As he rounded the block twice looking for a place to park his sled, he caught a glimpse of red leaving the garage.
His second mistake was weaving through traffic while trying to catch up with her Vette since she drove like a madwoman. He planned on having a long talk with her about that. He was cut off once by a cab and almost T-boned by a city bus. He fucking hated everything about the city.
Now he hated it even more. He ground his back molars so hard, the muscles in his jaw felt like they popped.
At first, he thought she may be meeting a client. Especially since the restaurant was upscale. Kiki was definitely dressed for work with her typical tight skirt that fell just above her knees, her sexy-as-fuck stockings, and those higher-than-hell stilettos. And that fucking blouse... What man could concentrate with her tits hanging out like that?
Maybe one who wasn’t straight. But when he saw the man who approached her, there was no doubt he wasn’t gay. Nope. It took everything in Hawk’s power not to bust into the restaurant right then and there when the man in the suit wrapped his hand around her neck and kissed her.
Yeah, there wasn’t any tongue and it was on the top of her head, but fuck if any man should be touching her. At all.
And when the suit settled into the chair across from her, it wasn’t hard to miss him eye-fucking her.
Seeing how this guy was dressed reminded him, once again, she was way out of his league. He couldn’t even begin to compete with a man like the one who joined her at her table.
Hawk needed to leave. It did him no good to pace back and forth in front of the restaurant’s wide picture window like a crazed stalker.
The two valets stationed at the stand by the front door kept eyeballing him like he might rip their throats out. And, fuck him, he just might. Especially when the suit reached out and grabbed Kiki’s hand.
That fucker had intimate knowledge of her. And if he didn’t, he was trying to.
A low growl escaped his lips.
Ain’t gonna happen. No fuckin’ way.
Within three strides he was at the double doors to the restaurant, his hand gripping the handle hard.
“Uh...” one of the valets began. Hawk shot him a look and the valet’s jaw snapped shut.
Smart choice.
He yanked the door open and paused at the entrance when the hostess’ mouth dropped open.
Jesus. These people acted like they never saw anyone with a couple tattoos.
As he strode past the hostess stand, she called out, “Sir! Do you have a reservation?”
Hawk snorted and kept moving, his boots heading him in the right direction while his brain focused on the table in the far corner of the busy restaurant. The din that hit him when he first opened the door became a low murmur as he moved between the tables. Or maybe he was just that fixated on his destination.
Since eyeballs tracked him, he figured the first one was more likely.
Kiki’s fork, with lettuce and a tomato slice speared on the tines, was paused halfway to her mouth when she turned as if in slow motion. Her eyes widened when she saw him.
“Oh, look, it’s your boyfriend,” the man murmured with a frown, dropping his fork onto his plate with a clatter.
Hawk ignored him, his eyes pinned on Kiki as he stepped up to the table. “Yeah, babe. Got it.”
Kiki carefully set her fork down without breaking his gaze. “Got what?”
“The truth.”
She swallowed hard enough he could see it. “Hawk, what truth?”
He ripped his gaze from her throat back to her eyes and threw a hand out. “This is you. You don’t belong in my life.”
“What?” she whispered, her face becoming pale and her eyes wide.
“All this, babe. Can’t give it to you. Don’t wanna give it to you. Ain’t me. But it’s you. Deserve better. Deserve this kinda shit. Don’t deserve my kinda shit.”
“Jesus. Does he even speak English?”
Kiki’s gaze flew to the man across the table from her. “Landon!” she snapped.
Landon.
Right. Fancy name for a fancy guy. A guy with some serious scratch. One who could give Kiki what she needs and deserves.
It was clear to Hawk what she needed wasn’t a biker like him.
“Are you going to introduce me, sweetheart?”
Sweetheart? What the fuck.
His lip curled.
Some man in a monkey suit approached them and wearily sidled up to Hawk. “Sir,” he whispered. “You’re creating a disturbance. I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
Hawk looked down at the man, whose Adam’s apple bobbed wildly. “How am I makin’ a disturbance? Just standin’ here.”
The man’s face twitched. “About that... we... uh... we also have a jacket policy, sir.”
Sir. Hawk snorted. He tugged on his vest. “Wearing a vest.”
“Something with sleeves. And... preferably not in leather.”
“Gotta problem with cows? Can’t imagine that, seein’ you serve them on a plate here.”
Kiki pushed her chair back and started to rise. “Hawk...”
“No, babe. Stay here. Have your fancy dinner with your fancy guy here. I’m headin’ back home. Kept tellin’ myself we’re too different. Needed to be slapped in the fuckin’ face with it. Got the truth now. I’m good.”
“Hawk...”
“Can’t give you what he can. Need to be with him.” Jesus, it killed him to say that but it had to be said.
“See, sweetheart? Even he agrees—” Landon’s words stopped when Kiki glared at him. Landon raised his palms up in surrender.
“Don’t pass on somethin’ good, babe. You got it, keep it.”
“Plan on it,” he heard her murmur as he spun on his heel to stop embarrassing the fuck out of himself. He needed to get some pride and move the fuck on.
Hearing her say those last words made his chest cave in, his stomach churn, and his heart freeze as he weaved through the occupied tables on his way back to the front door. All eyes followed him on his exit, too.
“Nothin’ but a freak to ‘em,” he grumbled under his breath as he shoved the door open and stepped out into the night air.
He struggled to breathe as he stalked to his bike, kicked the starter and raced off into the night.
Chapter Thirteen
A whole week later and she had balls big enough to show up at his bar on a busy Friday night. For what?
She needed him to scratch another fucking itch?
Did she get bored with the suit, Landon, that quickly and get shot of his ass?
Maybe pretty boy couldn’t give it to her hard enough, rough enough for her liking and she had to come slumming to get some good coming.
He had known the second she walked in the door and his eyes had been automatically drawn to her. He could’ve met her halfway but he didn’t. He wasn’t giving her that. She had to come all the way to him.
However, he wasn’t the only one who noticed her immediately. The urge to beat the fuck out of every man who eyeballed her was strong as she swung her hips on her journey across The Iron Horse floor to where he was.
What she was wearing now wasn’t much better than the DAMC camisole-thingy she wore at the Dogs & Hogs event. As he watched her full tits bounce with each step, he had to put the mug he was drying down before it shattered in his hands.
She wore a white, snug button-down blouse that had such a deep V he was surprised her nipples weren’t playing peek-a-boo. Tight jeans hugged every line of her hips and thighs. Brown high-heeled leather boots covered her legs all the way to the knees. A brown leather belt cinched her waist, emphasizing her hourglass curves.
Curves he couldn’t get enough of.
Fuck me.
This woman had crawled under his skin and was now deeply infused in his blood.
He thought he could let her go after last week. Just like he foolishly thought he could let her go after she walked away the month before.
Watching her ap
proach the bar proved just how wrong he had been. Once again.
Even though there wasn’t one empty bar stool along the bar, when she stepped up, three men jumped to their feet offering theirs.
Figures.
Hawk gritted his teeth as the men fumbled over their introductions to her. The normally drunk and rude motherfuckers suddenly became perfect gentlemen. However, she only had eyes for him.
He ignored that pull and ripped his gaze from hers, grabbed a clean glass and poured her a Gentleman Jack on the rocks. Tonight, nothing was going to be neat.
He slid the glass in front of her. “On the house,” he muttered.
She reached for it before he could let it go and her fingers brushed against his. He allowed it for a moment then pulled away.
“Thanks.” Her voice, husky and low, shot right down into his dick. Which was exactly what she wanted.
“Get lost?” he asked.
“No. I know exactly where I am.”
She sure did. She was on the “wrong side of town” for one reason and one reason only.
And, fuck him, he wasn’t going to be able to resist giving her what she wanted.
“Wanna deal with my shit only when it benefits you,” he muttered.
“It’s going to benefit you, too,” she said softly with a small smile.
Yeah it was. Fuck him.
“Talk,” he muttered with a frown. He couldn’t believe he was encouraging a woman to talk, usually he was trying to get them to shut up.
“It wasn’t what you think it was.”
“Wasn’t thinkin’ much of anything.”
She gave him a look. She didn’t believe him. Hell, he didn’t believe him, either. That’s because he was lying out of his ass. He’d hardly slept in the last week. He hated coming home to an empty bed as much as he hated waking up in one, too.
He looked at the woman in front of him. It wasn’t just coming home to an empty bed. It was coming home to a house without Kiki in it.
Fuck him. She had him by the fucking balls and she probably didn’t even know it.
“Landon’s my ex-husband.”
Hawk cocked an eyebrow, but kept his mouth shut.
“I didn’t invite him to dinner to get back together with him, Hawk. I was there to get him to sign the divorce papers.”
“He sign ‘em?” Because if the asshole didn’t, both he and Diesel could help him hold the pen.
Kiki sighed. “Yes. Finally. Two whole years of asking and it took you showing up to convince him.”
“Didn’t convince him of shit.”
“No, but I did. Because of you.”
Because of you.
“Makin’ a mistake, Keeks. Can’t give you any of that shit.”
“You don’t have to give it to me, I’m capable of getting it on my own if I want it.”
Hawk’s jaw tightened. He was the one who was supposed to provide for his woman, for his ol’ lady. She wasn’t supposed to be forced to get it on her own. Jesus. He might as well tuck his balls up into his pussy. “Don’t work that way, babe.”
“In my world it does. Take it or leave it.”
“Right,” he grunted. He’d have to think on that one. He knew he wouldn’t be thinking too long or too hard on it. He took care of his woman. Period. “Why’d you get shot of his ass?”
Her fingertip traced the rim of the whiskey glass, her eyes avoiding his. “He slipped and fell into a nineteen-year-old named Karin.”
“Fuck,” he muttered. Who wanted a teenager over a more mature woman who knew what she was doing in bed and did it well? And who had a body that wouldn’t quit with all its soft curves and who got wetter than the Allegheny River.
His dick twitched.
A stupid fuck, that’s who.
“So, what’re you here for?”
“You,” she said softly, peeking at him from under her eyelashes.
Fuckin’ goddamn. His dick wasn’t just twitching. He now sported a full-blown hard-on.
Just what he thought, she just wanted some dick. Well, fuck him, he was going to give it to her.
Digging into his jeans’ pocket, he pulled out his house keys and slapped them onto the bar next to her glass. “Got an hour before I can get outta here. Go get yourself warmed up.”
Her gaze rose from the keys to lock onto his. The look in her eyes made his gut twist.
“I can wait,” she murmured.
He shook his head. “No.” He wasn’t going to get anything done if she sat there surrounded by men who would fall all over themselves in front of her.
“I can wait, Hawk,” she repeated, this time more firmly, but still more quietly than normal.
Her feistiness seemed to be gone tonight, leaving behind a soft, pliable woman who was subdued. Not at all like her normal self. It made him wonder what was up.
Maybe she wasn’t proud of herself for having to come down to his level to get laid.
She might not want it any longer from her ex but he couldn’t imagine that ol’ Mikey from her law firm wouldn’t offer up his.
It is what it is.
“Don’t want you here. Want you in my bed waiting.”
She took a sip of her drink, avoiding his eyes.
Something was definitely up. He softened his tone. “Babe. Do this for me, yeah?” Otherwise, he’d be dealing with an unruly cock, too.
Her gaze tipped back up to him. And there was something behind her eyes he couldn’t quite get a bead on. “Okay.”
Relief flowed through him. “An hour. Tops.”
“Okay,” she repeated. Tipped her glass to her lips, drained the liquid, then pushed to her feet.
Then he and the rest of the men in the bar watched his woman walk back out the same way she came in. Everyone seemed to take a collective breath once the door closed behind her.
Fuck him.
* * *
Kiki pulled into Hawk’s driveway, put the car in park and sat staring at the house. The living room was lit up so she assumed Jazz was home. Her eyes flicked to the keys she had thrown onto the passenger seat. She didn’t need his keys after all.
“Don’t pass on somethin’ good, babe. You got it, keep it.”
And that’s exactly why she went to the bar tonight. Even though her brain kept telling her that this was mistake, that it wouldn’t last, her heart kept laughing at her and saying otherwise.
There had been a hole inside her for the past week after watching him walk out of the restaurant and that emptiness had turned into an ache as soon as she stepped through the door at The Iron Horse, as soon as she’d seen him working behind the bar.
She needed to stop denying that pull between them. She didn’t even know whether Hawk himself wanted something more than what they had. Something regular. Possibly even permanent.
Now that she was officially free of Landon since she had filed the signed papers this week, permanent was a possibility.
She shook her head and blew out a breath. She had no idea how all of it would work. They lived in two different worlds.
Yes, she was focused on her career right now, but she eventually wanted kids, a family. She looked at the house again trying to imagine raising children in a house like this in the ‘burbs. With a man like Hawk.
The doubt niggled at the back of her brain again. It would never work.
Not only were they worlds apart, he was too domineering, too possessive. Would that eventually make her bitter? And possibly even tear them apart?
She unfastened her seat belt and leaned forward, pressing her forehead against the steering wheel.
She had no idea how to approach him with all these things she’d been contemplating. She’d had a million conversations in her head, trying to work through it. She’d hardly slept a wink.
When she decided to head to The Iron Horse tonight, she wasn’t sure what her final decision would be. Whether seeing him in his element would cement the fact that they just didn’t belong together, like he kept insisting, and that she needed to m
ove on. Or whether when she saw him, she would want to do whatever was needed to get back into his bed, into his life. The decision had been clear the minute she saw him.
Her heart had exploded and warmth of her love for him seeped out of every pore of her body. Now, she could only hope he felt the same way.
And then they’d have to deal with the rest.
That hour she would have to wait for him was going to seem like an eternity.
Without warning, her driver’s side door was yanked open and she expected to see Hawk standing there.
Instead, a hand reached in and a deep gruff voice yelled, “Get outta the car, bitch!”
She was grabbed and yanked out of the car and thrown roughly to the ground. Even in the dark, she recognized the Warrior who tried to steal some of the money at the fundraiser. The one that grabbed her and Slade knocked out.
Ice ran through her veins and she screamed, hoping Jazz would hear her and call 911.
“Shut the fuck up!”
“Just take the car!” she cried out as she attempted to climb to her feet.
A heavy boot kicked her in the chest, knocking her back on her ass with an oomph. “Shut the fuck up! What the fuck!” His head turned as he looked toward the road.
Kiki looked the same direction, still trying to catch her breath from the kick, and saw a van along the road blocking the driveway with someone in the driver’s seat.
That person yelled out of the window, “Grab the car. Let’s go!”
“This is the bitch with the money!” the one standing over her yelled back. “I’m taking her with.”
Holy shit!
Kiki wheezed as she tried to suck in air. She rolled onto her hands and knees and attempted to crawl toward the house. A boot kicked her in the head, knocking her down flat. “Comin’ with me, bitch.”
Then his voice was low and near her ear. “Paybacks are a bitch, you cunt.”
“Just take the car... leave me.”
The man laughed sharply. “Shut the fuck up.”
“No... I—” Movement caught her eye and she looked up to see Jazz running out of the house toward them, barefooted, hair flying wildly behind her, her cell phone in her hand. “No... Jazz,” she groaned.
Fuck. She never should’ve shouted her name.
Down & Dirty: Books 1-3: Dirty Angels MC Series Box Set Page 53