully and strong between her thighs, and she gripped it with her bare flesh.
“Hold on,” he said as he turned his head to the side. Lizzie wrapped her arms right around his and clutched for dear life. She was terrified, but she wanted to experience it. She wanted to let this stranger take her away, even if it was just for an hour. He pulled out onto the highway and floored it. The wind lashed through her hair and she laughed. It was incredible. She gripped him again and could feel the flex of his muscles beneath his vest.
STAG: MC ROMANCE (Forsaken Riders MC Romance Book 7) Page 11