Devil Seeker

by Clare Power

  “No problem. I have a use for the smaller unit so I’ll buy yours. Having your application in will take some of the pressure off Kat, stopping these fuckers in their tracks. Going up against an MC, especially one like ours with a huge membership all over the country is a whole different ballgame than trying to pick on a single woman.” I know he has directed the last bit at me, and I have to agree with him. Again, it shows me the support I’m getting because of Backfire.

  “I’m so grateful that you guys are backing me and helping me out, but I’m a little beside myself as to why? Backfire and I have only just met. Who’s to know what we’ll be or how long it will last. I don’t want to be in a bad situation if whatever is between Backfire and I goes wrong, you understand? What happens if we don’t work out?”

  “We’ll work that out when the time comes,” Backfire says.

  And that, I suppose, is that.

  Backfire

  We all head out for dinner and I ride at the back of the group with Kat to the steakhouse the club owns. I left my saddlebags back at her place that hold a small supply of clothes for me and more CDMC panties for her. I also brought some beer.

  Kat orders the same as us, another fuckin’ point in her favor. She doesn’t eat rabbit food and she has no problems joining in on the conversation. Tinman takes a lot of her attention, but when we finish eating, she slides her ass closer to me so we’re touching and I like that shit, so I wrap my arm around her shoulders and pull her closer and keep her there as the evening moves along.

  After dinner is over, the guys ride with us by Kat’s on their way home to make sure that all is ok. Luckily, there’s no damage from the front of the house, so they continue on while Kat opens the garage and leaves room for my bike, which lets me know that I’m welcome.

  After we secure our bikes and the garage, we walk into the house and Kat collapses on the sofa.

  “I’ve got to admit that this whole thing with your club is a bit overwhelming. I’m happy about it, don’t get me wrong, I’m just taken back by how they have jumped in to help me. They don’t know anything about me. I’m an outsider, you know?”

  “Just accept it, alright. You need the help, me and my brothers are in a position to offer it.” I reply.

  She lets it go, telling me she’ll accept it.

  “So, what’s in the bags?”

  “Beer and clothes.”

  “I meant to go shopping tonight and grab some things. I wasn’t even sure when you’d be back. Are you staying?”

  “Brought enough clothes for a few days, babe.”

  “Fair enough. I haven’t unpacked all my clothes so there’s an empty cupboard to put your stuff in while you’re here. No need to leave your clothes in a bag to get wrinkled.”

  “Come here,” I tell her. She walks into my open arms and I hug her tight, “I appreciate that, babe. I find myself enjoying your company, and I’m hopin’ you might feel the same way. I like the idea of seeing where this could go, and you’re the first woman I’ve even considered such a thing with.”

  “I like that idea too. I’m not looking to rush into anything, but I like you too so let’s just enjoy the ride, ok?” Then she looks down at my bag, “Do you want to put the beer in the fridge?”

  “Yeah, babe. I’ll do that now.”

  Chapter 9

  Panic

  Kat

  It occurs to me in the middle of the night that I have just met a man that I have taken up with rather quickly. I’m nervous that it’s all moving rather fast. Why would I offer up a cupboard for his clothes? It didn’t occur to me how it sounded until after I had said it. I hope he takes it for what it is; a place to put his clothes for the next few days while he’s here and not like I’m offering him space in my home. We know nothing of one another really, and I want to take my time getting to know him.

  Last week I was crowing about how clever and independent I am, and now I’m curled up naked in bed with a man whose real name I don’t even know. I only know he’s part of an MC and that he makes custom bikes. Does he have any ex-wives? Does he have any kids? Would I be ok with any of that?

  I NEED TO GET A GRIP.

  I’m in lust. Except for those issues that may or may not be, it seems he’s everything I want. He even has friends who are willing to help in matters I’m not sure I could handle on my own, but he’s in an MC, and that could mean he’s possibly even killed before.

  My mind starts to go places I really don’t need it to go and I start to shake as the implications of my stupidity catch up with me in the dark, causing Backfire to wake up.

  “What’s your name?” I demand.

  “Babe, what time is it?”

  “Three o’clock. What the fuck’s your name?”

  At this he sits up and flicks the light on. Even in his sleep filled haze, he must see how I’m feeling by the look on my face, which I can only imagine as freaked out and scared as he comes toward me slow and easy, like he might scare me away with one wrong move. At this moment, I can’t say that he would be wrong in that assumption, either.

  Backfire

  Fuck me. My girl’s eyes are wild and terrified. I don’t know if it’s me or a bad dream that’s brought this shit on so I best take this slow.

  “My name is Sean O’Connor. You know I design the bikes that Tinman makes. I don’t have much of a story to tell you about myself and I think you’re freaking out over how fast you see us moving, am I right? Is that what this is about?” She nods her head yes, so I continue, “If you think this is scary for you, imagine how I feel. I don’t do this shit, babe. I get what I need and I get gone, but I’m so tired of that kinda life. Seeing you so independent and sure of yourself is a big turn on for me, but it’s also something I don’t see with any of the women I’ve been around. I like that shit about you. I hope like fuck this continues with us. I have no baggage to carry into a relationship and all I really want is to ride this wave and see where it takes us. It doesn’t matter how long we’ve known each other, Kat, it’s how you feel about it that matters. I think this is worth a try. Every relationship starts somewhere, right?” As I say this I feel my balls shriveling up into tiny raisins. Last week all I wanted from a woman was my cock in a hole, I didn’t fuckin’ care which, didn’t fuckin’ care whose, as long as it was there when I wanted and gone when I was done.

  What the fuck is happenin’ to me?

  While I’m considering my new girly behavior, I see her start to relax and calm down.

  “Can we go back to sleep now, babe? I have work in the morning.”

  She nods slowly, lookin’ less and less spooked by the minute. I look her in the eyes as I lower myself back down on the bed, knockin’ the light off as I do. I have my arms open to her so she can come to me if she wants to, and after a moment, I feel her slowly move into me, taking the comfort I offer as we slowly drift off into a peaceful sleep.

  When we wake up the next morning, I know Kat is pissed at herself for what happened during the night, and in a way, so am I. I’m not pissed that she woke up feeling the need for a little self-preservation; I get that. I’m pissed that I’ve pushed this shit too quickly, not giving either one of us time to even draw a fuckin’ breath.

  She comes out of the bathroom looking sheepish. Fuck, I know how we deal with this is actually far more important to us as a couple than how good we are at sex. Us? Shit.

  I lift my hand out to her and she comes to me, eyes downcast. I take us to the living room, the bed isn’t the place for this, and I sit us on the sofa.

  “I’ve made a mess of this. I was congratulating myself on being clever until I let my brain catch up only to realize that I didn’t know anything about you and sort of panicked.”

  “Yeah, I got that, so let’s work on learning things about each other. Like I said, this shit is all new for me too, and I guess knowing each other is a pretty damn important factor. I wanted you so bad that I didn’t give a shit about covering the basics. Bottom line, we learn about each other together.�
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  “Yeah, I get that,” she smiles, “I can’t believe I didn’t ask you before. When I woke up and realised I didn’t know your name I totally freaked. I’m sort of over it now.”

  “With the speed things are happening between us, I imagine there’ll be other times when you’ll question shit about me. All I ask is that you always come and talk to me about whatever is on your mind,” I tell her. “Is there anything you want to ask me now?”

  “Well, now that you mention it, I wonder if you can tell me more about your club.”

  “Why don’t we start with what you know about MC’s. What are your experiences with them over in England?”

  “Well, an MC is an outlaw club; one percenters. We also have clubs in England known worldwide like the Hell’s Angels who fit into that category. Then there are Motor Cycle Clubs, MCCs, who are not outlaw, but more like a riding club is here. MAG, or Motorcycle Action Group, HOG ( Harley Owners Group), which you have here also. Really it’s just about the same with a few slightly different terms.”

  “That sounds about right, and you understand that a one percenter is not necessarily a member of an organized crime family? You understand that it’s just a bike club outside the “normal” guidelines.”

  “Oh yes,” she says, “I’ve been around MC’s enough in the UK to know that it’s not completely like what you see on TV.”

  “Yeah, that’s a fuckin’ good way of sayin’ it. There are criminals in all walks of life and there are good guys just the same. Also, not every cop is bent, just some.”

  She bursts out laughing.

  “Fair enough. And if I look online into the Cycle Devils, will I find crime associated with your club’s name?”

  “You’ll find a brother or two has been arrested for assault, even drunkenness and possession, but not all of us.”

  Kat puts her head to one side, a sign I’m noticing she gives when she’s deep in thought. After a few minutes tick by, she looks like she’s come to some sort of decision and says, “I can live with that.”

  Then she smiles as she jumps to her feet and heads to the kitchen, “How about some breakfast?”

  Then just like that, things between us are fuckin’ worked out. Being with Kat is both easier and harder than I thought it would be, but I’m seeing that when it’s easy, it’s fuckin’ perfect.

  Kat

  The next morning I go for a ride. Being out on the road, my mind starts to clear. A ride works for me every time. I am well over my meltdown and ruddy pleased that Backfire is still planning to be around after it.

  We arranged to meet up after work outside a local supermarket where he’ll be bringing his truck. It feels simple; nothing too heavy. I need food in my house and he plans to help me eat some of that food so this is simple and comfortable. I don’t imagine that this will occur a lot, but it’ll be good to know what he likes and compare it to what I like.

  I haven’t told him that I picked this supermarket because they have an English food section, but he’ll soon learn. I also haven’t told him that I use a local butcher and a greengrocer for a lot of my fresh stuff. Going to different shops doesn’t seem to be how many Americans shop, but it works for me. I prefer variety and like to make my own choices.

  When the time came to shop, I found that I was actually having fun. Who expects food shopping with a man to be fun? He doesn’t even whinge when he’s faced with the prospect of going to more than one shop to buy stuff, though he admits he’s never tried it before. The only issue we had was when it was time to pay. He wanted to pay for it all. His argument was that I had just bought my house, but even when I offered to go halves, he said yes, but only if I sold him half the house. Have you ever noticed how it’s always ruddy money that causes most fights? I swear, men.

  Backfire

  What the fuck is Marmite and why am I shellin’ out five bucks for a jar of it? This store has a whole aisle of British stuff, which looks nothing like food, and why does the mustard come in such a small tube? Kat just smiles and says I’ll find out, but it stays firmly in the shopping cart.

  After everything else, she tries to pay. I am so not having that shit. The look on her face when I picked her up and put her behind me at the checkout counter was fuckin’ funny though.

  The best part about it is she clamps her mouth shut and saves that shit for later when we’re alone. That’s my girl.

  It suddenly occurs to me that I haven’t given her those panties. I stuffed them in a drawer with my stuff, probably because I wanted to get my stuff in that drawer quick before she changed her mind. I think the right moment to give her a pair will be if she starts trying to talk money with me at home.

  What the fuck? When did her house become home?

  Once we make it back to her house, she unpacks the groceries and puts them away, all while cooking dinner at the same time. Stupid things like today are teaching me a lot about her. I decide to not go too heavy on the money front for a while, see how things pan out for us.

  As she cooks, I go and check the bikes out. I’m not surprised to see hers is well maintained, adding another point in her favor. Looking around the garage, I see a load of insect netting. I’m gonna assume she’s planning to enclose the backyard. Interesting.

  I go back into the house and through to the yard as Kat follows me out.

  “I plan on making this area here into a barbecue and gathering spot. I want to make that area grassy and over there, I want to put one of those above ground swimming pools. That’s part of why I bought this house. There was potential for the outdoor space I needed.”

  “Sounds like a fuckin’ good plan. I’ll help you with it.”

  Kat takes my declaration in stride, “That would be cool. I’m still learning all the hazards of the area so it would be a real help to have someone who knows the local wildlife and how to deter it. So far, I’ve had a possum in the yard whose bite is apparently pretty painful, and a snake in the kitchen. That was a massive reality check for me about where I am now.”

  “What sort of snake?”

  “A scary one. Snakes belong in a zoo. I phoned a man to get rid of it and didn’t really want to know anything beyond that.”

  Guess my girl isn’t into everything that Florida has to offer.

  After a chill sort of evening, we fall into bed. The sex is soft and gentle and I take my time, savoring every second of it with her. This was so much more than fucking. This kind of sex is new to me but with Kat, it’s like I’m feeling all kinds of shit I never felt before. I just relax and fuckin’ enjoy it. I can see myself getting used to this permanently.

  Chapter 10

  One Month Later

  Baby Steps

  Kat

  I had Marmite on toast for brekkie, which is something that Sean is not impressed with. It’s fine with me. It just leaves more for me. You either love it or you hate it, and I’m guessing he’s never going to be a fan. It is, however, good for a giggle to offer it to him to watch his face. He really can’t hide his dislike for it, which is rare for him because he can do “lack of expression” all too well.

  The last month has been amazing. Sean spends a lot of his time here when he’s not working or doing things with the club and I can’t say that it’s been awful, especially for someone like me who enjoys having my own space. We move around each other with ease. It feels like a dance that we’ve always done, making everything feel comfortable and smooth.

  I don’t think that Backfire will ever truly get that I don’t want to be buried in his club. I still want my own life away from it all. It looks like part of my work life is going to include them so I want to keep a few things separate because it’s all just so new and I’m already set in my ways.

  Since it’s Wednesday, I’m getting ready for craft night. Tonight is special because Lori is coming for the first time. It’s a big deal in my head to include someone that is part of the club to my home when Backfire isn’t here, but over the last month, I’ve started to get to know her better and I l
ike her, so I’m giving it a go. If it works out, there are a couple more of the old ladies I think I could like. I’ve taken special care getting ready and done some baking, even though Amber is the Cookie Queen and is sure to bring loads of different sorts. I’ve been out and got a book on making non-alcoholic cocktails and the stuff to make them to play with tonight, because how can that go wrong?

  The Cycle Devils always have a members-only club night on Wednesday, which couldn’t have worked out any better for me and my crafting night.

  To make some money to pay for holidays and things like that, I plan to make bits to sell at the craft fair in St. Petersburg. I’m really looking forward to it because I know it’ll be fun.

  Amber and I plan to share a stall as she does all sorts of different things than I do. I am an artist first, but I can knit well enough to sell things, which is really useful in Florida where woolly hats are de rigueur, so I started to knit wire jewellery instead.

  Amber is the first to arrive. As soon as she walks in the door, Backfire comes up behind me, putting his arm around my waist in his claiming gesture. It seems to be his thing in front of everyone. Amber just smiles, being used to this by now. Thank fuck for that.

  “You can stop with your claim. I have no intentions of taking her from you,” she says and they both begin to laugh.

  Just then I hear two HD’s approaching. Clearly they’re coming here, but he looks out to check anyway.

  “Brewer and Lori,” he says. “I’ll go to club night with Brewer and we’ll be back here for Lori later.”

  “Ok,” I say as Brewer and Lori walk in. They say their hellos to Amber and then the guys get ready to go. Backfire pulls me into his arms at the same time Brewer embraces Lori but I’m too busy kissing him to notice anything else going on around me.

  After the guys leave, our little crafting party begins. The snacks and goodies are on the kitchen counter while our crafts are spread out all over the table.