Oh, who am I kidding? He's not even that nice anymore when it's just us, he's always too busy dictating how I should behave when we go out or rehashing the ‘mistakes’ I made last time we were around other people. I have toyed with the idea of breaking up with him a lot over the last few months but I can’t face the inevitable drama that I know he is going to cause. I’m hoping that my recent acceptance into my first choice university and my subsequent move to Brisbane will bring our relationship to a natural conclusion without any hassle.
“Of course, I’ll love it. It’s from you, silly.” My peace keeping answer makes me feel like slapping myself. When did I become so fake?
I rip off the wrapping and then crack open the long, grey velvet covered jewellery box. Inside is a beautiful sapphire and diamond bracelet set in gold. I pull it out and hand it to Brendan to put on my right wrist so it can match with the commitment ring he gave me months ago. The bracelet probably cost more than repairing my bike did but I don’t love it nearly as much. I’m just not an expensive jewellery kind of girl.
I press myself against him in gratitude anyway.
“It’s beautiful, thank you so much.”
I’ve learned in the past that if I show him enough affection he might snap out of his mood. Giving him a quick kiss ends up being a mistake when he pulls me roughly to him and turns our kiss overly passionate against my obvious resistance. His tongue invades my mouth and he manhandles me until I am straddling his lap, his hands relentlessly kneading my backside.
Embarrassment rises within me, I don't want to kiss him like this in front of people since I don't even kiss him like this when we are alone. When I try to pull away he holds me tighter so I force myself to relax and go with it. The last thing I need is for him to make a bigger scene than he did outside. It won't go down well.
Someone clears their throat near us and I pull away to see Mik looking down at us with a strange look in his eye. I blush at the display he has just witnessed.
“I’ve requested our song, Lainey. Come dance with me?”
He holds out his hand, beckoning me.
As I start sliding off of Brendan's lap, I put my hand in Mik’s and try to stand. Brendan holds me on his lap by my hips before he swivels my head around by my chin and kisses me again. Mik pulls me towards him but Brendan holds me in place. His tongue feels like a worm invading my mouth and this kiss has none of the finesse of our previous. I can feel his erection growing under me as he grinds me ever so slightly back and forth on his lap. He is marking his territory and I feel awkward and self-conscious about Brendan touching me like this when Mik’s tightly holding my hand.
I push hard against Brendan’s chest and he lets me stand this time. I smile at him to keep the peace but he glares at me as he rises to his feet and shoulders his way past Mik. He heads out the front door and I breathe a sigh of relief at his departure. I grab Mik's arm to stop him following Brendan so he can put him in his place for banging him and thankfully he comes to a stop.
Shaking my head at him when he opens his mouth to question me, I tug his hand and lead him to the dance floor. Brendan has been giving me whiplash for months with his jealousy and nasty mood swings and as of now, I’m officially over it. I can handle what he throws at me but his blatant disrespect for Mik—who he's only just met tonight—is too much. I need to man up and bite the bullet. I've only been delaying the unavoidable.
As we are walking to the dance floor, Mik leans into me and I know he is going to try and ask me about Brendan’s display again. Luckily, I hear Mickey by Toni Basil start playing and I know immediately that this is the song Mik requested.
Laughing wholeheartedly, I drag Mik the last couple of metres to the dance floor, deliberately ignoring the look he gives me to let me know that he knows I’m evading his questions. Ever since I was a little girl, we’ve danced to this song. I used to stand on Mik’s feet and he would stomp around to the beat. Tonight we dance together like idiots, grinning at each other the whole time. It feels so good to be away from Brendan, just having fun. I almost feel like my normal self.
Before I know it, one song has turned into many and our antics have gathered a crowd of spectators. Benji gives Mik a high five and a slap on the back as he dances near us with two scantily clad club whores who travelled to our party with one of the Chapters.
Glancing around to see where Brendan is and thankfully not seeing him, I spy a group of women off to the side of the dance floor checking Mik out. It always makes me laugh when I see how grown women react to him. I know he’s scorching hot but their obvious ogling is hilarious and pretty desperate. I look to see if my horn dog of a best friend is eyeing them since knowing him he’ll probably take all three back to his room tonight.
Instead I find that his eyes are firmly on me, his gaze hot and sexual. He’s ogling me not them, and it makes me feel potently feminine. There are some really gorgeous women here tonight but he only has eyes for me. He brazenly winks at me when he notices that I’ve caught him.
I sassily wink back at him and then boldly run my eyes over him as we dance together, trying to get a rise out of him. I shock myself when my move backfires and I find that I’m attracted to what I'm seeing. I normally view him as asexual, accepting that he is gorgeous but not recognizing him as an attractive man I could actually become involved with, because he’s my best friend first and foremost.
Taking in everything that makes up the gorgeous package that is Mik, I mentally catalogue each part of him. He’s just over six foot and well-built with great abs that I have seen more times than I can count since he hardly ever has a shirt on. His arms are the most muscular arms I’ve ever seen. They put every other male I know to shame; covered with tattoos that travel from his elbows, over his biceps, across his shoulders and down his back and pecs. On most people such a large amount of tattoos would be off putting but they suit him perfectly.
His shoulders are wide and should really belong to a much taller man and his thighs look strong. His shaggy, copper brown hair is spiked and he has hazel eyes that show every emotion that crosses his mind. All of his physical attributes are set off by his baggy, dark blue jeans and his dark blue t-shirt with his leather cut worn over the top. He wears heavy black biker boots, which are the only shoes I ever see him wear.
He looks like a badass biker and I can’t help but compare his rough and tough bad boy looks against Brendan’s classical tall, dark and handsome country boy appeal. At this moment I’m sure which I prefer and it’s not my boyfriend.
Finally viewing Mik as a man has awakened feelings in me that I didn’t realize I had for him. My heart is racing and my stomach is fluttering with desire and longing. Heat is pooling between my thighs, making me aware of my own needs as a woman for the first time. My body is responding to him now even more than it did when he was stroking my stomach during our ride. I try to clamp down on my feelings because they’re wrong. Mik is my best friend and Brendan is my boyfriend for now. I shouldn't feel like this.
After my perusal of him I unconsciously close my eyes, completely lost in my confusing thoughts and feelings. A fellow dancer accidentally nudges me in the back, bringing me back to reality with a crash. Opening them, I discover Mik staring at me with hooded, desire filled eyes. I swear he can read every thought in my head and he’s as affected by them as much as I am. He gives me a sexy, lopsided grin, which sets off the kaleidoscope of butterflies who've taken up residence in my stomach even further, and then he winks at me.
“Come here, Angel,” he growls, pulling me into his arms as a slow song begins playing.
I go willingly and melt into him, with all thoughts of Brendan forgotten. The slow song finishes playing and another song comes on with a much faster beat. We ignore it and keep dancing with our bodies pressed together.
“Fuck, you're beautiful, Lainey. If only you knew what you do to me,” he whispers in my ear.
I can feel exactly what I'm doing to him as he presses against me, making me squirm with sensual deli
ght. The warmth of his breath combined with his words sends a delicious shiver through me.
My thoughts are jumbled and confused, and I'm not sure how to verbalize them. Instead I press my lips against his and kiss him. He places one hand on the back of my head and the other on my ass, pulling me into him as he kisses me back. We are practically dry humping on the dance floor but I don't care. This feels so right and I decide on the spot that I'm willing to deal with anything anyone throws my way to keep feeling like this. These are the feelings I've been searching for.
I reluctantly pull my lips from his and lay my head on his shoulder, sighing in contentment. One song blends into another and I’m lost in the music and the feeling of his hard body against mine until he leans in and whispers in my ear.
“Come with me, my Angel. I need to talk to you.”
Nodding vigorously in agreement because we definitely do need to talk, I motion with my head towards the back door. I can’t believe that I never realized that the man who could make me feel everything I've been looking for has been right in front of me for years. I’ve been trying to force these feelings with Brendan, even starting to think there was something wrong with me because they wouldn’t come despite his borderline obsessive affection for me.
Mik grabs my hand and we gather our things before he leads me out the back door of the hall. Night has come while we were dancing so using the darkness to our advantage we jump over the back fence and quickly walk —laughing like two sneaky children—to the Motel that Dad booked for everyone. I push away the tiny amount of guilt I feel at sneaking away from Brendan because as far as I'm concerned we’re over, he just doesn't know it yet. I haven't seen him since he stormed off earlier and he hasn't come to find me either which pleases me. After his display, I don't want to see him until he calms down enough for me to break up with him without too many arguments.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Lainey
Four and a Half Years Earlier
Mik walks me to a room on the second floor of the Motel, unlocking the door before leading me in. The door automatically re-locks as it closes behind us. Mik turns on a lamp and then pulls me towards the couch that occupies most of the living area. Throwing ourselves down, we stare at each other for a few seconds, before he pulls my legs over his lap and kisses me passionately. I return his fervour. Our tongues duel for a few minutes and then he pulls away and grins at me.
“Lainey, you have no idea how fucking long I’ve been waiting to kiss you properly.”
I smile at him impishly. I had no idea until tonight how I felt about him but looking back I can see that he has had feelings for me for a long time. The signs have been there for a couple of years—his blatant flirting, special gifts, surreptitious touches and invitations to visit. I’d firmly planted him in the best friend basket and didn't recognize them. Right now I’m kicking myself viciously, for wasting so much time looking for something that has been right under my nose for as long as I can remember.
Just sitting here kissing him has my body worked up in a way that Brendan has never been able to achieve.
“Mik.” I’m barely audible. “I know you want to talk but we both know what you’re going to say and I feel exactly the same. Instead I want to make up for lost time tonight before I face the drama this is going to cause.”
I know I’m being vague but hopefully he won’t make me spell out what I want from him. I’m making a spontaneous decision to follow my desires. I want to do what I want for once; not what my Dad wants or what my brothers need or what will keep Brendan happy.
“We don’t have to do that, Angel…”
He doesn’t get to finish his protest because I straddle his lap, bringing my lips to his and kissing him with every bit of desire I’m feeling. He immediately responds by pulling my chest to his and tangling his fingers in my hair. I run my fingers over his upper back and push his cut from his shoulders and onto the lounge beside us. Moving my body from his, my hands slide under his t-shirt. I can feel his muscles flexing as he runs his hands over every accessible part of my body. I try to pull his t-shirt over his head but he grabs my hands to stop me.
“Nuh, uh, uh beautiful, Lainey,” he says in a teasing tone before his face turns serious.
“I’m going to run the show tonight. I know this is your first time and I’m proud as fuck that you want it to be with me, but this isn’t exactly how I imagined we would be doing this.”
I pout at him in disbelief. This is just my luck. He somehow knows it my first time and he’s going to turn me down. The man I’m ready to be with is turning me down while the one I can’t bring myself to let in won’t back off! He smirks at my disappointment. Damn sexy man.
“We need to talk first then I’m going to make sure that the rest of this goes the way I’ve pictured it in my head.”
“I don’t want to talk, Mik…”
I trail off as he wraps my long hair around his wrist and then fists it hard enough at my nape to tilt my head back quickly. I go from looking at Mik to staring at the ceiling in zero point two of a second. His movement takes me by surprise but it doesn’t hurt. It actually turns me on, much to my mortification. I rub myself against Mik to alleviate the increased throbbing down there and he nuzzles my throat, before questioning me in a gruff voice.
“You have a fucking boyfriend. He's the ultimate fucking douchebag but he's still your boyfriend.” He's right and I have no defense so I let him continue. “I need to know what’s happening there before I can even think of making love to you. If this is a one off thing because you’re pissed at your boyfriend and want payback then I’m out!”
He nips my neck with his teeth, before he uses my hair to tilt my head again, bringing my gaze back to his. He gazes deeply into my eyes like he is trying to read my mind.
“I want you, not Brendan. I've never wanted Brendan like this. I’ll break up with him straight away. I promise!” I tell him determinedly. I honestly thought we both mutually understood that already but if he needs to hear the words, I am happy to provide them.
His eyes light up.
“You must have an idea how deeply I feel about you, Lainey? You’re my fucking best friend. You’re the one who knows me the best, the only person I can talk to sometimes. I wouldn't be doing this with you if I wasn't all in. You drive me fucking wild, you have for years but I’ve been waiting for you to grow up. If we do this, that’s it for me and you. You’re fucking mine and there is no going back. You’re in my world forever.”
His words send a shiver down my spine. It's funny how when Mik says almost the same words to me as Brendan does, I can have two such different reactions. The thought of being in Brendan's elitist world forever scares the crap out of me, whereas being in Mik's fills me with joy. And it's not because I’m naive to the world I will be putting myself in if I go ahead and let him claim me. I know the biker world, how they claim their women and that sometimes it can get dangerous. It’s a world that doesn’t follow the same rules as the rest of society.
My Dad is a hard, proud, and tough man—as is each man in the MC—and I’ve seen Mik slowly turning the same. Even though they may be hard men, they love fiercely and they love forever. I’ve seen this in action with my parents, even after their love was cut short by death. My heart skips a beat and my insides turn to churning liquid when I think of sharing the kind of love my parents had with Mik.
“I didn’t realise until tonight but I feel the same. I have for a long time, I was just blind to it. I want to be yours and I want you to be mine. Tonight.”
I lean forward and press my lips to his again. Kissing me hard he stands, picking me up as he goes as if I weigh nothing. He cradles me to his chest, with one arm behind my back and the other in the crook of my knees, holding me in the air. Laying my palm on his heart, I can feel it racing, the rapid pulse matching mine.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” he whispers against my hair. “I’m happy to wait until you’re ready.”
“I’m certain, Mik.
More than certain. Let’s make my birthday perfect.”
He searches my face, apparently looking for signs that I'm not telling the truth, and only when he appears satisfied does he stride into the adjoining bedroom. He lays me gently on the bed and then sits on the edge to take off his boots. I sit up and start unzipping one of my knee high boots. He puts a hand on my leg and stops me.
“Lay still. I’m going to look after you tonight. This is going to be all about you, Angel.”
His words make me squirm and heat floods my lower belly as I lay back down. I close my eyes as I try to contain the out of control throbbing between my legs. I’ve never felt like this and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit nervous.
I hear his belt buckle open and then his zipper working before his jeans drop to the ground followed by what sounds like his t-shirt. He climbs onto the end of the bed and then pulls my black boots off one by one. He kisses the ball of each foot as he removes my socks. I feel him move up the bed and then his fingers are at the bottom of my stomach, just grazing the skin between the waistband of my jeans and my shirt. He starts to unbutton my shirt, stroking my stomach with warm fingers as each opened button reveals a little more to his hungry stare.
“Would you believe that I’m so nervous my hands are shaking, Lainey?” He chuckles.
I open my eyes and he holds his hands up to show me their obvious shaking. His disbelieving expression makes me laugh. Mik has been with a lot of women so the fact that touching me has such an effect on him makes my heart swell.
He opens the rest of the buttons and then slips my shirt off my shoulders leaving me lying there with just my bra and jeans on. I’m more exposed than I’ve ever been with a man and I’m finding it hard to look at him so I squeeze my eyes shut. Planting a kiss on the end of my nose and then each collar bone, he kisses his way down my body between my breasts stopping at my belly button. He swirls his tongue in my navel and it sends a bolt of pleasure between my legs.
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