by L. Wilder
When she started walking my way, I got up and met her halfway. Her hair fell loose around her shoulders, and she was wearing a pair of jeans that hugged her curves and a pink top that hung off her shoulder. Absolutely stunning. “Hey there, beautiful.”
“Hi, Seth.”
“How was class?”
“It was fine. Nothing exciting there.” She smiled as she looked out onto the water. “It’s such a pretty day.”
“Yeah, it is. I thought we might take advantage of it and take a walk, if you’re up for it.”
“Sure. I’d like that.”
There were so many questions racing through my head, and while I wanted to ask them all, I knew I had to take my time with her. The last thing I wanted to do was scare her off, so I asked, “Did you ever get to sleep last night?”
With a slight grimace, she answered, “Eventually. I was just a little restless. I guess I had a lot on my mind.”
“Anything particular weighing on ya?”
“Not really. Just school and things at work. What about you?”
“I had this girl on my mind, and I just couldn’t stop thinking about her.”
She turned to look at me and smiled. “Oh really? Must be a pretty special girl to keep you up like that.”
“You could say that.”
“Well, tell me about this special girl of yours,” she taunted.
The wind blew her hair into her eyes. I reached out, brushing it from her face as I said, “I was hoping you could help me out with that. Why don’t you tell me a little something about yourself?”
“Okay. What do you want to know?”
“I want to know everything,” I teased. “But I’ll take whatever you’ll give me.”
“Okay, but just so you know, this goes both ways.”
“I’m good with that.”
She paused for a few minutes as she considered what she was going to share with me. We walked over to the edge of the water, and she looked up at me and said, “I was three when my mother died. I didn’t have any brothers or sisters, so it was just me and my dad.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. It couldn’t have been easy to lose your mom so early on.”
“No, but we did okay. My dad was really good to me.” I could see the sadness in her eyes as she talked about him, and there was no doubt that losing him had hurt her. “We didn’t have much family. Just my dad’s sister Janet and her kids. I think that’s the main reason he started the club. Everyone loved him, so it didn’t take long for him to get it together.”
“I didn’t know him personally, but I’ve heard stories. He sounded like a good man.”
“He was one of the best.” She shrugged with defeat. “There was a time when the club was something he was proud of. They were all about family and loyalty, but things have changed. It’s like they’re different people altogether.”
I could hear the anguish in her voice as she spoke, so I knew it wasn’t easy for her to talk about. It was then that I thought Clutch might’ve been right about his suspicions, but I needed to know for sure. “I take it you aren’t happy about the changes?”
“That’s putting it lightly. I hate it.” She turned towards the path, and we both started walking again. “You know how it is. They keep everything a secret, so I don’t know what’s really going on with them, but I know it’s not good. My dad started the shop so they’d have money coming into the club. They were doing really well, but it wasn’t enough for some. They kept pushing for more and more. My dad tried to convince them it wasn’t the way to go, but they wouldn’t listen. They just kept pushing. Once he was gone, they bought the strip club and started … I really shouldn’t be talking about all this.”
“You don’t have to worry. This conversation stays between us.”
“I know, but I’m no better than them if I go against the brothers.”
“Do you still consider them family?”
She stopped and turned to look out at the bay as she answered, “Honestly… no. I mean, there’s Kat. She’s like a sister to me, and there’s nothing in the world I wouldn’t do for her, but the others… No. They’re a different story. There’s no trust there, no loyalty among the brothers. Everyone is out for themselves, and they don’t care who they hurt in the process.”
“I can understand that.”
As we started walking again, she looked over at me and asked, “What about your club? Would you consider them your family?”
“Absolutely. I’d put my life on the line for any one of them,” I answered adamantly.
“I thought so. I miss that. I can remember loving being there with them. The cookouts. The Sunday rides. Birthday parties and weddings. We were always there for one another, but it’s not like that anymore. It’s all about them getting drunk and getting laid. Nothing else seems to matter.”
“I hate to hear that.” I had a question that I’d been wanting to ask since she started talking, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear the answer. The last thing I wanted to hear was that she’d been claimed by one of those assholes. “With your father gone, why don’t you just walk away?”
“It’s not that easy.” I could tell by the tone in her voice that I’d hit a sore spot.
“Nothing worth having is ever easy, Zoe.”
“Let’s take a break from me for a minute. Why don’t you tell me something about you?”
I didn’t want to take a break. I wanted to know what the fuck was going on with her, but I didn’t want to push—not yet. “So, the tables have turned.”
“Yep. Tell me something about you that nobody else knows.”
“Seriously? That’s a tough one,” I chuckled.
“Spill it.”
“When I can’t sleep, I like to watch the Andy Griffith show.”
With a surprised smile, she snickered, “No way! I used to watch that all the time with my dad.”
“Been watching it since I was a kid.”
“Okay. Duly noted. What about your favorite food?”
“My mom’s gravy and biscuits.”
“Wow. You didn’t skip a beat on that one.”
“You haven’t tried it. Trust me. It’s incredible.”
We continued sharing tidbits about ourselves until we’d walked the entire path and made it back to the parking lot. When I checked the time, it was almost three. “Do you have time to grab a bite to eat?”
“I really should get to work. Could I take a rain check?”
“Sure.” I was eager to spend more time with her, so I asked, “How about a late dinner?”
“Umm… I don’t know.” She paused for just a minute, but I could tell by the way she was studying me that she was considering it.
“You’ve gotta eat sometime, beautiful.”
“Okay. I’m in.”
I wanted to kiss her, to taste her and feel her lips against mine, but the timing wasn’t right. I leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Her scent, a mix of vanilla and lavender, seduced my senses, making it even harder to step away. I opened her car door, and as she stepped inside, I told her, “Just give me a shout when you’re free.”
As soon as we left the park, I headed back to the warehouse to touch base with the brothers. I assured them that I was making headway, and even though I know she was holding something back, I truly believed I was getting somewhere with her. I just needed to find a way to get her to open up to me. It was the only way, I’d ever get the intel we needed. I knew getting the information might come at a cost. There was a chance she’d think I was only interested in information about the Chosen, but that was only half of it. I knew it was wrong, but as much as I wanted to get the goods on them, I wanted her more.
I’d only been at the warehouse a couple of hours when I got a message from Zoe saying that she’d gotten off work early. She suggested a little seafood place not far from where we’d met earlier. When I met up with her, I was surprised to see that she changed clothes and had done her hair differently. It was pulled up off her sh
oulders, revealing a low-cut black V-neck, making it damned near impossible to keep my eyes from drifting. I had to restrain myself as I followed her into the restaurant and sat down at a small table in the back of the restaurant. It was quiet and easy for us to talk. We’d only just met, but it was like we’d known each other forever. There was no overthinking or second guessing, and I couldn’t get enough.
“I’d like to go to the beach. I don’t even care where. Just somewhere that I can feel the sand between my toes.”
“You in a bikini? Oh, yeah. I’d definitely be down for that.”
“A bikini? Me? No, sir.”
“What? With a body like yours? You’ve gotta be kidding me?”
“Umm… no.” Her nose crinkled like she smelled something bad as she motioned her hands towards her lower waist. “Seriously. Nobody needs to see all this in a bikini. I’m all about a one-piece and a cover-up.”
I never dreamed that a girl as beautiful as her could ever have doubts about her body. Every inch of her was perfect, and I couldn’t imagine why she thought otherwise. “You’re killing me, doll. A body like yours could bring a man to his knees.”
With an exaggerated eye roll, she replied, “If you say so.”
“I do say so. You’re the kind of woman men fight wars for… and not just because of your killer figure. You’re amazing, Zoe.”
“You’re sweet, Seth.”
“Nothing sweet about me. I’m just telling it the way it is.” I reached across the table and placed my hand over hers. “One day, I’ll have to show just how much I love looking at that hot body of yours… every curve, every inch. Then you’ll forget about any doubts you may have about how perfect it really is.”
A light blush crept over her face as she smiled. I knew I needed to change the subject before I said something I might regret. “Why don’t you tell me something about Kat. She’s your best friend, right?”
“Yes, for as long as I can remember.” Her eyes lit up at just the mention of her name. “She’s such a mess. There’s nothing that girl won’t do. There was this one time when we were younger and just starting to drive when she decided that we needed to take a road trip. Mind you… she didn’t tell me anything about said trip. I had no idea we were even going until she pulled out onto the interstate.”
“Where’d you go?”
“Just a few hours away in Portland. She heard one of her favorite bands was playing in some club downtown and decided we should just go. It never crossed her mind that our dads would kill us for crossing the state line, or if it did, she didn’t seem to care.”
“Did your dad find out?”
“Oh, yeah. You couldn’t get anything past him.” Her smile was contagious as she continued. “We might’ve gotten away with it if she hadn’t been so determined to use those stupid fake IDs she had made. When she went up to the bar to buy us a beer, she got busted. Of course, they called our dads. Let’s just say it went downhill from there. What about you? Did you pull stunts like that as a kid?”
“Nah. I was a complete angel growing up,” I teased.
“I seriously doubt that.” She laughed. “Come on. Spill it.”
“Well, there was that Halloween when a few of us shot up the mayor’s house with a paintball gun.”
“No way.”
“Yeah. And I might’ve stolen a school bus and took it for a joyride with a couple of buddies of mine.”
“Wait a minute.” Her eyes were wide with surprise. “You stole a school bus?”
“Yeah. It was actually my dad’s at the time. He was helping out a friend by doing a few routes for the school. He did some football games, and there was one night when he left the keys in the ignition. One could say it was his fault for not being more careful.”
“Oh, no. Don’t go blaming him. That was all on you.”
“Yeah, my dad said the same thing.”
“Well, what happened? How did you get caught?”
“We were goofing around, and I might’ve crashed it into a ditch.”
“Seth!” She laughed. “That’s terrible! Your dad must’ve been furious with you.”
“That’s an understatement. I think he grounded me for life that night.”
“I’d say you kind of deserved it.”
I hung on to her every word as I watched her mouth form each word. I found myself wondering what it would be like to feel them against my own. “You up for taking a drive?”
Without hesitation, she smiled and answered, “I’d like that.”
Twenty minutes later, we were sitting on the tailgate of my truck in a secluded spot overlooking the water. The stars were shining bright and there was a cool breeze as she nestled into the crook of my arm. Having her so close was fucking with my head. Thinking it might ease some of the sexual tension, I stood up, but after taking a few steps, I found myself standing in front of her, staring into those beautiful eyes of hers. Damn. I wanted to kiss her so bad it hurt—literally. My dick was throbbing against the zipper of my jeans, and seeing the way she was looking at me was only making it worse. I knew she wanted me to kiss her. I could see the hunger in her eyes. Hell, I could feel it radiating off her, and I couldn’t deny that I felt the same. There was just one problem. There was no way one kiss would satisfy the beast raging inside of me. With one taste, I would want it all, and I would have to make her mine.
Chapter 14
Zoe
In my mind, I knew I shouldn’t be there with him, that it was too much of a risk, but my heart just wasn’t listening. Even though I’d tried to keep my guard up, spending more time with him had only made me more attracted to him. His sense of humor, his sexy smile, and that body that made my pulse race were just too hard to resist. He shifted his stance as he looked at me, his eyes glistening in the darkness. I knew what was coming and glanced away, then unable to resist the temptation, I looked back at him. He hovered over me as his eyes roamed seductively over my lips, and I could only sit there frozen with excitement and anticipation. I couldn’t remember ever wanting anything more than feeling his lips against mine, and the waiting was pure agony. I should’ve been patient, but I couldn’t help myself. I inched closer, leaning towards him, but he never made his move. Instead, he just stood there staring at me with lust-filled eyes. Without thinking, I mumbled, “Um… I thought you were going to kiss me?”
His eyes sparkled with mischief as he asked, “What makes you think I was going to kiss you?”
Embarrassment washed over me. “I guess I was just hoping you would.”
His voice was low and raspy as he asked, “You want me to kiss you, Zoe?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“Well, I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
His dark eyes flickered with hunger as they dropped to my breasts. “Not sure I’ll be able to stop once I get started.”
I hesitated for only a moment. “Maybe I don’t want you to stop.”
“Zoe,” he whispered slowly, prolonging each letter of my name as if to savor them. His eyes locked on mine as he leaned forward, but just as his lips were about to touch mine, he stopped. My lips parted and our breaths mingled. The electricity crackled between us, making my entire body hum. I eased forward, trying to close the distance between us, but he quickly leaned out of my reach.
I looked up at him with disappointment. “Seriously?”
He paused, not to refuse me, but to appreciate the moment before he slipped his hand behind my neck and pulled me forward, crashing his mouth against mine. His lips were soft and full as they covered mine. It was like they were made just for me. His warm, wet tongue ran across my bottom lip as his hands snaked down my back. They were strong and assured as he pulled me closer to him. His touch. His scent. His taste. Everything about him made my entire body tingle with desire. I longed for this moment. It was all I could think about, but I could’ve never imagined it could feel so good and so right. My fingers raked through his hair as I moaned against his mouth.
“I know.”
“I just need you to let me in.”
I watched in wonder as he lowered his mouth down to mine, kissing me softly… so gentle and sweet. His scent circled around me, a mix of cologne and fresh leather. Just being close to him enthralled all my senses.
I couldn’t resist him, even if I wanted to. The pull to him was just too strong. I was starting to fall for him, and there wasn’t a damned thing I could do to stop it. As soon as I brought my hands up to his chest, the kiss changed, becoming more intense and heated. Goosebumps swept across my flesh as he delved further into my mouth, exploring every inch with his tongue. His fingers dug into my hips as he pulled me closer to him, forcing a light moan to vibrate through my chest. The bristles of his beard lightly scratched against my skin as he took complete control. My body ached for him, burning for more as he claimed me with his mouth. My hands began to roam over his chest, gliding over the bulging muscles of his abdomen. I wanted to touch his bare skin, feel the heat of his body pressed against mine, and I couldn’t wait a moment longer. I started to tug at shirt, pulling it from his body. Once it was off, our hands became frantic, quickly removing the clothes that separated us. In just a few seconds, I was wearing only my lace bra and panties.
“Seth?” I whispered.
I couldn’t stop staring at him. My eyes traveled along the lines and curves of the muscles of his chest, and then looked back to him with an appreciative smile. His eyes were focused on my almost naked body, and my heart fluttered when I noticed the hunger in his eyes. I watched in eager fascination as his chest slowly rose and fell with each tortured breath he took. A faint growl escaped him as his mouth settled over mine again. His hands slowly eased behind my back to release the clasp of my bra. As the fabric slipped away from my body, I felt his lips glide across my skin to my breast. Lust consumed me as the wet heat of his mouth engulfed my nipple and began to gently suck. He broke contact momentarily as he pulled back, his strong arms repositioning me on the blankets he’d spread out on the bed of the truck. Then his hard body moved to cover mine. The light of the moon danced in his eyes as he hovered over me for just a brief moment, and then his mouth resumed its heavenly torture of kissing and nipping the delicate skin of my neck. As he settled between my thighs, I lifted my hips towards him, grinding against him as I tried desperately to find relief for the throbbing that was building up inside me.