by Wilder, L
Smolder- A Devil Chaser’s MC Romance
Copyright 2014 L Wilder and Brooke Asher
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This book is a work of fiction. Some of the places named in the book are actual places found in Paris, TN and Kentucky. The names, characters, brands, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and owners of various products and locations referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people.
Thank you for purchasing my book. This book is part of a series, but it is a stand-alone romance. You can check out Inferno: A Devil Chaser’s Romance if you would like a better picture of what is happening in the story line. Be sure to check out our Facebook page.
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Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1- Renegade
Chapter 2- Taylor
Chapter 3- Renegade
Chapter 4- Taylor
Chapter 5- Renegade
Chapter 6- Taylor
Chapter 7- Renegade
Chapter 8- Taylor
Chapter 9- Renegade
Chapter 10- Taylor
Chapter 11- Renegade
Chapter 12- Taylor
Chapter 13- Renegade
Chapter 14- Taylor
Chapter 15- Renegade
Chapter 16- Taylor
Chapter 17- Renegade
Chapter 18- Taylor
Chapter 19- Renegade
Chapter 20- Taylor
Chapter 21- Renegade
Chapter 22- Taylor
Chapter 23- Renegade
Chapter 24- Taylor
Chapter 25- Renegade
Chapter 26- Taylor
Chapter 27- Renegade
Chapter 28- Taylor/Renegade
Chapter 29- Taylor
Chapter 30- Renegade
Chapter 31- Taylor
Chapter 32- Goliath
I dedicate this book to my mother.
Mom,
Your strength amazes me.
Your light guides me.
Your love surrounds me.
I would be lost without you.
Thank you for all that you do.
Smolder
Smolders; smoldered; smoldering
: To burn slowly without flames but usually with smoke
Literary
: to feel a strong emotion but keep it hidden
: to be felt strongly by someone without being directly shown or expressed
: to be attractive in a sexy way
(Cited from learnersdictionary.com)
Prologue
(5 years earlier)
What is it that makes us want the things we just can’t have? Until I met Taylor, I’d never taken the time to give it much thought. If there was something I wanted, I went after it. When she walked into my life, everything changed. I felt like my whole world was turned upside down. She was my best friend’s sister, and I knew I had just met the one girl I could never have. I think the universe was just trying to fuck with my head.
That afternoon, Ace had wanted to borrow some of his dad’s tools so he could install a new upgraded muffler on his bike. He’d always thought his dad’s tools were better than what we had at the clubhouse. They were really close, and I had to admit I’d always been a little jealous of their relationship. Ace used any excuse he could find to spend time with him. When he was just a kid, his dad had given him the nickname Ace, and it’d stuck. Now, everyone used it.
He’d asked me to come along to his parents’ house so I could help him with the muffler. Ace was always working on that damn bike of his. I mean, yeah, it was pretty fucking awesome, just a little much for my taste. I’m just like my bike -- what you see is what you get. I didn’t consider myself to be a work in progress. Ace was a different kind of man entirely. He was always trying to make himself better, and I admired that about him.
We were focused on his bike when Taylor came barreling out of the house looking like someone had just pissed in her Cheerios. The minute I laid eyes on her, I knew I would never be the same. She ignited a fire inside of me that I’d never be able to put out. Without a doubt, she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. I didn’t have any business checking her out like I did, but I couldn’t help myself. She was wearing one of those short tennis skirts that showed off her long, tan legs, and her tiny tank top barely covered her abdomen. Damn, it’s so sexy when a woman doesn’t mind showing a little skin.
Her blonde hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail and her blue eyes were fixed on Ace. She marched right over to where we were working and gave him a questioning look.
“You know I have that big meet today, right? I thought you said you were gonna take me… or did you forget?” Taylor asked as she stared down at him with her hand on her hip.
“I can’t do it today, Sis. I need to finish this, and then I have to get back to the clubhouse,” he replied without looking up from his bike.
“Really, Ace? You know I was counting on you. My car is still in the shop, and Mom is working at the office today. I need you to do this for me. You know we’re playing against Caldwell County. I’ve gotta beat that stuck-up heifer today, especially after all the bragging she did about beating Jenny. She’s not gonna know what hit her when I show up. That is… if I show up!” she explained.
Ace grimaced and said, “I told ya, I can’t do it today. I got shit I gotta do. Go get one of your girls to come get ya, or call one of those guys you’re always talking to on the phone.”
“I’ve gotta be there in twenty minutes! I don’t have time to find somebody else. I really need you to take me. Please,” Taylor said, a pleading look on her face. “Besides, if you take me, you can see if that new shotgun muffler is worth a shit. I still say you should have gotten the staggered dual mufflers. They were really awesome.” I was impressed that she knew something about motorcycles. Most girls could care less. They thought that bikes were hot, but they never took the time to learn anything about them.
“Shit. You know you’re a real pain in the ass.” Ace stood up and brushed his hands off on his jeans. He quickly started putting his tools away. “I’ll drop you off, but you’ll have to find another way home.”
Ace turned to me and said, “You mind if we swing by the school? If I don’t do it, I’ll never hear the end of it.”
“No problem,” I said. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Her pouty lips turned up into a sexy smile. She knew she had him wrapped around her finger. I didn’t know why he even tried to tell her no. We both knew there was no way he was going to let her down.
“Thanks, Ace. Let me go grab my stuff, and I’ll be ready to go,” Taylor said as she turned to run back in the house. Her skirt swayed when she moved and showed a hint of her ass. This girl was really doing a number on me.
Just as she got to the door, she turned back to look right at me and said, “By the way, my name’s Taylor. My brother tends to be a jerk face and always forgets to introduce me to his friends.” She tilted her head to the side as the corners of her mouth curved into a smile. She put her hand on her hip and raised her eyebrow as she waited for me to respond.
I stood there just staring at her for a moment before I said, “Renegade.”
“Well, nice to meet you, Renegade.” My heart raced as her eyes skirted up and down checking me out. I could tell by the look on her face that she liked what she saw. When her eyes finally met mine, she smiled and asked, “You got a real name?”
I hadn’t gone by Noah Hudson since the night I lost everything. I don’t even know why I told her, “Noah.”
“Noah…. Yeah. I like that. I’ll be just a second,” she said as she disappeared into the house.
The minute my named slipped from her lips, I was done. My mind was racing a mile a minute. I wanted reach out and touch her just to make sure she was real. I wanted her to come back outside so I could see her again. I wanted to pull her close and press my lips against hers and feel her body pressed against mine. I imagined her on the back of my bike with her arms wrapped tight around my waist, and I couldn’t help that I wanted her to be mine. I know it sounds crazy. Even now, I don’t understand it.
I stood there staring at the front door. It was like my mind wouldn’t process what had just happened. I knew it was fucked up. Hell, she couldn’t have been much more than seventeen years old, and there I was drooling over her like a school boy with his first hard on. Ace knocked me out of my stupor when he punched me in the arm.
“Don’t even think about it, man. She’s my baby sister, and she’s off limits. I should cut off your dick for even looking at her like that,” he said with a chuckle.
“Whatever, man. I wasn’t looking at her like that. Hell, she’s just a kid.”
“I know the look. That look only means trouble. Besides, she’s a heartbreaker, dude. She’d have you running in circles chasing your tail without even breaking a sweat. What can I say?” Ace said as he shrugged his shoulders and patted his chest. “She learned from the best.” He lifted his leg across the seat of his bike and started the engine.
“Go to hell, Ace. You know I don’t have a problem getting pussy. I don’t have any interest in chasing my tail or your kid sister.”
“Ahhh... shit, man. I’m just messing with ya. You know I trust you, besides she’s a handful. I wouldn’t wish her on my worst enemy.”
“You’re so full of shit,” I laughed. “I know you’re crazy about her. It’s written all over your face. She’s lucky to have you looking after her.”
There was no way I could tell Ace what I was really thinking about his sister. When everything fell apart two years ago, Ace was there to help me pick up the pieces. I thought I’d never get my life back together, but he was there when I really needed help pulling my head out of my ass. I was basically homeless when we’d crossed paths at the diner in town. He could tell I was having a hard time, so he struck up a conversation with me. We talked for a few hours, and later that day he introduced me to Bishop and the Devil Chasers. We prospected together and became brothers later that year. Meeting the Devil Chasers was the best thing that ever happened to me. Ace was my best friend, and I would put my life on the line for him.
He was someone I always looked up to. There was no way I could tell him what I really thought of his sister. I knew I wouldn’t betray his trust, and to be honest, I knew I would never be good enough for Taylor in the first place. The shadows of my past make me less than worthy of any woman, especially someone like her. Taylor had the world in the palm of her hand, and I would only hold her back. She didn’t need someone like me standing in her way. So, yeah, the universe was definitely fucking with my head. For the first time, I wanted something that I just couldn’t have, and there was nothing I could do about it.
Chapter 1
Renegade
The clubhouse was quiet. The jukebox was playing some depressing country crap, and it was getting on my last damn nerve. I have been sitting at the bar drinking my beer for over thirty minutes, and no one even walked by. The issues with Duce were taken care of, so everyone was spending their time working in the new garage. Duce had been the president of the Diablo’s MC, and he’d caused all kinds of hell for us over the past few months. He was a nut case who’d tried to burn down our garage when our president, Bishop, had decided to stop making gun deliveries in his territory. He’d followed that by blowing up Bishop’s bike and even kidnapping his old lady. It was still hard to imagine that Duce would do all that to his own sister. Man- that guy was a bucket full of crazy. Goliath took him out when they rescued Tessa, so luckily he wasn’t a problem for us anymore.
I felt my phone buzzing in my back pocket, and I almost ignored it. I was enjoying the peace and quiet. I decided I’d better answer it, in case Bishop was looking for me. As the new Sergeant of Arms, I had to be there whenever he needed me.
When I looked at the screen, I was surprised to see that it was Taylor calling me. I hadn’t heard from her since Ace’s funeral. She’d been pretty pissed at the time, but I hoped that she had just been hurting and looking for someone to blame.
“Hello?”
“Hey Renegade. It’s Taylor.”
“Yeah, your name on my phone told me that much. How are things going? I haven’t heard from you in a while.”
“Things are getting better, I guess. Mom and Dad have gotten back into their old routines, and Mom is crying less every day. I’m liking my new job, so I guess we’re all adjusting.”
“That’s good. I’m glad your folks are doing better.” I wondered why she was calling. I wasn’t one to beat around the bush, so I just asked, “So, you call to chat, or do ya need something?”
“Well, I was wondering if I could come see you for a couple of days. Maybe even a week.”
“Sure, I’ll get you a room ready at the house. You can come and stay as long as you need to,” I told her as Bishop walked over and sat with me at the bar.
“Thanks. I was hoping you’d say that.” I could hear the worry in her voice.
“Is anything wrong? Do you need me to come there?” I asked as Bishop gave me a questioning look. I’m sure he was wondering who I was talking to.
“No, everything’s fine. I just need to get away for a few days. I thought I would come hang out with you and the guys for a little while. I plan to leave here around 11, so I should be there around 1.”
“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow around 1 o’clock. Be careful.”
I hung up the phone and laid it on the bar. Something was up. She didn’t sound like herself.
“What’s that all about?” Bishop asked me.
“That was Taylor. She asked if she could come visit for a few days, maybe a week.”
Bishop raised his eyebrows. “What’s up with that? Y’all got something going?”
“No. It’s not like that, man. Even if I had a thing for her, she’s Ace’s sister. No way I could let anything happen with us.”
“You know Ace would be okay with it. She seems like a nice girl, and she’s beautiful… and it seemed like you had more than brotherly love for her when she was here for the funeral.”
“Yeah, I’ve had feelings for her for a while. She even wanted us to get together a few years back. I thought about it. I mean, really thought about it. At the time, I just couldn’t jeopardize my friendship with Ace. If I’d hurt her, he would’ve killed me. I’m the last thing she needs. You know I’ve never been one to settle down, and I don’t see it happening anytime soon.”
“Why is she coming here then?” Bishop asked.
“She has something going on. I could tell it in her voice. She wouldn’t tell me about it, though. She just said she needed to get away for a while. I told her she could stay at my place as long as she needed to. I’ll figure out what’s going on and help her if I can.”
Bishop nodded. “Keep me posted. If there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know.”
“Thanks. How’s Tessa doing with the move? Are the kids liking your place?” I asked.
“She’s doing better. That whole deal with her brother has really messed with her head. It’s going to take some time for her to g
et past all that. The kids are doing great, though.”
“She seems like she’s fitting in just fine with the guys. They all like her. I’m happy for you, man.”
“Thanks, that means a lot. You got anything that needs to be brought up in church tonight?” Bishop asked.
“Not that I can think of. Been pretty quiet around here,” I told him.
“Thank fuck for that. I’ll see you tonight,” Bishop said as he got up and went to his office. I finished up my beer and thought about what I needed to get things ready for her. I’d be staying at the clubhouse while she was at my house. I didn’t need to be tempted while she was here. Just knowing she was going to be sleeping in my house made it hard for me to think straight. She’d always been beautiful, but now she wasn’t a kid anymore. The young girl I’d met years ago had changed into a knockout. Keeping my distance while she was here was going to be tough, but I couldn’t let myself go there with her. She’d already been through enough.
I went back to my house and spent the night trying to make the place look presentable. I’d never brought a woman home, so I wasn’t sure what she’d think of the place. It’s pretty comfortable, but it’s far from decorated. I never saw the need to fix the place up. I’m rarely there, so I didn’t see the point. I changed the sheets on my bed and stocked the fridge with foods I thought she might like. I finally crashed on the sofa when I had the place looking better.
I woke up with the sun blaring through the cheap shades in my living room. I’d overslept. She was supposed to be at the clubhouse in half an hour, so I decided to take a shower and head back before she got there. I didn’t want to be late meeting her.
When I got back to the clubhouse, though, there was no sign of Taylor. Crack Nut Bobby was playing a game of pool by himself, so I decided to join him. I grabbed a beer and a pool stick and walked over to him. “Wanna play a round?”