by Carly White
I couldn’t stay in the gym the whole day and I knew that I was going to go out there and see what it was that he wanted. As I walked out, he got off his bike and his head shined in the sunlight. He looked good in his regular attire. The leather vest let the tattooed biceps show and I bit my lip slightly from the look he gave me as I got closer. He looked to be slightly dazed when I walked up.
“You came.”
“Of course. Where else would I be?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. You don’t really want to go to lunch do you? I mean, I am not going to say anything to the police or anything if that is what you are worried about. I don’t know what you guys were fighting about, but I know that it isn’t any of my business. I am sure you had good reason to do what you did.”
“We did, but I am not worried about the cops. I am worried about getting to know you. Have you ever felt like you were meant to meet someone?”
“Not really.”
“You don’t feel that between us?”
I did, but I wasn’t going to admit it. “You are a very handsome man and I am sure there are many women out there that would love to be the one for you, but it’s not me. I am not into the whole bad boy thing.”
“I don’t want someone else. I want you. Besides, I am not a boy.”
It was a good answer. I have to give it to him. His words made me shiver inside and I found myself smiling.
“Now come on. Let’s go to lunch and we can talk more about it. I am sure we have something in common.”
I couldn’t think of anything that I would have in common with him. We seemed to be from two different sides of the tracks. I wished that he would tell me what it is he wanted, but he just kept saying how I was ‘the one’. “Fine, I will meet you somewhere. Where do you want to go?”
If he didn’t name a public place that I knew of, the deal was off. The more I stood next to him, Caspien towering over me and the skulls on his arms, the more I realized it was a bad idea. Why didn’t I just say no and walk away? I could do that of course, but there was part of me that didn’t want to. I didn’t want to walk away from him, even though I should.
“Just get on and I will take you there. You won’t even have to drive, just hold on.”
I looked from him to the motorcycle and shook my head. “No, sorry, I don’t do that.”
All I could think about was a wreck and flying off of it. I had always been afraid of motorcycles. They just seemed to take something as dangerous as driving and make it even more so. The idea of flying off is what made me shake my head again. “Come on. It’s not that bad. I will go slowly and you can hold on tight.”
This was madness, I was convinced. I didn’t even know him and he was talking about taking me away on his bike. After what I had seen him do the day before, there was no way that I should have gotten on the back of the bike. I should have said no and called the cops. But I didn’t. I did what I told myself I was not going to do and got on the back of the bike after he got on first. I settled in up against him and I knew then, what trouble I was in.
His body was hot against mine, everywhere our bodies touched, it felt like I was going to burn up. The engine hadn’t even started yet and I was lost in the moment and in the feel of him. The way our bodies fit together, it was hard not to notice every nuisance of his back as he told me to hold on. I leaned in further, my small breasts pressing against the back of him and all I could hope was that he could not feel the change in the small buds. My hands clasped around him barely and when he started the engine, there was a delicious vibration between my legs. It was my first time on one and it was not at all what I’d expected.
The ride itself was tough at first. I was scared to death the whole time and I was clinging to him far too tightly. Eventually, I just laid my head on his back and closed my eyes. It was really awful the first few miles, but eventually I opened my eyes and started to like the way it felt to have the wind blowing in my hair. He was not the type for a helmet and I had this crazy urge to rub his head and feel if it was as smooth as it looked.
I didn’t have time though. Sooner than I would have liked, we were stopping and he was pulling into a small bar that was blaring a loud rock and roll from inside. It was not the type of place that I would have ever gone to, but it seemed to be right up Caspien’s alley. There were several more men with the same gang name on the back of their jackets and I started to get even more nervous. It was one thing for him to know that I knew about them, but I wasn’t very comfortable with everyone there knowing that I had information that could get them arrested. It just didn’t seem to make much sense to take me back there, unless he had other plans than lunch.
Chapter 4
Eva
In truth I didn’t even want to get off of the bike, but it became clear that was where we were going and I didn’t have much of a choice. He waited for me to get off first and I finally did, my legs feeling slightly funny from riding for so long. It was a strange feeling, but I felt rather exhilarated from the ride and I could see there was a pleasure in it, a freedom that was not felt in a car or truck.
“So where are we?”
“Just a bar that I come to a lot. I know it looks a bit run down from out here, but they have some of the best food around. You will like it, I am sure.”
I nodded my head, not as sure as he was, but I was sure that the smile of his was very disarming and it made me smile back. All of the questions of why I was here died on my lips when he looked at me in such a way. I took his arm as he walked me into the swinging double doors that led into the dark interior. It was as I had expected it to be, so just being there made the hairs on the back of my neck go up. It was a place that I shouldn’t be.
There were so many eyes on me and I knew that I stuck out like a sore thumb. I had on my black leggings and a tank top, with my hair still a mess from the session. Next to Caspien, I looked even more out of place. As I took in the stares and leers, I found myself getting closer to Caspien. While he may have been as rough looking as the rest, I knew that I was safe with him. I was sure that he wouldn’t let anything happen to me. I’m not sure why I felt that way, but with him, I felt safe.
Caspien seemed to notice how close I was getting and why, so he put his arm around my shoulder. I felt like he was letting everyone know that I was with him and that somehow made me feel better, though his heavy hand was far too close to one of my breasts for my liking. I was too aware of him and everywhere that he touched me. Did he know what he was doing to my sense, or was he completely oblivious?
There was no answer as I followed him to the bar and the bartender was quick to come by and get our order. Several people at tables were still waiting for service, but Caspien seemed to be pushed to the front of the line. I wondered then, where he stood in the gang. The people around us are acting like he was the leader. He ordered for me and I wasn’t sure if it was kind of presumptuous or sweet. I decided I would make that decision when I tried it.
He asked a lot of question and I think he was genuinely trying to find some commonality that we had. He wanted us to be alike. He wanted me and from the looks that he gave me, I was sure that he really did want me. If I had to guess, I would even say it was for more than just a roll in bed, but I still couldn’t figure out why. Caspien kept talking about fate and knowing, but I wasn’t so sure that I believed in all of that. Fate seemed to be too easy. It seemed like an excuse for people that didn’t want to go out and get what it really was that they wanted in life. I’m not sure if I was ready for fate or anyone else to tell me who was my soulmate. I was going to decide that on my own.
“Did you like the ride?”
I nodded before meeting his gaze. The food was actually pretty good, but I was more enamored with watching the people and trying to avoid his eyes. “It was different. I thought I was going to die of fright at first, but I can see there are some good parts to it. A very freeing experience.”
He liked that answer. I could tell by the way he smiled at me like he
had converted me over. I didn’t tell him that I wasn’t looking forward to the ride back. “So do you come here a lot?”
“Yes. I am always here. Kind of like a second home.”
I tried to keep my eyes from taking in the surroundings again. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to think of a place like that as a second home, but I didn’t want to come across as a snob. He seemed to genuinely like the place, so who was I to say ill of it?
The conversation was strange in that there were no questions about what the other person did. I suppose that he already knew, as well as I knew in some ways what he did. It was what normal people would talk about on a date, but it was becoming clear that we were not normal. The date or lunch, whatever it was, was like nothing I had ever experienced before and I was still trying to figure out what I was even doing there. It was so against my character.
“So where do you live?”
“Oh, uptown. I just rent an apartment next to the park. It’s a nice area and all…”
I stopped talking, realizing that I was in one of the worst parts of towns and he would not relate to my need to clutch my purse a little tighter to me. It was not the sort of place that most people would be comfortable in. My side of town was definitely on the other side of the railroad tracks and it was becoming clearer the longer we talked.
“Don’t worry Eva. I do not get offended easily.”
“I bet. It looked like the guys in the gym had offended you guys in some way.”
He laughed, actually chuckled and had a faraway look in his eyes as if he was remembering a good time from when he was young. That should have gave me the indication there that he was up to no good. Caspien was downright happy over what had happened. No matter his reason, his justification, I should have seen it then.
“They didn’t offend us. They were just not supposed to be there and they knew it. So that was offensive and had to be dealt with.”
“Is that how you deal with everything, brute force?”
He leaned in close and it was the first time I thought he was going to kiss me. I wanted him to, waiting for it, but it never came. “Some things need a more delicate touch. The secret is learning which is which.”
“And me? What would I need? Force or touch?”
He moved back and looked at me strangely for a minute. Caspien looked at me like there was something he wanted to say or do, but he wasn’t sure if he should. “I think you need a little of both. A soft touch at first and then a hard finish.”
I don’t know why, but his words made me shiver on the inside. There was something about the way he looked at me when he said it or it could have just been the way his tone changed slightly when he said the word hard. Either way, it was enough to drive me absolutely crazy.
“Maybe.” What could I say to that? Once again, he was coming up with some really good answers and I was left to wonder what a hard finish with a guy like him would be like. I was already forgotten the violent man that I had first met. This one was different. Caspien was actually a delight to be around and a good conversationalist. That was harder to come by then a handsome man with a nice body.
“By the look in your eyes, maybe you do just need force.”
“Maybe.” I looked away, unable to hold his gaze and I tried to busy myself with others in the bar. The conversation had gotten as dangerous as the man.
“Why are you here?”
“Because you asked me to come.”
“Why didn’t you call the police?”
I looked over at him, trying to figure out where he was going with it. He was setting me up with his words and when I had asked myself the same question, I hadn’t had an answer then. “I don’t know.”
Caspien seemed happy with the answer. “I can’t tell you why I am so drawn to you either, but I am. I can’t think of anyone else that I would want to be with right now.”
“Not even that pretty brunette that keeps looking at you?”
He looked over and then back, no change on his face. “No one I would rather be with.”
I believed him and I felt the same way, I mean there I was, but it was hard to explain why I felt that way. Caspien was spouting soulmates. I had wondered when he first said it, if it was a type of line. I had heard it all in my dating days, but that was the first time it was said when we first met. It made me uneasy in a way. He didn’t know me, but thought that he was in love. I blamed it on the leggings. They did strange things to men’s minds.
Looking up at the clock, I was alarmed at how late it was. Where had the time gone? I felt like we had just sat down to eat and now it was time to go. Talking to him was like a time abyss and now I had to go back and do my second class of the day.
“I can’t believe how late it is Caspien, but I have to go back to work.”
“So soon?”
“Yeah, I have another class at 2.”
“So you teach yoga?”
I nodded. Finally he had asked what I do. I didn’t feel the same need to ask him the same thing. I didn’t want to know what he did, but I knew what men like him did, so there was no need to be told anyways.
I stood up next to him and waiting for him to pay or tip someone. When he went to leave, I pulled out some bills to put on the bar. It seemed strange to not pay, but he didn’t notice. Climbing back onto the bike, it wasn’t as bad as the first time. There was still trepidation, but it was because I knew I was going to be so close to him. It was not the ride, but the man on the bike that was driving me crazy.
When our bodies touched, it was different than before. I wasn’t so afraid that I couldn’t appreciate the hard lines and heat. Now I liked him, knowing he wasn’t just some tattooed biker and it made the touch more intimate. Or it changed the way I felt about it, but now I could enjoy it more and I found myself leaning more than I should and my hands gripped lower than before on his waist so my fingers could lay every so lightly on his hard need. When I made him jerk and then the whole bike jerked, I figured I should be good and moved them back up. Caspien grabbed my hands and pushed them back down and I could feel a rumble from something of a growl through his back.
I laid my hands on him gently and held on with a grip on his upper thighs. Caspien jerked underneath my touch, but he was able to maintain the trajectory of the bike the second time around. I was being naughty, I knew it, but I didn’t want to stop and it was clear that he didn’t want me to either. Who was I to go against what we both wanted?
The gym came into sight and it was like the whole lunch with him, over too quickly. I was starting to like riding on his bike, but I had a feeling I would like anything if he was with me.
Waiting until he turned the engine off, I slid off the bike and steadied myself on his shoulder for a minute as my legs got used to the ground again. “Thanks for lunch. It was nice.” It was far better than I thought it would be and I wanted to see him again. I waited for a few heartbeats for him to say or do something and when he didn’t, I turned to leave.
He grabbed my arm and pulled me back to him. “I don’t even get a kiss?”
My lips moved to his slowly, leaning in on the leather-clad bad boy. My eyes closed as our lips touched and it was the delicate touch that he was talking about. The kiss was whisper soft and it made me almost melt back against him. I suddenly didn’t want to go to work, needing to stay with him.
Then it was over and he was pushing me back to earth. “I don’t want you to be late. What time do you get done?”
“In about an hour.”
“Is that it for the night?”
I shook my head, hoping that he would want to do something later. After that kiss, I didn’t want him to go at all. Something had happened, a jolt had gone through me when we had touched.
“Yeah I do two classes at ten and two.”
“The rest of the day is yours?”
“Pretty much.”
“Do you have plans for tonight?”
I shook my head that I didn’t again. “Want me to come pick you up?”
There was no hesitation when I told him yes. I needed to be with him and that was all I could think about was what was next as I walked towards the building. I looked back once to see him watching me with those blue eyes and I shivered as I went in. It was as if my whole life had changed in that one moment, meeting that one person. Was that what it was, love, soulmates?
Shaking my head of the thoughts, I didn’t know what it was. But it was something. There was something between us and I wanted to see what it was more than anything.
Chapter 5
Caspien
I didn’t want to see her go, but I knew that she had business to take care of. She wasn’t the only one. My phone had been vibrating the whole time we were together and though I had caught the look of Desmond, I had ignored the look. While she was with me, I hadn’t wanted to take care of anything, but now that she was gone, it seemed I had an hour to take care of it. I didn’t have a number, an address and I cursed myself for not being more prepared. I just wasn’t thinking and now I was just finally starting to get my priorities back. A girl like Eva did that to a guy.
Pulling out my phone in the parking lot, I called back Desmond to see what he had wanted. I just hadn’t wanted to break up what was happening with her and he wouldn’t dare intrude if I didn’t want him to. Now I wished that he had as he told me what was going on.
Cursing out loud, I told Desmond that I would be right there. There had been a shoot out on the other side of town with one of my runners. It was unheard of. Everyone knew that he belonged to the Black Riders. It was clear that it was our enemy and they had taken it to the next level with a kill. I had made it clear before we got to the gym that we were not to kill anyone, but they didn’t seem to be playing by the same rules.
I had to push Eva out of my mind and by the time I got back to the bar, she was all but a memory. I couldn’t think about her and do what needed to be done. She already made me doubt my lifestyle, secretly wondering if it was even possible for me to have a relationship and settle down with the right person. I couldn’t when the business was so out of whack.