One Night in the Outlaw's Bed

by One Night in the Outlaw's Bed

  She pulled back enough to look in his face, saw the amusement in his expression, and tried not to be so tense.

  He rubbed his hand up and down her back and stared into her eyes. “All I’m asking for right now is a hug.” His voice was soft, and that was so unlike the Diesel she was used to.

  But she leaned in, wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, and rested her head on his chest. “I don’t know what brought this on, but I can’t say I don’t like it.” Pinching her lips together because she so hadn’t meant to say that out loud, she heard and felt his deep chuckle. “I didn’t mean to say that.”

  I know, baby.” He continued to stroke her back, and then moved his hand over the back of her head to cup it. He just held her for a long minute, but it was so damn nice. Maggie didn’t know how long they stayed like that, but she wasn’t concerned if people were watching out their windows. This felt right on every level.

  “Not that I’m complaining, but maybe you can let me know what is going on.”

  He chuckled again, but grabbed her upper arms and gently pulled her back so they were looking at each other again. “I want you to be my old lady, Maggie.” He cupped one of her cheeks in his hand and stared into her eyes. His hand was so big he nearly engulfed one side of her head. She thought about his words hard. Having a member want an old lady wasn’t something small. This was big, and Diesel wanted her to be his. “Your silence isn’t too comforting, baby.” He stroked his thumb along her cheek, and she blinked several times.

  “That’s big.” Those two words were softly muttered, but he didn’t smile or laugh.

  “Yeah, baby, it’s really fucking big, and I mean every single damn word.”

  “But I don’t understand.” She wanted to say more, but couldn’t find the words to explain that this was a one-eighty and a scene from the Twilight Zone. “I just don’t understand.”

  He shook his head. “Me either, Maggie, but this past week I have tried to convince myself that not being with you for more than that one time was the right thing.” He continued to stroke her cheek, and moved his thumb along her bottom lip. “It took some very wise words and a broken male to show me that I shouldn’t fight what feels so incredibly right.” The way he stared at her was consuming.

  Her breath hitched, and she felt as though this was the most surreal moment in her life. Diesel spoke so softly, so gently, that he didn’t appear like the hardened, angry biker she was so used to seeing. How bizarre that it was only a week’s time that she had been with him, and already she felt like it had been a lifetime. Maggie may have known him nearly her whole life, had wanted so much more from him when she realized what that meant, but she knew that time didn’t really mean anything. She felt something with Diesel, something that she had felt the moment she had seen him at the age of seventeen and realized that it was lust that churned within her. And then the sex with him had been incredible, but it was so much more than that.

  “That’s what I really want, Maggie, if you want that, too.”

  “I…” She looked down, at a loss for words, because even though this was going very fast, it also felt as though it had taken a lifetime to get to this moment. “Yeah, Diesel, I want that, too.”

  He pulled her toward his chest again, speared his hands in her hair, and tilted her head to take her mouth in a kiss that couldn’t be called anything but proprietary. When he pulled away from her the possessive and territorial light in his eyes had her heart palpating.

  “Do you know what it means to be my old lady, Maggie?”

  She licked her lips, but Diesel’s stare was unwavering. “Yes, Diesel.”

  He slowly shook his head. “No, baby, I don’t think you do.” He leaned in close so there were only centimeters that separated them. “It means you’re mine. It means no other male will touch you, look at you in sexual way, or even think about being with you.” His words were in a growl, a crass statement. He wrapped his hand around her hair and leaned in so their lips were touching. “It means that if any male tries anything on you I’ll fucking kill them.” There was promise in his words. She should be frightened, should turn and head back inside, and never look back. But this was his animal talking, his animal making the demands. The flash of black that covered his blue irises told her as much. “I won’t smother you, won’t keep you a prisoner, but I also won’t share, and I am a pretty territorial bastard, Maggie.”

  Her mouth was dry, and her throat closed up. “I like that you don’t want to share, because I only want to be yours. But I also don’t share.”

  He grinned and then took her mouth again. She melted into the hardness of his body. The smell of his leather cut had sparks of remembrance from over the years slamming into her head, and she knew this was only the beginning of what she hoped was a new chapter in her life.

  ****

  “So, what, you guys are like an item now?” Mora grabbed one of the chips out of the red plastic basket in the center of the table and dipped it in salsa. She shoved it in her mouth, and the crunch and Mora’s voice were so loud Maggie looked around to see if anyone had heard. It had been a week since she and Diesel had decided to give this relationship a go—if that was the right title for it—and everything was still fresh and intense. Even now she tingled between her legs at the remembrance of Diesel taking her roughly on his bike in the middle of the woods last night. It had been exhilarating and exciting, and each time she was with him only seemed to make her feelings for him grow deeper.

  “Can you keep your voice down?” she said in a hushed whisper.

  Mora stopped chewing, but reached across the table for another chip. “Would you quit diverting and just answer?”

  Maggie leaned back in her seat and stared at her friend. Was Maggie upset she really didn’t have a lot of people she considered close, that she hung out with, or felt comfortable enough to talk about this stuff with? No, because for every handful of fake friends she could have, there was still that one that she would always turn to, and that was Mora.

  She breathed out and reached for a chip herself. She ate it, but she was just stalling because she knew Mora was going to scold her for jumping into this … whatever this was that she was doing with Diesel. Were they together, yeah, they were, but they didn’t have a label aside from her being his old lady. She knew of the MC, but certainly wasn’t an expert. But what she did know was that what she was to him was more than just being his girlfriend. “He wants me to be his old lady.”

  Mora stopped crunching again, but seemed to catch herself and swallowed her food. “Old lady? As in his biker bitch?”

  Maggie coughed on the piece of chip in her throat and reached for her water. “Um, I guess, but I kind of prefer the term old lady.” Maggie started laughing, because although she certainly wouldn’t consider the term “biker bitch” derogatory, not when it concerned the Grizzly MC, and she was Diesel’s old lady.

  Mora started laughing, too. “Okay, well I have to admit I think I like the idea of you being a biker bitch. It has this bad-ass feeling to it.”

  Maggie rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.

  “But really, is this thing serious with him? I mean I assume it is because I don’t often hear of the Grizzly members getting serious with a woman. Although I’ve seen women on the backs of Jagger’s and Brick’s bikes, ones that wear those ‘Property of’ leather jackets. Those two members are some of the least likely ones I would have thought would settle down.”

  “I mean it is pretty serious. He came over and talked to my dad.”

  “I guess it must be pretty serious for Diesel if he was the one that came over and talked to you about it.”

  Maggie had asked Mora out for lunch because she desperately needed to talk to someone. Her father was out of the question since half the time he grumped around the house, growling about dirty bikers taking away his little girl, but she knew that even if he was upset about it now, he would support her in whatever she decided to do in the end. He had been uncomfortable when she left for
school and had never liked John, but he had dealt with it, and he’d do the same with this. If this turned out to be a big mistake, well, it was her mistake to make.

  “Yeah, I suppose.” Maggie couldn’t help the smile that curved her lips.

  “Oh, God. Did he go all ‘Mine’ on your ass?” Mora shoved another chip in her mouth, but her expression was filled with eagerness. But she didn’t let Maggie answer. “The look on your face tells me he did.” She leaned back in the seat and breathed out in almost euphoria. “I need to find a guy like that.”

  “Like what?”

  Mora rolled her eyes. “Don’t be coy. I need to find a guy that will kick guys’ asses if another dude looks at me.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder and gave this almost wistful sigh. “You know the douche-bags I’ve been dating. I mean look at that asshole Craig. Oh, and let’s not forget that little blip in the romantic department I had with Keith.” The waiter came by with some fresh drinks, and Mora took that opportunity to flirt with him. He was cute, but couldn’t be more than nineteen, maybe twenty at the most. Maggie watched as Mora really put on the charm and had the young man blushing. The sound of her phone going off in her bag had her turning away from the current entertainment to get it. She had programmed the Free Clinic’s number into her phone, and when she saw those digits flash across the screen her heart pounded hard.

  “I’ll be right back,” she said to Mora.

  “Everything okay?”

  She held up the phone, but didn’t need to say anything, because Mora understood well enough. Maggie headed out of the front of the restraint and away from a small group of kids. “Hello?”

  “Is this Miss Drake?”

  “Yes.” Maggie walked back and forth. She trusted Diesel, had to if she was going to give their relationship a go, and even if she had known him all her life, the truth was still right in her face.

  “I have the results of your lab work.”

  Maggie listened for the next few minutes as the woman went over the tests. She also scheduled her first appointment. Once she disconnected the phone she stood there a moment. She could hear children laughing, cars passing by, and a dog barking, but nothing could fully penetrate the news she had just gotten. She forced herself to walk, to go back into that restaurant, and sit back down at the table. The waiter was gone, and after a minute of Maggie not saying anything she saw Mora’s eyes grow large.

  “What is it? What did they say?” Mora leaned forward, the concern coming from her fast and hard, and the worry clear on her face. “Maggie, talk to me. You’re starting to freak me out. You are far too quiet and have this ‘Oh fuck’ look on your face.”

  Maggie loosened the hold she had on the napkin, not even realizing that she had grabbed it. “I’m pregnant.”

  For what seemed like forever Mora didn’t move, didn’t speak, and just stared at her like she had grown another head. But then she blinked rapidly and leaned back in her chair. “Well holy motherfucking shit.” Mora gestured for the waiter, but this time ordered herself a big-ass margarita. “But aside from that everything else is okay?”

  Maggie nodded. She had tested negative on the STD screening, but all she could focus on right now was the fact she was pregnant with Diesel’s baby. “Mora, what am I going to do? I can’t even support myself right now. How am I going to support a baby, too?”

  Mora reached across the table and took her hand. “Maggie, I’m here for you, and your dad is here for you.” She rubbed her fingers back and forth over her hands. “And if Diesel is this serious about you and him being together, then he’ll be supportive of this, too.”

  “Mora, I’m pregnant.” Maybe she was in some kind of shock, because she felt numb, almost as if she wasn’t fully connected with her body. Mora smiled at her sympathetically. “I’m scared.”

  “Of course you’re scared. That’s some scary shit right there, but that doesn’t make it bad. You have people that care a lot about you, so there isn’t anything to be scared about.” Maggie pulled her hands away and looked down at her lap.

  “How am I supposed to deal with this?” Maggie looked up again. “How am I supposed to tell my dad? God, how am I supposed to tell Diesel? We just slept together two weeks ago, have just started seeing each other, and now I have to drop this freaking bomb.”

  “Just calm down, Maggie.” Mora didn’t looked freaked out anymore, didn’t even look like this was shocking anymore. She appeared in control, something that Maggie felt nothing like. “One thing at a time, okay?”

  “How am I supposed to calm down when I just found this out? Not that I thought I’d be married first before I had kids, but Mora, I don’t even have a place of my own, let alone a job.” She covered her eyes with her hands and breathed out. “And working for my dad isn’t something I see myself doing long term.” Suddenly her head her, her stomach was in knots, and she felt like crying.

  “Maggie, this isn’t the end of the world.”

  “Easy for you to say.” Maggie’s words were muffled with her hands covering her face.

  “Come on, you’ll get through this like you get through everything else.” Maggie dropped her hands and looked at her friend. “You don’t give yourself enough credit for your strength. Look at how tough you have been after everything that has happened in the few months since you’ve been back in Steel Corner?” Mora smiled. “Did you ever see yourself getting with Diesel?” Mora shook her head, answering her own question. “No, but look at you now. I don’t know much about the guy other than what I see around town and hear through the rumor mill, but I do know that the Grizzly MC is loyal, strong, and protect what’s theirs. And you’re Diesel’s, Maggie. That baby growing inside of you is his. Do you actually think he would just walk away from that?”

  Maggie didn’t know what to say, because for how smart mouthed and easygoing Mora had always been, right now she spoke with determination in her voice.

  “Of course this will be a shock to him and your dad, but everything will work out, honey.”

  They sat there for another twenty minutes, but they didn’t really say much else. Maggie’s food tasted bland, she felt hot and nauseous, and all she could think about was sitting her dad and Diesel down—of course not at the same time because that was just a war waiting to happen—and actually telling them. She wanted to believe Mora’s words, that everything would be okay, and maybe there was a part of her that did know that. But there was also a part of her that couldn’t help but worry that she would have to deal with this on her own, because sometimes life just didn’t work out the way people wanted.

  Chapter Eleven

  Diesel wiped the grease from his hands on an equally filthy rag. The sun was beating down above his head, and parts of the bike he was trying to restore were around him. This was definitely a work in progress seeing as the engine needed to be totally rebuilt as did the entire frame, but this was a passion of his and any other Grizzly MC member. It helped take his mind off the less pleasant things that happened in his life, and also helped to steer his thoughts away from Maggie. Not that he didn’t want to think about her, but every time he did he got harder than a fucking steel pipe, and shit was that uncomfortable when he didn’t have her around to help ease him.

  He grabbed a wrench and started loosening some bolts. Drevin and Stinger were looking under the hood of the Dodge, and Court, Jagger, and Dallas were inside. The sound of Harleys in the near distance had him stopping what he was doing and rising. He heard at least four coming toward the clubhouse, but there shouldn’t be any since the only member missing was Brick and that was because he was spending time with his old lady. Instantly his bear rose to the surface, and he sensed the other club members’ animals rising, too. The clubhouse was more toward the edge of town with the thick evergreens on three sides of them, and the growth of the town in front of them. They had erected a fence around the perimeter of the building, but the front part was left open for everyone to come and go. Four Harleys pulled up to the gate, and a couple prospects look
ed over to the patched in members for permission to let them enter. Diesel looked at the patched in members behind him, and once they gave their nod of approval he did the same to the prospects. The gates were open, and the bikers drove up the driveway and parked when they were only a few feet from the entrance. As it was the actual clubhouse was like a damn fortress made of cement and wood on the outside. It kept everyone safe, for the most part because they did have that incident with Trick, the President of the Wolverines, busting in. But they had reinforced everything, patched up their weaknesses to make them stronger, and were now ready for anything that was thrown their way.

  All four bikers dismounted and removed their helmets before making their way over to Diesel and the other members now standing behind him. Diesel recognized the man that led the other three bikes as the same one he had seen at the fight a few weeks back—The Brothers of Menace. The President, whom Diesel now knew was named Lucien, led his little pack toward Diesel and the other Grizzlies. He stopped a few feet away from Diesel, and the sound of the clubhouse front doors opening and closing told him that Jagger and the other members were heading their way.

  “Who the hell are you, and what the fuck are doing in our town and at our clubhouse without giving us a heads-up?” Jagger stepped forward and stood toe-to-toe with Lucien.

  “You know who I am,” Lucien said, but Jagger didn’t respond. “You and I both know you had some of your boys in River Run asking about us, checking up on what we have been doing and why we are here.”

  Again, Jagger didn’t say anything.

  “And yet you have the balls to ask us what we are doing in your town without letting you know?” Lucien chuckled, but it wasn’t filled with humor, but instead had this almost sick satisfaction in the sound.

  “I’m going to ask you again, and if you don’t fucking tell me why you and your damn crew are in my town, and standing in front of my clubhouse, I’m going to unleash my bear on your ass.” There was a collective shifting behind Diesel as the other members grew excited over the prospect of letting their animals out. These men were humans—huge for their fucking species—but they were still humans and no match for a shifter when in their animal mode.