by Tonya Brooks
Shelly didn’t care what her date said. She’d bet her 401K that Easy’s sister was a prostitute. The way she was looking at Luke like she could jump him right there at the table did not improve her opinion. In fact, it made her even more determined to prove her point. “So, tell me, Easy, what do you do?” She asked curiously.
“I'm an analyst,” was Easy’s standard response to that question.
“What do you analyze?” Shelly pressed and knew the woman before her did not have any decent sort of job.
“Massive amounts of constantly changing data,” she replied with practiced ease. “It can be very tedious.”
Shelly nodded encouragingly and was not about to settle for those vague answers that told her nothing. “And you work for...?”
“An agency in Virginia,” Easy responded.
“Oh, really,” Shelly said doubtfully because she knew the other woman had to be lying. “What kind of agency?”
“If I told you that, I'd have to kill you,” Easy said in amusement and everyone except Shelly got the joke. From the sour look on her face, the woman didn't have a sense of humor. No. She was definitely not the right woman for Luke. And it was time for a change of topic. “What about you? What do you do, Shelly?”
“I'm a CPA,” she admitted proudly.
Easy couldn't even fathom the boredom of keeping track of other people’s finances, so she nodded politely in response and inquired, “Are you a native of Lakeside?”
“Yes. I've lived here all my life,” she replied and scooted her chair closer to Luke when someone bumped into her from behind.
“I can't imagine living in one place that long,” Easy confessed absently and fought the urge to rip the other woman’s face off because she was close enough to touch Luke. She was seriously shocked at the jealous reaction and wondered when the hell she had become so bloodthirsty.
“Move around a lot, do you?” Shelly asked in a derisive tone as if she had suspected as much.
“I've lived all over the world and never found a place that felt like home.” Easy replied and wasn't even aware of the wistful tone that had crept into her voice. “It must be nice to have roots.”
“Surely your job keeps you in Virginia.” Shelly said sarcastically since she didn’t believe there was any such job to begin with.
“Actually it requires me to travel. I'm never in my apartment long enough to keep a plant alive much less form an attachment to the place,” she confessed.
“Where do you go?” Shelly queried. From one man’s bed to the next if her guess was right, she thought nastily.
“Where ever the job takes me,” she evaded answering directly.
Shelly was beyond frustrated with not getting a straight answer out of the other woman so she changed tactics a bit and said, “It must be hard to maintain a relationship when you travel so much.”
“It can be,” Easy agreed and her eyes strayed to Luke of their own accord. “So far I haven't found a man who’s worth the effort.”
Shelly could only imagine the type of men the other woman dated. Trailer park trash came to mind. “Perhaps you should consider raising your standards,” she suggested with a malicious little smile, looped her arm around Luke’s and rested her hand atop his forearm in a blatant show of possession.
“That could be difficult.” Dizzy inserted defensively and was fed up with the other woman’s condescending attitude. “Her former fiancé was a prince. The only thing above that would be a king and there aren't many of those available.”
The idea was so ridiculous that Shelly laughed, but no one else at the table seemed to think Dizzy was joking.
“You were engaged to a Prince?” Brett couldn't help asking.
“Until he took exception to my Harley,” Easy confessed with a wry smile. “After that he lost all his charm.”
“You're joking.” Shelly said in shock and could not believe the woman seated across from her had actually met royalty, let alone been engaged to one.
“Oh, no, it’s true,” Easy informed her seriously, but her words were meant for the handsome man whose hungry gaze was burning a hole through her even though the woman he preferred was by his side. “I want a man who loves me just the way I am and I won’t settle for anything less.”
“But you gave up a prince for a motorcycle!” Shelly exclaimed in astonishment that anyone would have made such a foolish choice.
“The loss was his.” Luke said seriously and saw his date's stunned expression.
“Luke, he was a prince, for God's sake,” she pointed out as if he were daft. Hell, she'd sell her soul for a chance like that.
“He was a fool,” he assured the woman beside him solemnly and nodded at Easy. “She'll always be the one that got away.” That statement left Shelly completely speechless to everyone's eternal gratitude. Luke and Easy exchanged a look of understanding and he saw her eyes darken with sadness. Yeah, Luke was a fool for letting her get away and he knew it. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a choice.
The rest of their party arrived then and it seemed like they were in the mood to have a good time. Luke was not. For some damn reason, Shelly couldn’t seem to keep her hands off of him. Not that she was doing anything overt or sexual like Easy had, but she just kept touching his arm or his hand and had even leaned against his side until he’d casually shifted his chair further away. It was irritating the hell out of him.
He knew the woman sitting across from him had noticed. Every time Shelly touched him, Easy’s eyes darkened with emotion. He wondered if she were jealous and knew damn well he would be if she was with another man. Just the thought of it was enough to make him want to crush something. No, his mood was not getting any better and it only got worse when the band took the stage.
John opened the set with Smack That and Brett practically drug Easy onto the dance floor. God have mercy Jesus, could that woman move that sensuous body. When she shook that leather covered ass invitingly and then reached back and smacked it, Luke started ordering doubles. Mark nabbed her for the next song and watching her dance to Hot In Here and imagining Easy peeling out of that damn leather had Luke breaking out in a cold sweat.
John stepped off of the stage to claim a dance with her while the band did Tonight I’m Lovin’ You. Judging by the look on his little brothers face, John was ready to put the song into action. The hell he was! Luke was on his feet and ready to rush onto the floor and claim his woman before he realized what he’d done. At this point he could either dance with Shelly or go home. The hell with that. There was no way he was going to leave Easy to his man whore brother.
He grabbed Shelly’s hand and led her onto the floor, but his glittering eyes never left the other couple. Luke gnashed his teeth and growled when John moved in behind Easy, put his hands on her hips and they dropped down toward the floor in unison, their hips rocking to the pulsating beat. Goddammit, hadn’t his brother heard a word he’d said that morning? Didn’t John know that this was killing him?
Luke had never been so relieved to hear a song end in his life, but he was still wound too tight to go back to the table. Thankfully his brother stepped back up on the stage and he hoped that Easy would sit this one out. No such luck. Matt claimed her for the next dance and wouldn’t you know John would have to sing S.E.X. That was not what he needed to hear when all he could think about was dragging Easy out of there and screwing her brains out.
At least he didn’t have to worry about Matt hitting on her, but every damn man in the bar was watching her move. Luke knew exactly what they were thinking and it infuriated him because there was nothing stopping her from leaving with any of them. Just when he thought it couldn’t get any worse, Matt switched partners with him and Luke wound up with Easy undulating that amazing body next to his in the middle of the crowded dance floor.
When the song ended, John quickly announced, “Folk's we have a very special guest with us tonight and she’s the hottest damn thing I've ever seen on two wheels. Easy, this one's for you, darlin'.”
One look at John’s wicked grin assured him that he was right, dammit. Luke was gonna kill him. He should have known something was up when every damn song his brother had chosen for this set had been about sex. Hell, he would have figured it out if he hadn’t been obsessing over Easy during every last one of them. The band began the opening bars and he closed his eyes in agony. Holy hell. If Easy started grinding that luscious body against him, he was gonna lose it. John was a dead man.
“I’m just a bachelor, looking for a partner, someone who knows how to ride, without even falling off.” John sang and shot him a knowing wink, the ass.
Easy had come to the same conclusion and she looked up at him to say apologetically, “I didn't have anything to do with this, Luke.” When he had pulled her into a loose embrace, she held herself as rigid as possible, even though everything in her wanted to rub against his muscular body like a cat in heat.
“I know,” he sighed in resignation. He had his brothers to thank for this little slice of hell. “Just enjoy it while it lasts.” Luke suggested and did his damnedest to block out the words, but she felt so damn good in his arms, so right.
“If you’re horny, let’s do it. Ride it, my pony, my saddles waiting, come and jump on it,” John’s wicked voice crooned through the speakers.
Deciding to take his advice since this was probably the last time she’d ever get to hold him, Easy relaxed her body against his, laid her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. “I love dancing with you.”
“Don't talk. Just feel,” Luke commanded as he laid his cheek against her head and breathed in her scent. Jesus, the woman smelled like honey. His mind flooded with the memory of their erotic phone conversation and he wanted nothing more than to drag her off someplace private and beg Easy to carry out the delights that she had promised.
“This feels like goodbye,” Easy said sadly.
“It is,” he agreed in genuine regret. This was the last time he could hold her, touch her, feel her body pressed so intimately against his and the knowledge stabbed him like a knife in his chest. His hands held her possessively as they moved slowly to the music, their bodies barely swaying to the rhythm. As the last notes died away, he pressed his lips against her temple and whispered, “I'm sorry.”
Raising tear filled eyes to his, she replied, “So am I.” And she was. The thought of losing him before they ever had a chance to really know each other was tearing her heart out. She lifted her hand and caressed his cheek, needing to touch him one last time, her eyes memorizing his handsome face. “Goodbye, Luke,” she barely breathed before she turned and walked away. Easy went back to the table where she told her sister, “I'm gonna call it a night.”
“So soon?” Dizzy frowned in worry. “Are you alright?”
“I'm restless. I think I'll take a ride and unwind,” she explained.
“Want me to come with you?”
“I'd rather be alone if you don't mind.”
“Alright,” her sister reluctantly agreed. “I'll see you in the morning.”
~~~~
Easy rode down to the lakeside park, parked the bike and sat on a bench staring at the moon reflected on the water. She contemplated her life and all the mistakes that she had made, Luke Baker being the latest and greatest to date. She'd dated princes and paupers alike and had never placed a man’s worth on his position or wealth. She'd been out with extremely handsome men and some that didn't look that good at all because she knew there was more to a man than his appearance.
What was inside of a person was the most important thing and she had just discovered that Luke was understanding, considerate and very sincere. He was also a stubborn ass who couldn’t see past the nose on his handsome face. He wanted the typical American dream, a house with a white picket fence, a wife, a couple of kids and a dog. The ironic part of their situation was that she wanted the same thing.
Easy could picture the two of them living that dream together. She could see them laughing and playing in the backyard with a couple of children, and sharing family picnics here at the lake. She could even imagine sitting in rocking chairs on the front porch, both of them old and gray but still holding hands. She could quite easily envision a life with him, but Luke wasn’t even willing to give them a chance. Because he thought she was some trashy biker chick.
Oh, Easy knew it was her own fault. She hadn’t bothered to correct him when he’d said she wasn’t wife material. Damn her stubborn pride. But she’d been stung too many times before to let it happen again. For as long as she could remember, men had pursued a relationship with her in order to further their own political aspirations.
As an ambassador’s daughter, she knew a great deal of people in positions of power and she had far reaching connections in governments around the world. Hell, she’d been recruited for her job for those same reasons and she was tired of being exploited. All she wanted was a man who loved her for who she was, someone who could look beyond her pedigree, past the image she projected and see the woman inside.
She had hoped that Luke would be that man. Obviously, that wasn’t going to happen. He’d marry some prim and proper lady like Shelly and they would have a good life together while she went back to... what? Her old life held little appeal and she was sick of her job, but she had no idea what she wanted to do. It was time for a change.
Moving to Lakeside to be near her sister had been a good option, but realistically Easy knew there was no way in hell she could live in the same town as Luke and know that he could never be hers. No, moving here was out of the question now. It was just as well, she assured herself. If it hurt this bad not to be able to have a relationship with him, she probably wouldn’t have survived it if they had tried and failed. But damn, it would have been worth the pain.
Just the thought of pain threw her back into a nightmare of hell where explosions shook the ground beneath her, and the scent of gas, gunpowder and smoke permeated the hot, dry air. The acrid smells burned her nose, filled her lungs and she kept gasping for breath with little success. The noise was deafening. Men were shouting in a multitude of languages, automatic weapons firing nonstop, grenades exploding left and right, and all the while a woman kept screaming the most blood curdling cries she’d ever heard.
Easy kept trying to crawl out the passenger window of the overturned humvee, but her ponytail was tangled up in something and she couldn’t even move her head. Blood and gas covered everything around her, running down her face, blurring her vision and the bitter, metallic taste of it filled her mouth and stung her raw throat.
And the pain. God, there was so much pain. Her back felt as if it had been ripped open and filled with fire. Then came the fear, the absolute horror, and sheer terror when she realized that she was trapped, pinned inside the burning humvee with no way out, and that the screams were hers.
“It’s alright. I’ve got you,” a gruff male voice that she vaguely recognized as her drivers said as he sliced a K-bar knife through the thick mane of hair and cut her loose. “Sorry about your hair. At least you’ll live for it to grow back.”
Strong hands grasped her shoulders and hauled her out of the wreckage before she was lifted up and flung over his shoulder where the world turned upside down. Excruciating pain tore down her back and radiated out through every limb. Bullets rained down around them, hitting the hard packed earth and sending up puffs of dust as he ran for cover. The humvee exploded, the concussion of the blast propelling them both forward just before blessed darkness overtook her.
When Easy came back to the present, she had curled herself into a protective ball and she lay on the soft grass shaking like
a leaf. Tears streamed down her face and she was gasping for air. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder sucked, and this was the worst flashback she’d had in weeks. She raised herself to a sitting position and wiped her face with hands that trembled. She choked back a sob and lowered her forehead to her raised knees.
God. Her life was crazy and she was a hot mess. How the hell she could even think about dragging some poor unsuspecting man into a relationship only served to prove that she was one french fry short of a happy meal. She could never be a normal wife and mother. Hell, she had too much baggage to even consider doing such a thing. Luke knew it and it was time that she faced up to the truth. She was not wife material and never would be.
More miserable than when she had arrived, Easy walked dejectedly back to her bike and discovered it wouldn’t crank. Great. What else could go wrong tonight? At least she was close enough to walk to the house so she wouldn’t have to ruin her sister's evening by calling her to come pick her up. Easy locked up the bike and started walking down Main Street.
Alan Davis was on patrol and he stopped the police car in the middle of the street when he recognized the Chief's sister-in-law walking down the sidewalk. “Everything alright, Easy?” he asked in concern. Lakeside was a nice, quiet town, but a woman had no business walking the streets alone at night. Especially not one who looked as good as Easy.
“Hi, Alan,” she greeted the friendly deputy that she had met at the Baker’s cookout. “Everything but my bike. It broke down at the park by the lake.”
“Hop in and I’ll give you a ride,” he offered.
“I appreciate the offer, but I’d rather walk,” she admitted and was still too shaky to deal with people right then. “Would you mind keeping an eye on the Harley for me?”
“No problem,” he agreed.
“Thanks, Sugah,” she flashed him a low voltage version of her usual mega watt smile and kept on walking.
~~~~
Luke’s couldn’t get out of the bar fast enough after Easy said goodbye. As soon as she left, he'd taken Shelly home and his date had been extremely vocal about her displeasure of having their evening cut short. Needless to say he would not be asking that vicious bitch out again. She had gone after Easy like a shark scenting blood and that was unforgivable.