by Lane Hart
I just met him, and I already hate him, mostly because he had his hands on Isobel, but also because he’s right. I could never deserve a good girl like her, and she would never have brought me here for anything other than a big “fuck you” to her father.
And why is this rage-filled jealousy trying to claw its way up out of my throat when we’re not really together? I shouldn’t give a shit who touches Isobel as long as she stays in town and makes amends with her father. But I do care.
“You haven’t told him we’re eloping yet?” I ask Isobel when she comes around to the other side of the table where I’m standing.
“No, Danny, um, just got here,” she says, placing a kiss on my cheek.
“No way Izzy would get married and not invite me,” the dick says with a grin. “Besides, I’m guessing you two just met since you sent me his driver’s license photo last night.”
Without responding to that statement calling her bluff, Isobel says, “Let’s all have a seat and dig in.”
She pulls out the chair closest to the end of the table near her father, so I take the one beside her. On the opposite side, Daniel lowers himself into a chair. Guess he’s joining us for dinner.
Silently, Isobel passes me a bowl filled with salad, while other dishes get passed around the table. It actually looks damn good, so I pick up my fork and stab a carrot. As soon as it’s in my mouth, dickhead Daniel says, “Shouldn’t we say grace before we eat?”
“By all means,” I agree with my mouth full before chewing it up.
He bows his head and closes his eyes, with Isobel and her father following suit.
“Heavenly Father, we thank you for the nutritious food you’ve put on our table and for blessing us with your glory as we celebrate Lawrence’s birthday tonight. Help guide us back down the path of righteousness, even when we make a wrong turn. In your name we pray. Amen.”
Why do I get the feeling he’s referring to me as Isobel’s “wrong turn”?
“Amen,” her father says. “Thank you, Daniel. I’m so glad you could join us to celebrate my birthday.”
“Me too,” Isobel agrees with a smile.
“So where have you been lately, Izzy? I haven’t seen your Instagram in a few months to keep up with all of your recent bucket list accomplishments.”
Yeah, right. He’s got cyber-stalker written all over his face.
And it doesn’t take a genius to see that the governor would love for his daughter to end up with someone like Daniel, who is obviously from a wealthy family. I think Isobel said his father is police chief, so that connection would be beneficial to him too. But I guess he wasn’t the man for her and didn’t give her a reason to stick around.
“Well,” Isobel starts, her face lighting up as she starts ticking items off on her fingers. “I finally climbed the Statue of Liberty, went rafting through the Grand Canyon. I’ve seen the secret city of Machu Picchu, Peru, snorkeled with endangered leatherback sea turtles in Barbados, walked along the Great Wall of China, visited the pyramids in Giza, drank a glass of wine under the Eiffel Tower, and went on an African safari!”
“Wow, that’s pretty impressive,” Daniel says, echoing my thoughts. She wasn’t kidding about wanting to see the world. “I would’ve loved to tag along. Where did you meet him? On some mountain top?” he asks snidely, nodding in my direction.
“Ah, no. Sax and I only met recently,” she replies, glancing over at me and leaving out the part about the bar. “Love at first sight and all that.”
“Right. Yeah,” Daniel says, sounding unconvinced.
“So, he’s going to be accompanying you from now on?” her father asks.
“Ah, well, we haven’t decided what we’re going to do next,” Isobel tells him, clearly not wanting to come right out and lie to her father with everyone else at the table, even though she has no problem pretending to be in love with me. Or is it that she doesn’t want to lie to me, knowing I won’t be around on her next great adventure?
“We’re happy to just take it one day at a time, aren’t we?” I say, covering Isobel’s hand with mine.
“Impulsiveness is often a symptom…” Daniel starts, causing Isobel to glare at him. Is he implying that she would have to be crazy to want a guy like me? He’s probably right.
“I’m not being impulsive. I’m just living my life to the fullest,” she responds through clenched teeth.
Her father clears his throat between bites, and then asks, “So what exactly do you do for a living…Sax?”
“I’m an officer in an MC, a motorcycle club, that owns many lucrative businesses. Each member gets a cut every quarter,” I explain, even though he already knows.
“Legal businesses?” Daniel questions.
“Sure, mostly,” I answer with a smirk.
Under the table, Isobel gives my thigh a squeeze and says, “Daniel’s father is the police chief in Cary,” as if she’s worried that I’ll say something to get myself in trouble. She has no fucking idea how much trouble I’m in. And it’s not like I can just come out and tell her that me and the majority of the other guys in the MC were caught killing twenty men by her father, then ask if she could please go back to being a good girl for a few more months to help us avoid life sentences.
“What do your business ventures entail?” Danny-boy asks.
“A hotel, strip club, tattoo studio and bar all in Emerald Isle. Tourism on the coast is always growing,” I tell him. “So what do you do, Daniel?” I ask.
“Didn’t Isobel tell you?” he responds, flashing a mega-watt, douchey smile in her direction. “I have my own pediatric practice.”
Great, he’s a fucking doctor. If I had to guess, I bet Isobel was a nurse at his facility. It’s just a match made in heaven, yet Isobel must not care about him if she’s been traveling the world on her own. I get it. He’s too…conservative for a girl who says she loves spontaneity. Anything other than missionary in the bedroom is probably more than the rich prick can handle.
So no, I’m not jealous of the relationship old Danny has with Isobel. I’m just not a fan of the way he looks at her, like she’s the one that got away and he hasn’t given up hope on getting her back.
My theory about how he feels about her is confirmed when Daniel goes on to say, “A kid could be screaming their lungs out because they were scared or suffering, and all Isobel had to do was sing “Walking on Sunshine” to them and they would instantly calm down. The kids just adored her and so did their parents.”
“Not all of the parents,” Isobel mutters quietly.
“Oh, it’s not just kids. Isobel has that effect on everyone,” I say honestly as I slip my arm around her back. “I started falling for her the first time I heard her sing too.”
Game on, jackass.
Chapter Nine
Isobel
“What are you doing with that loser, Izzy?” Daniel whispers when Sax excuses himself after dinner and steps outside to make a phone call.
“He’s not a loser,” I huff as I start clearing the table. My father was the first to vanish, disappearing to attend to business, of course. Forget that it’s his birthday or that I rarely visit. He has a state to run and decisions to make.
“If you say so,” Daniel mutters, gathering up the drinking glasses.
“Jeez, Danny, just because someone isn’t rich or didn’t go to medical school like you doesn’t mean they have any less worth as a human being,” I say as I head for the kitchen with Daniel following me.
“Hey now, he’s the one calling himself a ‘Savage King,’ not me. The word savage says it all, don’t you think? Those guys are violent and ruthless.”
“I may not have known Sax for long, but he’s neither of those things,” I respond as I place the dishes in the sink and take the glasses from Daniel’s hands. “All I know is that I like him. He’s…fun.”
“You can do better, Izzy. You deserve better. The guy runs with a bad crew.”
“I appreciate your concern, but it’s unnecessary,” I tell
him. “You sound like my father, by the way. You two have been spending way too much time together.”
Laying his hand on my arm, Daniel says, “We’re just worried about you. We both thought you needed a few weeks to come to terms with everything, but it’s been a year now. When are you going to stop this craziness?”
“You of all people should know that I only have a few good years left. I don’t intend to waste them,” I remind him.
“So then ditch the biker and let me come with you,” Daniel pleads.
“You have a practice to run,” I point out, rather than tell him the truth – that I don’t want him tagging along, reporting everything I do back to my father.
“My associates can cover for me,” he says.
“Daniel, I’m sorry, but you should stay here.”
“You shouldn’t be alone, Izzy, especially when you don’t know when your symptoms may worsen! What if you’re driving and have a wreck? You need someone looking out for you.”
“I’ll turn in my license before it gets that bad,” I assure him. “And I have Sax,” I lie, since tonight will be the last time I see the hot biker before I hit the road.
“And who is going to look out for you with him?” Daniel grumbles through clenched teeth.
“Stop worrying about me. I’m not a child, despite the fact that you and my father still treat me like one.”
“We care about you and don’t want you to end up dead on the side of the road somewhere,” he replies.
“Maybe that’s what you worry about. My father is just concerned that the media will catch me doing something he doesn’t like and that it’ll hurt his numbers at the polls.”
“You know there’s more to him than that,” Daniel says.
“I’m not so sure.”
“Just, promise me you’ll be careful,” he says. “And if you need anything, call me. I’ll come to you even if you’re halfway across the world.”
“I know you would,” I reply with a small smile. “Thanks, Danny,” I say when I give him a hug.
“You ready to hit the road?” Sax asks from the doorway of the kitchen, his voice deeper and more commanding than I’ve ever heard it.
“Yeah, just saying goodbye,” I say as I pull away from Daniel.
“Take care of yourself,” he says, kissing my cheek before he lets me go.
And, for the first time since last night when we met in the parking lot, I see an inclination toward violence on Sax’s handsome, normally cheerful face. Not that he looks like he would hurt me, but Daniel probably shouldn’t ever be alone with him for any period of time.
“Everything okay?” I ask Sax when I take his hand to pull him toward the mansion’s front door. There’s no reason to even seek out my father, who is likely occupied with business. Besides, we’ve already said our goodbyes after dinner.
“You know he wants you, right?” Sax grits out when we’re facing each other beside his bike in the darkness, only the interior lights of the house providing a soft glow on the yard.
“Why do you care?” I ask. Going up on my toes to whisper in his ear, I grasp the front of his cut in both of my fists for balance and say, “You’re just pretending to be my boyfriend, remember?”
“What if we stop pretending?” Sax asks, placing his hands on my hips. “You could stay here…”
“Oh, god,” I groan, and playfully press my palms to his chest to push him away. “Now you’re starting to sound like those two!” I say as I point my index finger back at the house. “I’m not staying anywhere until I cross off every single item on my bucket list.”
“That could take years,” he says.
“You could start working on your own list,” I suggest. “Traveling around the world will take a while too.”
“I can’t,” Sax says with a sigh.
“That’s too bad,” I mutter. “You should follow your heart and do whatever you want to do before it’s too late. But either way, I guess our time together is coming to an end.”
“Not yet. I have something planned, something you can cross off tonight before getting your tattoo tomorrow.”
“I’ll think about it on the ride back,” I tell him.
“You do that,” he says, grabbing the helmet and placing it on my head to fasten the chin strap. “And I’ll think about how I’m not taking you back to your car just yet,” Sax says with a grin before he throws a leg over his bike. And I have to admit he looks mighty good straddling the Harley. His hands gripping the handlebars cause the muscles in his thick arms to flex in the glow from the house. “Are you staying with your pops or taking your chances with me?” he asks when I stand there staring at him. He thinks I’m being indecisive when really, I was just ogling him.
Climbing up behind him, my thighs hug his hips as I situate my feet on the pegs and then wind my arms around Sax’s waist to hold on tight.
“I guess I’m your prisoner,” I joke with a smile as he pulls on his helmet.
“Oh, you have no idea,” he responds with a chuckle before he cranks the engine.
***
On the two and a half hour ride back from to the coast, I try to decide if I’m going to stay with Sax tonight after whatever he has planned, or if I should just get into my car and hit the road, heading up to my next stop, which is Charlotte for a bar gig the day after tomorrow before catching a flight to the United Kingdom to get to Bristol before the International Balloon Fiesta.
Part of me wants nothing more than to join Sax on his boat again, sail it out into the ocean and forget the rest of the world exists for a while.
And that’s the part that scares me the most, because I can’t let myself get so attached to him that leaving tomorrow is impossible.
On the other hand, he did promise me a tattoo from an amazing artist…
Sure, I could find someone else to ink my cherry blossoms, but how would I know if they’re any good? Sax has a monster of a tattoo on his back, the Savage King MC skull king logo and words, so I trust his judgment on such things.
I’m starting to realize I trust him more than I should for a man I haven’t known very long. Damn those orgasm endorphins!
I have to say that after placing my trust in him, the last place I expected him to take me when we got back to the coast is the Carteret County Sheriff’s Department.
As soon as Sax kills the engine, we both climb off and remove our helmets, eager to get the sensation back in our legs. Then, I turn to him and ask, “Are you stopping here to ask for directions?”
“Not exactly,” he responds and then his lips are on mine and his hands are pulling me closer, exploring my curves. Moving his mouth down my neck to lick and suck, stealing my breath, he tells me, “You have no idea how many times I almost pulled over to get inside of you. Having your legs around me for that long, while not being able to touch you was torture.”
“Sorry?” I gasp as his hands slip up the outsides of my thighs, heading under my dress to squeeze my ass cheeks. I’m so distracted that I don’t notice anyone approaching us.
At least not until a woman’s voice says from behind me, “Saxon Cole and Isobel Washington, you’re both under arrest for, eh, indecent exposure.”
Sax lifts his mouth from my neck, then tells the unknown woman, “If you think this is indecent, then you should’ve been there when we were skinny dipping in the ocean last night.”
“I’ll have to take your word for it,” she says on a sigh.
Removing his palms from under my skirt, Sax reaches down to grab my hands and place them both at the small of my back. “Cuff her, Sheriff. I’ve already frisked her for you.”
My eyes widen and my jaw drops when the metal snaps tightly over each of my wrists. “This was what you had planned?” I ask Sax.
“You’re the crazy woman who has spend a night in jail on her bucket list,” he says with a chuckle.
Spinning around to face the woman who is conducting my fake arrest, I tell her, “Don’t go easy on me.”
“Whatever
you say,” the young, pretty brunette snorts. “Are you going into the cell with her?” she asks Sax.
“Yep,” he answers.
“Come on, then. If this is some weird kink, I don’t even want to know,” she tells us with a chuckle.
“Like you and your husband never break out the cuffs in the bedroom,” Sax says, and I swear the sheriff’s cheeks redden.
Chapter Ten
Sax
Being locked up with Isobel is much more fun than when her father locked me up alone.
“So, is being arrested everything you thought it would be?” I ask her as I pull her down onto my lap, sitting her sideways since I’m taking up the single metal chair. There are two beds, but the floor looks more comfortable.
“It smells worse than I imagined,” she says with her nose wrinkled up adorably.
“No shit,” I agree with a grunt.
“And it’s so loud,” she adds, obviously referring to the man chanting “Give me freedom, or give me death!” over and over again, the words echoing off the concrete walls. Fisting the front of my cut, she brushes her lips over mine and says, “But I’m glad you’re here with me. I doubt it would be as much fun alone.”
“Anything to keep you around a little longer,” I tell her sincerely. She seems so set on leaving me already, and I’ve realized that I don’t just want her to stay because of her father. I really adore this woman.
“Well, I have been thinking about that tattoo tomorrow,” she replies while biting down on her bottom lip.
“Oh, yeah?” I ask in surprise. I half expected her to give me the same spiel about having to keep moving as soon as we’re released from our cell in the morning.
“If your artist friend is available, then I would like for him to ink me.”
“Any ideas on what you want Gabe to design and where you’ll put it?” I ask her, relieved and excited about her staying in town a little longer. Now I just need to figure out some reason to convince her to stay longer – as in months – and go back into nursing.