by S. Nelson
“Nomad!” Breck shouted as he walked toward us, beer in hand and already half empty. I liked Breck just fine, until he consumed a few drinks; then he became sort of obnoxious. Usually, I’d just shout for Cutter, his father, to reel him back in or I’d be forced to deal with him. Most times, Cutter would intervene if he was there. If not, and I had to take care of business myself . . . let’s just say that Breck had been knocked out once or twice. He wasn’t my favorite, but I didn’t dislike him either. He was loyal as fuck to the club, and that went a long way in my book.
“Get ready for this one,” I warned Reece, the flare of her eyes almost making me laugh.
“Breck,” I greeted, tightening my hold on Reece’s hand unknowingly.
“Ow,” she whined. “My hand.”
“Sorry.” Turning my full attention back to Breck, who was now staring at my woman, I took a step closer and crowded his personal space. “Don’t even think about it, man. She’s mine.” The gravel in my voice was unmistakable.
“What?” He played dumb. “I didn’t say anything.” He grinned.
“You didn’t have to. I know you.” We stepped around him to join the others, but not before I warned him. “And don’t get shit-faced, Breck. We’re not at a fuckin’ ruckus.”
He mumbled something before walking in the opposite direction.
“What’s a ruckus?” Reece asked, walking quickly just to keep up with my long strides. I slowed down when I noticed.
“It’s a party the club throws every so often when we’re celebratin’ something or need to blow off some steam. But there’s no wives or girlfriends allowed, just wannabes and the guys.” I had no idea all of that shit was gonna come flyin’ out of my mouth until it was too late.
Why the hell did I just tell her all that? Damnit!
She stopped walking and yanked her hand from mine. I closed my eyes in regret and tried to think of something to say that would undo some of the damage I’d undoubtedly just caused.
“What’s a wannabe?”
“Women looking to attach themselves to one of the members. But it never happens. They’re pretty much there to entertain the guys.”
Oh my God! Seriously . . . shut up, Tripp.
“What?” Her question was accompanied by an indiscernible look on her face. Was that confusion? Jealousy? Anger?
“I have no idea why I just told you all that, Reece.”
“Does your club throw these types of parties all the time?” She’d ignored my last statement.
“They used to. But not so much anymore.” I was being honest, so I prayed it would gain me some brownie points. “We actually haven’t had one in quite some time.”
“If another came up, would you go?” She crossed her arms in front of her and kept her gaze on me the entire time. The heat of her stare fueled me. She was tryin’ to lay claim on me and I found it exciting. I wanted to test her, to see how far she’d go, either with her words, her expression or her body language.
“Yeah, I’d go.” I ran my hand through my hair, gripping the back of my neck as if I weren’t giving much thought to her line of questions about my club. I’d told her the truth. I would attend the next ruckus the club had. I just wouldn’t participate in the free pussy that was offered.
“Why?” Reece attempted to mask her anger.
“Because it’s a club party. Why not?”
“Would you sleep with one of the women who came?”
“Do you care if I sleep with one of them?” I knew how irritating it was to answer a question with one, but I wanted to see what she’d say.
“Yes, I would care. A lot.”
It was all I needed to affirm that she felt something deeper for me than just the byproduct of our rushed circumstances. I’d come to develop strong feelings for Reece, no matter how annoying I felt they were. After all, feelings equated to possible hurt and agony in the future.
“Then you have my word that I won’t sleep with anyone else. But you have to promise the same. I meant what I told Breck. You’re mine.”
A look of what I could only describe as happiness fluttered across her gorgeous face when I verbally staked my claim on her. “So does that mean that we’re . . . ?” Her eyes darted from me to the ground then back again.
“Together?” She nodded. “Yes. That’s what it means.”
She smiled, which made me smile, the thud of my heart relaxing into a steady rhythm, a calm spreading through me I’d never experienced before. In truth, it terrified me.
We stood there staring at each other, allowing the brief silence stretching between us to comfort us. There were so many things I wanted to say, but if I rambled on right then I’d come across as some crazy man. And after everything she’d been through, not only with Rick but since I’d met her, the last thing I needed to add to her list was an all-consuming man who wanted to possess her. My emotions were a lot for me to handle, and I could only imagine how she’d feel if I tried to express them.
Reece
“Relax,” Tripp soothed, kissing my temple in an attempt to calm me. His touch soothed me, but not enough to stop the fluttering anxiousness in my belly as we approached some of the people already gathered.
“I’m trying,” I answered, grasping his hand tighter. There were a group of women huddled together at one of the tables, laughing and having a great time together. It was then that I longed for someone, other than Carla, who I could let loose with and confide in. Don’t get me wrong; I was beyond grateful that Carla was in my life, but sometimes I wish I just had a couple more girlfriends. Rick had kept me so secluded that the few friends I had back home had eventually stopped trying to reach out to me.
“You’ll have fun. I promise,” Tripp said, raising his free hand to someone who’d acknowledged his arrival. Our arrival.
“Well, look who decided to show up,” a dark-haired man called out, quickly walking toward Tripp to greet him. He was handsome. Very handsome, in fact.
“Prez. How are ya?” They shook hands and did that half-hug thingy guys do. Since I had nowhere else to look, I studied both men, hoping to God I wasn’t being obvious. The interaction between them was intriguing. They passed a silent message back and forth with the flick of their eyes and a subtle nod. Their body language was even heightened, elongating their coded communication.
“I’m good. Better.”
“How’s Sully?” Tripp’s question caused his friend to tense, but only for a second. Had I not been paying such close attention I would’ve missed it for sure.
“She’s good. We’re gettin’ there.” Finally looking away from Tripp, the handsome stranger looked in my direction. “Who did ya bring with you?”
“This is Reece.” Tripp looked at me for the other part of his introduction. “Reece, this is Marek, our club’s president.” It was then that my eye caught the ‘President’ patch on the front of his leather vest.
“Nice to meet you,” I greeted, flashing a small smile before looking toward the ground. Bad habit after years of being with Rick. If I looked at another man for two seconds too long he became angry.
“Glad you could come today. Someone’s gotta keep this guy in line.”
I looked back up at the both of them and found two pairs of eyes on me. Marek’s comment was one made in jest, but his expression remained stoic. Something told me the guy was more on the serious side, which I guess made sense seeing as how he was in charge of the entire club. But there was something hidden beneath the blue of his eyes that indicated there was more to him than what he revealed to others. Mainly strangers.
Tripp leaned away from me and spoke in a low voice, Marek acknowledging what he’d said with a jerk of his chin and a slight twitch of his lips. After they parted, Marek stood straight, glancing back at me one more time before turning around and walking toward a building to the left of where we were standing.
We continued to walk forward, and it was only then, as I scoured the expansive area, that I came to realize there was no baby present. I wasn�
��t Catholic, but I knew enough that the child was usually clothed in a white gown of sorts for the ceremony, which would have made her easily detectable. Then again, maybe these people did their own thing, had their own traditions.
“I wonder where Stone and Adelaide are,” he mused, as if he’d read my mind.
“I was just thinking the same thing.”
He opened his mouth to speak but quickly snapped it shut, his recent smile morphing into a vicious scowl. The faltering of his steps put me on alert. Tripp cursed under his breath, and as I perused the crowd I knew exactly why.
“What the hell is she doing here?” I asked.
“I have no goddamn idea, but I’m about to find out.” We stalked toward the person in question—or I should say that Tripp stalked forward, dragging me behind me. His steps were rushed and I had to break out into a slight jog just to keep up with him.
“Arianna,” Tripp barked, startling not only her but the couple people standing close by. Lowering his voice so as not to call anyone else’s attention, he said, “What are you doing here?”
I’d told Tripp about the way Arianna had treated me at work, telling me that I wasn’t gonna hold his interest and that he would eventually choose her over me. I’d also revealed how she taunted me with their past escapades. I’d tried to play off her antics as juvenile and those of a jealous woman, but she’d managed to affect me. Tripp and I were still so new it was only logical I’d have my doubts.
Tripp shut down every insecurity I had where she was concerned, assuring me that he’d never touch her again, even if I weren’t in the picture.
“I was invited, of course,” she said sweetly, false bravado spewing forth as she put on airs she couldn’t quite pull off. Her outfit was inappropriate for such an event. If I’d thought my dress was borderline questionable because of the open back, my reservations halted at the sight of her short, red, skintight excuse for a dress. Sure, some of the others’ dresses were form-fitting, but they weren’t slutty. There was a time and a place for such clothing, and a baby’s baptism celebration wasn’t one. Her face was overdone with way too much makeup, and her hair was high and ratty. Tame everything down and she’d pass for attractive, but not like this.
“By who?” he asked. Her eyes flicked to mine, narrowing slightly before focusing back on the man standing next to me.
“Breck.”
“Of course,” Tripp mumbled before shouting for Breck, who was fast approaching with a beer in hand. He stopped next to Arianna and snaked his arm around her waist.
“What?”
“Why did you invite her here?”
“Because I could. What’s it to you?” Breck’s eyes shot to mine before a lascivious grin flashed across his face. “Oh I get it. You fucked her so now you don’t want anyone else to have her. Well, too bad.” Breck pulled Arianna close and she laughed, but her eyes never left Tripp.
“I don’t give a shit who you fuck.” I believed he was speaking to the both of them, but couldn’t be sure. “Just make sure you stay away from us, or else.” Tripp stopped speaking, turned around and guided me back toward the parking lot. I heard Breck and Arianna mumble something behind me, but again we were walking so fast I couldn’t make out any of it.
“Tripp, please slow down. I’m gonna break my neck in these heels.” I yanked on his arm for emphasis.
“Sorry.” He slowed but not by much. Once we were far enough away, he dropped my hand and leaned against the building Marek had entered not ten minutes prior. “I’m sorry you had to hear that, Reece. If I could change parts of my past I would.”
“Ditto,” I responded, leaning in to him so I could feel the heat of his body. Was I upset at the reminder that Tripp had been with Arianna? Of course. Did I believe he wanted nothing more to do with her? Wholeheartedly.
Tripp’s arms encased me, drawing me in so I could rest my head against his chest. The hasty thrum of his heartbeat told me he was upset. Over the next several minutes we remained silent, existing in the comfort the other provided. His fingers danced over my exposed skin, heat blossoming between my legs at his subtle touch.
“Reece,” he whispered, his fingers pressing harder on my back before lowering to cup my ass cheeks. Pulling back to look into his face, I saw a plethora of emotions cross his features. His green eyes darkened with remorse and apology, but a deepening lust existed just under the surface, overpowering his regret at the situation that had just occurred. “Can we escape inside so I can show you how sorry I am that you had to endure that?”
I knew it wasn’t his fault. He had no idea she was gonna be there, and I wanted more than anything to give him a reprieve from his guilt, if that was even the correct word to describe what he’d probably been feeling since the encounter. However, I knew it wasn’t the right time or place. The last thing I wanted was to be caught by his friends, especially since they didn’t know me. It was important these people viewed me as someone other than just the stripper Tripp hooked up with from the club.
Rising up on my toes, I pressed my lips to his. When he groaned into my mouth, I thought for sure I would’ve thrown all caution to the wind and taken him up on his delicious offer, but I restrained myself. Barely.
“This isn’t the place. But I promise that as soon as we get home I’ll let you apologize over and over again.”
He ignored me, instead pressing his lower half into mine. “Please. Don’t make me beg, baby,” he pleaded. “I’m so fuckin’ hard right now.” His warm breath fanned my face before his mouth descended over mine, the flick of his tongue enough to tempt me once again.
The roar of motorcycles interrupted our heated moment. Three bikes followed by an SUV soon entered the lot, gravel kicking up around their tires before they backed into the available parking spaces.
The engines kicked off and the men rested their feet on the ground on either side of their impressive machines as they removed their helmets.
“Yo,” one of the men yelled, laughing at something one of the others had said while approaching us. “I thought for sure you’d be the last to arrive.” He stopped a couple feet away, his smile wide and inviting. He appeared younger than the rest of them, probably somewhere in his early twenties. The way the sunlight hit his dark golden hair, it appeared as if he had natural highlights—an attribute any woman would kill for, me included. His amber eyes flicked from me to Tripp a few times before any introduction was made.
“I’m not the one who’s always late. That’s Ryder.”
“Stop callin’ me out,” a dark-haired man yelled from across the lot, continuing to talk to the others as if he hadn’t just had an outburst.
“You’re a close second,” the guy jested, his hand extended to me in the absence of introduction. “I’m Jagger,” he said, snagging my hand as soon as I raised my arm. He seemed pleasant.
“Reece. Nice to meet you,” I replied, relaxing in the acceptance of his friend.
“Why are your women already here?” Tripp asked his friend. “Some business I should know about?”
“Nope. Nothing that exciting. They didn’t wanna ride with us ’cause they didn’t wanna ruin their outfits.” He shook his head as if the women were being ridiculous, but I completely sided with them. “Hey, before I forget. Can you come to my next bout? Ryder was supposed to but he said he’s got somethin’ going on.”
“Yeah. No problem.” Tripp had told me that they had an undefeated, underground MMA fighter in the club. I guessed this was him.
“Great. Okay, I better go find Kena before Breck makes another attempt.”
“Fuckin’ Breck,” Tripp grumbled. “He brought Arianna with him.”
Jagger’s eyes flicked to mine. “Asshole.”
“Yeah.”
And that was it for their exchange. Jagger rushed across the lot, and I found his eagerness sweet. Or maybe it was to protect his woman from the likes of Breck. Either way, I liked him.
The next to approach was Hawke. Him I knew, having talked to him on occasion at
Indulge when Tripp had sent him in to watch over me. He’d told me he was just there to make sure there were no issues, but I knew his presence had been geared toward me. I couldn’t say I minded, though; after everything that’d happened, I welcomed the extra sense of security.
“Hey, Reece. How are ya?” Surprisingly, he leaned in to kiss my cheek, a gesture which earned him a growl from his older brother.
“All right,” Tripp admonished. “That’s enough.”
“What? I’m just sayin’ hello.” Hawke chuckled, seeming to love riling up his brother.
“Uh-huh.” Tripp looked around the lot before asking, “Where’s Edana? I didn’t see her with the others.”
Hawke’s expression darkened. “She didn’t feel good,” was the only explanation he gave. Tripp had told me that his brother had had a rough go of it lately due to his girlfriend being attacked. But he said he was getting better each day, although still much more reserved than he used to be.
“Maybe next time,” Tripp said, gripping his brother’s shoulder in a show of support.
“Yeah. Maybe.” Hawke flashed us a tight smile before disappearing.
Before anyone else could advance our way, the driver’s door to the black SUV opened and out stepped a tall, blond man in a dark blue suit. His hair was shorter on the sides than on top, pulled back in some sort of faux Mohawk. He looked nervous.
The other men standing around hooted and hollered at the sight of him, and I guessed he was another member of the club, although I wasn’t sure because he didn’t match their attire of leather vests and jeans.
“What the fuck?” Tripp whispered next to me.
“Who is that?”
“Stone. He’s the VP. And Riley’s dad.” We watched him open the back door and fiddle around for few seconds before exiting with a little girl in a long white dressing gown. I guessed they were sticking to tradition after all. The sight of him holding who I naturally assumed to be Riley was beautiful. In that short amount of time, I could tell how much he loved his daughter. The way he ignored his friends and focused on the little girl, as if he was lost in her, instantly told me he was a good man.