by Geri Glenn
“You look different without makeup on,” says Gear as he approaches, handing me a glass. He takes a seat on the bed beside me. He smells so good. Nothing like the man in the bathroom. Gear smells like sunshine, fresh air and man.
“Ahh, different as in good or different as in bad?”
“It’s all good, baby.”
I glance at him and he smirks, looking too damned gorgeous for my own good. He really is very attractive. Sipping my drink, I smile at him as the cool liquid does it’s magic, warming my belly. Gear reaches up and pushes a lock of hair away from my face. Without thinking I lean into him, not sure if I want him to kiss me, but wanting something from him.
Gear stiffens and leans away from me, taking a sip of whiskey. “Are you and Dirt together?”
“What?” His question pulls me out of the daze he had me in.
“The way he went after me, it seemed like you might belong to him. I don’t want to get in the middle of somethin’.”
“No, no, we aren’t anything. I like Dirt but we’ve never done anything. We’re friends.”
“Does he know that?” Gear asks, an eyebrow arched high.
“Pfft! There’s nothing going on between me and Dirt.” I take another sip of my drink and hold his appraising stare.
“Good.” Gear smirks and reaches out, taking the glass from me. “You’ve had enough, for now.”
Yep, the lustful daze is definitely gone. Now I’m just annoyed. “I am perfectly capable of knowing if I’ve had enough, thank you.” He grins at me and shakes his head. “What?”
“You’re gorgeous when you’re bitchin’ at me.”
My jaw drops at his nerve and that’s when he leans in, putting his lips only a whisper from my own. My shock is gone. Maybe it’s the whiskey, but without thinking, I close the gap between us and press my lips to his. They are surprisingly soft, and I sink deeper into him, my arms going around his neck.
Gear chuckles and pulls away. “Maybe we should take this slower. You’ve just had something really fucking traumatic happen, babe.” He eyes me, his gaze sweeping me up and down. “Just not too slow.”
Heat pools between my legs and then there’s a cough at the far end of the bus. My head swings in that direction, and there’s Dane, watching us both with an amused expression on his face.
I jump to my feet, like I’ve been caught doing something wrong. “Hey Dane! Nothing going on here.”
Gear chuckles and walks past me toward Dane, holding out his hand. “Shall we sit down and talk?”
Dane grasps his hand and smirks. “If I’m not interrupting anything?”
“You heard the lady. Nothing going on here.”
I huff at both of them and shut the door so I can get changed. I don’t hear the rest of their conversation but I’m fairly sure I hear laughter.
Nine
Gear
“It’s that fucker right there,” I growl, pointing out the man across the field, sporting an impressive black eye and a gash on his forehead from where it met my kneecap.
Dane and the rest of the Savage Angels don’t even pause their steps. As a group, they stalk towards the man, who’s about to be in a whole world of hurt. I follow along, wanting to get my own licks in and make this motherfucker pay for putting his hands on Veronica.
“Hey, asshole,” Dane says, coming to a stop in front of him. “You and I need to have a little chat.”
The man glares up at Dane from his seat. “You got an awful big army there for a little chat.” As if he’d given a command, men from around the fire, and in other parts of the field stand and form a circle around me and the rest of the Savage Angels. “Now that looks a little more even,” he says, coming to his feet.
I can tell from the looks of them, this is going to get messy. Several of the men are holding makeshift weapons. Baseball bats, a few hold chains – I even see a couple of crowbars in the mix. Yeah, this is going to get very fucking messy.
After a wary glance around, I fire off a quick text to Ryker and stuff my phone back into my pocket, my hands at my side and ready for a fight.
“Your man here tried to rape one of our women,” Dane’s voice booms loud enough to reach the crowd.
Eyes narrow and knuckles crack. I hear a few of them whispering amongst themselves, but only one voice rises above the others. “You said tried to,” the voice says, but I can’t see where it’s coming from. “Seems he didn’t do it, so what’s the problem?”
“The problem,” Dane growls, “is that he fucked her up pretty good. Hurt one of ours. We’re not about to let that fucking slide.”
“Bitch was a fucking prick tease,” the wannabe rapist sneers, his eyes going right to me. “Her legs might as well be sewn shut. She’s not giving up that uptight pussy to anyone.”
I lunge for the man, but Dane beats me to it. Suddenly, the entire field erupts in an epic brawl. Fists fly, weapons connect with heads and limbs, and blood flows. Through it all, I have eyes for only one man. That fucker tried to rape Veronica, and she may not be mine yet, but she’s gonna be.
He punches Dane back as two other men hold him still and I knock two others down as I try to get to them. Suddenly, there are more patches joining the fight. The Kings have arrived and they’re not fucking around. Suddenly, these greasy fuckers are the minority and they’re going down fast.
Dirt reaches him just as I do, his arm cocked back to take his swing. I clamp a hand down on his shoulder and pin him in place with a glare. “This fucker is mine.”
Dirt stares back at me, the emotions clear on his face. I know he thought there was something between him and Veronica, but it’s clear to me now that it was completely one sided. I can practically see the moment that fact comes clear in his mind.
With a nod, Dirt lowers his fist and takes a step back. He gives me a chin lift and is gone before I can even blink, throwing himself into the melee of fists and motorcycle boots. I turn my focus on the man in front of me and grin as his eyes widen.
The name on his cut reads, Snake. How fitting. Snake takes a step back but my hand at his throat stops his escape. “That woman you beat the shit out of,” I say, dragging him closer and putting my face directly in front of his. “She wasn’t yours to take. No woman is ever yours to fuckin’ take, if they say no. I’m here to teach you a lesson in respectin’ women asshole.”
I feel his nose crack beneath my fist on the first blow. I feel teeth loosen with the second and third. He gets in a couple of his own hits, but they’re weak and the damage they do is nothing in the face of my rage. I pound the man until he’s on the ground, and then I get down on top of him and pound him some more.
It’s not until I feel the hands on my arms that I pause. Ryker stands on one side, Dane on the other. “That’s enough, Gear,” Dane growls, shoving the man away with the toe of his boot.
I take a deep breath and try to get a handle on my rage. I want to hit him more. I want to fucking kill him. But when you’ve got two MC president’s pulling you off and telling you to stop, you damn well listen.
I shake their hands off me and jump to my feet. Snake lays on the ground, barely conscious, just like the rest of his buddies. The only men standing are the Kings and the Angels. Two clubs you don’t want to fuck with, and these sons of bitches just learned that the hard way.
“Let’s go get cleaned up,” Dane says, clapping his hand down on my shoulder. “Go check on our women.”
I want nothing more. I’d left Veronica with Kat and the others, but I knew when we’d left she was worried. I just want to wrap her in my arms and show her that I’m okay. I may need a reminder myself that she is too.
Ten
Veronica
I don’t know how Kat does it. She’s sitting in a circle with the other women, playing with her kids as security walks around us looking alert and tense. I’m pacing back and forth, continuously rubbing my arms and looking in the direction the men left in.
“Veronica?” Kat asks in a loud tone.
I
glance at her. “Yes?”
“Veronica, come here.”
I sigh and walk toward her. Kat stands and places her son, Jesse in my arms. He’s sleepy and instantly puts his head on my shoulder and closes his eyes.
“Kat?” I ask questioningly.
“This is how I know my man is coming back. Nothing will ever get between him and his children.” Kat chuckles. “And me of course. Dane can take care of himself in any situation and judging by how quickly Gear got into it with the guys, I’m pretty sure he can hold his own too.”
Kats words give me little comfort and I hand Jesse back to her. Kat’s gaze goes past me and I turn around to see the men walking back into camp. There’s a few black eyes and some are bleeding but they’re all smiling and horsing around with each other. Walking toward them, I only have eyes for Gear, and I can’t see him. Panic begins to crawl its way up my throat and I’m not sure what I’m about to do when an arm snakes around my waist. I turn into it. Gear’s gorgeous brown eyes are the first thing I see and I throw my arms around his neck. He envelops me in his embrace as the men walk around us laughing and making fun of him, of us.
“Are you okay?” I ask as I breathe in his masculine scent.
“I’m fine.”
It’s just like him, why waste time with unnecessary words when he’s got his arms around me and I can tell he’s okay. I release him and lean back but his arms stay firmly in place. Gear leans in and lightly brushes his lips to mine.
“You want to come back to my tent?”
Laughing, I nod at him. “I think I should check you out, make sure nothing's broken.”
Gear releases me and holds out a hand. I place mine in his and we leave the gathering party. I’m glad his campsite is away from everyone and everything. He climbs in first and I follow him. Now, I’m nervous, I don’t know him. Yes, he saved me and yes, I’m attracted to him but he’s a stranger to me.
“Get out of your fucking head, Veronica. I like you and you like me. We don’t have to do anything, although I’m not going to lie, I’ll be disappointed if we don’t.” He grins at me. “But I’ll live.”
He’s managed to put me at ease, I don’t think a man has ever been able to do that. I smile back at him and reach out, pushing his cut off his shoulders. Gear quirks an eyebrow at me.
“I just need to make sure there’s no permanent damage. To put my mind at ease, research, umm...you know?”
“Research? Hell, babe, you don’t need to ask me fucking twice to get naked.”
“No! Not naked, not yet, I only want to get a look at you…”
“Let me get this straight. Right now, all you want is my shirt off?” I nod at him and feel a blush as it creeps up my neck and inflames my face. Gear chuckles. “Too fuckin’ cute.”
He reaches down and pulls the t-shirt over his head, exposing a six pack and a chest that I can’t take my eyes off.
Tentatively, I reach out and place a hand on it. “Oh my…” I whisper.
“That’s the nicest fuckin’ thing you’ve ever said to me.”
Our eyes lock and Gear reaches up, crushing me against his chest and rolling us at the same time. His hands explore my body and the kiss makes me melt further into him. I’m so lost in him that I forget about my lip, my whole body is alive and feels like it’s on fire. All thoughts of taking it slow and steady, fly out of my mind as I arch into him, wanting more.
“Jesus, babe. You keep doing that and this is going to be a little more than search and explore,” growls Gear as he bites down on my neck.
“Yo, Gear! You in there man?” asks a voice from outside the tent.
“Go away!” yells Gear back.
“Gear, it’s Reaper, I need you.”
Gear rises up and looks down at me. A slow sexy smile works its way across his gorgeous face, he leans back down and kisses me lightly on the side of my mouth.
“I’ll be right back.”
Eleven
Gear
“What the fuck, man?” I ask Reaper as soon as I step outside of the tent.
He just chuckles. “Sorry to intrude, Romeo, but I tried callin’ and you didn’t fuckin’ answer, therefore I had to drag my ass all the way up here to cock block you and tell you that Ryker wants a word first thing tomorrow morning.”
I just stare at him. “And this couldn’t have waited until tomorrow because….”
Reaper barks out a laugh. “Because the prez is fuckin’ stressed as shit and he wanted to be sure you were aware, asshole. Now go fuck your woman.”
For a man so massive, he moves like a ghost. He’s through the trees and out of sight before Veronica even finishes gasping inside the tent.
“Well that was rude!” she says as I crawl back inside.
I can’t help but laugh at the indignation on her face. “That’s Reaper for ya. He won’t be teachin’ any Miss Manners classes anytime soon.”
Veronica huffs. “How did he even know we weren’t just sleeping in here? Pretty presumptuous if you ask me.”
“Babe,” I say, laying down beside her and rolling until I’ve got her pinned beneath my body. Her eyes soften as I look down at her. “I don’t have a shirt on, and I have a fuckin’ gorgeous woman in my tent. Doesn’t take a genius to figure it out.”
“You think I’m gorgeous?” she breathes.
“Believe I said fuckin’ gorgeous.” She smiles and I reach up and tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “You look even more gorgeous when you let those mile-high walls down and are lookin’ at me like you are right now.”
She lets out a breath, her body trembling a little beneath mine. Her blue eyes bore into mine as her chest heaves. “I’m not a whore,” she says, shocking the shit out of me.
My head jerks back. “Babe, why would you even say that shit? Of course you’re not a whore.”
“I just …” Her voice trails off and her teeth sink into her kiss swollen lower lip. “I just want you to know. I don’t sleep around. I don’t do this whole one night thing. This isn’t my usual behavior.”
“Who said anythin’ about one night?” I say, lowering my lips until their just a whisper from her own. “I may be a biker, baby, but I’m no whore either. I’m into you. Like really fuckin’ into you. I don’t know if I can stop at just one night.”
She grins up at me. Not the reaction I was expecting. “You’re a smooth talker Gear …” She pauses and cocks her head to the side. “I don’t even know your real name.”
I brush her lips with mine and pull back to grin at her. “Gear is my real name. No joke. My parents were both in the life and Mom was a bit nutty. Gear Henderson, at your service.”
Her fingertips flutter up and run along my brow. “Well then, Gear Henderson, it’s very nice to meet you.”
Fuck, this woman. My lips meet hers softly at first, but when hers part on a gasp, I can’t stop myself. Taking what she offers, I slip my tongue inside and slide it slowly against hers. She tastes like heaven.
As one, our tongues wrestle together and our hands explore each other’s bodies. In an instant, we go from playful to primal and every inch of my flesh burns for her. In a move I wasn’t expecting, Veronica pushes back on my chest and does some too quick maneuver with her leg, and suddenly I’m the one on the bottom and she’s straddling me, her centre poised right on top of my aching cock.