Touch Me: A Bad Boy MC Romance

by Cristal Pierre

  The woman behind the glass narrowed her eyes at me as if suspicious. “Have I seen you here before?” She asked, twirling a pencil between her fingers.

  “Maybe,” I said quickly. I didn’t have time for petty small talk. I had to see Linda.

  “Linda Harris, you said?”

  “Yes, please.” I drummed my fingers against the counter. “I think she was brought in two nights ago. Friday.”

  “Just give me a moment.” She turned the computer screen toward her face, illuminating all the wrinkles and fine lines she had failed to conceal with makeup. She clicked a few times typing something in. Then she just stared at the screen, her eyes focused on something.

  “Do you think we could hurry this along? It’s kind of urgent.”

  “The computers are slow, sir. There’s nothing I can do about it.” She pressed her lips together in disapproval, obviously not appreciating the fact that I was rushing her.

  I sighed. “It’s just really important that I see her.”

  “She’s not going anywhere.” The woman’s voice was icy.

  I ground my teeth to keep from lashing out at her. I could feel my temples throb.

  Finally, the woman leaned into her screen, reading something. “Is she the lawyer that was brought in on a domestic abuse charge?”

  “Yeah, that’s the one. I want to pay her bail.”

  The woman looked slightly surprised, glancing at me up and down. “And where are you going to get that kind of money?”

  “Just tell me how much it is.” I had never met someone who had such a knack for getting under my skin, and I knew my fair share of Iron Horses.

  “$5,000.” She answered.

  I pulled out the wad of cash from my pocket, counting out the money. The woman stared at it a moment before she got up, moving toward a large filing cabinet. She took her time looking through a few folders. It felt like she was deliberately making this process slower than it needed to be. “Can’t you just take the money and let me see her?” I asked, looking down the hall. I knew how to navigate myself around this building well enough. I had been here plenty of times before. And I was certain the woman wouldn’t notice me… but still I needed to help Linda and breaking the law further would only make things worse.

  “You’ll have to fill out this paperwork before you can see her.” The woman handed me a clipboard and I quickly started to fill it out. She grabbed the money off the counter and started to count it. Just as I was finishing with the forms, a tall, lanky man joined us.

  “Are you here to see Miss Harris?” He asked.

  I nodded and together, we walked down the long hallway. Most of the cells were empty, but we did pass a few people who looked like they had been isolated for way too long. Their eyes were hollow inside their skull. Their limbs were thin and skeletal. One man even walked up to the bars, sticking out his hand, trying to grab the officer.

  I shuddered to think of Linda in this situation. Every time I was in jail, it didn’t really bother me. I was used to it, but Linda should have never set foot in a place like this.

  At the end of the hall, the man pulled out his keyring, going through it. I spotted Linda sitting down on her bed, staring at the wall. My heart seemed to break in half, seeing how wild her hair was. In her lap, her hands were carefully bandaged and my anger rushed to my chest once more. This was all my fault… if only I had stuck around.

  “Linda!” I called out, my voice sounding like it wasn’t mine I was surprised when she looked up at me, her eyes widening. She rushed up to the bars, holding onto them tightly.

  “Is it really you… or am I dreaming again?”

  The warden opened the door and I quickly stepped inside the cell, taking her into my arms and holding her tighter than ever before. I vowed to never let her go. I breathed in her scent, letting it calm me down.

  She wrapped her arms around my neck, her body shaking as she started to sob. “I… I thought I would be stuck in here forever… it was terrible…” Her voice cracked.

  I pulled away, looking into her tear-soaked eyes. Gently, I wiped her tears away. “Please, don’t cry.” It pained me to see her in such distress. “This is all my fault, but I promise that I’ll never let anything like this happen to you again.”

  “Your fault? How is it your fault… if I hadn’t pushed you away… then I wouldn’t have been alone that night…” She buried her face in my chest. “I was such a fool… I’m so sorry, Kyle.”

  I gently rubbed her back, trying to soothe her. “Let’s talk about this once we’re safe and sound at home, okay?”

  She nodded. The warden guided us to another part of the jailhouse where all of Linda’s possessions were returned to her. Holding her hand, I guided her outside, where my bike was still waiting for me. Linda blinked in the bright sunlight, tears once again coming to her eyes. “I can’t believe you came back for me…”

  “Of course I did, I came as soon as I found out what happened.” I held her cheek in my hand, rubbing my thumb across her skin. “I couldn’t just let you rot in jail… not after what you’ve done for me.”

  “But, I just kept pushing you away… I kept treating you like you were below me. I don’t understand how you could still want me after all that.”

  “Because I love you…” Without thinking about it, I leaned down and kissed her. Our lips came together like two magnets, making it easy for me to pour all the love I felt for this woman into the kiss. I held her close like I would never let her go again. I continued to kiss her, my fingers tangling in her beautiful blonde hair. My heart trembled, knowing deep down, that this was the woman I had always been waiting for and that I would be a damn fool if I allowed her to slip away.

  Our lips parted only when we were both gasping for breath. Our eyes locked and Linda stared at me, wide-eyed as if she didn’t know what to say.

  My heart tightened, realizing that I had probably made a mistake.

  She would never say it back…

  Chapter 18

  Linda

  “Do… do you really mean that?” I asked, my heart thumping hard. Had he really just said that he loved me? I tried to look into his eyes for confirmation, but suddenly, he pulled away from me.

  “Look, just forget it. Forget I said anything.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “You probably just want to go home.”

  “Kyle.” I grabbed his cheek, turning his head toward me. “Tell me what you said.” My heart had never beaten so fast. I held my breath, waiting for him to respond. “Please…”

  “I said… I love you.” He repeated, his cheeks turning a subtle shade of pink.

  So he had said it! My eyes widened and before I could stop myself, I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him close. “I… I love you too…” The words were difficult to utter as my brain was screaming at me, urging me to be rational, but I was done ignoring my heart. I loved this man – more than I loved anything else in the world and I wasn’t about to let him slip away from me. I tightened my grip on him, feeling like I never wanted to let him go.

  His body was tense for a moment before he wrapped his arms around me, his hands moving up and down my back. When he finally pulled away, there was a bright smile on his face. He leaned down, kissing the top of my head, sending butterflies swirling inside my stomach. I giggled, happier than ever before.

  “C’mon. Let’s get back to the warehouse before someone figures out that I posted your bail.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “If Daniel came after you once, he won’t hesitate to do it again.”

  “You really think he would do that?”

  “I don’t think – I know. Men like Daniel are not to be trusted. They’ll stoop to any low to get what they want. That’s why he waited until you were all alone to come after you.”

  “But what does he want?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know. If I had to guess, I would say he’s after some kind of power trip. He wants to be in charge of a motorcycle club and the only way he k
nows how to do that is by killing the current leader. Then, by pinning it on me he would have free reign over the town. But truthfully, I couldn’t care less what his little ego wants. All that matters is that you’re safe now and I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that it stays that way.” He pulled me tight into his arms, running his fingers through my hair. I shivered in delight, closing my eyes as my cheek rested against his chest. I could hear the soft sound of his heart and it made me smile, knowing that heart beat for me.

  “Let’s go home.” I looked up at him from under my eyelashes.

  “Do you mean your apartment…?” He raised an eyebrow, still holding me by the hips.

  “Wherever you go, I go,” I whispered. “I’m done pretending that you don’t belong in my life. You’ve changed me too much for me to go back to the life I once had.”

  “Are you sure?” He brushed his fingers against my cheek, caressing it softly. “I wouldn’t want to get in the way of you and your dreams.”

  “I’ve always wanted to be a lawyer, but before all that, when I was a little girl, reading fairytales and stories, I always wanted to be the princess that found her knight in shining armor and I think I finally did… even if he wears a leather jacket instead of chainmail.” I winked at him and we both laughed. He kissed me one more time before he hoisted me onto the back of his bike.

  I wrapped my arms around him once he was seated, nuzzling against him until our bodies locked together like two pieces of a puzzle. The engine of his bike roared underneath us, sending a spark of excitement shooting right through me. Maybe I was finally warming up to motorcycles – maybe deep down, I was learning to enjoy them.

  Kyle sped out of the parking lot, weaving through traffic. I held on tight, closing my eyes whenever he made a sharp turn. “Have you still not gotten used to my riding?”

  “It’s not something that happens overnight,” I shouted at him over the roar of the bike.

  “You’ll get used to it. If you say you love me… then you’ll have to learn to love bikes as well. Hell, maybe one day you’ll even learn to ride them.”

  “I doubt that. Plus, I much rather you drive. I like sitting behind you… my arms wrapped around you… our bodies close together.”

  “Do you now?” I could hear a hint of playfulness in his voice as he gave the engine a bit more gas, sending us flying down the road. The excitement that had initially crawled under my skin was now spreading to every inch of my body, causing my fingertips to shake.

  The wind whipped my hair all around me and I held on a little tighter. For a moment, it felt like I was gliding over the air. I enjoyed the sensation, knowing deep down, that my world was about to take a very dramatic turn. I had fallen in love with a biker. I had attacked a man – landed in jail – and probably lost all credibility as a lawyer, but none of that bothered me now that I had Kyle by my side.

  Chapter 19

  Kyle

  We reached the warehouse in record time. The garage doors were open so I glided the bike inside, rousing everyone’s attention. A few people simply acknowledged that I was there before getting back to work. Towards the back, Olivia was leaning against her counter, a smug look on her face as she took a sip of what appeared to be ice tea.

  I helped Linda off the bike before I walked over to her. “So, how does it feel to have a misdemeanor under your belt?” She playfully hit Linda on the shoulder. “I didn’t think you had it in you. But seven stitches, that’s quite a feat.”

  Linda blushed darkly at her comment. “Well, he had it coming, didn’t he?”

  “I just wished I had that kind of courage when I was dating that sleaze ball. It would’ve saved me a lot of pain and heartache.”

  “Well, we aren’t going to worry about him anymore,” I spoke up.

  “What do you mean?” She raised an eyebrow in question. “You pick him off or something?”

  “Of course not. You know I’m not that kind of man. I mean, if he ever shows his face around here, I’ll be sure to bash his teeth in, but I’m not going to seek him out just so I can get some revenge. One way or another, he’s going to get what he deserves. I mean, he probably has brain damage or something after the killer blow Linda gave him.” I chuckled, pulling her toward me. “It’s a miracle you didn’t kill him.”

  “I’m glad I didn’t… I wouldn’t want that on my conscious… no matter how bad the guy is.” Linda whispered softly.

  Olivia poured her a drink, handing it to her. “It’s okay, we don’t have to talk about him. I doubt he’ll show his face around these parts after what you did. He’s surely the laughing stock of various motorcycle gangs now.”

  I nodded. “But, just to be safe, I’m calling for a rollout.”

  “What?” Olivia spat. “But we’re all set up here. We have practically made this place our home.”

  “Yes, but you know how the Black Birds are. We’re always on the move. If it isn’t one city, then it’s the next and it’s time we migrate. We’ve gotten too comfortable – almost lazy.”

  “Are you sure about this? I mean, some people won’t be able to come along. They have families – jobs.”

  “Those who can will join me. I have no doubt in their loyalty. Spread the word. We leave tomorrow at five.”

  “Are you sure?” She asked once again. “This place is home to a lot of us.”

  “Home is never a physical place. It’s always where your friends and family are.” I leaned down, kissing the top of Linda’s head. “And my family is no longer safe around here. The Iron Horses are getting too strong, too quickly.”

  “So you just want to run away?” Olivia challenged. “That’s so unlike you, Kyle.”

  “No one said we’re running away. If we are to grow, we need to regroup, to go somewhere where we can get more recruits. This town has no opportunities for us anymore. It has served its purpose. The cops constantly keep an eye on us, the citizens shy away from us, and The Iron Horses are creeping on our territory. Scumbags like Danny are running amuck. I know a lot of people think we’re just a bunch of heathens, but I know we’re more than that.” Olivia listened to my every word, but still, she did not seem convinced. “Look, if you want to stay behind, I’m not going to force you to tag along. It’s your decision.”

  “No, I’ll go with you. Doesn’t mean I’m happy about it.”

  “It’s the biker way of life. We’re the modern-day gypsies. We go wherever the wind takes us.” I smiled at her before I grabbed Linda’s hand and led her up the stairs.

  “Are we really going to leave?” She asked once we were inside my loft. “I mean… everyone seems so settled. It looks like you’ve put a lot of time and effort into this place. Are you really ready to throw all that away because of Danny?”

  I stopped, gently pushing her against a nearby wall. “This isn’t about Danny. It’s about me – about you – about the Black Birds. We all need a fresh start. I want us to start our relationship with a clean slate.” I leaned in close to her, our lips gravitating together.

  Her blue eyes widened before she grinned. “Does that mean you think we’re in a relationship now?”

  “Aren’t we?”

  “I don’t know, are we?” She teased, curling a strand of hair along her finger. “What makes you think I want to be your girlfriend?”

  “Stop teasing me like this. It’s cruel.” I pushed her even closer to the wall, my hips pressing into hers. “You can’t deny the lust in your eyes… the way your heart beats fast whenever you see me… the way you stare at me… your lips dancing with desire. I know you want me, Linda. I know you love me. And I know that we can’t live without each other.”

  “So why are you just staring at me? Kiss me already.” She said in a firm tone. I laughed, letting our lips collide together. I loved how assertive she could be and at the same time, remain so adorable. My fingers tightened around her hips as our kiss intensified. This woman was like a drug. The more I tasted her – the longer I had her – the more I wanted.
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  I dragged her over to the couch, pulling her on top of me. The feeling of her body pressed against mine made my heart beat just a little bit faster. She pulled away from the kiss, her hands on my chest and a naughty glint in her eyes. “I don’t know how I was foolish enough to think that I could live my life without you…” She murmured, her lips finding my neck, slowly leaving a trail of kisses behind. “In a way, you’re the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

  “Oh?” I sneaked my hands under her shirt, feeling the soft skin of her lower back. As I waited for a response, I allowed my fingertips to run along her spine, eventually finding her bra. With a skilled hand, I undid the clasp.

  “Before you came along… my life was boring. I spent most of my days staring at legal papers. It was the same monotonous routine. To be honest, I was actually considering a career change before I met you.”