Scenic Route

by D. D. Prince

  Spencer reached for my hand. I looked at his hand blankly. He grabbed my hand when I didn’t move fast enough.

  “Pippa, this is Edge. He’s the mother charter Prez Rudy’s son. Edge, my girl.”

  Edge reached out and I took his hand. He leaned over and kissed it and gave me a warm smile. “Great to meet you, babe.”

  “Thanks, you too.”

  Edge was one of the names I’d heard about. He was the one whose girlfriend was murdered in the Fall. Last I’d heard, he’d been missing since right after her funeral.

  “Glad you made it, brother,” Spencer said. “Look forward to knockin’ a few back with you later.”

  Edge shrugged. “Not sure how much fun I’ll be, but I couldn’t miss it. Haven’t been home in months. Rudy and Delia have been stressed about it, so figured I’d show my ugly mug. Can’t miss out on the fish fry. Dream about that beer batter. Delia’s slaw. Connie’s brownies.”

  “I hear that.”

  “Anyway, thanks for the heads up. We’ll talk later.”

  “Ya man.” They shook hands and did a bro-hug and then Edge gave me a nod and turned and left.

  “Should we head out?” I asked.

  “Why? You afraid to be alone with me?” Spencer teased, but his eyes looked troubled.

  “No,” I said with an eye roll. “We’re here for a party, so let’s party. And don’t introduce me as your girl.”

  “It’s way early, baby. We go out there, Delia will put you to work in the kitchen. Much safer in here.”

  “I’m okay with that,” I shrugged.

  He snickered. “Alright, let’s go. But first…” He grabbed me by the hips and pulled me to him and his lips were on mine, his hand at my jaw. He cradled my face in a way that made my heart squeeze.

  His lips were possessive, insistent. And he kept pulling back and doing that thing like he did that first night in his room at the clubhouse where he would look into my eyes and move back in. Like he didn’t want to just keep his eyes closed while he kissed me. Instead, he kept stopping and looking at me.

  I melted a bit and then I had my hands in his hair, kissing him back with just as much passion, holding his mouth to mine so he wouldn’t look in my eyes, so he wouldn’t see the truths I was working so hard to hide.

  He looked surprised when he broke away, and he broke away first, taking a full step back away from me.

  “Fuck,” he said, eyes roving over my face. I tried to pull his face back to mine.

  He tried to back me up to the bed.

  “Nope,” I said. “Let’s go.”

  He was surprised at my lack of resistance to the kiss. Good. Now I had my strategy. I was going to change my approach to Spencer. No more heaviness. Fun. Lighthearted. If I wanted things to be casual, I had to be casual about it. Then I could have it without any repercussions. For now. For this weekend at least.

  “You want me out there with a hard-on, Sunshine?”

  I shrugged. “Not my fault if you can’t control yourself,” I said playfully and spun, grabbing the doorknob.

  “It’s exactly your fault,” he said, palm landing on the door and holding it shut. And then he was grinding his crotch against my backside, kissing my neck, pulling my hair aside with his free hand.

  My nipples went rock hard.

  “I want you,” he whispered against my earlobe. “Bad. Feels like forever since I’ve had you naked.”

  I ignored the spasms inside my undies. “It hasn’t been forever.”

  “It’s vergin’ on forever. And the dry spell ends today.”

  He grinded against my backside again and his hand slipped between me and the door and cupped my boob. My head dropped back against his shoulder.

  “We’ll have to see…” I teased, but my breathy voice was betraying me. He was totally going to get it later.

  “It’s gonna happen. And it’s gonna be even more energetic than last time. Gonna show you what you’ve been missin’ out on the last few days.” His hand slid down to my waistband and tried to slip inside. I spun so that we were face-to-face. I looked up at him. “Let’s get out there.”

  “How ‘bout a quickie?”

  “Do you even know how to have a quickie?” I asked.

  He looked proud. Peacock-proud. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.” His mouth was on my throat again and he was nibbling.

  I let out a big breath. “I have a feeling you’re bad at the quickie…”

  “Bad?” He grinded against me, rubbing his bulge right over my clit. “Sometimes bad is good…”

  “I bet you’d take forever, and it would be gross misuse of the word quickie.” My lips parted as he grinded against me.

  He laughed. “Let’s find out.” His hands went to my belt.

  I grabbed his wrists. “Nope. Not yet.”

  “Later?” he asked. “After you get all loosened up with some drinks and the girls?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Got a request.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Drink? Screwdrivers. You get extra wild on those.”

  “You think you got me all figured out?”

  “Naw. But I look forward to playin’ with all your puzzle pieces.”

  I kissed his throat and raked my nails up the back of his neck as he grinded against me some more.

  Fun. This was fun. Flirting. Fooling around. I was going to keep it up, keep him out of his intense mood and maybe he’d realize that we could be just casual, just have some fun.

  I’d stop acting like I was broken, in need of saving.

  Yep, fun. I was going to have fun if it killed me, damn it.

  It had been so darn long since I’d had uninhibited fun. I had Ella and Jenna here. And their guys, who were awesome guys. And Spencer had been amazing. Yes, alpha, yes, bossy, yes kind of overprotective, but he was fun, sexy, handsome.

  No more broken Pippa.

  Fun.

  And then, when we got back home, hopefully they’d get this Jackals stuff dealt with fast and Spencer and I could go back to being friends before it went too far. Before I hurt him, or he hurt me, or things got all screwy. I was done being the broken girl in the alley. And now that I was done, he’d stop seeing me that way. Hopefully.

  “Okay,” I announced. “C’mon. Let’s go out and see everyone. I’m thirsty.”

  “You got it, baby. But know this. Every time our eyes meet until we get back in here tonight, I’ll be thinking about fuckin’ you. About tastin’ you. Everywhere.” His mouth touched mine and I let out a needy whimper.

  He smirked, then opened the door and pulled on my hand and we went out to join our friends.

  12

  The Dominion Brotherhood threw a great party. There were at least two hundred people, including bikers, women, and kids, and there was enough food to feed double.

  In the early afternoon, big platters with sandwiches were put out for everyone as well as boxes of donuts. And then we spent the afternoon helping get ready for the fish fry. The girls made salads, putting plastic cutlery into little napkin bundles, and I was giggling with Ella, Jenna, Jojo, Andie, Leah, and other women I’d just met.

  I didn’t know where the guys got to, but I was having a blast.

  Later on in the afternoon, I excused myself from the girlie huddle and zipped to the nearest bathroom. While at the sink after doing my thing, a biker chick who was maybe late twenties stepped in.

  I smiled as she stepped up to the mirror.

  “Hey,” I greeted.

  “Hey,” she returned, but her voice sounded funny. She was gussied up with fake boobs and too much cleavage, excessive make-up and big blue-black hair with blue streaks. She looked me up and down in the mirror and I wasn’t sure why. Her look wasn’t snide or judgy, I didn’t think. I was thinking she was maybe just a tough chick.

  “You the girl Spencer brought?”

  “I am.”

  “Well, watch your back,” she advised.

  I gave her a startled look.


  “Not from me. From Alison. She’s one of the club girls who kisses Delia’s ass enough that she gets to come to these things, to help. I’m an old lady, but a semi-fresh one, only been around a coupla months. Anyway, I’ve gotten chummy with a few club girls. Alison’s plannin’ on pulling him aside tonight. Says she’s scoopin’ him off you.”

  I hard-blinked.

  She kept talking. “Most times, the club girls know better, know that overstepping with an old lady is the fastest way to get the boot, but this ditz has managed to stick around a while and has a thing for your man. Brags she hooks up with him whenever he’s in Sioux Falls. Talked about bein’ anxious to see him the last three days with the other club girls, apparently. And she’s pissed that he brought someone to this. Says they’ve got enough of a connection that if she snapped her fingers, he’d leave you sittin’ alone and bring her back to not just his room but back to Aberdeen with him, make her his old lady. She’s gonna try to make a play. Says she’s got an ace in her back pocket, though ain’t sayin’ what that is. Watch your back. I think she’s fucked up on pills or something. She doesn’t seem all there.”

  God. Just what I didn’t need.

  “I wouldn’t usually spill about a sister’s plans, but that bitch is an idiot. And the way Delia was with you, I can tell you’re old lady material to Spencer. We gotta stick together. There’s a ratio of five club whores to every old lady. We gotta keep them firmly in their place.”

  “Um, thanks.”

  “My pleasure. You’ll see her in the purple tank, the booty shorts. She’s on the fringe, listenin’ to your convos with the other Aberdeen girls.”

  “Thanks, um…”

  “Tracy.”

  “Thanks, Tracy. Pippa.” I reached out to shake her hand.

  She gave me a chin jerk as she shook my hand. “I like Spencer. Met him last month at a charity rally. Seems like a good guy. Easy on the eyes, too. You did good. But that said, the way your man looks, you gotta keep an eye on those club girls. He’s in demand, if you know what I’m sayin’. Not sure if he’s a strayer, but… yeah. Bunnies are hoppin’ about him possibly bein’ off the market. If you make your status known and make it known you’re watchin’ them, word’ll get around and they’ll watch their p’s ‘n q’s. It’s the oblivious old ladies that get taken advantage of the most.”

  “Uh… thanks.” I gave her a smile. She reached for mascara from her bag, although she had at least four coats on already. I waved and made my way back out.

  I was not sure why I didn’t correct her on my status with Spencer. Maybe that was because the idea of him being with someone else was… unpleasant.

  Gia wanted him.

  This Alison wanted him.

  He proposed to some girl named Sherry.

  And Tracy’s reference to ‘bunnies hoppin’ suggested there were plenty who would not say no to being introduced as his girl.

  Ella made it seem like he was always after Deacon’s sloppy seconds according to the rumors she’d heard, but between those girls and the fact that I’d seen him with no less than half a dozen girls in the short time I’d known him suggested Spencer had been around the block more than plenty. Spencer didn’t need to experience a dry spell.

  And yet, he was interested in me.

  In something more than just friends with benefits.

  He could have something lasting with any number of girls. He could also keep getting lucky with no strings.

  He wanted me. And thinking on it now, kind of made me feel squishy inside. This was a dangerous feeling for me.

  I walked out to the table under the pavilion where the Aberdeen girls were all congregated and I noticed that the girl in the purple tank and booty shorts was practically back-to-back with Jojo, listening to their conversations while slowly pouring from a giant ketchup can into smaller squeezable bottles. It was warm outside for the time of year, but in no way was it booty short weather. She was wearing the Daisy Duke shorts with high heels. She was pretty enough, but had a bad blonde dye job and over-processed hair. She wore harlot-red lipstick and looked at me with distaste. She also evidently didn’t use sunscreen or moisturizer and I predicted that with five more years of living hard and wild, she’d age ten or fifteen years.

  I blinked at her a second and then caught Spencer’s eye. He was walking toward me.

  Spencer’s and my eyes met, and his eyes bounced between her and me with concern. I sucked on my lip and gave him a heated expression.

  The concern melted away and he jerked his chin as his eyes traveled from my eyes to my feet and back up. He continued to move toward me, a carnal expression in his eyes.

  I tilted my head and gave him a flirty smile. He gave me the dimple and then was right up to me.

  “You good?” His arm hooked around my waist and he pulled me tight to him. His hand traveled just slightly down on my ass and then back up to my waist.

  Proprietary but quick enough to be bold without being totally lewd.

  “Yeah. How ‘bout you?”

  “I’ll be better tonight back in our room.”

  “Enjoy the party.” I put my mouth to his ear. “Enjoy the anticipation. I know I am.” I sucked on his earlobe and couldn’t help myself, I looked right at Alison.

  Her eyes were on us, they were narrow, and filled with jealousy. She didn’t even look away when I looked at her.

  Oh no. This chick was going to be a problem.

  He squeezed me tight and put his mouth to mine. After a sweet kiss he spoke against my lips. “Anticipation? You’re in big trouble, Sunshine. If I anticipate any more, I’ll throw you over my shoulder and take you there and we’ll miss the whole party.”

  I playfully bit his bottom lip and fluttered my eyelashes.

  He took my jaw with both hands and kissed me again. Harder. Even more possessively. I went weak in the knees at the look in his eyes.

  “Spence!” Deacon called out from somewhere.

  He released my jaw, squeezed my ass, then let go of me. I stood there chewing my lip, watching his ass as he walked away.

  My gaze swung to Alison and she was giving me a snotty look.

  Good. My behavior just then was at least partly for her benefit.

  He passed her. “Heyyyy,” she called out and grabbed his hand and put her arms around to hug him.

  He looked startled, and broke the hug attempt before she got her arms all the way around him. He glanced at me and muttered something to her that looked like “The fuck?”.

  Her face went red and she scurried off. Like a little cockroach. Bitch.

  I turned and moved back to the picnic table.

  Ella’s eyes were on me. So were Jenna’s.

  “What was that?” Ella breathed.

  “That’s the Pippa and Spencer Show getting more interesting every episode.” Jenna breathed, giving me huge eyes.

  I leaned in. Ella and Jenna leaned closer. “A girl in the bathroom told me that girl was after Spencer. She’s gonna try to take him from me.”

  “If you stop it, that means you’re laying your claim.” Jojo said, no… kind of sang. She looked giddy about it, too. “This is just what was needed. I oughta buy that girl a drink.”

  I blinked and felt anger bubble up. “He’s here with me. She knows nothing about what he and I have or don’t have. That wench can fuck off. Did you see what she just tried to do?”

  “I saw,” Ella said. “Also saw you two flirting before that. You don’t seem like you’re resisting him anymore.”

  I shrugged. “I decided to have fun. He’s taking things so seriously with me. If I let things lighten up, maybe he’ll lighten up, realize we can have fun and not make things so… heavy.”

  “It also gives you an excuse to have sex tonight when the booze and music put you in the mood,” Andie put in.

  We all turned to her, shocked. Andie was super-shy around the opposite sex. We’d met her the day Jenna and I moved into the apartment over the salon about two and a half years ago, and we’d n
ever seen her with a guy. Jenna speculated she might be a virgin. I asked her flat out one night in a drunken roof terrace chiminea chat and she said she wasn’t a virgin, but hadn’t been in a relationship in a few years. She said this with sadness and Jenna and I tried to pry in and find out her story, but she was like Fort Knox about anything to do with sex or relationships.

  I understood her need to be Fort Knox. I understood that need well. I didn’t push. Jenna tried a few times, but Andie was good at distracting Jenna with baked goods.

  “Well, I’m Team Spencer,” Jenna said with a shrug and my eyes cut to her. “How does your own medicine taste, Pip?” she wiggled her eyebrows.

  I deserved that. The whole time she was resisting with Rider, I kept teasing her about being Team Rider.

  I rolled my eyes.

  Suddenly, Andie’s body went rigidly tight and her mouth dropped.

  I followed her eyes and saw why her jaw was almost to the floor. My mouth also dropped.

  A man was walking toward our table. A … God of a man.

  He was as tall as Deacon, wider, muscled (and I mean MUSCLED) and looked like a Jax Teller and a half. Short blond hair. Blond facial hair. Huge arms and chest. Piercing sky-blue eyes. He was in a Dom cut, a big thick wallet chain, silver rings on every finger. Corded tattooed arms. Delicious-looking. 100% pure male. My heart fluttered. A beautiful biker Viking god. My ovaries might’ve fluttered, too. Oh yes, and my clitoris, too.

  Jojo squealed and ran for him. He lifted her up and swung her around and then blew a raspberry on her neck. She giggled when he set her on her feet.

  “Who the bleep is that?” I muttered. I saw Spencer standing off to the side talking to Deacon and his eyes were on me. I snapped my mouth shut. He folded his arms across his chest and leveled a dark gaze at me. He’d seen me and Andie drooling.

  “Brady,” Both Ella and Jenna said in unison, both of them with knowing smiles.

  I bit down on the knuckle of my index finger and gave Ella and Jenna big eyes.