“Thank you,” she said over her shoulder as she gave him a little wave.
When she reached the door, she knew he was still standing there. She struggled to find her keys, feeling all the more nervous because he was watching her. She finally stopped and turned around and he shrugged his shoulders and smiled.
She bit her tongue and tried not to laugh. It was funny to her, because she was clearly in such a state around him and it looked as if he could tell why.
“You really are scared of me, aren’t you?” he asked with a glint in his eye.
Star waited for a moment before she replied. “I don’t think I’m scared specifically of you,” she said. “I’m scared of liking the wrong person. I’m scared of how I feel when I look at you.”
His eyes widened a bit, as if she had caught him off-guard. She looked down at the ground and felt her cheeks burn bright red. Had she even just been that forward? She didn’t think so. She had never said anything like that to a man before, and she took her clothes off for a living!
She shook her head and cringed her eyes closed. “Sorry,” she said. “Too deep… but you did ask.”
He took a step forward and went to open his mouth to speak but she lifted her hand to silence him.
“I’ll see you at work,” she said. She finally let herself look into his eyes. “Thank you again for the ride.”
She managed to grasp the keys in her fingers then quickly shoved it into the lock. Without looking back, she slammed it behind her and locked it again before she breathed out, and took a huge sigh of relief. Her heart was still pounding away, as she was so nervous she didn’t know how she dared even say what she just told him.
“You’re a goddam fool,” she whispered to yourself. “The guy just moved to town and he was probably just being friendly. You go and bark a load of dramatic, intense words at him. Urgh.”
She rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes. “You’re never going to be able to be around him again without blushing, Star. Nice one, you complete idiot.”
She crunched up her face and moaned slightly. She couldn’t believe she had just done that. He had made a little bit of chit-chat and she had turned it into something serious. She just wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole.
Ahead of her through the back windows she could see that the sun had fully risen and the morning had truly begun. Her arms and back ached. All she could think about was her crisp, new sheets that were waiting for her upstairs. She kicked off her sneakers and began to slink toward the steps.
When she pushed open the door to her room she breathed a big sigh of relief. She had never been so happy to see her personal comforts. Even though the house was new to her, it still felt damned good to be home.
She walked across to the bathroom and flicked on the light as she peeled off her clothes and began to remove her make-up. After she had spent all night reapplying it, it had gone sticky and gooey all over her eyelashes and her eyes felt caked together.
“Maybe Renee was right,” she sighed as she swept the moist cotton wool over her eyelids. “Maybe it’s time for a real job.”
Even as she said it, she knew she didn’t mean it. However, now the thought had crossed her mind, it was something she knew would keep bugging her.
You’ve just locked down a new house, maybe a new career can wait a little longer, she thought as she splashed water on her face then patted it dry.
When she crawled into bed with the curtains closed, she let her eyes close. She had never felt so comfy in her entire life. All she could think about was what happened last evening. Her mind whispered over all she learned about Chains, and of all that had happened between them.
He had only mildly flirted with her and given her a ride home, but it was all she could think about. It was all she could replay over and over in her mind. He was the first man in a long time who had come along and completely caught her off guard.
After working in Tanner’s for so long and becoming a permanent resident of Slate Springs, Star really thought that she had seen it all when it came to the bikers. Then Chains had arrived and had turned it all on its head.
Now she was intrigued… and hooked. She couldn’t get him out of her mind.
She rolled onto her side and breathed in deep. She could still smell him in her hair and it made her smile. She wrapped her arms around herself and held tightly, imagining that they were his arms.
“I wonder why they call him Chains,” she whispered to herself as she began to drift off to sleep.
Before she knew it, her weary body and mind had given over to the dark side, and she was fast and gently asleep.
7.
He held onto her throat and squeezed gently, letting his teeth skim her earlobes before he bit down on them, then trailed his lips down her neck to her collarbone.
Star couldn’t move. She wasn’t afraid or paralyzed, but she had been shackled to the bed with red ropes and her body on display for him to see, this man in a mask. A man she thought she recognized, but was sure she didn’t know, all the same.
She gasped as his kiss deepened, and her pussy ached between her legs, wanting him so desperately to touch her and to put her out of her misery. Behind the mask she could see his eyes, the intense blue, and in the darkness it was subtly disguising. He was amused. She could see it all over his face. He bent down so that their lips were almost touching, and he held her there, her barely able to breathe.
“How much do you want this?” he whispered, his lips skimming hers. “How much do you want me?”
Star gasped and tried to speak, but she was so turned on and so overawed that no words would form. She was completely at his mercy. Although she wanted him more than anything she had ever known, she wasn’t able to tell him so.
He flashed her a wicked grin and let his hands trail down the side of her body, right down past her hips and into the tangle of the black silk sheets next to them. He reached inside, and when his hand emerged, he was holding something, something black and hard.
Star widened her eyes and twisted on the spot to try and get a better look, but the way he had tied her to the bed meant it was impossible for her to see without him bringing it up to her face and showing her himself.
“How much do you want it?” he whispered again.
He was playing with her.
Toying with her.
But she liked it.
She liked it very much.
“I want it,” she panted, finally allowing herself to speak.
“And do you agree to give yourself to me fully?” he asked her.
She bit her lip and her pussy throbbed. She would agree to do anything, anything, as long as he put her out of her misery.
“Yes,” she whispered.
He smiled his devilish smile and raised his hand.
Star’s eyes widened and she gasped again when she saw what he was holding. It was a thick black flogger, and he held it high, ready to bring it down.
“Be a good girl,” he whispered, his voice deep and menacing, but so sexy it was making her bones ache.
As his hand came powering down to her she closed her eyes, her heart racing so hard the blood was pounding through her ears. She felt dizzy and disorientated; her mind awash with confusion and lust, and she wanted it so badly she was screaming, ”Yes, yes yes!”
…and suddenly, there was nothing.
Star sat up in bed and clutched her hand over her heart. Her forehead was slick with sweat and her breathing rapid. Her nipples were erect and throbbing through her nightdress while her legs were twisted up together, as if she had tried to keep them closed. It was as if she had tried to stop herself from letting her own hands wander.
“What the hell,” she said as she looked around the room with confusion. Her eyes were barely open, but she could see the light breaking in through the curtains and the surroundings of her new bedroom coming into focus.
There was no man with her. And she wasn’t tied to the bed. It had been a dream.
T
he most realistic dream she had ever experienced.
She pulled the covers up to her chest and breathed in and out deeply, trying to calm herself down. Her heart was still racing, and she could still feel him as if he had really been there. She bit her lip as her heartrate returned to normal. She let her mind linger on the exquisite details. A man in control; a man in a mask who had taken her and was going to do with her whatever he desired.
She trembled.
It had been so realistic. Though in the dream she hadn’t been sure of who the masked man was, in the clear light of day there was no doubt. The dream had been about Chains.
“Kinky,” she breathed as she rolled onto her side with a big smile on her face. She had never been one to dream about lovers or potential partners, but that had stirred her up in all the right ways.
“But stop it now, Star,” she scolded herself. “You have a rule and you’re not breaking it for some biker with a pretty face. No bad boys, and no outlaws. The world is complicated enough.”
She had a little giggle to herself and at how fertile her imagination was clearly becoming just by having Chains in the picture. She couldn’t believe how her sexuality had awakened. She felt so closed off and dormant for so long. She hadn’t even thought about going on a date with a guy, never mind being tied to a bed by one!
She pushed up on her elbows and looked around the room. She could see the clock on her dressing table said it was almost four in the afternoon. She had slept for pretty much all of the day.
She yawned and stretched and rose to her feet. She pulled the curtains open wide and looked down the street.
She saw it straight away and found herself stepping back to hide slightly, even though there would be no way anyone would be able to see her. But there, clear as day, sitting on the street outside of Chains’s house was his bike.
She was instantly taken back to the ride home and felt her stomach drop. She suddenly felt nervous.
“This is so ridiculous,” she said aloud. “You’re going to have to pull yourself together, or you’re going to make a fool of yourself.”
She shook her head and looked out of the window again, hoping to catch a glimpse of him.
Downstairs in the kitchen, she made a big pot of coffee and drank one cup straight without stopping, then filled up her second. She made some toast and slathered on fresh butter and strawberry jam, then curled up on the couch to enjoy the sunlight coming through the massive windows.
After she had left her apartment, she had never looked back. Even though she had only been in her new place around forty-eight hours, she could never imagine going back there. It had been a low point for her, and she had known low. Now she felt as if she was truly back on her feet.
She pressed her hand flat against her stomach as it growled. Even after the toast and coffee, she was still starving.
“That’s because you haven’t eaten in pretty much twenty-four hours,” she laughed to herself. “You’re not in work tonight, so get ready and let’s go to the diner.”
She nodded to herself as if she were accepting her own instructions, then rolled her eyes at the tragedy of it all.
“You really need to get a life, Star,” she laughed. “All you do is talk to yourself.”
She flipped through the rails in her closet and picked out a cute little outfit. After her dream, she was certainly feeling a lot more alive and sultry than she usually did. She settled on a pair of tight skinny jeans and a low-cut tight black t-shirt. She pulled out a pair of low stiletto boots from the bottom of her closet and zipped them onto her feet. She looked and studied herself in the mirror.
One dream about a being tied up and suddenly you’re dressing like a dominatrix, she laughed to herself. Even if she had been the one tied down, something had definitely been awoken in her.
She reached for her purse and slipped in her cellphone and some cash she had earned in tips the previous evening. She debated calling Jill and inviting her down, but there was a part of her that just needed to be on her own. She was strangely looking forward to just perusing the menu, settling in with a drink of something ice-cold and watching the world go by from the diner windows.
The walk to the diner and Tanner’s barely seemed to take any time at all when she wasn’t in a rush. She ambled along and enjoyed the views of the rolling mountains and the beautiful desert colors.
When the glistening silver of the diner’s exterior came into view, she could already see that it was busy inside. There were trucks parked all out the back and plenty of cars in the front parking lot.
“Oh great.” She scowled. “Peak time.”
She looked at her watch and realized it was getting late. People would be arriving from all over to have dinner.
She started to climb the steps and couldn’t help but look down the highway towards Tanner’s. She could barely see it from here, as it was much further down the street past the motel.
She again thought of the night before, and the moment Chains had walked into the club when she had seen him for the first time.
She scolded herself again.
You’ve got to stop thinking about him!
Inside the diner, Joe the owner looked up and smiled at her, giving her a friendly wave. It was a relief for her to not walk in to Arlene’s snarling face. That waitress had worked the diner for so many years, but she was still as miserable as hell. She relaxed as she saw that there were still a few tables scattered around the outside of the room.
“Hey Star.” Joe smiled as he approached the counter. “How you doing?”
She smiled and walked towards him, shrugging her shoulders and patting her belly.
“I’m starving. I need feeding!” she said with a laugh.
Joe grinned and nodded towards a booth in the corner right by the windows.
“Well take a seat and I’ll be right over,” he said as he passed her a menu.
Star wandered over to her booth and climbed along the banquet to sit by the window. She could feel the leery eyes of some of the regular truckers on her, ones who were used to seeing her dance at night at work, and she smiled pleasantly before she ducked down behind her menu to hide.
She scanned down the lists of food and couldn’t make up her mind. She wanted to be naughty and order the most ridiculously fattening thing on the menu, but she also knew that she was going to have to start eating right one of these days. Her eyes settled on the salads and she scrunched up her lip. Some of them had more calories than the sandwiches, but by that point she knew she had decided to have something leafy and green.
Joe started to cross the room towards her and pulled a pencil out from behind his ear, poising it over his notepad.
“So, what can I get you?” he asked.
“The biggest diet Coke you can find me, and a cob salad.”
“Healthy.” Joe winked. “Could I tempt you to ordering a side of fries or onion rings?”
She shook her head no.
She wanted to slap his hand at the offer. All she could think of was the possibility that Chains may walk through the door, and for some reason she didn’t want him to see her eating greasy food. It was as if she were trying to live the best possible version of herself, just in case he happened to walk by.
By the time her drink had arrived, she was already twiddling her thumbs and stealing glances back over her shoulder toward the club. The outer lights had been turned on and it was now shining like a beacon along the highway. She reveled in her nights off, but she was feeling the pull back there, so much so that she was debating finishing up her food when it arrived and heading over there for a drink.
She cast a glance back towards the motel and noticed that that it, too, also seemed to be back open. For the past couple of months, businesses had been closing around Slate Springs and everywhere had been unbelievably and unnaturally quiet. The motel had been the first to go, and it really had a knock-down effect for the rest of the town. She had heard the bikers whispering about trying to conceal a lot of the profit
able businesses. She could only guess it was because their Russian problem had been eyeing them up to take over.
Joe returned with her salad and she looked up at him while he flashed her a sympathetic smile.
“I tried to tempt you to the dark side,” he said with a shrug.
Star laughed and admitted defeat. “It’s okay, I’ll thank myself for this when I’m forty and still thin.”
She picked up her knife and fork, casting another glance back at the club with a squint. She couldn’t see any bikes outside, but that wasn’t unusual. The Forsaken Riders would usually use the back lot if they were going to be at Tanner’s for a significant amount of time.
She turned back to the salad in front of her and sighed. Regret was already kicking in. She was suffering from major food envy of the people sitting in the next booth down as they worked on greasy burgers and ketchup-soaked French fries.
As she started to pick at the chicken and avocado, she heard the bell ting behind her and a heavy set of boots crunch along the linoleum floor. Her heart picked up its pace immediately and she felt the tiny hairs on the back of her end stand on end.
She placed the fork down and took a sip of her drink. She wanted so badly to turn around and look… because she just knew.
She bit her lip and heard Joe greeting him at the counter. After this brief exchange, she couldn’t hear anymore. The people at the table behind her were all talking far too loud.
She gritted her teeth and sat back, straining to listen, but getting nothing.
“Yeah, take a seat and I’ll be right over,” Joe called towards her side of the room, and she could hear the heavy boots moving closer. She had to try and stop herself from smiling, but she was also sensing a rising panic.
It is him, she thought. I just know it.
As the figure walked past her booth, she cast her eyes up and saw the surprise in his eyes as he looked down and caught sight of her too.
Chains.
The new blood.
The new neighbor.
CHAINS (Forsaken Riders MC Romance Book 18) Page 6