by Brook Wilder
“Why’s that?” Hatchet asked, his eyes sharpening.
“I just got word this morning. Finn’s headed this way. It can only mean one thing.”
“Fuck.” Hatchet bit off the curse, rubbing a hand over his clean-shaven jaw. “Of course, he decides now’s a good time to come back. The bastard.”
“Don’t worry about it, Hatchet. I’ve got my guys on twenty-four hour look out. I’ll know as soon as he shows his face,” Jackrabbit said, trying to reassure his friend but not knowing how affective it had been. Not very by the lines of worry carved in his forehead. “Don’t worry, Hatchet,” he repeated, clapping his friend on the back. “You know what we need? Another round of drinks. Yep, that’s what we need. Copious amounts of alcohol.”
Jackrabbit threw his arm around Hatchet’s shoulders, turning him towards where a wooden bar had been set up against one wall of the converted barn. And then he froze. It was her. The girl from the police station.
The gorgeous woman that had come up to him, handcuffed and all, as bold as brass and then continued to say things to him that still had his ears burning and heat rising in his cheeks. Never before had he met a woman who could make him blush. It was usually the other way around. But not her, not Rachael. She was different. Special somehow, in an indefinable way. And it had his body reacting instantly at the sight of her. Especially in that dress.
It was skintight in places and loose in others, revealing the most luscious curves and then only hinting at more. So much more. Her dark hair had streaks of red in it that set off the olive tone of her skin, and the shimmering emerald color made her green eyes shine like gemstones as she ordered a drink and then casually stood to one side of the bar.
She was so sexy it made his heart race. Sin and seduction all wrapped up into one luscious package that had his mouth just watering for a taste. It was too easy for him to imagine the spicy sweet flavor of her. The way she would moan and claw at his back like a wild animal as her thighs squeezed tight around him and…
“Better close your mouth before you start drooling like the dog you are,” Hatchet murmured out of the side of his mouth, and Jackrabbit didn’t miss the edge of humor that his friend didn’t even try and hide.
“I wasn’t drooling.”
“Well, you were about to,” Hatchet shot back, shaking his head, “And she’s about the dumbest person you could pick to drool over. You know she’s the sheriff’s daughter, right?”
Jackrabbit just shrugged, never once taking his eyes off of her. “All I know is I’m starving and she looks like a three-course meal.”
“You’re brave, I’ll give you that,” Hatchet muttered under his breath, “Brave, or just fucking stupid.”
Jackrabbit just gave another shrug, not saying anything else to contradict the other man. What was the point? He was right, not that it made a damn bit of difference to him.
“I think my wife needs me,” Hatchet finally said after a moment, and then barked out a soft laugh. “Wife. I’m still getting used to that.”
“Well, like I said, better you than me,” Jackrabbit said, grinning wide one more, as he slapped his friend on the back, giving him a shove towards the dance floor for good measure. “Well, go on then. Go dance with your wife, buddy.”
Jackrabbit turned, watching his friend walk like a nervous schoolboy towards the center of the open space they were using as a make-shift dance floor, and felt an itch start between his shoulder blades.
He watched as Elsie’s smile widened, her blue eyes lighting with love and happiness as they landed on Hatchet, and he swept her into his arms, holding her close as a slow dance started. They danced as if the whole world had just disappeared and they were the only two people left. It was so cute it nearly made him sick just to watch, and all he could do was tell himself how lucky he was that it wasn’t him wrapped around some woman’s little finger like that. He nearly even believed it.
***
Rachael looked down at the tumbler of bourbon she held in one hand and the small, delicate looking bouquet she had in the other. She was Elsie’s maid of honor. She had the tacky dress to prove it. But at least she’d been able to work some magic with a little needle and thread to make it passable. After she’d cut off the bottom half, leaving the hem to just barely skim her legs mid-thigh.
That bouquet, though. It was full of delicate, tiny white flowers that were already mostly wilted in the Texas summer heat. Something about it made her sad, those wilted, dying flowers. It was a happy occasion. Her best friend had just gotten married. She should be ecstatic, and the flowers should still be alive and beautiful. But they weren’t, and neither was she.
She looked up, watching the happy couple sway together in the middle of the dance floor, completely lost in each other. A restless feeling hit her then, familiar and persistent. A feeling that had a need to flee, to be free and alone, sweeping through her. But she couldn’t just run out on her best friend’s reception. She was the maid of honor, god damn it! And she would act like it.
But even still, she couldn’t stop the guilty feeling from spreading through her for not being ecstatic for Elsie. She was thrilled, she really was, but watching them together, seeing how happy and in love they were, just left a yawning empty feeling in the pit of her stomach, and once more she had the urge to just turn around and run as far away as she could.
Rachael tore her gaze away, looking for something, anything else to distract her, and nearly purred when they landed on the tan, blond-haired man in the black leather jacket who was standing on the other side of the room.
He stood out like a sore thumb, not because of his clothes, but just in the way he carried himself. Hannah would call it his ‘aura’ but Rachael knew it was just pure, undiluted sex appeal. Perfect. Just the type of distraction she’d been looking for.
She felt the force of his dark, ocean-blue gaze as his eyes collided with hers, and it sent shivers tripping through her entire body in shockwaves. Rachael sent him her most devilish smile, the one that never failed her, and once again it worked like magic as he set down his empty glass and sauntered towards her. His own grin spoke volumes as he drew near, his blue gaze tracing fire across her skin wherever it landed.
Rachael didn’t know how long they stood there like that, neither one talking but both saying more than words ever could as their gazes battled. Heat rose in her cheeks and she had to force her hand to stay still to keep from fanning herself.
Finally, he leaned forward, wrapping her in his deep, spicy, intoxicating scent. His breath tickled her ear and his words teased as they reached her.
“Do you want to get out here?” he asked, gruff and straight to the point. Being straightforward was a trait she could admire in a person. She hated nothing more than coyness. Rachael pulled back just far enough to meet his ocean-blue gaze one more time before she nodded. She didn’t hesitate as she gave her answer, forgetting all about her promise to act like a good maid of honor.
“God yes. Let’s go.”
THE END
Read on for a sample from ROADBURNERS MC #2: RUINED!
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SAMPLE: Ruined
Chapter 1
“Oh god. Fuck yes.” Rachael moaned the words as she hitched her hips, once more making contact with the hard, hot body beneath her. They were both tangled up in the sheets, sweat soaking their skin from the energetic morning romp but neither noticed. They were lost in each other.
It was the same as it was every time Rachael and John Dawes, more commonly known as Jackrabbit, fell into bed together. Or the kitchen table. Or the back of her truck. Or the alley behind the bar that Rachael lived above. One touch and they both exploded. Sparks flying everywhere. Burning out of control for one another.
Rachael bit of another groan of pure pleasure at the feel of Jackrabbit’s teeth grazing that sensitive curve where her neck melted into her shoulder and it sent shockwaves tumbling through her, adding to the intense sensations that already threatened to overwhelm he
r.
Her tense muscles were straining. A quiver grew from her legs and quickly spread to the rest of her body. Rachael panted, biting her lower lip as the pleasure turned into ecstasy, and then something urgent—something more insistent. She tried to hold back, tried to hold out just a little bit longer but before she could even take her next breath, she felt herself coming apart.
“Johnny!” She cried out, her mind nothing but a haze as her body shook in his arms. On and on, he thrust hard inside her, stretching her orgasm for what seemed like an infinity but a few moments later he followed her over the edge. His fingers tensed, digging hard enough at her hips bruise but she didn’t care. She was lost in the pleasure that still rode her body.
With one last weak cry, he wrung the last ounce of ecstasy from her. Rachael collapsed with a breathless laugh on top of his muscular chest. Her breaths came out soft and husky as she rolled to one side, the sheet rolling with her and covering about half of her body.
The rest of her was still on display but Rachael didn’t care. They had just finished having sex together and still, Jackrabbit’s dark blue eyes were drawn to her curves, gleaming with a lean and hungry light.
He swept one callused hand from her thigh, traveling up the peak of her hip and into the valley of her waist and then up some more, just skimming the tip of her still sensitive nipple to sweep across the skin of her shoulder.
He let his fingers rest there, just touching her, caressing her as if he couldn’t make himself stop. Like he didn’t want to lose the connection between them. That thought left a warm emotion tightening across her chest, and a little kernel of panic rising right alongside it.
Fighting to keep things light and easy between them, Rachael turned her head to send him a devilish grin.
“We’ve got to stop meeting like this.” She whispered huskily and drew a husky laugh from Jackrabbit.
“It is becoming a bit of a problem, isn’t it?”
“A bit? This is the third time this month I’m going to be late for work.” But even still, Rachael didn’t move from the bed, or Jackrabbit’s touch. The people of Mayville could just wait a little damn longer to get their burnt coffee. The thought made her scowl a little. The people of Mayville, she thought sarcastically, all one thousand three hundred and eighty of them.
It was a small, rural town. Mostly farms and farmers with more cattle than people. Everyone knew everyone else’s business, especially when that business concerned the sheriff’s trouble maker daughter.
It was one of the reasons she couldn’t wait to get out of this town, move to a city where she could start all over. Move somewhere that she could be anyone she wanted to be. She’d already put her plan for operation get the hell out of dodge in place.
Rachael glanced over at Jackrabbit, who was still eyeing her like a piece of birthday cake and some of the excitement about her plan dimmed. He was one part of her plan that she hadn’t, well, hadn’t planned on to be honest. He kind of snuck up on her.
It had been the night of her best friend Elsie and his best friend Hatchet’s wedding. She’d been dying in her role of maid of honor, standing on the sidelines getting steadily drunk as she watched the happy couple.
Jackrabbit had sauntered over with that sexy as hell grin curling up one corner of his delectable mouth. He asked her if she wanted to get out of there. She said yes and they ended the night twined together in the back of her jeep, and then again at her apartment, and then one more time in her shower the next morning. That was six months ago, and they haven’t been able to keep their hands off each other since.
Rachael shivered as he continued to sweep his thumb across her still sensitive skin. She closed her eyes and tried to lose herself in the moment instead of her own chaotic thoughts.
John “Jackrabbit” Dawes, whom she preferred to think of as the biggest playboy she’d ever met, wasn’t exactly the long term type. But it didn’t matter to her. She’d learned first-hand that nothing lasts. This had been true of every relationship she’d ever gotten into. She was the epitome of unlucky in love.
She’d never had a single relationship that worked, and she’d learned over the years not to expect them too. It was a lot easier that way—a lot less heartache. It was hard to get hurt when you started something already knowing it would end sooner rather than later.
Have fun while it lasts. Rachael repeated her motto silently. And don’t let the door hit you on the ass when it’s over.
She knew it was a little cynical, but Jackrabbit seemed to have no problem with their arrangement, even though they’ve had to keep things secret. A part of Rachael liked the thrill of sneaking around and finding hidden places to meet together.
The thing was, her father was the sheriff of Mayville County, and Jackrabbit… Well, Jackrabbit was the new president of the Roadburners, a local biker gang that liked to cause trouble in the area. Nothing that bad, at least according to Rachael’s way of thinking of things. Not exactly legal, sure, but stealing a couple stray head of cattle from a big ranch didn’t really hurt anybody. It’s not like they were going around murdering people.
Of course, her father wouldn’t see it like that. To him, the Roadburners might as well be public enemy number one. There was also no way in hell that he’d approve of anything going on between Rachael and Jackrabbit—which only added to the appeal for her.
Yeah, right, as if he’s ever approved of anything I’ve ever done, Rachael snorted to herself. She was the wild child. The rebellious one. He always used to joke that her twin sister Hannah got all the ‘good’ genes, and she got all the bad ones. She moved out of his house as soon as she turned eighteen. But in this small town, it was still hard to get out from under her father’s shadow. She’ll always be known as the Sheriff’s daughter.
Maybe in Houston… The thought trailed off at the soft touch across her cheek. She blinked her eyes open.
“What are you thinking about, Rae?” Jackrabbit asked, smoothing his finger across her forehead next, “You’ve got a furrow right here.”
Rachael just shrugged. Her signature devil-may-care grin was back in full force. “Nothing. Nothing at all. Just work.”
“Uh huh. Okay.” He shook his head, obviously not buying it.
She was relieved when he didn’t push her any further. Keep things light. Keep things easy and fun. Don’t get too serious, don’t get too deep. Those were the rules that she lived by.
He let out a little laugh suddenly, his blue eyes sparkling like the ocean as he matched her grin for grin.
“What? What’s so funny?” She finally asked.
“You called me Johnny.”
“What?” Rachael asked again, giving him a confused look. He leaned forward so he could whisper the words against her ear.
“When we were fucking.” He said. “I made you come and you said my name,” His voice was hoarse and Rachael moved restlessly as another wave of arousal hit her hard and low. “You called me Johnny instead of Jackrabbit.” He leaned back to look at her. “No one calls me Johnny.”
“Well, I guess I do.” She said, suddenly breathless. The look in his eyes darkened, the moment drawing out between them and that spark of panic was back. Rachael rolled to one side of the bed, landing on her feet and stood, completely naked and completely confident. The heavy lidded look Jackrabbit gave her certainly didn’t hurt either.
She threw a snarky grin over her shoulder. “I like Johnny. It suits you. Besides, you’ll probably be on to the next girl soon enough and then you can have her call you whatever you want. Superman, the amazing sex machine. Anything you want.”
Rachael turned and walked to the bathroom, putting a little extra sway in her step just for his viewing pleasure. She felt his stare burning into her from behind and nearly laughed out loud as she swept into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.
***
Jackrabbit lay back in his bed, one arm propped above his head. He was so distracted by the delectable ass bouncing in front of him that it took
an extra-long minute for Rachael’s words to sink in. When they finally did it was his turn to furrow his brows as he stared at the close bathroom door that she’d just disappeared behind.
His thoughts whirled in his head, tangling together into one big confusing mess. He knew he should be happy about her attitude about whatever it was that was going on between them. But even still, he couldn’t help but feel his ego deflate a little about how casual she was about him moving on.
Of course it’s my ego, he assured himself, what else would it be? It was just a fling, right? He should be happy that she wasn’t one of those clingy girls that expected him to proclaim his undying love after their first roll in the hay. Those same girls often times turned around and walked away at the drop of a hat. Usually right into someone else’s bed, he thought cynically.
It had happened before and he was sure it would happen again. It was better this way. Better not to get too involved. Better to just have fun. And fuck, Rachael was a hell of a lot of fun.