by Brair Lake
Cole winks and the restaurant’s resident band, which comprises members of the family who own the restaurant, plays. “You must like me, Mia. That’s a second date you’ve arranged for us.”
I slip my shoe off and rub his lower calf. “I hope I don’t have to wait that long for a second date, Cole.”
Cole leans in, slipping my hand into his. The touch of this thumb a whisper over my flesh as he looks into my eyes. “I’d like a couple more dates.”
His voice has a deep husk to it. Full of promises and delight, and I lick my lips. It’s a long time since I’ve tasted a man’s mouth against mine. Felt a man inside me. For five years I’ve had a relationship with a virtual boyfriend and my vibrating friend. And as much as Slick has satisfied me, he’s never touched me. Caressed my flesh, kissed me or simply talked to me. Not that I’ve used the name Slick online. It would give the game away too much. Neither did my virtual boyfriend look like Alex or share the same lifestyle. I blink. There’ll not be any sex tonight. I’m not taking Cole back to the house for either Poppy to see, or for Data and Pond to report back on. I may not be part of The River Demons, but the young bikers still report everything that happens at the house back to Day and the other officers.
“Did you come on your Harley?”
“Do you like Harleys, Mia?”
I scrunch my nose. “My brothers have their own.”
“Brothers?”
“Hank–You’ve met him. He’s the Sherriff. And Jono. He lives in Noir River. It’s not far from here.”
Cole nods, then waves over the waiter. “Fancy a ride before we end the night.”
“You’re lucky I’m wearing slacks, otherwise I’d have had to turn you down.”
Cole chuckles as he leads me outside. Spring is just coming, and the air is fresh, but still cool. As we reach the bike, I reach out to Cole, gripping his arm. “Just a bike ride, Cole. Nothing more.”
Cole leans forward, his lips brushing against my ear. “It’ll have to be just a bike ride; I didn’t bring any condoms with me.”
Chapter 3
Alex: Demon’s Lair Noir Valley
Stopping short at the base of the gangplank leading onto Demon’s Lair, I draw in a deep breath, then exhale slowly as I wipe my sweat soaked forehead with the back of my hand. The pounding of my heart echoes the throbbing in my head. I twist my body to the right, then to left, repeating the same movement several times as I control my racing pulse and steady the beat of my heart. I check the counter on my watch. Ten miles accomplished- That’s my personal best. Three months ago, I was managing five. Now I have it up to ten a day.
“There are better ways to exercise.”
At the rich, sultry voice, I turn to Teach one of the club’s new mamas and wink at her. Like Flash, she’s on the hunt for a protector. “When sex becomes an exercise. It’ll be time for me to quit.”
The green of her eyes takes on a slumbering gaze, teasing my blood into a throbbing sexual hunger. “Wouldn’t that depend on who you’re doing it with?”
I smile as I step aside, allowing Teach to stroll up the gangplank as I follow at a sedate pace, watching the sway of her ass. She’s cute with her short, sleek, brown, bob. The material of her jeans cling to her ass and her tee-shirt is a second skin over her ample tits.
Teased by the sashay of her hips, I said, “we could always test your theory.”
Teach turns to me, and my eyebrow rises at the territorial gleam in her eyes. Oh, no. Babe. I’m no-one’s protector. I smile at her innocently as she glances at her watch and shakes her head. “Later. It’s my turn to help clean the saloon this morning.”
“Come find me when you’re finished.”
Teach smiles as she steps towards the saloon, then draws to a halt, and glances over her shoulder at me. “I was working last night at The Noir Restaurant. You’ll not guess who was there with a date.” Her eyes roll, “and what a hunk.” To most people, gossip is just gossip about people getting on with their lives. To The River Demons, it is a minefield of information that we can use. “Mia.”
The pounding in my head I had under control returns in force. Mia was on a date. I look at Teach. Her smile is one of innocence. and the warning bells echo in my head. Shit, is everyone aware I have a thing for the unattainable blond. “What the sheriff’s sister does in her own time is her business.” I go to turn away, then look at Teach again. “Do you like your job at the restaurant?”
Teach shrugs, “it pays the bills.”
I glance at my watch. It’s just gone seven and Teach had said something about cleaning the saloon. Then I remember the women who don’t work in the casino, clean for us. “How would you like to work for us instead of the restaurant and then having to turn up early to do the menial work here?”
Teach straightens to her full five-seven. Her smile in her eyes. “Sure, who wouldn’t”
I nod, “TJ’s starting a new enterprise. Someone fresh like you is just who he could do with.” I look at the sky. Although the sun was rising as Demon’s Liar docked, the heat of the day is still at bay. After a wild night on the riverboat, the brothers will still be in bed, but this doesn’t stop me from texting TJ. Then I smile at Teach. “Meet me at the office at eleven and we’ll talk about this job offer.” Teach nods, then disappears into the saloon.
“What was that all about?”
I turn to Kit, who has come up from the deck I’m heading towards and smile at him. Kit and I are widowers. No one talks about Letitia’s death. There’s a mystery about it. Just as the club are not aware of the full detail of Jo-Leigh’s death. “The girl’s working two jobs, I thought I’d make life easier for her.” I wasn’t going to tell Kit I was pissed at the whore for tattling on Mia.
Kit’s gaze is steady. “Several of the mama’s work outside jobs as well as doing jobs on Demon’s Lair.”
“I know, but she’ll be great for TJ’s new venture. New blood and all. You’re not getting a conscious about the women, are you?
Kit shakes his head as his lips twist in a smile. “No. Does she know what TJ’s new venture is.”
My smile deepens as I step pass the club’s Chaplain. “I’m sure she has an idea.” I chuckle, “After the interview she’ll be well versed of what is expected of her.”
“You’re a bastard, Alex. Mia’s doing right getting herself a safe boyfriend.”
I lick my lips as I squint at Kit. “So, you overheard the conversation.”
Kit nods. “Mia’s got baggage we can do without.”
“I know.”
I leave Kit as he continues to the saloon and head for a shower. The run should have eased the ache in my body, and it had. That was until Teach dropped the bombshell about Mia. With a towel wrapped around my waist, I leave the shower room, dropping the towel I was using on my hair, onto the bed as I glance around the small cabin. On my returned to Noir Valley, I bought a small studio apartment, but once the refurbishment of Demon’s Lair was completed, I’d accepted Day’s offer of one of the cabins as I spent more time on the riverboat than I did in my own home, and sub-let the apartment. The cabin’s a simple room. On the bedside cabinet are a couple of motorbike magazines, a book I am reading and a copy of the latest law review. I pick the magazine up, glance through it, then drop it back onto the bedside cabinet. I might not practice, but I still have my license and carry out the legal work for The River Demons. My fingers linger on the small locked drawer of the bedside cabinet. I haven’t opened this drawer in a long time. I know what’s inside it. With a shake of my head, I stroll over to the small wardrobe and pull out a pair of clean jeans and a tee-shirt from the top shelf. My gaze is drawn back to the drawer and I glower at it. Teach has done it. She’s planted the seed and the knots tighten in my stomach. I think I know who Mia’s new boyfriend is. I’ve seen him hanging around Noir Valley talking to Hank and Bernie. He’s visited Demon’s Lair as a punter, gambled some, never big money. Just a couple of hundred here and there. He’s a reporter for Noir Valley’s Gazette who move
d here six months ago. And I don’t trust him. Why would you move from New Orleans to Noir Valley unless you have something to hide?
I return to the saloon, where I find Kit chatting to Teach and smile at them as I grab a couple of beers. “Hey, Kit. You got five.”
Kit says something to Teach, then makes his way over to me. “What’s the problem?”
I pass Kit a beer and as I take a large swallow of the cold liquid from my bottle, my gaze sweeps the room. As early as it is, there are a few club members about. However, the biker I’m after, isn’t present. I smile as I take another swallow of my beer. Then glance over Kit’s shoulder as my lips twist in a smirk. “Nothing. Just making sure you don’t ruin my plans.”
Kit chuckles as he sits on the couch beside me. His own beer in his hands. “You going to leave Mia alone.”
Mia. Tall, blonde Mia with legs that wrap around a man in the most tempting way. And the only woman to cause me bother since Jo-Leigh. “We could use her.”
Kit’s smile disappears and so does the rare sparkle in his eyes. “In what way?”
“To bring Jono out. Shit, Kit. I don’t like it. I don’t like how quiet he’s gone.”
“Maybe he’s tired of the game.”
I shake my head. “It’s six years since the coup. I know him. He’s planning something.”
“And how will using Mia make Jono show his hand?”
“He hates Day. He’ll not be happy if Mia is part of the club.”
Kit splutters on his drink and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “You proposing to set Mia up with Day.”
My stomach tightens as my fingers clench the beer bottle. “Fuck, Day will eat Mia and spit her out.”
“And you won’t?”
“No. Hank and I are friends. I’ll protect her.”
“Protect her.” Kit shakes his head. “Hank will kill you if anything happens to his baby sister.”
“You think I’ll let anything happen to Mia.” My stomach roils and instead of seeing Jo-Leigh spread out on the bed as a pool of blood soaks into the bedsheets, I see Mia. “I made that mistake once. I was a boy, and I was foolish.”
“Shit, Alex. I didn’t mean anything by that.” Kit swallows a large mouthful of his beer. His gaze blank as he studies me. “You’re not the only one to have failed when a woman was under his protection.”
I rub my nose, “look, I know you’re wanting to hit the road. But stay. With the help of the club, we can protect her. Anyway. I don’t think Jono will actually harm his own sister.”
“We have church tomorrow. We’ll talk about it then.”
“Thanks.” I rise and pull my bike keys out of my pocket. I have an errand to run.
“Alex.”
“Yeah?”
“You’re not doing this because Mia’s got herself a boyfriend, are you?”
Instead of responding to Kit, I whistle as I stroll from the saloon. Forty-Five minutes later, I’m pulling up outside Bastian’s house. Music drifts from the front room, I peep through the window find the room empty. When I ring the doorbell, it’s not until the fifth persistent ring someone opens the door, and the blood races to my cock as I walk pass Mia.
“Do you normally answer the door half-naked?”
Mia glances at the housecoat and smiles, and a throb begins just above the bridge of my nose. The wrinkle of her nose has my cock twitching. “Alex, this covers more of me than a summer dress.”
My gaze lingers on the exposed thigh and my tongue runs over my lips. Years ago, those legs were wrapped around me as I fucked her pussy. She was mine once. I can woo and have her again. I smile at her, “is Data about?”
Mia and Poppy and don’t live alone in the house. A house which belongs to Bastian St John, Vice President of The River Demons. There are two young bikers living here. We moved them in with the excuse they needed a place to rent. When Bastian moved in with Eve, he offered them rooms to rent. In reality, they are Day’s watch dogs, sent to keep an eye on Poppy, who has a stalker.
She nods, “he’s in the back yard. Fixing the fence for Bastian.”
As she turns to the hall, I reach out and grab her arm. A sharp spark ignites in my fingers at the touch of the flesh of her wrist, and as if her flesh has burnt my hand, I let her go. “It’s okay. I can find him myself.” As I walk away my spine tingles, telling me Mia is watching me and I smile. I want to turn around. To take her in my arms and kiss her. To taste her again. I’m like a man lost at sea and the only water I have access to is seawater.
Chapter 4
Mia: Her home Noir Valley
The soft click of the door closing behind Alex is barely audible and now that I am on my own, and although my heart still pounds after finding him unexpectedly at the front door, I find I can breathe easier. It’s not often Alex drops by and not wanting to miss out on this opportunity to spy on him, I run upstairs to my bedroom, heading straight for the window. Thanking whoever is listening, I have the backroom. I promised myself I would stop snooping on him. That he was part of my past. That there would be no more fantasies as I no longer have any feeling for him. He’s so wrong for me on so many levels. Shit, he hasn’t stopped loving his dead wife. If my competition was one of the whores from Demon’s Lair, I could handle that. But no, my competition is a dead wife. A ghost. A ghost Alex doesn’t talk about, and I have no idea what I’m up against. I was eight when he and Jo-Leigh left Noir Valley. As a child and before I discovered boys, neither Alex nor Jo-Leigh had interested or a threated me. As I watch him, a sigh slips from me. I may not know Jo-Leigh, or what it was about her that attracted Alex to her. However, there are two things I do know. One, Alex loved her, and two, someone murdered her. Rumor amongst the journalist fraternity is Joel Delaney, A man with links to the mafia is behind the killing. Along with my scrapbooks on Alex, I have one on Jo-Leigh. Most of the information I’ve gathered has come from the internet. Some pieces I picked up from contacts who work either for the police or fellow journalists. As I watch the men below, Data stops swinging the hammer and studies Alex. His gaze flickers to my bedroom window and I step back. When I look again, Data is nodding as Alex stretches, flashing the ripple of muscles on his flat stomach. As he arches back, his gaze finds my window, leaving me paralyzed as his blue stare penetrates into me. Then he smiles, flashing me a wink, breaking me free of his spell. As I step out of sight, I grasp the edges of my housecoat like a maiden aunt. Then a chuckle escapes me as I remember the way Alex’s gaze had roved over me. His eyes lingering on my naked thighs longer than necessary. How his heated look brought the pulse in my pussy to life. Then he frowned and complained about my housecoat. Shit, I’ve seen what the whores wear at Demon’s Lair. Compared to them, in my housecoat I’m dressed like a nun. About to grab my jeans, I change my mind and search my drawers for a pair of skimpy white lace shorts. I slip these on without bothering with panties. Then pull on a red tank top. One I was about to throw away as it’s a size too small. When I enter the kitchen, Alex is by the fridge grabbing a couple of beers and when he turns to me, his gaze lingers on my tits and I fight to keep my breath steady. He hands over one of the beers, which I accept with a half-smile.
“What did you want with Data?”
“Club business.” Alex leans against the kitchen sink, his legs crossed at the ankles, and glances over my shoulder. “Where’s Poppy?”
“On an errand for Data.”
“On her own?”
I shake my head. “No, Pond’s with her.” I smile as I sip my beer. “The man rides a bike, and he’s terrified to get in a car with Poppy.”
Alex nods. “I can understand that. How she got her license, I’ll never know.”
“TJ’s the one who taught her to drive.”
“That man can’t drive to save his life.”
I turn to the hallway and my smile slips as I head for the living room. Without bothering to lower the volume of the iPod, I sit on the couch. When he does visit, Alex always stops for a chat, teasing me like the third b
rother I don’t want or need. Friends. Alex and I will never be anything more than friends. As he follows me into the living room, my gaze drops to his groin and I lick my lips, wondering if he ever thinks about the night we spent together. I sip my beer and shake my head. He’s probably fucked more women since our night than I’ve had cooked meals.
“Teach say you have a boyfriend.”
Lost in thought, I jerk my head up as Alex sits beside me on the couch. His body is close. The aroma of his aftershave teases me, making my pussy twitch. His mouth is close, making me forget about the alarm bells tolling in my head, I yearn to lean over and taste him. Then his words repeat in my head and I pull away. “Teach?”
“One of the new mamas. She works at Noir Restaurant.”
I scratch my nose. I love Noir Valley, but gossip goes around faster than a forest fire on those Hollywood Hills. “He’s more of a work colleague, than boyfriend.”
Alex shuffles closer and as much as I crave to stand and move away, I stay where I am. My fingers clasp and unclasp around the bottle. He is so close that if I were to turn my head a fraction, our lips would touch.
“So, he’s not a boyfriend?”
I shrug, “we went for a spin on his bike.”
Alex’s finger’s trail over the bare flesh of my upper thigh and as the skin warms beneath his touch, I wish I had stuck to wearing jeans. “You went for a spin on his bike.” Alex shuffles in closer. His lips brush against my ear. “You’ll be telling me you’re engaged next.” His fingers tease my flesh as he draws circles on my upper thigh. His touch light and the tiny hairs on the back of my thigh stand on end. I should stop him. I should grab his hand and push it away.
I lick my lips, “we have shared a kiss.”
“You’ve shared a kiss,” Alex chuckles into my throat and I arch my neck, giving him access to my bare throat. He takes the bottle from my trembling fingers, placing it on the floor. His body leans into mine and I find myself leaning back against the cushions of the couch. Alex is above me. His lips are on mine. This is no chase kiss. It’s a kiss which rips at my soul. His tongue thrusts into my mouth and dances with mine. His fingers slip into my hair, tightening against my scalp as he thrusts his hips against mine and I respond. He tastes of beer and as he kisses me, I forget how to breathe as I wiggle beneath him, and his legs slip in between mine. As we kiss, a cough fills the air and Alex’s lips are no longer on mine as he jerks away, brushing his hand through his own blond hair. When I glance towards the door, Data is leaning against the doorjamb holding a beer whilst wearing a silly grin.