RAW: THE ULTIMATE MC COLLECTION

by Palomino, Honey

  “It’s um….lovely,” I said, hoping he couldn’t hear the dishonesty in my voice.

  “Don’t worry, you don’t have to be polite. I saw where you live, remember?”

  “Um…yeah, I remember. But this isn’t too bad. It’s just so isolated and far away from everything.”

  “Just the way I like it. Not a person or a Starbucks in sight.”

  “Yes, I suppose. I’m so glad I had you stop earlier.”

  He laughed easily, smiling at me and getting out of the car and running around to open my door. At least he had some manners. He wasn’t a complete caveman.

  I scooped up Pearl, took his hand, and jumped down out of the truck. The heat hit me like a wave, and my heels sunk into the hard clay earth beneath my feet.

  “Wow, that clay is hard. Those shoes must be sharp as knives,” he said.

  “Dammit!” I said, pulling my heel out of the ground. “I hate these damned shoes!”

  “At the club, we call those fuck-me pumps.”

  “Oh, you do, huh? I call them totally uncomfortable. Despite my attire right now, I prefer to wear boots. Expensive boots, but comfortable ones.”

  “Is that so? Well, maybe you can wear some of mine. They’re not so expensive, but anything has to be better than those heels. And I bet I have a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that would fit you, too. We’re going to be here a while, so you might as well be comfortable.”

  I sighed, put Pearl down, holding onto her leash tightly, and silently followed him while taking in the scene in front of me.

  It was bare, but I couldn’t deny it was beautiful. The landscape may not have been my favorite, but the wide open blue sky and the brown earth tones created a different kind of beauty. It was quiet in a way the forest wasn’t. No leaves rustling and birds chirping here. Just sun blaring down on you and drying your skin out. Suddenly, I was yearning for some good moisturizer and sunscreen.

  “Are you hungry? I bet you’re starved by now. I was going to get you something to eat earlier, but that whole thing with Pearl happened and well…here we are.”

  I hadn’t thought about food until now, but now that he mentioned it I was ravenous.

  “Yes, I could eat something, I suppose.”

  “Good. Let’s get in and get you two settled, and get you some clothes…although I will be a little sad to see that dress go…and then I’ll grill us up some steaks.”

  He winked at me again, and I swore to myself if he did that one more time I was either going to punch him or kiss him.

  Cozy and warm, his home surprised me. A large stone fireplace lined one whole wall of his living room, with huge cedar beams framing the tall ceilings. Low slung black leather couches and chairs were paired with rustic tables made out of entire slabs of wood in the living room and dining room. It was clean, tidy, and inviting. And it smelled just like Hawk.

  “You can take Pearl off her leash. She’s safe here.” He closed the heavy front door behind us.

  I reached down and removed her leash, petting her head reassuringly. I was so happy she wasn’t injured and I could only hope she wasn’t pregnant by that beast of pit bull.

  “I’ll be right back.” Hawk disappeared down a hallway and I walked around his living room. It was sparse, but comfortable. No fancy vases or lamps, just simple, practical, no-nonsense essentials. It was refreshing, actually. I noticed a few pictures on a shelf and walked over to inspect them. I wasn’t surprised to see pictures of Hawk and his ‘brothers’ as he liked to call them.

  One was just him and Two Dog Dave and those monster dogs, and the other picture was one of the what I assumed was the entire club. About a dozen leather-clad men standing next to their bikes, not a one of them smiling. I supposed men like that weren’t the type to smile for pictures.

  “Here you go.” I didn’t hear him walk up behind me, and I turned and saw that he had removed his boots and stood barefoot in front of me, holding out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. “I’ll find you some boots later.”

  “Oh. Thank you.” I couldn’t wait to get out of this dress.

  “I’d let you borrow a pair of my underwear, but that might be weird.”

  I blushed bright red, having tried up till now to to forget that he knew I wasn’t wearing any panties. I hadn’t forgotten myself because my body wouldn’t let me. Every time he winked at me, I had to cross my legs so that the slickness forming there wouldn’t travel down my thighs. I was thankful for the jeans.

  “Um…it’s fine, thank you.” I grabbed the clothes from him. “Can I take a shower?”

  “Oh, here. Come with me. I’ll show you where everything is.”

  I followed him down the hallway, inhaling his leather scent the entire way and watching his tight ass dance in his jeans. The effect he was having on me was becoming torturous.

  He led me into the only room down the hall, and I realized quickly it was his bedroom.

  “Is this the only bedroom in the house?” I asked.

  “Yes. Excuse the unmade bed, I wasn’t expecting company. I’ll um…I’ll change the sheets, don’t worry.”

  Visions of dozens of women sharing his bed ran through my head, and I was supposed to sleep there? I looked at the bed, and although it was indeed covered in strewn and twisted sheets and blankets, the rest of the room looked decent. A large dark, wooden chest of drawers stood in the corner, and his bed was king-sized and framed by a gorgeous slab of polished redwood.

  “Your house is beautiful, Hawk. It feels like a log cabin in the middle of the desert.”

  “Thanks,” he replied. “I like the heat of the desert, but I do love that log cabin feel. I built this house myself.”

  “You built it? Wow, I’m impressed.” I couldn’t help but glance at his hands - they were large and wide, with long, strong fingers. My bare pussy reminded me why we were here, and I asked him again where the shower was.

  “Did you build the bed, too?” I asked, quietly impressed.

  “Um…” he stopped and stared wistfully at the bed in front of us. “Yeah, I did. A long time ago.”

  “It’s gorgeous,” I replied.

  “There’s an attached bathroom over there. You’ll find everything you need.”

  “Okay. Um, thanks.” I walked to the bathroom, wondering if he expected us to share this room. This was becoming a little too intimate way too quickly.

  Looking down at Pearl, who had been following my every movement, I reminded myself of why we were here. I silently hoped my father was moving fast to get us home.

  Hawk’s bathroom was simple, but just as gorgeous as the rest of the house. The heavy wood walls created the feeling of being in a sauna, and the large clawfoot bathtub was charming and clean. I opened his medicine cabinet, and saw nothing unusual for a man like him. Soap, razor, Old Spice, toothpaste, nail clippers, a bottle of ibuprofen and a first aid kit. No needles, no psych drugs, no pain killers - this guy was clean as a whistle.

  Except he was a biker/kidnapper. There was that.

  I peed and then looked in the mirror. I was mortified that I had mascara stains still on my cheeks from my outburst after Pearl’s assault. My hair was a mess, and I rummaged around in his cabinets for a hairbrush. I found a comb, and untangled my blonde curls, letting my hair hang loose around my face. I couldn’t believe how awful my appearance was.

  I took a quick shower, washing my hair with his shampoo, the scent familiar and arousing memories of him unlocking the chains from my arms.

  I dried off, brushed my wet hair and dressed in Hawk’s clothes while Pearl sniffed around. Hawk was huge, but he was thin and muscular. My curvy ass barely fit in his jeans, and the black t-shirt he gave me stretched tight across my full breasts. The shirt and jeans were no less revealing than my dress, but it was a huge relief to get out of it. And nothing felt better than being out of those damned shoes!

  I hung my dress on the back of the bathroom door, put my heels in the corner, and walked out into his bedroom.

  He was sitting on the
freshly made bed and turned to look at me.

  “I made the bed. Fresh sheets.”

  “Thanks.”

  The vest was on a chair in the corner and he was wearing exactly the same thing I was. Black t-shirt, blue jeans, barefoot.

  “We’re twinkies,” I said, giggling.

  “Huh?”

  “Twinkies. We’re wearing the same thing. We look alike. We’re a pair.”

  “Oh. Well maybe we aren’t opposites after all.” He smirked.

  “Well, I wouldn’t go that far, Mister.”

  He laughed and got up from the bed, walking over and standing in front of me. His finger lifted my chin and he looked into my eyes.

  “Opposites attract, haven’t you heard?” He leaned his head down, quickly pressing his lips to mine as I stood there in shock, motionless, the heat of his lips searing mine.

  It was over as quickly as it started, and he was walking out the door, looking over his shoulder with a casual smile.

  “I’ll get started on dinner. A starving princess just won’t do.” I watched him walk away on his large, bare feet, my gaze trailing up his long, muscular jean-covered thighs, his ass a pure masterpiece. He had amped up the torture with that unexpected kiss, and I kept standing there, unable to do anything but watch him walk away, my fingers on my lips.

  It was the best view I had seen in Joshua Tree so far.

  CHAPTER NINE

  It felt like I was on a date. If I pretended for a moment that he wasn’t actually the president of a biker club that was holding me against my will, it was as if he were courting me. His secluded house, the wine he poured me after I declined his offer of beer, the perfectly grilled steaks served under a gorgeous open sky - all combined with the fact that they were being provided by a dangerously seductive drop-dead handsome man with flowing, long blonde hair - were all things that would have seduced me whether I was getting an envelope full of cash afterward or was being held for ransom.

  Either way, it was a classic seduction that was working damn well, no matter how much I wanted to resist it. If he had shown any smidgen of an intention to hurt me, I wouldn’t have felt like this. But he had been nothing but respectful, starting with apologizing before he put that rag over my face and continuing when he didn’t do any number of things he could have while I laid naked and unconscious in front of him for hours.

  I couldn’t help but respect that. And the fact that he smelled like heaven didn’t help. If heaven was filled with leather and whiskey loving men, that is.

  Once again, I wondered how I ended up in this place. I desperately wished he would answer some of my questions, and I hoped that if I played my cards right, I could get him to open up to me. Sure, he was charming, but I was the one who got paid to be charming. I was sure I could out-charm him if I tried.

  I had to give it my best effort.

  I concentrated on him all night, not asking questions about why I was there, but instead asking about him, and I listened intently to every answer, every boyhood story, every description of his dad, the former president of the Devil’s Horsemen, of what goes on behind the closed door of the clubhouse. He didn’t go into detail regarding their business, but he told me he traveled around California a lot, and talked at length about his love for the desert.

  The darkness that fell over his eyes when he briefly touched on the dirty part of club business almost made me sad. I understood what it meant when you were born into a life you didn’t want to be in. He never went into details, but it left me wondering what duties he had to perform as a president of an MC club. Being born into it, he said, was not something easily escaped.

  “I guess you could say I’m wearing chains, too, Princess,” he said quietly, his voice trailing up into the big, open sky above us.

  He leaned over, and quickly pressed his lips to mine again before going into the house and returning with a pair of black harnessed boots and two pairs of socks. The boots were still a little big, even with both pairs on, but they fit pretty well. I had never been more thankful for comfortable footwear.

  We took Pearl for a walk around his property, and when we returned, he built a roaring fire in the large firepit behind his cabin. He left his back door open, brought out a bottle of whiskey and we sat there, watching the fire and the sunset behind his home.

  I had my glass of wine that I had slowly been sipping on, but I had always loved the warmth of a good bourbon. When I asked for some of his, he looked surprised, but began to rise to get a glass.

  “I don’t need a glass, Hawk. Just give me the bottle.”

  He smiled that eye-crinkling, disarming smile at me, and I looked away quickly. Charming him to get more information and resisting his charms at the same time was proving to be a thin line and I took a deep breath, hoping the whiskey would give me a little courage to keep my walls up around him.

  Putting the bottle up to my bare lips, I shuddered as I remembered the feel of Hawk’s lips on mine earlier.

  As the whiskey hit the back of my throat, I groaned as I felt that first inviting heat. I turned back to see Hawk staring at me, his eyes looking right through me.

  “You’re not as uptight as I expected you to be.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment,” I replied, taking another sip.

  “I wish I had met you under different circumstances, Vanessa.”

  “Do you?” I asked, lowering my eyelids as I watched his lips move.

  “Yes. This…situation…presents all sorts of problems.”

  I laughed out loud as his wording.

  “That’s one way to put it.”

  “It’s just business, Vanessa. Obviously you’re an…interesting…lady.”

  “Interesting…” I repeated quietly.

  “Well, yeah. Tell me about your art. You’re really good.”

  “Oh, yeah, I guess you saw all that.” I cringed thinking about him in my apartment, trying to remember what I had left lying around.

  “I did. You’re very talented. You must be very successful.”

  The last thing I wanted to do was talk about my art. I loved it, but it made me think about my father, and his disdain for it, and when I thought about my father, I couldn’t help but be angry that he had put me in this situation with his shady dealings. I wanted to just enjoy the night with Hawk and pretend I wasn’t being held captive by him.

  “Not really. It’s a long story. But maybe some day.”

  “I would think a woman like you would have all the resources you need to be successful.”

  “Well, I did. Before my father cut me off.”

  “What do you mean cut you off?”

  “My father is filthy rich, and has been since before I was born. You said you knew who he is, so I’m assuming you know he’s running for mayor, and I’m also assuming that’s why we are both here right now. Don’t worry, you don’t have to confirm,” I watched him intently to see if his face gave anything away as I talked, but he sat stone faced, listening quietly. “Anyway, I grew up having everything I wanted handed to me. I don’t think I abused it, but I didn’t really learn how to take care of myself either. When I expressed a desire to be an artist, instead of becoming a lawyer or doctor or anything more respectful in my father’s eyes than a sculptor, he decided to cut me off financially.”

  I paused, wondering how much I should say and also wondering how much he already knew.

  “Luckily, I met a woman - Genevieve - and she gave me a job six months ago, so I’ve been totally self-sufficient the last few months.”

  “Yes, your job.”

  For the first time, I felt uncomfortable with him. I couldn’t quite read his tone. He knew I was a call-girl, he had said so earlier, and he had caught me right in the middle of sex with a client, after all.

  I decided not to go into it, and he didn’t say anymore about it, either.

  “I’m planning on having a show soon, though.”

  “Oh, yeah? I’d like to see that.”

  I started to say I wo
uld invite him, but would I? I had no idea what was going to unfold in the next few days, or where he would be after.

  “It should be sometime in the next few months, hopefully.”

  I left it vague, and he didn’t press. We sat in peaceful silence, watching the fire and the moon, passing the whiskey bottle back and forth, with Pearl sleeping at our feet.

  I snuck a glance at Hawk and saw him deep in thought, staring into the flames. His eyes were intense and he had drifted far away. The awkwardness of the situation couldn’t be avoided, and while I had started the evening with every intention of attempting to milk him for information, looking at him now, there was no way I could even try. He had obviously been straight with me from the very beginning, and he had been nothing but respectful.

  I had to cut him a break.

  He turned and caught me watching him, his face breaking into a huge smile as he met my eyes.

  “Are you cold? It gets chilly out here at night.”

  “No, I’m fine,” I replied, smiling back at him.

  He was like nobody I had ever met before - rough and rugged in a way I wasn’t used to - but his kindness and sincerity was charming. He calmed me, and soothed my nerves. The irony of the situation was not lost on me.

  “I bet you’re tired.”

  “Actually, yes I’m exhausted.”

  It hit me as soon as he said it. My mind had been swirling with questions for hours, and mentally, I was completely spent.

  “I’m not surprised.” He smiled again, those gorgeous eyes sparkling at me.

  “Yeah, well. I guess it’s all your fault,” I said jokingly.

  He laughed, stood up and began dumping sand on the quickly fading fire.

  “Well, let’s go to bed then.”

  “Um…”

  He saw the look of uncertainty on my face and laughed at me again.

  “Don’t worry, Princess. I’ll take the couch.”

  “Oh. I didn’t mean…well, I - um…” I blushed bright red, torn between being grateful for the reassurance and disappointment that we wouldn’t be sharing the same bed.