Biker Daddy

by Kara Kelley

  “I’m in on that bet,” Markus piped in.

  Addi chewed her lip. Would Drew be at the beach later? She looked back toward him. His back was just disappearing into the office. She could dog paddle enough to get to shore, couldn’t she?

  “I’ll do it and you’ll lose your bet,” Addi said, determined.

  “But you never go into the water,” Carter said tossing the baseball up in the air. “We thought you couldn’t swim.”

  “Stop worrying, Carter, your girlfriend will be fine. She doesn’t need to swim far. She just needs to jump. Jeff can wait at the bottom and help her.”

  Carter’s cheeks turned pink. “She’s not my girlfriend, dick.”

  “I can swim,” Addi said, feeling her own cheeks heat with embarrassment. Was slapping at the water like a dog considered swimming? She could keep herself above water for a while anyway. “What’s the bet?”

  “You jump and we’ll never bug you again—even if you don’t want to do shit with us—”

  Carter pushed forward and cut Markus off. His eyes were heated, eager, and he licked his lips before they turned up in a leer. “You back out though, and we all get to see your tits.”

  Addi felt sick. Snakes furled in her belly and she fought to keep her pancake breakfast down. Markus started nudging his buddies.

  “She won’t do it.” The group’s laughter made the snakes churn faster.

  “Let’s go.”

  The guys’ laughter became giddier the closer they got to the cliffs. Addi’s anger kept her feet moving on the trail and her mind was too focused on winning the bet to think of the creatures lurking in the forest.

  She followed them to a spot a few feet from the cliff, and Markus grabbed her.

  They quieted as Markus walked her to the edge of the cliff. It was a far drop and she could see the water was choppy around the rocks. She swallowed. What if she hit one? Addi licked her lips, feeling her body sway. It was windy at the top of the rocky outcropping.

  Would her father pull the plug?

  “Uh, what about the rocks?”

  “They only look close. They’re not,” Markus said. “We’ve all done this jump, Addi. But hey, if you’re backing out…” She turned to see Carter lick his lips again and she shivered.

  “I’m not!” Addi swallowed hard again. Carter threw a small log over the cliff and Addi watched it smash into bits. Deciding suddenly that one quick flash of her chest wouldn’t kill her like the rocks below, she spun back and that’s when she heard a scream. It was from her mouth as Markus shoved a snake at her face. She lurched back, and the loose gravel on the edge shifted.

  She slipped. Her arms pin-wheeled and she fought to regain her footing as Drew ran toward her. His face was a storm of anger and fear. He cursed and lunged for her, but it was too late. He couldn’t reach her. Addi felt gravity pull her down.

  She was falling faster and faster, and the scream that tore from her mouth at the sight of the snake was nothing compared to the one that came out of her on the way down.

  * * *

  Addi was going to die. She didn’t want to die.

  She hit the water and it stole her breath. Not the water pouring into her mouth but the sheer shock of the cold, hard landing.

  Addi struggled, not knowing what was up and what was down, but when her head broke the surface she saw them all howling with laughter at the top of the cliff. Except Drew. She couldn’t see him. Where was he?

  Water splashed in her eyes as she slapped her hands on the surface. The deep water was so cold, her limbs felt sluggish and heavy. It was much harder than she expected to keep them moving and she felt so exhausted.

  She stopped pawing at the water and kicking her legs, letting her head slip beneath the surface. Water swallowed her and filled her ears. It was so calm and quiet beneath the surface. It felt peaceful. Much better than the laughter, ridicule, and embarrassment from above. She just needed a minute and then she’d paddle her way to shore and face them.

  Arms grabbed her around her waist, and her limbs, as loose as sea kelp, floated in front of her as she was dragged. She started squirming as soon as she felt ground beneath her feet, but a few seconds later, she was dumped on the rocky sand. Her limbs felt heavy and awkward out of the cold lake, so she lay there sprawled on the ground.

  Coughing, her eyes flickered open only to see Drew’s fearful electric blue eyes blink at her. She gazed at them, the dark blue ring around the outside making them more intense, suddenly feeling just as much peace as she had in the water. She smiled unexpectedly.

  “Are you okay?” Drew’s hands cupped Addi’s face, and she couldn’t speak. His warm touch made her gut flip and flutter and his face, intensely close, transfixed her. He had strong features. Unlike the other guys, Drew’s jaw was square and stubbled with more than just peach fuzz. He clenched his manly jaw and yanked her floppy form against his chest, moving his hands from her face to her back.

  “You almost drowned.” His words were no longer soft and filled with concern, like his expression only moments ago. They were angry instead. He pushed her back and held her upper arms tightly in his large hands.

  “You can barely swim!” he said, and she wanted to argue but his angry eyes stopped her. “Why the hell would you even go to the edge?” His eyes seemed to shoot blue sparks.

  He shook his head. “Markus will pay for this.” He scooped Addi up and carried her through the woods. She had no idea where he was taking her and she didn’t even care that he was carrying her like a child or that she was too heavy to be carried. She was too weak and cold to do anything but lay her head on his thick shoulder and wrap her arms around him.

  She figured he’d take her back to Uncle Ray, but he didn’t. He took her to her little cabin. He kicked the door open and his eyes widened at all the lace and pink. Or maybe it was the lack of similarity to the rest of the camp’s rusticness. Addi’s cabin looked more like a dollhouse than a cabin—pretty and frilly just like her dad liked everything for her, just like he’d told Uncle Ray she loved. She was so happy that Uncle Ray was taking the time to fix it up with her that she didn’t have the heart to tell him she hated frilly pink.

  “What the hell?”

  She swallowed at his words and started pushing against his chest for him to set her down. He only held her tighter against him and spun slowly to take it all in.

  “It’s like a princess puked in here.”

  “It’s, it’s—”

  “Not you,” he said simply, and set her on the padded upholstered chair. He licked his lips, glancing at her. “You okay?”

  Addi could only nod, embarrassed.

  “Can you get changed by yourself?”

  Her eyes widened and she nodded quicker this time. Her dress clung to her wetly. The butter-yellow material was almost see-through and she suddenly knew why he looked as if he’d swallowed a lemon. He could see everything.

  “I’m fine,” she answered in a squeaky voice, covering her chest with folded arms. He straightened, suddenly becoming taller.

  “Change. I’ll wait outside.” He looked at her sternly. “Then we’ll talk.”

  “Um, okay,” she mumbled. He’d never even talked to her before this day and now suddenly he was in her cabin and wanted to talk more.

  Addi could probably count on one hand how many times she’d heard him speak outside of his time with the campers. She took a breath and shivered. She liked the deep, raspy sound of his voice.

  Addi stood on legs as firm as a newborn foal and peeled off her dress. She threw a camp t-shirt over her head and grabbed the only pair of shorts she had. She used them for cleaning. They were cut-off jeans and the button dug into her belly. She pulled on the cut-offs and looked at herself in the mirror above the dressing table.

  Drew’s knock startled her even though she knew it was coming. Addi called for him to enter.

  “Hi,” he said, looking stunned by her appearance. “Now you look like you.”

  “My dad likes me to wear dre
sses.”

  “But what do you like?”

  She didn’t know what to say to that so she just shrugged.

  “Sit.” He nodded at the chair he’d originally sat her in. She did as she was told and watched him come closer.

  “Why?” he asked softly, propping his hands on his hips, knocking the chain that looped from his back pocket to the belt loop on the front of his knee-length shorts. “Why did you stop trying?” His eyes narrowed on hers.

  She knew he was referring to when she’d stopped swimming and she only shrugged again.

  “Answer me!” Anger threaded into his raspy voice and she wrapped her arms around herself, shaking her head.

  “Dammit!” He looked away and she watched his square jaw tick. “Is it because of your mom?”

  Addi’s eyes flew wide. How did he know about her mom? Her breath quickened and the tears that stung behind her eyes suddenly spilled over.

  “Don’t talk about my mom,” she said, feeling an all-encompassing hurt and a surge of anger. “This has nothing to do with her.”

  “I’m sorry, but if you’re going to fling yourself off a cliff and let yourself drown, you need to talk about it.”

  Addi shot forward onto the edge of her chair, clenching her teeth. “I didn’t fling myself off the cliff. That dick Markus scared me and I slipped.”

  His brows rose. “And still you didn’t swim.”

  “I slipped,” she said, firmer. “And there was a bet and dammit.” She looked away. “And I was just taking a break from swimming. It was cold and my arms and legs felt like lead.”

  His brow furrowed. “A break? From swimming? That’s giving up!” He sat on the bed, rolled his shoulders and spoke calmly. “And what bet?”

  She looked away, clenching her jaw. “One I couldn’t lose.”

  “What bet, Addi?” Although the words came out slow and steady, there was an underlying demand in them that forced her to confide in him. The words tumbled from her trembling lips. “If I didn’t jump, I’d have to show them my chest.”

  He growled, angrier than she’d ever seen a person in her life. Her eyes widened and he slammed his hand into the wall.

  “I’ll kill them!” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, his face paled. He looked ill.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, reaching out but Drew only turned to leave.

  “You didn’t have to agree to that bet, Addi. You’re stronger than that.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Bullshit! Stay away from the cliff. If I catch you there again… “

  She grabbed his arm and he stopped, his head down, back to her, breathing ragged.

  “I won’t go there again.”

  He spun, grabbed her waist, and pulled her against him. She was still reeling from the shock of his touch, his body still wet and cold from saving her, when his mouth crushed hers.

  When he released her, she felt like a hot, wet piece of cooked spaghetti. And then, while she was still befuddled, he left the little cabin, and her heart, beating at the pace of a hummingbird, fluttered against her ribcage.

  The reverie made her edgier and she shoved herself off the tree and began to jog. Goddammit, she needed to clear her head, but the more time she spent here, the more time her head was pulled into the past. Everything was too much! With the rough terrain, she stumbled frequently, but caught herself until a root snagged her sandal and she landed face-down in the dirt.

  She blew out in relief at not hitting her head off the pile of rocks only a few feet in front of her. Ignoring the sting in her torn palms, she started to push herself up and then froze at the sound of the rattle.

  Oh, shit.

  Fear pulsed through her. She knew the sound of a rattlesnake. Frozen, ironically in the yoga cobra pose, she searched frantically with only her eyes for the snake.

  She was terrified of garter snakes and this was no garter—it was a venomous snake.

  Her eyes darted around frantically. She didn’t see it anywhere, which was worse than knowing where it was. A mantra of ‘oh, God’ and ‘what do I do?’ was on repeat in her head when she heard a twig snap to her left. She whimpered. Her lip trembled and her teeth began to chatter. What had she been thinking, wandering into the woods on her own? She had no experience in the woods—nature TV programs didn’t count either.

  “Don’t move, Addi. It’s right there in front of you.” It was Drew’s voice that pulled her from her terror. She couldn’t see him—couldn’t afford to turn her head, but his calm voice instantly soothed her. The snake shook its rattle again and she spotted it. There was a rustle behind her, and then Drew came up beside her with a branch in his hand. It was forked at the end like the serpent’s tongue.

  He took three steps ahead and she stared at the thick tread of his biker boots, avoiding looking at the snake aggressively poised and ready to strike in between the crevice of a boulder and the rotting tree trunk. A garbled noise burst from her throat and Drew shot her a stern look.

  “I’m going to distract it; you get up and get back.”

  She was going to nod at first and then realized that was a bad idea. Besides, he was no longer looking at her.

  He moved the stick to the snake’s side, and it zeroed in on the new threat. As soon as she rose, the serpent’s head swiveled back. Drew used the stick again, this time trapping its head in the fork. Addi jumped up and bolted back, before spinning and running twenty feet away. And just to be safe, climbing the nearest tree. She screeched as Drew released the snake and sprang out of striking distance. He backed away, and they both watched the snake dart into the rotting log.

  Addi stared, still trembling, as Drew’s wide strides thumped toward her. When she finally looked down at him, his brows were knit tight.

  “You can get down now.”

  Addi swallowed and moved her hand to grip the branch differently. “I can’t.” She looked down at the tree’s branches. “I can’t get down.”

  “For Pete’s sake. Yes, you can.” He looked down, sounding exasperated, and rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. When he looked back up, his eyes settled on her feet. “What are you wearing?”

  Addi looked down and wiggled her toes. “Sandals.” Her words were matter of fact. “Why?”

  “High-heeled sandals?” He looked at her in disbelief. “Seriously?”

  “Yes, you’re not hallucinating. They are quite obviously chunky-heeled sandals.”

  “Don’t get bratty with me, Addi. You’re the loon that came out into the woods by yourself wearing chunky-heeled sandals, messed with a poisonous snake, and climbed a damn tree.” He crossed his arms, and again she admired his well-formed biceps.

  “They’re all I have besides actual high heels, and I certainly didn’t expect to bump into a snake.”

  “I know you know they’re here in the forest, and what about bears and wolves? You know they can wander around here too. Especially in the evening. Prime predator hunting time.”

  “Bears? Wolves?” Her voice was unsteady. Bears were rare but Uncle Ray had told her stories of them occasionally wandering into camp. The boys had always learned animal safety on day one.

  “Turn around, lean your belly against the tree trunk, hold the branch, and slide as far as you can until you’re hanging. I’ll get you from there.”

  She started to shift, felt the branch sway with her weight, and then went back to her spot in the V-shaped crevice.

  “Uh-uh, I think I’ll stay here,” she said, swallowing hard.

  “You can’t stay there. Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “Yes, I can.” She went to cross her arms but stopped when she teetered.

  “It’ll be dark soon, the mosquitoes will devour you, and bears can climb trees.”

  “Oh.”

  “Come on, I’ll lift you down once I can reach your legs.”

  “You won’t drop me, right?” Her eyes narrowed on him.

  “Baby girl, you’re irritating me. And being dropped is not what you need to worry
about when I’m annoyed.”

  “Okay, okay,” she said and gingerly grabbed the branch and slid her bottom across the rough bark. She turned herself onto her belly and slid lower. The bark caught her jean button and it popped open. She scrambled up again but only succeeded in lowering the zipper, and as she let herself fall to swing from the branch, her jeans slid down slowly.

  “Close your eyes!” she squealed, wishing the ground would open so she could fall in it.

  “It’ll be a little hard to get you with my eyes closed, babe. And if I recall you weren’t so shy earlier.” He chuckled and she groaned. His warm palms cupped her bottom with only white cotton between their skin.

  “Relax into me, as if you’re sitting on my hands.”

  “Okay,” she squeaked and did her best to sit on his hands.

  “Now let go of the branch.”

  “Let go?”

  “Yes, Addi. Let go.”

  “But I’ll fall.”

  “You won’t fall. I’m right here.”

  “But…”

  “Addianna, you’re seriously trying my patience.”

  She closed her eyes, squeezed them tight, and released the branch. She expected to fall, but all she did was slide down his hard, warm chest to her feet.

  He turned her to face him as soon as she was solidly on the ground. They were so close she could feel his breath on her. He tipped her chin up.

  “Baby girl, have you ever had a switch across your bottom?”

  She swallowed hard again, blinking, and shook her head. “No.” Her pulse began pounding between her legs and standing in just her panties with her pants in a lump at her ankles was heating her further. What if he took a switch to her?

  “Well, it hurts, not nearly as much as diamondback venom, but enough to teach you not to wander off in the woods alone when you have no experience.”

  She stumbled back, bent, and swiftly tugged her jeans up. “Thanks for the rescue, Drew.” She turned and started walking away. “I have experience enough.” She gave a finger wave.

  “Then why are you walking deeper into the woods rather than back to camp?”